Local News – Tuesday, May 16, 2023

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse. Deloris Gray Wood from the Dent County Historical Society was in discussing the “History of Current River in Dent County From the Road” project. She is applying for a grant to provide historical information signs at locations along the Current River and wanted to know if the county would donate the labor and their expertise in putting up the signs at the appropriate locations once they were determined. She said all the supplies would be provided and the commissioners agreed it would be no more than $250 per sign. Grant Wilson from Congressman Jason Smith’s Rolla Office came in to update the commission on activities which included another field hearing of the Ways and Means committee in New York on trade enforcement. They want to reduce trade with countries that don’t share the same ethics and philosophies of the United States. He also talked about some house bills including HR2811 that would raise the debt ceiling, but eliminated the increase in funding for IRS agents, pay back any unused ARPA or CARES Act funds from COVID-19, and eliminate the student debt payoff. Other house bills were for rebuilding the wall at the border and also a bill to protect the taxpayer funding of unemployment to recover fraudulent unemployment payments during COVID-19. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams brought in the Sales Tax report for the month of May. She said the General Revenue Fund and LEST Fund each received $81,699.49 in May which is $3,721.52 less than for May of 2022, but there is also a reduction in the fund distribution due to the over-payment of sales tax agreement between the DOR and Dent County. Year-to-date, the funds are each up $1,801.01. The Road and Bridge Fund received $36,906.25 in May which is down $1,801.87 from May of 2022, and the jail funds each received $74,233.79 and that is down from $76,858.96 received in May of 2022. Year-to-date, the jail funds are up $5,715.73. Williams said the Department of Revenue said that last months sales tax figures were lower due to an Ameren refund of $40,000. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said crews would be out checking roads from the storms over the weekend plus doing some chip and seal repair. Commissioner Gary Larson gave the District 2 report and said crews were working on the Department of Conservation Road project on Dent County Road 2530 which needs to be done before the end of May. Larson said workers are adding materials and repairing Dent County Road 4380, also known as the Fiebelmann Road that washed out. He said other roads in Howes Mill and Boss will be checked. Larson said there was also a report of tree hanging over the county road 4380 and he said the crews would take care of that as well. Larson then gave his Presiding Commissioner report and said he attended the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District board meeting where they reviewed financials, approved grants and revised a by-law that reduced the amount of council members from 23 to 12. Larson said he was then elected vice-chairman of the board. Larson went on to say he attended the Meramec Regional Planning Commission External Relations committee meeting where they approved holding the MRPC Annual Awards Dinner that will be held in Hermann this year at the Hermannhof Festhalle in October. Larson said he was also appointed to the Membership Dues Structure Committee that will be meeting in June, July and August. He went on to report the commission needed to appoint a replacement for the late Gary Brown on the Transportation Advisory Committee. The commission agreed to appoint A.J. Seay to the position who said he would accept the position if appointed. The next TAC meeting will be held on June 8th. Larson said Brown also served as the “at large” Dent County for-profit position and the commission will look to find a replacement. Larson reported the Meramec Regional Development Corporation has funds available for those wanting to expand or start a business, and he said the Meramec Regional Community Foundation provided over $70,000 in scholarships to area graduates in the Meramec Region. The next meeting of the commission will be Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting will be open to the public.

Liam Duncan of Salem and his fishing partner Blake Meiser from the Eureka Fishing Team finished third in the Missouri BASS Nation High School and Youth State Championships on Stockton Lake Sunday and captured 3rd place in the Youth category! This qualifies them to be one of three junior teams to represent Missouri at the Bassmaster Junior National Championship on Lake Hartwell in South Carolina on July 21st and 22nd. The team of Duncan/Meiser also finished 3rd for the Missouri BASS Junior Series for the year as well!

The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors will conduct their May meeting this evening at 6:00 in the hospital library. Hospital Administrator Wayne Reid will give his report before old business is discussed including the kitchen drain proposal, architect work on the clinic, finance committee meeting dates, strategic planning updates, and a legislative report. New business to be discussed include the Covid-19 masking policy. Reports will then be heard on the summary of operations and statistics for the month of April, the 340B program, hospital resources update, the hospital foundation report and a report from the Chief Nursing Officer Ashley Sullins to be followed by a report on the hospital foundation, and reports from the medical staff. The board may then vote to go into closed session if needed. The meeting tonight at 6:00 will be open to the public.