Local News – Tuesday, April 3rd, 2018
A Municipal Election was held Tuesday in Dent County with 17.12% of the registered voters voting which comes to a total of 1,153 ballots being cast. Only contested races will be listed and only Dent County results are presented.
City of Salem – Mayor
Brad Nash 416 votes
Daniel Joe Peterek 37 votes
J.J. Tune 181 votes
City of Salem – West Ward Aldermen
Kenneth Nash 185 votes
Molly Coffman Zettel 181 votes
City of Salem –Proposition 1 Use Tax
Yes 229 votes
No 376 votes
Salem R-80 School Board
Chris Heavin 491 votes
Carrie Coffman-Snider 423 votes
Kevin James 292 votes
Oak Hill R-1 School Board
Nathaniel Ragsdale 37 votes
James Terrill 27 votes
Amanda Dooley 31 votes
Jennifer Mayberry 18 votes
Natalie Stevens 29 votes
Northwood R-4 School Board
Jonathan (Jon) Roos 72 votes
Christopher (Chris) Welch 120 votes
Jarred Brown 101 votes
Miriam Stricklan 39 votes
Rebecca Stokes 76 votes
Northwood R-4 Tax Levy
Yes 119 votes
No 108 votes
The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell was not in attendance due to a death in his family. Road supervisor Rusty Chamberlain gave the road report and said materials will be added and work would be done on Dent County Roads 5450 and 5460. He said they will be preparing a pad for the chips for the chip and seal roads, plus making room for the stockpiling of gravel. He said workers would be doing service on grader #33. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said workers would be out checking culverts or pipes that have clogged up and hauling chips in to stockpile as well as other road materials. Larson indicated a full service would be done on Grader #31 that will take about two days. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he will be attending an MRPC Investment Committee meeting on Wednesday to look at the MRPC dues and the operations budget. He wanted to remind everyone the jail committee meeting this Thursday will be at the Salem Community Center@The Armory at 6:00 and the meeting is open to everyone. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley wants to remind everyone the polls will be open today from 6:00 this morning until 7:00 this evening and you must bring with you a photo ID. This a municipal election that has races for the Salem R-80, Northwood R-4 and Oak Hill R-1 School Boards, the City of Salem Mayoral position and West Ward alderman position as well as a use tax issue. Dent County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Curley brought in a Statement of Sale for Firearms that were seized by the Dent County Sheriff’s Department. Curley said most of the time the money goes into General Revenue, but because of the circumstances of the confiscation of the weapons, the money will go to the Sheriff’s Revolving Fund. That money came to $5,325.30. This was approved by the commission. At the last meeting, Tom Haines with the US Forest Service discussed the status of Dent County Road 5700 and found that it is still a Forest Service Road. The county has been maintaining it and Haines said they will be turning the road over to the county. Also at the last meeting, Sheriff Bob Wells is looking to seek bids to sell an old patrol car. The commission approved his request and he will be back this week with more information. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Thursday morning at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.
Salem community members will have a unique chance to attend a cooking demonstration this Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:30 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory hosted by Laura Short, a Senior Chief Culinary Specialist at the Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Academy. The workshop will teach community members how to cook affordable, delicious, and healthy meals, right in their own kitchens. Short will show how eating healthy doesn’t need to be expensive or time-consuming and is usually cheaper to make your own food than to eat out, even fast-food meals. The demonstration is hosted by Healthy Salem, a project of Cover Missouri, who’s goal it is to help everyone stay healthy, with or without health insurance. The project is coordinated by Health Literacy Media (HLM), a health communications non-profit that works to improve health by making it easier to understand. Short’s cooking workshop will be held on Wednesday, April 4th at the Salem Community Center located at 1200 W Rolla Street from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. In addition, tips will be shared on how you can take an active role in your own health and health care, including tips for doctor visits. For more information about this event and RSVP, you may call the Salem Community Center at 729-8163.
The Meramec Regional Community Foundation awarded the Dent County Community Foundation a $250 grant for its "I Heart Salem" clean-up and beautification project. The Dent County Community Foundation was one of six projects selected for funding. The Dent County Community Foundation plans to use the grant funds to purchase tools for clean-up and beautification projects. Through "I Heart Salem," which the community foundation is hosting under its umbrella of "Growth in the Rural Ozarks," these projects have been completed by the volunteers bringing their own tools. The committee has found that it would be more effective if they had a set of tools that could be regularly used for these projects. Long-term, the "I Heart Salem" project hopes to build stronger neighborhood connections, encourage neighborhood block parties, and improve the appearance and quality of our housing in our community. The Salem Initiative, an online community for volunteers, supporters and other stakeholders interested in improving Salem, is matching the $250 grant.