Local News – Wednesday, August 3rd, 2022
A Primary Election was held Tuesday to determine who will run for offices for their respective parties in the November General Election. In some cases, the election determined who would win the General Election as they would be unopposed. Those offices include the State Representative for the 120th District race, the Dent County Presiding Commissioner race, the Clerk of the Circuit Court race and the Watkins Township Committeeman race. A total of 3,239 votes were cast which is 32.74% of the registered voters. Only the contested races are presented, and all contested races were on the Republican ticket. The results presented are unofficial.
*indicates winner.
Dent County Presiding Commissioner
Darrell Skiles* 1,238 votes
Travis Fulton 1,073 votes
Craig Smith 644 votes
Clerk of the Circuit Court
Kristi (Morton) Craig* 1,767 votes
Lisa Blackwell 1,151 votes
State Representative 120 District (All precincts)
Ron Copeland* 5,171 votes
Matthew S. Williams 1,053 votes
US Representative District 8 (all precincts)
Jason Smith* 78,317 votes
Jacob Turner 17,240 votes
State Senator District (All precincts)
Justin Dan Brown* 10,978 votes
Suzie Pollock 10,594 votes
A man’s body was found Tuesday morning at 11:54 in Current River at Cave Spring in Shannon County. According to the water patrol report, 48-year-old Dee Hodges of Wichita, Kansas went missing while floating on the Current River overnight. The Shannon County Coroner Sam Murphy pronounced Hodges dead at 1:00 Tuesday afternoon at the scene. His body was removed from the scene by the Shannon County Coroner.
Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley released the results of two cases heard by Judge Nathan Kelsaw in Dent County on Thursday of last week. In the first case Rolando Solis of Steelville pled guilty to the felony charge of possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to four years in the Department of Corrections. The next case heard involved Billy Smith III who was in court on a motion by the state to revoke his misdemeanor probation for assault, driving while having his license revoked and for leaving the scene of an accident. The state had filed motions for failing to repay the restitution to the victim in the assault case, failure to report to his probation officer and for the use of intoxicants. Smith was drug tested in court Thursday and was ordered to complete five days of shock incarceration in the Dent County Jail as a result of the test. The motions to revoke were set for hearing to be held on a later date.
U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, announced the launch of a resources page, www.blunt.senate.gov/drought, to provide information on the programs available to aid Missourians impacted by damaging drought conditions. Blunt said areas across Missouri are experiencing significant, sustained, and damaging drought conditions. This webpage provides information on the resources available to assist farmers and ranchers impacted by drought. He will continue working to ensure state and local officials have the support they need to help get Missouri’s agricultural community back on its feet. The webpage provides information about state and federal programs to support farmers and ranchers impacted by drought, including resources for haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Program acres and eligibility for Livestock Forage Payments. Currently, about 18% of Missouri is experiencing D3 drought conditions, and 2.3 million Missourians are impacted by drought. Dent County had been classified in the D1 category before rains a week ago actually lifted that designation for the time being.