Local News – Thursday, March 26th, 2020

At the special meeting of the Salem Board of Aldermen held on Monday, City of Salem Mayor Brad Nash declared a State of Emergency in response to COVID-19. Nash stated the proclamation will help expedite our emergency response efforts and allow the city to procure needed resources more easily and adapt as necessary in our ongoing efforts to protect public health and safety. This declaration will remain in place for sixty days or until the Board of Aldermen takes other action, whichever comes first. Nash said the city appreciates the efforts of the many businesses that have already altered their operations to help in our community’s efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Under the Emergency Declaration in response to COVID-19, effective immediately the City of Salem will temporarily suspend utility penalties and shut-offs for non-payment. The City of Salem offers payment plans for utility customers facing challenges. Call the Utility Office at (573) 729-4117 for more information and give us a chance to help. The city is closing all restrooms, playgrounds and pavilions at city parks. While parks will remain open, the public should adhere to the 6-foot personal space guideline between non-family members. The City has also suspended scheduled events at all City facilities with ten (10) or more expected people including the Salem Community Center @ the Armory and Old City Hall. The lobby at the city administrative offices is currently closed in response to the coronavirus. Utility customers should use the drive-through or drop box for utility payments or call (573) 729-4117 to pay by phone. To access other City services call (573) 729-4811 or visit the City’s Facebook page. They also encourage residents to call, text or e-mail your neighbors to check on their well-being. The City of Salem will continue to work in coordination with our partner agencies, as well as the state and federal government, to monitor this evolving situation and to ensure our response actions are based on the latest facts. The City will communicate updates to the Salem community as the situation changes and as we make additional decisions regarding our local response. According to the CDC, the most effective ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to practice preventative hygiene and follow social distancing recommendations of staying home when possible and maintaining six foot of personal space when you do go out. Residents should stay informed and ensure they are receiving information from reliable sources such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). the Dent County Health Center and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. They have a 24/7 phone hotline for the public or providers to receive information or guidance related to COVID-19. The hotline number is (877) 435-8411.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education will hold a special meeting Monday, March 30th at 6:00 to consider a health insurance carrier at the district administrative offices.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Missouri Conservation Commission announce they are temporarily waiving permit requirements for sport fishing and daily trout tags for Missouri residents and nonresidents whose fishing privileges are not otherwise suspended. The waiver of needing a permit or trout tag to fish will run from Friday, March 27th through April 15th. The Missouri Department of Conservation will reassess the situation at that point. All season dates and limits will continue to apply and be enforced. Three of Missouri’s public trout parks remain open for day use and fishing during that time. Those state parks include Bennett Spring State Park in Lebanon, Montauk State Park near Salem, and Roaring River State Park near Cassville. They are operated by Missouri State Parks under the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR). MDC manages the trout hatcheries at these locations. To reduce possible increased social congregation, the Department of Conservation will suspend daily trout stocking at all trout parks starting Friday and has suspended other fish stocking in waters around the state until further notice. The James Foundation announced it has closed Maramec Spring Park in St. James to the public for trout fishing and all other activities until further notice. Maramec Spring Park is owned and operated by the James Foundation. MDC manages the trout hatchery at Maramec Spring Park. For more information, visit maramecspringpark.com. Conservation makes Missouri a great place to fish and Missouri has more than a million acres of surface water with most of it providing great fishing. More than 200 different fish species are found in Missouri, with more than 20 of them being game fish for the state’s more than 1.1 million anglers. To get more information on Missouri fishing, go to huntfish.mdc.mo.gov. The Department of Conservation reminds everyone to continue to wash your hands and use other public-health measures while fishing and during other outdoor activities, including maintaining at least six feet of distance between all individuals who are not family members.

The Doe Run Company is pleased to announce the promotion of Denise Callahan to director of IT, effective April 1st. In her new role, Callahan will lead the implementation and management of the company’s information technology systems and project management office (PMO), as well as manage digital transformation initiatives. Callahan has more than 25 years of experience managing projects and leading IT organizations. During her 15-year tenure with Doe Run, she served as director of PMO, analytics and strategic planning. In this role, she was responsible for development and execution of the enterprise-wide strategy through portfolio, program and project management. In 2018, the Doe Run PMO was selected as the United States representative for the 2018 PMO Global Awards and was the runner-up for the 2010 PMO of the Year Award. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in information technology from Missouri State University and a master’s degree in information technology from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

In an effort to help ease the financial burden and provide continued connectivity for customers impacted by coronavirus, Fidelity Communications today announced that effective immediately, it will be waiving late fees and offering payment deferrals for its customers for the next 60 days. Julie Laulis, President and CEO says they understand that their customers rely on their Internet service to stay connected to family, work, school and information, and they’re are committed to ensuring they receive the assistance they need during this time. The company plans to reassess after 30 days based on the continued impact and evolving nature of the virus. Customers with questions can call 800-392-8070 for more information.