Local News – Tuesday, January 24th, 2023
YOUR WORLD TODAY READERS:
Due to the electric outage this morning, we are having issues updating Your World Today online. We are working to correct this problem and will update as soon as possible. Paper copies of the Wednesday's Your World Today are available at the convenience stores and Country Mart if you are heading out this morning, but please be careful!!
Governor Mike Parson has announced that the Department of Economic Development (DED) has awarded a total of $261 million through the ARPA Broadband Infrastructure Grant Program to 60 recipients for projects that will expand and improve internet access statewide. Projects receiving funds are expected to create more than 55,000 connections in locations that previously lacked adequate internet access. The ARPA Broadband Infrastructure Grant Program, administered by DED’s Office of Broadband Development, was launched in August 2022 to invest in broadband expansion. The program awarded competitive grants to a wide range of applicants, including traditional internet providers as well as electric and telephone cooperatives. The program prioritized unserved and underserved areas. Funds will be used to build new connections that will deliver symmetrical speeds of 100 Mbps upload / 100 Mbps download or greater. Two projects were awarded in our area to the Steelville Telephone Exchange to serve the counties of Dent, Iron, Crawford and Washington in the amount of $9,151,229.31. No start date for the project was announced.
The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning for their regular meeting at the Dent County Courthouse. At the meeting, Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams reported on the CART tax received by the county this month. She said last January the county received $62,829.48 in CART taxes and this January that figure increased by $14,055.95 to $76,885.43. That is about a 22% increase from 2022. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said grading would be done on Dent County Roads 5070 and 5530 while materials will be added and grading done on county road 6505. Mobray said brush would be cut on county road 5630 and crews will be putting plows on the trucks for the predicted snowstorm. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson stated grading would be done on Dent County Roads 4020 and 5280 while brush was going to be cut on county road 2405. He said materials will be added to county road 5305 and the spreader box will be put on county truck #122 and plows will be put on other trucks. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he would be in Jefferson City today for the MRPC Day at the Capital where members of the MRPC will meet with legislators about their priorities for 2023. On Wednesday, weather permitting, Skiles said he may be back in Jefferson City at the capital with the CCAM Executive Board to discuss their legislative issues. The commission then approved and signed the Map Maintenance contract from Ron Schwartz for the Assessor’s Office for the 2023 year. At the last meeting, the commissioners unanimously agreed to sign the FLAP Project 077 regarding the road resurfacing on Dent County Road 6670. This project is a 100% federal cost share project not to exceed $800,000. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Thursday at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting will be open to the public.
The Salem Board of Aldermen will hold its regular meeting this evening at 6:00 at the City Hall Council Chambers. The board will hear Resolution #4-2023 to adopt the Dent County Multi-Jurisdictional Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan which is an update of the plan from 2018. Finance Director Stacey Houston will present the financial report which shows sales tax continues to be strong in the city with funds ahead of budget for the year at this time. The board will hear bids for base rock to do maintenance on city streets. The one bid on paper came from Capital Quarries in Salem for $4,252 but Public Works Director Mark Nash is asking for $5,000 of the budgeted $12,000 due to price fluctuations. Nash will present a bid from JCI Industries for the submersible pump at the Wastewater Treatment Facility in the affluent pit. Rebuilding the pump would cost $28,800 and a new pump would be $57,130. Nash will recommend to the board to have the pump rebuilt with a one-year warranty. The board will then hear reports from City Administrator Sally Burbridge, Mayor Greg Parker, Public Works Director Mark Nash, Park and Rec Director Melissa Dubois and each individual alderperson. The meeting will then be adjourned. The meeting of the Salem Board of Aldermen tonight is open to the public.