Local News – Thursday, July 6th, 2023
Due to the Dent County Courthouse renovation, the construction crew has notified the Dent County Commission and all the office holders that the front doors to the courthouse (those on the west side facing Highway 19) will be closed through Friday, July 14th. If you plan on going to the courthouse to a commission meeting or to see the collector, county clerk, assessor or treasurer, please use the back entrance doors of the courthouse which are the east doors that face Iron Street.
The draft fiscal year 2024-2028 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) 30-day public review and comment period ends TODAY. Those projects in the STIP for Dent County include a scoping engineering project on Route TT for bridge improvements over Crooked Creek in the next two years, the bridge replacement on Highway 19 South over Gladden Creek at an expected cost of $1,827,000 in the 2024 fiscal year, pavement improvements to Route K from Highway 19 to Route KK as well as on Route J from Highway 72 to Highway 32-72 at a cost of $2,071,000 in fiscal year 2025, upgrades to pedestrian facilities on Highway 32 to comply with the ADA Transition Plan at a total cost of $1,991,000 that will begin in fiscal year 2025 with the engineering and right-of-way purchase followed by the construction beginning in fiscal year 2026; the bridge improvement on Route B over Dry Creek at a cost of $1,330,000 in the 2026 fiscal year, and the bridge improvement on Highway 19 over Spring Creek for $231,000 in fiscal year 2027. The STIP program is available on MoDOT’s website: www.modot.org. Those interested in offering comments can contact MoDOT by email to STIPcomments@modot.mo.gov or by calling customer service at 1-888-275-6636.
Governor Mike Parson appointed Lacey Brumley of Rolla to fill a vacancy on the Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy on Monday, July 3rd. Ms. Brumley currently serves as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant at Centerwell Home Health in Rolla. She is a licensed Occupational Therapy Assistant and a member of the Missouri Occupational Therapy Association. Ms. Brumley holds an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Occupational Therapy from East Central College.
On-demand printing and laminating services that had been provided at the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Missouri Geological Survey in Rolla came to an end this past Saturday, July 1st. There are still free copies of topographic and mineral maps that remain available for download for personal printing through the U.S. Geological Survey at usgs.gov. Interactive geologic maps, research tools and other resources from the Missouri Geological Survey are also available online at share.mo.gov/nr/mgs. Director of the Missouri Geological Survey Carey Bridges stated that customer traffic for their map printing services has declined steadily over the years with the information now available online. Bridges indicated the Ed Clark Museum of Missouri Geology in Rolla remains open to the public during regular business hours. Items such as the popular Missouri Rocks and Minerals Set as well as printed copies of the Geologic Map of Missouri, Mineral Resources and Industry Map of Missouri, and Geologic Wonders and Curiosities of Missouri will remain available for purchase for museum visitors. Founded in 1853, the Missouri Geological Survey’s mission is to collect and distribute information about Missouri’s water, mineral and energy resources. Its five technical programs include the Dam and Reservoir Safety, Geological Survey, Land Reclamation, Soil and Water Conservation and Water Resources Center.
The Community Blood Center of the Ozarks (CBCO), the sole supplier of blood, platelets, and plasma to patients at 44 area healthcare facilities, needs blood donors to help ensure a strong summer blood supply to help avoid typical summer blood shortages for local use. As a sweet, summer treat, successful donors will receive a FREE ICE CREAM voucher from Dairy Queen, Culver’s OR Hiland Dairy. In addition, donors will receive a limited edition “Chillin’ in the Ozarks” T-shirt, while supplies last. Community Blood Center of the Ozarks donors provide all the blood for patients at the Salem Memorial Hospital, as well as dozens of healthcare facilities across the Ozarks. The next CBCO Blood Drive will be held Tuesday from 1:00 to 6:00 PM at the First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall located at 201 N. MacArthur. To help avoid wait times, appointments are strongly encouraged. Donors can schedule an appointment at www.cbco.org/baseball or by calling 417-227-5006.