Local News – Tuesday, November 1st, 2022
The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning for their regular meeting. Grant Wilson from Representative Jason Smith’s Rolla office was in for a visit. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson spoke with Wilson about the Mark Twain National Forest Service blocking hunters from parking their campers along roads where they have been for many years, even decades. Wilson said he will pass the word on to Smith to get some clarification as to why this is happening. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said brush would be cut on county road 6230 while the exhaust on truck #125 would be worked on. He also said a flat tire would be changed on truck #123. Mobray said chip and seal work continues on Dent County Road 4110. Commissioner Larson indicated materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 2120 and 3310, while only grading was going to be done on county roads 2130, 2140, 3160 and 3300. Larson went on to report brush would be cut on county roads 2240 and 3210. He also stated the hoses on the Durapatch machine were going to be replaced due to being worn out. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles updated the commission on some of the ARPA Funds that had been distributed. He said of the $275,000 that had been committed to the Salem Memorial District Hospital, they have dispensed two payments of $50,825 and $188,100 on the new transformer project at the hospital which comes to $238,925. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported no-excuse and excused absentee voting continues in the courthouse until Monday, November 7th and anyone who wants to vote MUST bring in a photo ID. Her office will also be open for absentee voting from 8:00 in the morning until noon on Saturday, November 5th. Curley said people can also update their voter registration in her office BEFORE Tuesday, November 8th. At the last meeting, the county received the signed remonumentation agreement from the Department of Agriculture. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Thursday morning at the courthouse at 9:00 and the meeting will be open to the public.
The Dent County Fire Protection District board of directors will be meeting this evening at 6:00 at the fire station located at #2 South Main Street. After the roll call and approval of the consent agenda, the board is expected to review the minutes from the October meeting before hearing the financial report, approving bills, and reviewing the budget. After a review of the calendar will be the monthly reimbursement report. The board will the discuss and old or new business before Fire Chief Brad Nash makes his report to the board. The date will then be set for the December meeting before adjourning. The board may then vote to go into closed session. Other than the closed portion, if needed, the meeting will be open to the public.
Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that young hunters ages 6 through 15 harvested 13,759 deer during Missouri’s early youth portion of the 2022 deer hunting season, October 29th and 30th. Top counties were Franklin with 330 deer harvested, Osage with 310, and Howell with 260. Youth hunters harvested 15,608 during last year’s early youth portion. County totals in our area were 190 for Crawford, 154 for Dent, 165 in Phelps, 156 in Shannon, and 240 for Texas County. MDC’s Cervid Program Supervisor Jason Isabelle said that Saturday’s conditions were fairly comfortable for our young deer hunters, although the rain we received in portions of the state on Sunday was much needed given the ongoing drought, it did put a bit of a damper on the latter half of the early youth portion. Missouri’s archery deer and turkey season continues through November 11th and resumes November 23rd through January 15th, 2023. The November portion of firearms deer season runs November 12th through 22nd followed by the late youth portion November 25th and 27th. The antlerless portion of firearms deer season runs December 3rd through 11th (in open counties) followed by the alternative methods portion December 24th through January 3rd, 2023. Read more information on deer hunting from MDC’s 2022 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, available where hunting permits are sold and online.
The Susan Mills-Gray Impact on Communities Health Award annually recognizes a University of Missouri Extension regional faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in leading policy, system and environmental change efforts to improve health for a community, county, or region. Susan Mills-Gray, a former state specialist in nutrition and health, established this award upon her retirement in 2021. The inaugural recipient of the award is Dent County Extension Community Development Specialist, Sarah Hultine Massengale. Massengale has been instrumental in the creation and development of the Council for a Healthy Dent County, a local 501c(3) non‐profit organization in Dent County. The non‐profit’s mission is to partner with the community to improve the health and quality of life for area residents. Massengale, as the Community Development Specialist for Dent County, has been a great partner and resource for the organization when in 2010 the community received a grant from the Healthy Lifestyle Initiative. Because of the work that had been done on this grant, local community leaders determined the need for the formation of the Council for a Healthy Dent County. Massengale for years was the lead for the formation of our local community garden where residents can grow their own food and attend local garden workshops. She also serves on the local Community Betterment Board and helps guide and educate the farmers at the local Farmers Market. Throughout her community development career with MU Extension, Massengale has consistently demonstrated her commitment to community health and food systems. Congratulations Sarah!