Local News – Tuesday, June 21st, 2022

The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Salem present this year’s Independence Day Parade theme: Road Trip: Exploring America’s Road and Rivers!” The parade will be held on July 4th starting at 6:00 from the corner of South Grand and Franklin, and then travel east on Franklin to MacArthur. The parade will then go north on MacArthur to 4th Street and will then travel east on 4th Street to the Dent County Courthouse. The parade is to provide a family friendly and fun community event for everyone to enjoy. Applications for entries are now available at the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce in the Crossroads Shopping Center, by calling 729-6900 of by e-mailing the chamber at chamber@salemmo.com. All entry applications need to be submitted by July 1st to the chamber. Drop them off or mail them to 1136 South Main, fax to 573-729-6741 or e-mail them in. All entries must abide by the parade rules and regulations. Spaces will be assigned by the chamber after they have received a completed parade entry form. If you have questions, contact Tabitha at the chamber office at 729-6900.

Sherry Lea, Executive Director of Healthy Dent County is pleased to announce the appointment of Carlos Lopez as the non-profits new Prevention Coordinator. The Healthy Dent County Prevention Coalition received a $100,000 grant from the Department of Mental Health to reduce youth substance use. As a Prevention Coordinator Lopez will teach the evidence-based “Too Good for Drugs” curriculum in all Salem and Dent County schools in grades 6th to 8th. This curriculum is a comprehensive family of substance use and prevention curricula designed to mitigate the risk factors associated with risky behavior and build protection within the child. “Too Good” develops a framework of Social Emotional skills through the development of goal-setting, decision-making, and effective communication skills in addition to peer pressure refusal, pro-social bonding, conflict resolution, and media literacy. The “Too Good” curriculum builds the basis for a safe, supportive, and respectful learning environment. Recognizing that local problems need local solutions, this grant funds local coalitions to engage multiple sectors of the community and employ a variety of environmental strategies to address local substance use problems. For additional information about the HDC Prevention Coalition, you may reach Carlos by e-mailing him at carlos@salemcommunitycenter.org or by calling 729-8163.

The Creative Arts Center will be holding a Ceramics Painting Party with Isabella Knaack on Wednesday night at 7:00. All ages are welcome to the party. Come for a relaxing few hours of painting ceramic figurines, plates, bowls, cups, etc. The cost is $5 per person plus pay per piece to paint. Prices are marked on the ceramic pieces, they run from $3 to $30. There will be an additional 40% of that cost if you glaze the piece and want it fired. The Creative Arts Center has 2 easy ways to sign up for events! First call or text 573-247-0651. You can also pay ahead with Square at 573-247-5306. All square transactions will be charged a $1.50 transaction fee. You can also visit the SACBA website to sign up and prepay for classes online at: www.salemcommunitybetterment.com

The Salem Community Garden will be offering a variety of Growing Green Educational Workshops led by Master Gardeners. The workshop this evening at 6:00 is “Weed Warfare.” The garden is located behind the Salem Methodist Church at 801 East Scenic Rivers Bld. For more information contact Charlie Grimm at 573-368-9902. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Producers can learn about using native warm-season grasses to improve grazing and wildlife systems at a workshop offered by University of Missouri Extension. The in-person workshop is this Friday morning from 8:00 until 1:00 at the Davisville American Legion Hall located at 194 State Route V in southeastern Crawford County. Native warm-season grasses fill the “summer slump” caused by the dormancy of cool-season grasses. During the workshop, attendees will learn how to successfully establish warm-season grasses that have high nutritive value, fill an important gap in forage production and adapt well to climate, soils and pest pressure. Native grasses also aid erosion control and provide cover for wildlife. Gatlin Bunton and MU Extension agriculture business specialist Rachel Hopkins will tell how to use warm-season grasses in grazing systems to reduce exposure to fescue toxicosis, which reduces calving rates and weaning weights. During a tour of established fields, attendees will learn how to identify the various plants. Lunch will be served after the field tour. The cost is $30 per person or $50 for a farm couple. For question or more information, call 573-438-2671 or 573-775-2135 or you can register online at extension.missouri.edu/events.

The Missouri Department of Conservation is offering a chance for eight youngsters to come and learn about fisheries, wildlife, and protection management at Shawnee Mac Lakes Conservation Area on July 1st. Experience fishing from a boat with Conservation Department staff, complete a lake to fork shoreline meal of fish and frog legs, followed by frog gigging from a Jon boat after sunset. You will learn not only how to harvest aquatic game but how to clean and prepare a meal with it. The program will start at 5:00 in the afternoon and conclude at 11:00 the evening on July 1st. A parent or guardian must be present during the entire event. This opportunity is for eight young people between the ages of 8-15 years old. Interested youth are being asked to apply by submitting a short 100-word essay as to why they should be selected. The application essay must include the full name of the youth, their date of birth, home address, e-mail of a parent or guardian, a phone number and why you want to participate in the event. To qualify for the event, the application essay must be submitted TODAY to: Dwight.Warnke@mdc.mo.gov. The eight selected participants will be notified by Thursday, June 23rd with full program details.