Local News – Tuesday, February 9th, 2021

Dent County Health Center Administrator Kendra Mobray at the Dent County Commissioner meeting Monday reported that people who fall in the Phase 1A and 1B, Tier 1 and Tier 2 who want to get vaccinated need to call the Dent County Health Center at 729-3106. You MUST have an appointment to get vaccinated. Those who currently would qualify to get vaccinated are health care workers, public health administrators, emergency responders, those who are 65 years of age or older, Emergency Management workers, Public Works agencies, and anyone under the age of 65 who has a compromised immune system. When you call you will be asked some questions and placed on the waiting list and will be called back to set up an appointment. This Thursday and Friday from 10:00 in the morning until 6:00 in the evening, the National Guard will be administering about 2,000 vaccines to those who live in the Region I area that includes Dent, Phelps, Crawford, Pulaski and Laclede counties. This vaccine will be the Moderna vaccine. The Salem Memorial District Hospital gave 200 Moderna vaccinations Friday at the Dent County Fire Station and they will be doing that again on Wednesday. There are two more vaccinations scheduled at the firehouse on February 18th and 25th where 200 people will be vaccinated on each date. Those that get vaccinated in February will then have to get their booster shot in March and appointments for those shots will be made when they get the vaccination. For those going to the Commons, your booster shot will be held on March 4th and 5th. Mobray also stated that a link through Jordan Valley Community Health Center to make your appointment for Thursday and Friday is now available: https://bit.ly/3cDrdFD. When you show up for your vaccination, please make sure you bring a photo ID, have your COVID-19 Fact Sheet and consent form filled out, and wear a short sleeve shirt. These documents are available at the SMDH.net website or at the north entrance of the hospital. Again, for questions or to make an appointment for those who qualify, call the Dent County Health Center at 729-3106.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray reported brush would be cut on Dent County Road 5615, crews will be repairing a washout and doing maintenance on county road 4220, crews would be replacing a stop sign at the intersection of county road 6370 and 6380, and crews would be replacing a sign on county road 6510. Mobray also said crews would be putting a spreader box on a truck with the forecast calling for some snow and freezing rain. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson reported materials would be added to Dent County Road 2270. He went on to say that a full service on truck #68 was going to be done and maintenance will be done on truck #124. Larson said crews will be installing spreader boxes on a couple of trucks for District 2 and then they will service the compressor the county has on a trailer to fix an air leak. He also said that the backup generator at the Oak Grove Baptist Church needs to be checked and tested. Presiding Commissioner Darrel Skiles said he will be attending a Transportation Advisory Meeting Tuesday afternoon with other meetings at the MRPC Wednesday and Thursday. He also said there was a CARES Act application from the Salem Memorial District Hospital that was approved for $14,045.64. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said she balanced with the collector and assessor on all collections, abatements and add-ons for the month of January. Curley mentioned the courthouse would be closed on Friday for Lincoln’s Birthday and Monday for President’s Day. She went on to say the only elections in April to be held for the Municipal election will be for the City of Salem east and west ward aldermanic seats, the City of Bunker alderman seat, and the Salem R-80 and Green Forest R-2 school boards. She did mentioned there were 18 voters who could vote for the Green Forest R-2 school board that would normally cast their vote at the Dent-Phelps R-3 School will be receiving a letter from the clerk’s office that saying they can vote at her office for the R-2 school board race this April. This will save the taxpayers money by not having to staff a polling location at Dent-Phelps R-3 School for 14 hours for the 18 voters who could vote at that location. At last meeting, the Commissioners approved the yearly mapping contract with Landmark Surveying Co for $375 a month and Ronald J. Schwartz for $100 per month, approved CARES Act funding for the Dent County Health Center for $9,612.75 and $11,120.57, approved the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce agreement for services for $750 a year and approved the request from Sheriff Bob Wells to remodel the old jail cell at the sheriff’s department into a conference/interview room. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Monday, February 22nd at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.