Local News – Tuesday, October 18th, 2022

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray stated the Title II work on Dent County Road 5600 will continue including the installation of crossover pipes on the county road. Substituting for District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson was Travis Turner who reported crossover pipes were being installed and materials were being added to Dent County Roads 4270, 4405 and 5280. Turner said brush would be cut on county road 2270 and a man went to Springfield to get oil for chip and seal repair. Turner went on to say that another man would be screening brown rock. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he attended the MRPC Annual Awards Dinner at Vienna last Thursday along with Mike and Jamie Homeyer and it was a very nice event. Skiles also said he attended the South Central County Commissioners Association meeting in Houston last Friday. Skiles said the association honored five retiring commissioners from the area. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said absentee voting continues at her office with an excuse, and if you need to update your voting information such as a name change or new address, to please stop by her office and get that done before trying to vote in the election. Commissioner Skiles presented a renewal of a three-year contract for child support services with Crawford County beginning January 1, 2023, and lasting until December 31, 2025, and the commissioners approved the contract. Beth Frizzell from the Dent County Senior Services Board came to ask how the budget for the year could be amended as the Salem Nutrition Center has requested some emergency funds due to the rise in cost for the food and the number of meals being served. Frizzell said that in fiscal year 2020, the Salem Nutrition Center served 41,812 meals, 45,951 in fiscal year 2022 and to date this year, they have served 46,239 meals. Commissioner Skiles told Frizzell that any change in the budget for additional funds would require a budget adjustment and that would require a public hearing. Once the hearing is held with the revised figures, her board could approve additional payments to the Salem Nutrition Center provided the money was available. Frizzell said she would get started with the process. The next meeting of the commission would be Thursday at 9:00 at the courthouse and it will be open to the public.

In a case heard by Judge Megan Seay on Friday, October 7th, Jeffrey Chumbley, of Gravois Mills, was sentenced to serve 10 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections as requested by the state. Chumbley had been on probation for the felony possession of a controlled substance and endangering the welfare of a child. The state was represented by Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley who presented evidence and at the conclusion of the hearing, Chumbley was found to have violated the terms of this probation. In another case that same day, Judge Seay heard a probation hearing on Tiffany Dyer of Salem. She had been on probation for felony forgery charges, possession of methamphetamine, and the distribution of methamphetamine. Dyer, who had already served a Section 559.115 sentence in the department of corrections, was represented at the hearing by Robyn Strange. At the conclusion of the hearing, the defendant’s probation was revoked and Dyer was sentenced to serve 10 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections as recommended by Prosecutor Curley. In the final case that same day, Kara Happel of Salem appeared before Judge Seay being represented by Robyn Strange. Happel was on probation for the felony possession of Methamphetamine. During the revocation hearing, evidence was presented that showed Happel had violated four provisions of her probation. The state requested Happel be sentenced to a 120-day incarceration in the department of corrections and if successfully completed, to be returned and placed in the Dent County Alternative Treatment Court. The defense requested leniency in the form of continued probation with placement into the Alternative Treatment Court. Over the objection of the state, Happel will continue on probation with a suspended execution of sentence and ordered to enter and complete the alternative treatment court sentence.

Missouri’s annual statewide earthquake drill will be Thursday and more than 329,000 people are already registered to participate in the Great Central U. S. “ShakeOut”. A total of nearly 2 million people are registered in the 14 central U.S. states that could be impacted by a New Madrid Seismic Zone earthquake. The New Madrid Seismic Zone is one of the most active seismic areas in the U.S., averaging 200 small earthquakes each year. In 2021, 49 earthquakes occurred in Missouri, including a magnitude 4.0 quake centered near Poplar Bluff. A major earthquake in this area would damage much of southern and eastern Missouri, including the St. Louis area. Geologists say there’s a 25 to 40 percent chance of another large earthquake occurring in a 50-year time period. At 10:20 this Thursday morning, participants will practice the “Drop, Cover, Hold On” technique to protect themselves. Remember these three simple steps: DROP to your hands and knees; COVER your head and neck with your hands and arms under a table or desk if you can; and HOLD ON until the shaking stops. Experts say Drop, Cover, Hold On is the best protection from falling debris, which is the most likely cause of injury during an earthquake. There’s still time to sign up at shakeout.org/centralus. Once registered, participants will receive details on the drill, as well as information on earthquake preparedness and safety. To learn more about earthquakes and how to prepare, visit centralusquake.org.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors will meet tonight at 6:00 at the hospital library. The board will hear the summary of operations and statistics for the month of September as well as the Chief Nursing Officer report, get a staffing update, get a Home Health update, get an update on the hospital foundation, and talk about marketing and community relations. After the Chief of Staff’s report, the board will be updated on the transformer work and an update on dialysis before discussing new purchases. The meeting tonight is open to the public.