Local News – Thursday, November 16th, 2023
The signups for the Dent County Toy Drive and the Salvation Army Angel Tree will be from 3:30 until 5:30 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory at 1200 West Rolla Road on Monday, November 20th and Monday, November 27th. These are the only days to sign-up your children and some documentation will be required. These programs are limited to children from newborn to 12-years of age, and the parent or guardian they live with MUST sign them up. The parent needs to bring with them a birth certificate or shot record or current grade card to prove the child’s age; and the parents must live in Dent County. A current utility bill or a letter from the school the child attends will also work. Only one person per family may register and no children are allowed to be present during the signups. Parents will be asked the interests of each child, and they should know their children’s clothes and shoe sizes. The Dent County Toy Drive and the Salvation Army want all children to have a great Christmas, but they are also asking parents not to participate unless you truly need their help. If you have questions, message the Dent County Toy Drive on their Facebook page or call 729-8163.
The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors met Tuesday evening at 6:00 at the fire station. After the roll call and approval of the consent agenda, the minutes from the October meeting were approved as presented. The financial report showed an ending balance of $80,371.32 as of October 31st. Bills, payments, and statements were then reviewed along with the 2023 and 2024 budget. A motion was made and carried to adopt the 2023 budget for 2024 then, after the check for 2024 taxes is received, the budget can then be reviewed again and revised accordingly. During the calendar review, it was noted that this Friday the ladders will be tested for the district, and the hospital will be holding a class on Tuesday, November 28th for Pre-Hospital Life Support. There will also be a potluck dinner on Tuesday, December 5th at the department for all the firefighters; and on that same day, reimbursement checks for the year will be dispersed. The monthly reimbursement report for October showed a total of 34 calls for the month bringing the total calls year to date to 242. In old business it was reported that truck #85 is still being worked on and is not in service. Fire Chief Brad Nash gave his report and noted that the National Fire Incident Reporting System for Missouri is being changed and the department will need to look into new software to make the department compliant. Nash is looking into programs that will meet the department needs and keep them in compliance. The December meeting date was set for Tuesday, December 12th, at 6:00 at the fire station located at #2 South Main Street. The meeting was then adjourned.
Join Danielle Norris this Friday evening from 6:00 until 8:00, for a splendidly magical night at the Creative Arts Center for a Potter Paint and Sip. No muggles may enter! All Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin houses are cordially invited where the wizard world will come to life on canvas. Participants will be lead step by step through a spell binding painting including Hedwig and sorter hat! No trickery, just pure magic, where anything’s possible if you have enough nerve. The magic is for all boys and girl ages 13 and up and all supplies are provided at a cost of $25 per attendee. A minimum of six are required to hold the session with a maximum of 26 attendees. People can sign up under the “Programs” at the salemcommunitybetterment.com website for activities at the Creative Arts Center.
The University of Missouri Extension and the Missouri Department of Agriculture are helping livestock producers find hay. Many of the listings come from sellers in states that have not seen back-to-back drought years. The websites list sellers by region and forage type, as well as bale type, number and weight. Details may include whether the hay has been analyzed, crude protein, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, relative feed value and percent total digestible nutrients. Hay listings on the MDA website will be posted for up to six months. Listings on MU Ag electronic bulletin board remain in the market listing system for 60 days unless updated. AgEBB lists the most recent postings first. MU Extension agronomy specialist Tim Schnakenberg says to use caution when buying hay from new sources as they will offer varying sizes, densities and, most importantly, quality affect hay’s true value. When buying, ask how hay was stored and for how long. Schnakenberg offers some other tips about buying hay such as testing and weigh the hay before buying, if possible. The best way to tell good hay from bad is to have it tested for quality in a laboratory. He also says to look for leafiness, weeds and seed heads and check for mold and smell. Schnakenberg also says to check for fire ants and other pests in hay from states where these pests are common. He also says to buy by the ton, not the bale, and to test for nitrates. If you need to find hay, the MDA listings are at apps.mda.mo.gov/HayDirectory; and the MU hay listings are at agebb.missouri.edu/haylst/vsale.php.