Local News – Thursday, May 10th, 2018
In a press release from the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, 46-year old Brian Naber of Salem has been charged with a Class E felony of sexual conduct with a prisoner by an employee of a jail. Naber was a probationary detention employee of Crawford County at the time of the incident. According to the release, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office received information about Naber engaging in potentially inappropriate interactions with recently released inmates on April 27th. The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division then began an investigation into these allegations, plus there was an internal investigation regarding policy violations that had occurred. After the investigation, Naber was arrested by a Crawford County detective along with the assistance of the Phelps County Sheriff’s Office. He is currently incarcerated in the Phelps County Jail on a $25,000 cash only bond. Naber was also terminated from his job at the Crawford County jail.
An accident happened in Phelps County on Highway 68 about a mile north of Route F Tuesday afternoon at 4:10. According to the highway patrol report, a 2003 Honda Motorcycle driven westbound by 21-year old Daniel Steen of Concordia, Missouri, failed to negotiate a curve and traveled off the left side of the roadway and struck a sign. Steen and a passenger on the bike, 20-year old Kayla Bruemmer of Fair Grove, Missouri, suffered minor injuries and were taken to the Phelps County Regional Medical Center. Both were wearing safety devices at the time of the accident. The Honda sustained extensive damage and was removed from the scene by Spurgeon’s Towing of St. James.
The Salem Park Board will meet this Friday evening at 6:00 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory. The board will go over the previous meeting minutes and approve the agenda. The meeting will also include a report from Park and Recreation Director Tye Lydon along with a pool tour for the board and any other business of interest brought before the meeting is adjourned.
The Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) and Phelps County Public Housing Agency Family Self-Sufficiency program will host a free workshop from 10:00 in the morning until noon this Friday in St. James on “Kids and Self Esteem” at #4 Industrial Drive in St. James. The workshop is designed to help parents understand how to build up children’s self-esteem and how important it is for the parents to model that self-esteem in themselves for the kids to see. Christy Saylor, the Missouri Ozarks Community Action (MOCA) county projects coordinator, will be presenting the workshop. Free training classes are a part of the efforts to help prepare families by making them aware of the resources available to assist with self-sufficiency. Workshops are offered at no cost to the participants. For more information or to RSVP, contact Savannah Vandegriffe at 573-265-4200 ext. 132. Each participant meeting income qualifications will receive a $25 Wal-Mart gift card.
Rural Missourians can save money on energy bills with help from University of Missouri Extension and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. MU Extension specialist Willard Downs says USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) helps Missourians lower costs through energy audits, financing and grants. Farmers who earn at least 50 percent of their income from agriculture and small businesses in eligible rural areas qualify. MU REAP audits cost only $112.50 which is a savings of thousands over standard energy audit costs and it will show wasteful energy systems. Auditors figure savings and suggest changes for all or part of an operation. MU Extension helps with the first step of the program: a full farm or business energy audit. Audits show which upgrades provide the largest savings in the long term. Audits are necessary to qualify for the second step: the financial incentives through REAP’s loans and grants program for renewable-energy systems and energy-efficiency improvement. USDA offers funds to buy, install and build renewable energy systems or improve existing systems. REAP makes loan guarantees on loans up to 75 percent of total eligible project costs. Grants can fund up to 25 percent of eligible project costs. Combined grant and loan funding can be up to 75 percent of eligible project costs. Loans range from $5,000 to $25 million, with loan guarantees up to 85 percent. Borrowers and lenders negotiate loan rates, which are subject to USDA approval. Grants range from $2,500 to $500,000 for renewable-energy systems and $1,500 to $250,000 for energy-efficiency grants. USDA is offering funds now though March 2019. This is the third generation of the REAP project. During the 2010-2013 MAESTRO Program, more than 200 audits were performed and 153 agricultural operations installed energy-saving systems. To learn more about MU Extension energy audits, visit the MU REAP website at REAP.missouri.edu, or contact MU REAP at mufsbreap@missouri.edu or 573-882-2731. You may also contact the USDA Rural Development state office at 573-876-9321, or your local MU Extension center.
A reminder that if you have a school aged child who will be participating in sports in 2018, they can get a FREE comprehensive sports physicals through Friday, May 11th at Salem Family Medicine on the campus of SMDH. A parent or guardian MUST be present when the physicals are given. SMDH Family Medicine is in Physicians Office Building #3 on Highway 72 in Salem and is open from 8:00 AM until 8:00 PM today, and from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Friday. Please call 729-8000 to schedule your time.