Local News – Tuesday, February 26th, 2019

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams reported on the CART monies the county received last week. Williams said the county received $57,583.79 and that is more than last year’s figure of $55,925.21 in February. So far this year, the CART receipts are up $111.55. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell stated materials would be added and patch grading would be done on Dent County Roads 5390, 5450 and 6290 as well as on some other roads. Materials only will be added to county road 6240. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said materials would be added and patch grading would be done on Dent County Roads 3140 and 5280 while patch grading only would be done on county road 5300. Larson said materials would also be added to county roads 3180 and 6130 and brush will be cut on county road 4030. Larson went on to say the end bits on grader #31 would be changed. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said on Thursday he attended the Transportation Advisory Committee meeting in St. James where the group was updated on the bridge initiative of Governor Parson that would repair the worst 250 bridges in the state. This would be paid for through bonding. Of the 250 bridges, one of those is in Dent County and it is the one on Route FF off of Highway 68 over Norman Creek. They also discussed the flooding study on Interstate 44 near Jerome. The study showed for each day the interstate is closed, it costs the state 2.4 million dollars of economic impact. The solution discussed would be to raise both the eastbound and westbound lanes of the interstate eight feet just past the Little Piney River bridge. That would be one foot higher than where the highest flood rivers have reached. The cost of the project would be 12 million dollars. There was no discussion as to when this project would be done. Skiles also said the MRPC received a clean audit report. He went on to remind people the parking lot east of Iron Street will be closed after Wednesday due to the delivery of steel for the jail project, so those who normally use that lot will need to park elsewhere. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said the last day to register to vote in the April 2nd Municipal election would be March 6th. She said she attended the South Central Missouri County Clerks Regional meeting in West Plains on Friday where Chrissy Peters from the Missouri Secretary of State’s office spoke. She discussed the new election laws, canvass maintenance and the new Missouri Centralized Voting System used by the county clerks. At the last meeting, Nick Smith and Dwight Ransburg from Septagone Construction, Sheriff Bob Wells and Travis Sprenger from Shive-Hattery were in attendance. An update on the jail project was given and the budget was reviewed. Payments made this month were $571,438.53 and the revised budget is $12,893,956 with still over 10.5 million dollars to pay on the project. Also, CenturyLink made a proposal of $29,985.40 to relocate 500 feet of 1,000 pair copper cable due to the new jail construction. They wanted to be paid in advance before they started. The county commission approved their bid, but they will not pay for the work until the project is completed. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Thursday morning at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Police Department has released a number of reports. On Friday, February 15th at approximately 1:46 in the afternoon, an officer was dispatched to Riverways Credit Union in reference to a counterfeit bill. The investigation of the report revealed a counterfeit one hundred-dollar bill had been taken in with deposits. The bill was collected and the report will be forwarded to the United States Secret Service. That evening at about 10:38 in the evening, an officer transported a 32-year-old female of Cuba, Missouri from Crawford County Jail to Dent County Jail. The female suspect was incarcerated on an active arrest warrant from the City of Salem pending a court appearance. On Monday, February 18th at 3:31 in the afternoon, an officer located a 35-year-old female of Salem in the 100 block of Fourth Street who had an active arrest warrant from the City of Salem. The suspect was taken into custody on the warrant and incarcerated pending a court appearance. On Wednesday, February 20thth at about 4:34 in the afternoon, an officer was contacted in reference to damage to a vehicle. That investigation revealed that a person or persons unknown broke a window valued at $200.00 on a 1989 Ford truck that was parked near Center and Pershing. The report is under investigation. Please contact the Salem Police Department at 729-4242 if you have any information regarding an ongoing investigation.

Dent County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Curley has released results from court proceedings held on Wednesday, February 20th. The court revoked the probation of Josh Benton and he was sentenced to four years in the Department of Corrections under state statute 559.115. Also on Wednesday, February 20th, Dekota Brege was sentenced to four years of suspended execution of his sentence with five years of probation and parole on a charge of failure to register as a sex offender. The state had sought a term of four years in the Department of Corrections requiring the defendant to complete 120 days in custody of the Missouri Department of Corrections. Brege’s counsel sought a jail sentence. Also on Wednesday, February 20th, Cletus Conklin pled guilty to failing to register as a sex offender. Over the objection of the state, Conklin was sentenced to four years of suspended execution of his sentence with five years of probation and parole. The state had sought a term of four years in the department of corrections under State Statute 559.115. Conklin’s counsel sought a jail sentence.