Local News – Tuesday, April 16th, 2024
The Dent County Commission met Monday morning at the courthouse. 120th District legislative candidate Lance Blair was in attendance and Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson asked about his campaign. Blair responded that voters have concerns over inflation, uncertainty about their future, and paying their bills. He said he feels his campaign is going well. In the road report District One Commissioner Wes Mobry said that grading would be done and rock would be added to Dent County Roads 5410 and 6020, plus grading only would be done on county road 6380. Furthermore, brush would be cut on county road 6470. District Two Commissioner Gary Polk indicated that grading would be done and rock would be added to Dent County Roads 2500 and 2540, while grading only would be done on county roads 4030, 4400, 4403, and 5245. Larson said he attended the TAC Committee meeting last Thursday in St. James and learned from Preston Kramer information that corrected some inaccuracies in last week’s release about the Standing Rock Bridge. He said the state has purchased adequate property for the entire bridge to be built during Phase 1. Then during Phase 2 signage will be established, the roadway route to the new bridge would be completed and there would be temporary traffic signals during Phase 2. Larson also reported that at the MRPC meeting last week he was appointed to the Meramec Regional Community Foundation. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported that bills were being approved by the Commissioners for payment. She said she balanced with Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams on all county accounts for March. It was reported that the Commissioners took phone bids for 7,500 gallons of diesel. The winning and lowest bid was from County Fuels for $2.93 per gallon. At 10:00 bids were opened for chip and seal this summer. Blevins Asphalt bid was $1.91 per unit single coat, double coat was $3.65 per unit, and $.91 per unit for primer only on double coat and they can begin in June. West Contracting of Pacific bid $2.24 per unit on single coat and $4.86 per unit on double coat with no extra cost for primer. The Commissioners voted 3-0 to go with the low bid by Blevins Asphalt. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Thursday morning at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.
The Phelps County Public Housing Agency (PHA) will host a public hearing to accept comments on the PHA’s annual plan this afternoon at 2:00 during the Meramec Regional Planning Commission, #4 Industrial Drive in St. James. The Phelps County PHA provides HUD Section 8 rental assistance to persons in Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps (outside the city of Rolla) and Washington counties. The plan is a comprehensive guide to PHA policies, programs, operations and strategies for meeting local housing needs and goals. The annual plan is submitted to HUD every year. The plan is available for review at MRPC/Phelps County PHA through April 16th. Written comments will be accepted through April 17 and can be submitted to MRPC, attention Donald Keeney, Housing Program Manager. For more information contact Kenney at, dkeeney@meramecregion.org or call 573-265-2993.
The Dent County Sheriffs office has released some reports. On Saturday, April 6th, deputies responded to the 600 block of County Road 2480 for a theft report. The victim, a 61-year-old Iowa man, told officers that an ATV had been taken from his property by an unknown suspect or suspects. The investigation is continuing. On Monday the 8th deputies responded to the 4500 block of County Road 2050 for another theft report. A 77-year-old Salem man, told deputies that a known suspect had taken a 2006 Ford F-150 without his permission. The investigation is ongoing. Thursday the 11th, deputies responded to the 1100 block of West Scenic Rivers Blvd. for a wanted subject. The suspect, a 40-year-old Salem woman, was arrested on an outstanding warrant and transported to the Dent County Jail where she was incarcerated. The next day deputies responded to the 600 block of County Road 2075 for a domestic disturbance. A 29-year-old Salem man and a 29-year-old Rolla woman, had assaulted one another. Neither party wished to pursue charges and the Missouri 12 Hour Rule was invoked. If you have any information regarding an investigation please the sheriffs office at 729-3241.
The spring season brings blooms, sunny skies, warmer temperatures, and a variety of newborn animals. Young wildlife can pull on our heartstrings as they look to be abandoned, but that’s rarely the case. The Missouri Department of Conservation reminds the public that the best place for wildlife is in the wild. A common newborn species we may encounter in the spring is young birds. When you see newborns alone, that means the parents are likely out searching for food and will return. If you see a chick with feathers hopping on the ground, leave it alone because it’s a fledgling and its parents are nearby keeping watch. Fledglings can spend up to 10 days on the ground learning to fly. If you find one that has no feathers, it likely fell out of its nest and you can return it to the nesting area if possible. Another animal you shouldn’t interfere with is young rabbits. Rabbits seldom survive in captivity and can actually die of fright from being handled. A common myth is that human scent does will cause wild mothers to reject their young but that’s not true. It takes a lot of knowledge to care for and rehabilitate wild animals and it requires special training, permits, and facilities. Not to mention, it’s illegal to possess many wild animals without a valid state or federal permit. Wildlife can become dangerous as they mature, and can carry disease, parasites, and cause property damage. People have good intentions, and it can be tempting to take these cute, young animals in our homes, but the best thing we can do for wild animals is to leave them in the wild.