Local News – Tuesday, November 22, 2022
Governor Mike Parson announced Friday the Missouri Department of Natural Resources is awarding $410 million to help Missouri communities improve drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure as well as lead service line inventories. According to Dru Bunton, the director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, they received about 1,000 applications that represented more than 2.4 billion dollars in funding. Funding for the department’s four competitive water infrastructure grant programs was made available through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Funds. The applications were scored based on the applicant’s financial need, engineering capability, and necessity of the project. Given the limited amount of funding, this resulted in a highly competitive application environment. The City of Salem was awarded funds in three categories. With estimated wastewater project improvement costs of $5,050,000, the City of Salem will contribute $50,000 and will receive $5 million dollars in ARPA funds, plus they also submitted projected drinking water improvement costs of $3,768,000 and the city will contribute $38,000 in order to receive the 3.73 million dollars in ARPA funds. Salem also was awarded funds for the lead service line replacement with projected costs of $180,000, the city will contribute $30,000 for total ARPA funding of $150,000. The City of Licking was also awarded ARPA funds for wastewater improvements and drinking water improvements getting 5 million dollars for each and an additional $130,000 for the lead service line replacement. The City of Edgar Springs had projected wastewater improvement costs of $3,458,000 and they will contribute $35,000 and will receive $3,423,000 in ARPA funds. The City of Rolla received ARPA funding for stormwater improvements in the amount of $735,812 while the Rolla Municipal Utilities will receive $80,000 for the lead service line replacement. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced the availability of $410 million for community water infrastructure grants in May. The application period closed on July 14th.
Dent County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Curley reports that on Friday November 18th, James Walker of Salem pled guilty to two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm. The State sought seven years under 559.115 due to his prior criminal history. Walker sought probation. At the conclusion of the sentencing, the defendant was ordered to complete five years’ probation with a seven-year suspended execution of sentence with an order for the sheriff to sell the two firearms.
An accident happened in Crawford County Sunday afternoon at 1:47 on the Czar Tower Road about six miles south of Berryman that left two people from Steelville with injuries. According to the highway patrol report, Charles Hedrick of Steelville was driving a 2018 a Ford F-150 when he apparently fell asleep. The Ford traveled off the right side of the road, struck a tree and then the ground before the pickup came to rest in a dry creek bed. Suffering serious injuries was 86-year-old Wanda Hedrick of Steelville while Charles Hedrick suffered moderate injuries. They were both transported by the Iron County Ambulance to Phelps Health in Rolla. The Ford was totaled and removed from the scene by Abney’s Towing.
The Salem Board of Aldermen will be meeting this evening at 6:00 at the City Hall Council Chambers. After the consent agenda is approved, the board will discuss the ESP Al Brown Lighting project bid approval to go with a local bid with funding paid for through the money encumbered to ESP for that project. Finance Director Stacey Houston will give an update before the Al Brown Electric Project material bids are discussed. In the reading of bills and resolutions, Resolution #41-2022 will provide for a municipal election for the City of Salem on April 4th to elect one East Ward and one West Ward alderman. Resolution #42-2022 would authorize the mayor to sign a contract change order between the 5 J’s Landscaping and Handyman Services, the City of Salem and Dorian Garafola on property at 501 South Hickory; and Resolution #43-2022 would authorize the mayor to sign a contract change order between the 5 J’s Landscaping and Handyman Services, the City of Salem and Lana Grove on property at 810 East Jack Street. These two projects are part of the “Welcome Home” project for additional work that still fall under the grant amounts allowed. The board will discuss Resolution #44-2022 stating the city’s intent to seek funding through the Community Revitalization Grant Program and authorizing the mayor to pursue activities to secure funding for Salem pedestrian improvements, as well as discuss Resolution #45-2022 authorizing the mayor to sign an agreement between the city and BCS Electric, LLC to provide labor for the electric work at the Al Brown Fields. The board will go on to discuss Resolution #46-2022 that would amend the city’s sick leave policy. The board will then hear reports from Temporary City Administrator Sally Burbridge, Mayor Greg Parker, Public Works Director Mark Nash and each individual alderperson. The board will then go into closed session to discuss contracts. The regular meeting of the Salem Board of Aldermen tonight is open to the public.