Local News – Tuesday, December 21, 2021

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. Grant Wilson from Jason Smith’s office was in attendance to wish the commission Happy Holidays. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray stated grading would be done on Dent County Road 5580 while service will be performed on county trucks #123 and 125. Mobray said a backhoe was going to be used on Dent County Road 6430 to clean the debris out from around a culvert and truck it off for disposal using county truck #119. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson reported materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 3020 while only grading would be performed on county road 2120. Larson stated crews would also be checking for washouts from the rains Friday and Friday night. He indicated a tree was reported down on county road 5225 and crews were taking care of that. He said one man was hauling in rock to stockpile for the winter while another was screening rock. Larson also said crews would be replacing a number of road signs including some stop signs that had been stolen including the post to hold the sign. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles was in Jefferson City Friday regarding the CCAM lawsuit filed against Senate Bill 53. He wanted to remind everyone the courthouse would be closed Thursday and Friday for the Christmas holiday. The commissioners will also be meeting on Thursday, December 30th at the courthouse to pay bills for the last time before the next year’s budget is approved. Any vendor of the county is asked to get your statement or invoice in before Thursday to be paid or you will be waiting until late January. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported that she talked with the art classes at the high school last Tuesday about designing a new “I voted” sticker for the 2022-2023 elections. She went on to say that her office and the treasurer’s office balanced on all accounts for the month of November. At the last meeting, Dent County Collector Shannon VanKirk brought in her monthly report that shows collections in November at $1,656,158.25. Also at the last meeting, the Dent County Extension requested their budget be increased to $45,000 in 2022 from the $40,000 they received in 2021. 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.

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that deer hunters in Missouri harvested 14,896 deer during the antlerless portion of the firearms deer season, December 4th through 12th. Top harvest counties statewide were Callaway with 467 deer harvested, Pike with 376, and Morgan with 354. In our area the Crawford County total was 166, Dent County harvested 151, Phelps 120, and Texas County antlerless harvest was 149. Last year’s antlerless-portion harvest total was 15,620. The antlerless portion was extended from three days to nine days this year. MDC Cervid Program Supervisor Jason Isabelle said that prior to last year, the average harvest during the three-day antlerless portion had been just under 8,000 deer. We had some fantastic hunting conditions during last year’s antlerless portion, which resulted in a harvest total that was nearly double the average. So, although we were below last year’s mark, this year’s total was well above the average harvest over the last several years with the shorter season. Archery deer season runs through January 15th, 2022. The alternative methods portion runs December 25th through January 4th, 2022. Find more information on deer hunting from MDC’s 2021 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, available where permits are sold and online at mdc.mo.gov.

Dent County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Curley released results of three court cases heard in Dent County on Wednesday in front of Judge Michael Randazzo. In the first case heard, Richard LaBrash, Jr. of Salem had a sentencing hearing regarding his probation violation of receiving stolen property. Randazzo sentenced LaBrash to seven years in the Department of Corrections under the Section 559.115 program. LaBrash had requested continued probation due to his medical conditions and the likelihood that he would lose his disability benefits. The request was denied by the judge. The second case heard involved defendant Rebecca Hughes of Salem. Judge Randazzo revoked her probation for the possession of a controlled substance due to her new charge for the possession of Vicodin in the Dent County Jail. Hughes was sentenced to serve seven years in the Department of Corrections as requested by Prosecutor Curley. The last case heard Wednesday was a sentencing hearing for Max Openshaw of Bunker after his plea of guilty to a felony assault and the unlawful use of a weapon. Prosecutor Curley requested 11 years to be served in the Department of Corrections. Openshaw requested probation. Judge Randazzo sentenced Openshaw to seven years in the Department of Corrections for the incident that occurred in June of this year. The co-defendant in the case Larry Suhling, received 10 years at his prior sentencing hearing.

An accident occurred Friday evening at 9:45 in Phelps County on I-44 near mile marker 188.4 in the westbound lane. According to the highway patrol report a 1998 Dodge Ram Truck driven by a 17-year-old male juvenile from Steelville lost control, slid off the left side of the road and struck the towed unit of a 2016 Volvo Tractor. The driver of the Volvo is unknown at this time as the Volvo was parked in the median due to a previous crash. The juvenile suffered minor injuries and was transported by private conveyance to Phelps Health. He was wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The Dodge was totaled, and the Volvo sustained minor damage both remain at the scene due to weather conditions.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol would like to remind the public that driver examination stations throughout the state will be closed on Friday, December 24th, in observance of Christmas. Normal operations will resume on Monday, December 27th and again on Friday, December 31st, in observance of New Year’s Day. Normal operations will resume on Monday, January 3rd, 2022.