Local News – Wednesday, April 10th, 2019
Businesses with seasonal or temporary employees are invited to send their employees to boost their skills in customer service and hospitality to an upcoming Customer Service Training workshop this Friday hosted by University of Missouri Extension. Tourism plays a significant role in our region’s economy. Improving employees’ customer service skills and knowledge of local attractions can help improve the visitor experience, and draw tourists back for future visits. Workshop participants will update their customer service skills, learn about regional tourism resources, and practice answering common visitor questions. The training will be in Salem at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory located at 1200 West Rolla Rd in Salem. There will be two time options available for the training: from 9:00 – 11:00 in the morning or from 1:00 – 3:00 in the afternoon. This training is free to employees of Dent County businesses or Naturally Meramec Consortium members, otherwise there is a $6.00 charge per employee. Call the Dent County Extension at 729-3196 to register. This workshop will be led by University of Missouri Extension, with funding support from Naturally Meramec Consortium and Dent County Tourism Tax Commission. The University of Missouri Extension is an equal opportunity and ADA institution.
The 2019 Business Expo will be held this Saturday morning from 9:00 until noon at Salem Community Center @ the Armory, located at 1200 West Rolla Road. The Business Expo is an excellent opportunity for businesses to advertise their products and services and many of them will be giving away promotional items or have their own drawing. There are four star giveaways this year and they are provided by A-1 Tech of Rolla, Town & Country Bank, Your Community Health Center, and Salem Bowling Center. There is no cost to attend the annual Expo, it’s FREE and open to the public. The Business Expo is organized by the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce. For more information about the 2019 Business Expo, you can contact the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce by calling 729-6900, emailing them chamber@salemmo.com, or visiting the website at www.salemmo.com.
The temporary emergency closure of the Jacks Fork River at Alley Spring has been lifted. The damaged pedestrian bridge has been completely removed, allowing floaters and river users to once again safely enjoy the Jacks Fork River beneath the Highway 106 vehicle bridge. The National Park Service (NPS) worked in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on the removal of the old pedestrian bridge, which was originally damaged during the April 2017 flood. Additional flooding in February 2018 caused further structural damage to the bridge, making it unsafe for visitors below and prompting an emergency closure of the river beneath the bridge. The NPS and FHWA are working together on the construction of a new pedestrian bridge at Alley Spring in the future, through the Emergency Relief of Federally Owned (ERFO) program. The timeline for completion of that project is unknown at this time. The replacement of the North River Road Bridge over the Alley Spring Branch is currently underway and progress is going well. It is expected to be open this summer. The small foot bridge over the Alley Spring Branch near Alley Mill, which was destroyed in the 2017 flood, will also be replaced in the future utilizing the ERFO program. For more information, contact park headquarters at 573-323-4236, visit the park’s Facebook page, or check out their website at www.nps.gov/ozar.
The prolonged winter weather has left behind an unwanted reminder: potholes. The Missouri Department of Transportation crews will be focusing on repairs through April. Crews started working to address the pesky potholes as soon as there was a break in the weather. MoDOT will have about 300 pothole patching crews statewide working to make roadways safer. About 400,000 potholes have been patched during the first two months of 2019. In contrast, approximately 619,000 potholes were patched for the entire year in 2018. Crews address the deepest potholes first. Until roadway temperatures rise – and remain – above freezing, the repair is made using a cold asphalt mix. However, this is a short-term repair. The long-term fix, a hot asphalt mix, isn’t effective until temperatures are warm for a prolonged period of time. Motorists can report the location of potholes on state maintained roads by calling the 24/7 Customer Service Center at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636); you can use the “Report a Road Concern” form on the web at modot.org; or use a smart phone or tablet with a mobile friendly form at modot.org/report-road-concern. MoDOT spends approximately $15 million a year on pothole patching. MoDOT maintains 34,000 miles of road including interstates.
The South Central Missouri Community Action Agency announces that Dent County Head Start and Early Head Start Recruitment is going on now for children ages from 0 to 5 years of age. Head Start provides services for children with special needs and severe disabilities. These services are provided at no cost to families. The recruitment will be held today and tomorrow. Call to make an appointment 729-3188.