Local News – Tuesday, January 3rd, 2023
Board filings for City of Salem aldermanic seats, the Dent County Fire Protection District Board, the Salem Memorial Hospital District Board of Directors, and the Dent County Health Center Board of Trustees came to end last Tuesday, December 27th for the Municipal Election to be held in April. Filings for the Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors District 4 seat included incumbent Willie Strader as well as Joe Weber and Sarah Hoffman; while the two open board positions for the Dent County Health Center Board of Trustees were each filled by a single candidate so no election will need to be held. Incumbent Dennis Floyd filed for the remaining three years of the four-year term that will expire April of 2026, and Robert A. Graveley filed for the full four-year term for the board that will expire in April of 2027. The Dent County Fire Protection District had two seats available on their board: a six-year term and a two-year term. Filing for the six-year term was David Greenshields and filing for the two-year term was Jeff Stokes, Jr. and Leigh Ann Price. The City of Salem Board of Alderman have an east ward and west ward seat to be determined in April. Incumbent Shawn Bolerjack was the only person filing for the East Ward Alderman position while incumbent Amanda Duncan and former alderman Bill Riley have signed up for the West Ward Aldermanic position. The Municipal Election will be held April 4th, 2023. School board filings will be released once candidates are confirmed by the schools now that they are back in session.
A six-vehicle accident involving a Salem resident happened Monday morning at 9:40 in Webster County on Highway 60 in Seymour. According to the highway patrol report, the crash occurred as traffic was stopped for a redlight when a 2021 Freightliner Cascadia being driven by 51-year- old Kendra Brasel of Cassville, failed to stop and struck a 2012 Ford F-150 being driven by 71- year-old Margaret Thompson of Elk Creek, Missouri, and a 2010 Ford F-150 being driven by 42-year-old Jeffrey Watts of Cabool, propelling them into a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox being driven by 44-year-old Shonda Whittaker of Salem, and 2013 Chevrolet 2500 being driven by 61-year-old Mark Hutson of Macomb as well as a 2023 Peterbilt 389 being driven by 51-year-old Douglas Due of Harrison, Arkansas. Injured in the accident was Jeffery Watts, the driver of 2010 Ford. Watts suffered moderate injuries and was taken by ambulance to Cox South in Springfield. Both Ford F-150s and the Freightliner Cascadia were totaled and removed from the scene by Yates Boys of Seymour. The Chevrolet 2500 sustained moderate damage and was removed from the scene by Elliots Towing. The Equinox, being driven by Whitaker, had minor damage and was able to be driven from the scene. The Peterbilt received moderate damage but was also able to be driven from the scene. The report went on to state that all involved were wearing seat restraints except for Mark Hutson, the driver of the Chevrolet 2500.
The City of Salem Finance Committee meeting will be meeting this evening at 6:00 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory. At the meeting, the committee will review the budget before discussing proposals to create additional general revenue. The committee will discuss raising funds to help pay for the 2023 fireworks display and discuss holding a public meeting to increase the sales tax percentage for the General Revenue Fund which now gets 1% of sales of retail items in the city. The committee will also be discussing the ballot issue for the issuance of bonds for the sewer and wastewater project before adjourning. The meeting, called by Finance committee Chairman Kala Sisco, is open to the public.