Local News – Thursday, December 13th, 2018
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley announced that his office has filed a felony complaint in Shannon County against former City of Winona Clerk Terri Denton. The complaint alleges that Denton, during her time as city clerk, misappropriated at least five hundred dollars. The charges allege that Denton was employed by the City of Winona between 2015 and 2017. During that time, Denton allegedly stole cash that had accumulated in the city’s vault and used it on personal expenses. While conducting an audit, the Auditor’s Office discovered at least several thousand dollars were not deposited in the city’s accounts during that time frame and a total of $42,000 remains unaccounted for. The Attorney General’s Public Corruption Team is prosecuting the case with the assistance of the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Missouri State Auditor’s Office. The Attorney General’s Office was appointed special prosecutor at the request of the Shannon County Prosecuting Attorney because of a conflict. Attorney General Hawley reminds the public that the charges against Denton are just accusations and, as in all criminal cases, the defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in a court of law.
Dent County Collector Dennis Medlock has announced the hours the collector’s Office will be open over the holidays to pay your taxes. The Collector’s office will be closed on Christmas Eve, Monday, December 24th and Tuesday, Christmas Day, December 25th. The office will have extended hours on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, December 26th through the 28th. The office will also be open with extended hours on New Year Eve, Monday, December 31st. The extended hours on these days will be from 8:00 in the morning until 5:30 in the evening. If you mail your taxes in on New Year’s Eve, your taxes MUST be postmarked December 31st, 2018. Take you payment inside and have the postal clerk hand stamp your payment. Otherwise, you could be responsible for a late payment and interest. You can also drop off your payment in the drop box in the front southwest corner of the courthouse lawn. Again, that needs to be dropped off before midnight, December 31st. You can also pay your taxes online. Refer to your tax bill on instructions on how to pay online. There are additional fees associated with paying your bill online with a debit or credit card. If you have any questions, please call the Dent County Collector’s Office at 729-3911.
Election filing is going on now for the school board positions at all schools, the Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors, the Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors, Dent County Health Department Board of Directors and for an East and West Wards Alderman for the City of Salem. The filing period will end on January 15th, 2019. Filing for school boards should be done at each school’s administrative offices and there is no cost to file. Filing for the Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors needs to be done at the Hospital in the Administration Department and there is no charge to file. Sign ups for the Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors will be held at the Dent County Firehouse and there is a $50 filing fee. Filing for the aldermanic seats for the city will be at the City Administrative Building at the 4th and Iron Street and there is a $25 filing fee. To file for the Dent County Health Board of Directors, you will need to file at the Dent County Clerks Office and there is no filing fee. Please be sure to read the qualifications to file for each position. This may include a determined number of years of residency, proof of payment of all real estate and property taxes, and other requirements. Filing will not be held on legal holidays and before or after normal working hours. Contact the entity you may be interested in to get all the details.
Elephant Rocks State Park hosts Mother Nature’s Christmas lights viewing starting at 5:00 Friday afternoon, December 14th until sunrise on December 15th. To mark this year’s most spectacular meteor shower, the Geminids Meteor shower, Elephant Rocks State Park will be open to the public for a rare after-dark event. Park staff will be available to direct you to the best and safest areas to view the shower. If you like star gazing, light shows and are able to brave the cold, come out and create a lifetime memory at Elephant Rocks State Park. It is December, so dress for very cold winter conditions. It is often colder on the rocks than the average local temperature, so you can become chilled sitting for long periods in the park even on a mild night. You are welcome to bring portable chairs and blankets to keep warm. Please remember to bring in only what you will be able to carry out when you leave. Trash receptacles are provided at the park’s parking lot. Please be respectful of other visitors’ experience and avoid excessive use of artificial lights and excessive noise during the event. This shower can be viewed with the naked eye, and telescopes or binoculars are welcome but not needed. No tents, propane heaters, lanterns or campfires will be allowed. Elephant Rocks State Park is located at 7406 Highway 21 in Belleview. For more information about the event, call the site at 573-546-3454.