Local News – Tuesday, February 7th, 2023
An accident happened Monday morning at 6:05 in Texas County near Licking that took the life of a man from Licking. According to the highway patrol report, 56-year-old Allen Long of Licking, was walking on Highway 32 in the westbound lane about a half of a mile from Licking, when he was struck in the roadway by a 2021 Peterbilt driven westbound by 48-year-old Dallas Southards of Salem. Long was pronounced dead at the scene by the Texas County Coroner Marie Lasater at 6:26 Monday morning. Long’s body was taken to the Fox Funeral Home in Licking. There was no damage to the Peterbilt and it was driven from the scene.
The Salem R-80 School Board met Thursday evening, where after approval of the agenda, the board moved into executive closed session to discuss personnel. During the closed session, the board approved the contract of Dr. Lynne Reed and approved the hiring of Kevin Miles as a teacher. Miles will also serve as head football coach and assistant athletic director. The board then returned to open session before they adjourned.
The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the Dent County Courthouse for their regular meeting. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles was not in attendance. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley appointed District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray as temporary Presiding Commissioner for the meeting. Mobray opended the meeting by stating there was a need to clarify some points that he and other elected officials felt were misrepresented by Skiles in his radio program on Friday. They said that as the preliminary budget was being readied for the general public with the 4% COLA increase across the board for all employees and elected officials on January 19th as approved at the salary commission meeting, Skiles did not object to the increase when asked before it was finalized. It wasn’t until the actual end of the budget hearing on Monday, January 30th, right before it was to be approved when Skiles said he was not in favor of the across the board percentage increase and suggested an alternative increase to employees and elected officials. When no one else supported his suggestion, Skiles voted against approving the budget. They also stated when Skiles refers to the salary commission meeting on November 17th that he could not attend due to a prior commitment, he could have asked for the meeting to be changed as another date was open, but he did not. Instead, he wrote a three page letter outlining finances of the county and the need to be frugal pending the outcome of the Department of Revenue’s sales tax debocle and the renovation work the county was committed doing to the courthouse. The elected officials in attendance did not like the fact in the letter their work was being compared to other counties elected officials or their work being compared to school instructors. Other elected officials attended the meeting including Collector Shannon VanKirk, Clerk Angie Curley, Treasurer Denita Williams, Assessor Jamie Homeyer and Commissioner Gary Larson as well as Mobray. They also said the issue over not closing the courthouse on Wednesday, January 25th, and how the employees were to be paid was a difference of opinion. In the road report, Mobray stated materials were going to be added and grading done on Dent County Road 5080 while only grading would be done on county roads 6255 and 6500. He also said brush would be cut on county road 5680. District 2 Commissioner Larson indicated materials would be added and grading done to Dent County Road 4280 while only grading was going to be done on county roads 4260, 6120, 6123, 6130 and 6160. Larson stated materials would be added to county road 4380 and brush was going to be cut on county roads 2165, 2593 and 2600. County Clerk Curley said absentee voting for the April Municipal Election will begin February 21st while voter registration for the election will begin March 8th. Curley said the courthouse would be closed on February 13th for Lincoln Day and also on Monday, February 20th for President’s Day. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Thursday morning at the courthouse at 9:00 and it is open to the public.
The Salem Area Arts Council will hold a “Couples and Singles Paint and Sip” event this Friday night at the Creative Arts Center in Salem. Paint a canvas of a young couple under a tree at sunrise, then on the other side of the tree, an older couple on a park bench representing the changing of the season. All supplies will be provided and all you need to bring is your bestie, snack and favorite beverage. There must be six people sign up to hold the class and the cost is $25 for singles and $40 for couples. To sign up, call or text 573-247-0651, or go online at salemcommunitybetterment.com and look under programs for the Salem Creative Arts Center.