Local News – Thursday, November 10th, 2022
An accident happened Wednesday morning just after 9:20 in Dent County on Route JJ about a mile north of Highway 19. The report from the highway patrol states that a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu being driven north by 41-year-old Brooke Bettigrew of Salem, swerved to miss a deer in the roadway. This caused the vehicle to travel off the right side of the road and strike a tree. Bettigrew suffered minor injuries and was taken by Salem ambulance to the Salem Memorial District Hospital for treatment. The Chevrolet sustained extensive damage and was removed from the scene by American Automotive and Towing. The highway patrol was assisted at the scene by the Dent County Sheriff’s Department and the Dent County Fire Department.
The Salem R-80 High School will be holding a special assembly on Veteran’s Day to honor our local veterans. The school will serve the veterans breakfast in the high school cafeteria starting at 8:15. The students will begin assembling in the gym at 8:30, and then the school plans to have the veterans enter the gym around 8:45 and take their place in special seats. High School Principal Dr. Tori Snitker will welcome them. Everyone will say the “Pledge of Allegiance” before the Salem High School Chamber Singers sing the National Anthem. The high school will have a former veteran who will be their guest speaker give a short 10 to 15-minute speech. The high school band will play a patriotic number followed by a slide show prepared by the yearbook staff. The assembly will close with one of Salem’s own teachers playing Jimmy Hendrix’s National Anthem on his electric guitar at which time our Student Council members will pass out some cards and thank you notes to the veterans in attendance. The whole assembly is expected to last 50-60 minutes. Veterans can park on the top of the circle drive in the bus lanes and enter in the front doors to the lobby in front of the gym or they can enter the main office doors to the high school which have a ramp if they are handicapped. If anyone has any questions, please call the Salem high School at 729-6641.
The City of Salem Utility Committee met Wednesday evening at the Salem Community Center@The Armory. At the meeting, Mayor Greg Parker wanted to clarify the issue brought up at a previous meeting that the city is not really recycling and is just disposing of the items collected for recycling in landfills. Parker said drivers will not pickup someone’s recycling from their bin if they have items that Waste Corporation of America says they can’t recycle such as Styrofoam, plastic wrap, glass bottles, etc. You have to collect the items they can accept in your recycling bin and that list is on the city of Salem website at salemmo.com, go to utilities and click on the recycling schedule. If you are putting in items that are acceptable and the recycling bin is not being picked up. contact WCA at 1-417-741-7714 or leave a message for Mayor Parker at city hall and he will get back with you. He also said WCA is one of the few companies which has cameras that shows every stop they make for trash and recycling, and they can see if your trash or recycling was missed if you call. Public Works Director Mark Nash reported main water breaks have slowed down and small water leaks are being addressed when possible. He said there are some electrical connections that need to be rewired and not much work was done on the roads this year due to the high price of oil and the lack of companies doing asphalting or chip and seal work this summer. Nash said workers are still putting in setters for the new water meters, but not many have been done due to the numerous leaks in the water system. Committee John Hambacker proposed the committee look at restructuring the service availability charge rates for water by the size of the meter and feed line to adequately charge at the next meeting and not just have a one fee fits all size meters. The rest of the committee approved the request. The next meeting will be December 14th at 6:15. The meeting was then adjourned.
The City of Salem Community Service Committee will hold a meeting today at 5:30 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory at 1200 West Rolla Road. At the meeting, the committee will be discussing the 2022 fireworks display and discussing ideas for different projects. The meeting is open to the public.