Local News – Tuesday, April 28th, 2020

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning for the regular meeting at the courthouse. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams was in attendance to provide the commissioners with the CART receipts received in April. Williams reported the county received $57,959.79 this April while in 2019 during April the county received $52,310.88. Year-to-date, the county is up $5,544.10 over last year which is an increase of 2.56%. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell indicated the county would be stockpiling two inch base rock from Melrose Quarry and Asphalt. He said the men would be performing the 500 hour service on Grader #38 and also replacing stolen or downed county road signs in numerous locations. Purcell went on to say that men would be repairing potholes on Dent County Road 6180 which is a chip and seal road. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson stated materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 2550 which is a Department of Conservation road. He added that men would be working on Grader #31 and checking for some washouts throughout the district from the rain that came in Thursday as well as Friday night into Saturday. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles reported that he has been staying in touch almost daily with the Dent County Health Center Administrator Kendra Mobray to stay up to date on the COVID-19 situation in Dent County. Skiles was pleased to say that as of Monday morning there were still no reported cases of the coronavirus in Dent County. He said that Governor Mike Parson is putting in place two phases to open the state back up to more normal economic activities. Those phases will be announced this week. The commissioners agreed to plan on opening the courthouse back up on Monday, May 4th, but will continue to only have commission meetings on Monday for the time being. Skiles stated people that come in the courthouse will still have to try to abide by social distancing. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported absentee voting continues for the June 2nd Municipal Election and the last day to register to vote for the August 4th election is July 11th. Curley said she was going to apply for a grant of up to $20,000 for protective supplies for the workers and judges at the polling locations that would include masks, gloves and hand sanitizers. Purcell said he attended a Tourism Tax Committee meeting last Monday and four reimbursements were submitted and all four were approved for a total of $30,133.00. He also said two event proposals were submitted and they were both approved. Dwight Ramsburg from Septagone came in to present the commissioners with an update on the jail construction. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

After being cooped up for weeks during the COVID 19 pandemic, warmer weather and the need for continued social distancing could find many more motorcycles on our roadways this spring and summer. The Missouri Department of Transportation and the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety want to remind motorists to Watch for Motorcycles in order to help prevent motorcycle crashes, deaths and injuries on Missouri roadways. This awareness campaign will run during the month of May and on holidays through the summer. According to Jon Nelson MoDOT assistant to the state highway safety and traffic engineer preliminary data shows that approximately 15% of Missouri traffic fatalities in 2019 involved a motorcycle, with 120 motorcyclist lives lost. MoDOT wants to see that number decrease this year by reminding motorists to be mindful of motorcyclists on the road and by reminding both motorcyclists and other drivers to obey speed limits, put down the phone, and never drive impaired. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers the following tips to drivers on how to prevent a fatal crash with a motorcycle. Allow the motorcycle the full width of a lane at all times, always signal when changing lanes or merging with traffic, check all mirrors and blind spots for motorcycles before changing lanes or merging with traffic, especially at intersections, and never drive distracted or impaired. Motorcyclists must also take precautions to remain safe on the road. Motorcyclists can increase their safety by following these steps. Wear a DOT-compliant helmet and other protective gear, obey all traffic laws and be properly licensed and trained, wear brightly colored clothes and reflective tape to increase visibility, ride in the middle of the lane where you will be more visible to drivers, never ride distracted or impaired, anticipate the moves of other drivers and be extra cautious of road conditions and debris. Experts recommend riders also complete motorcycle training before getting out on the road. There are 23 training locations in Missouri. You can find the one nearest you at www.mmsp.org. For more information, visit www.saveMOlives.com.

During Monday’s COVID-19 briefing, Governor Mike Parson announced the first phase of the “Show Me Strong Recovery” Plan outlining how Missouri will gradually begin to reopen economic and social activity on Monday, May 4th. This framework will allow the state to work through a gradual reopening, leading to broader economic recovery. During phase one of the plan, citizens may begin returning to economic and social activities but must adhere to social distancing requirements, including maintaining six feet of space between individuals in most cases. There are currently no limitations on social gatherings as long as necessary precautions are taken and six feet of distance can be maintained between individuals and/or families. Additionally, all businesses can be open provided that the social distancing guidelines set forth in the new health order are followed. Some businesses will be required to take additional precautions to protect their employees and the public, such as occupancy limits at retail locations. Local officials will have the authority to put further rules, regulations, or ordinances in place so long as they are not inconsistent with the statewide order. Some communities may be able to reopen at a faster rate than others. For more information, contact Kendra Mobray at the Dent County Health Center at 729-3106.