Local News – Tuesday, August 28th, 2018
The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning for their regular meeting at the courthouse. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell stated grading would be done on Dent County Roads 2470, 2480, 5600 and 6420. He also said crossover pipes will be installed on county roads 2400, 2460 and 6090. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson reported grading would be done on Dent County Road 2330 while brush would be cut on county roads 4380 and 4330. He said material would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 2130 while materials only would be added to county road 2130. Larson said crews are putting in a pipe on Dent County Road 2070 before additional concrete is going to be added to the low water crossing under construction. Larson said that road will be closed the rest of this week and probably will not be opened until after Labor Day once the concrete cures. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he met with the State Emergency Management Agency and Federal Emergency Management Agency mapping coordinators on Thursday at the Salem Community Center@The Armory on the a draft of the new flood plain map for Dent County. Anyone with interested in the draft can find it on the SEMA and FEMA websites. If you can’t find it, get a hold of Commissioner Skiles and he will get you more information. The commissioners unanimously approved Dent County Resolution 8-27-18 regarding approving the Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley stated the last day to register for the General Election in November will be October 10th. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams brought in the CART figures received this month and they came to $60,530.99 which is $545.38 less than August of 2017’s total. Year-to-date, the county is up $4,939.80 over last year’s CART receipts which comes to about a 1.087% increase. Nick Smith from Septagon Construction Management was in attendance and Steve Davis from Shive-Hattery Architects was on a conference call as the bids for the new jail project were awarded. Smith recommended the General Construction bid would go to Prost Builders from Jefferson City for $ $5,784,000, the Laundry Equipment bid went to Loomis Brothers Equipment Co for $32,305, the steel jail cells, DEC and SEC bid went to Noah Detention Construction LLC for $2,880,000; the Elevator bid was awarded to Kone, Inc. for $139,800, the Fire Sprinkler System bid was given to Ozark Fire Sprinkler Co., Inc. for $120,000 and Meyer Electric Co. Inc. was awarded the bid for Electrical work for $948,264. A financing letter from L.J. Hart will accompany the contracts as the county is still waiting on their audit from the state to determine the interest rate on their bonds for the project financing. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be held Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.
An accident occurred Saturday afternoon at 12:55 in Phelps County on I-44 at mile marker 176. According to the Highway Patrol Report a westbound 2004 Ford Ranger, driven by 53 year-old Gina Aguilera of Las Vegas, Nevada, experienced an equipment malfunction. The Ford traveled off the right side of the roadway, then off the left side. The vehicle began to overturn, crossed the median, and finally came to rest in the passing lane of eastbound I-44. A passenger, 73 year-old Carolyn White of Salem, suffered moderate injuries and was transported to Phelps County Regional Medical Center by Phelps County Ambulance. The report stated that both White and Aguilera were wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident. The Ford was totaled and removed from the scene by C & C Towing of Rolla.
The Salem Police Department has released some reports. In the evening of Tuesday, August 14th at about 8:48, an officer was dispatched Caseys General Store on Highway 32 in reference to a male subject who appeared to be passed out on the sidewalk next to the building. That investigation led to the arrest of a 46-year old male subject from Rolla for an active arrest warrant. The suspect was incarcerated on the warrant. On Tuesday morning, August 15th, at 11:49, an officer was dispatched to the 600 block of South Grand Avenue in reference to a report of stealing. It was reported that a suspect had stolen several items of clothing as well as cosmetics along with a $100 bill. At this time the suspect has not been located and the report is still under investigation. At 9:13 that same evening, an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 800 block of East Ellis Street in reference to a report of a stolen vehicle. The victims’ son had left the vehicle at his residence at left for work. Upon returning he noticed that the vehicle was not there. The vehicle is described as a grey 1998 Nissan Sentra. The report is under investigation. A short time later at 10:19, officers responded to a residence in the 800 block of East Ellis Street in reference to serving an arrest warrant. The investigation led to the arrest of a 24-year old male subject from Salem for an active warrant and the suspect was incarcerated for the warrant. Please contact the Salem Police Department at 729-4242 if you have any information regarding an ongoing investigation.