Local News – Wednesday, August 9th, 2023

An accident happened on Highway 72 at Lake Springs in Dent County at 5:00 Monday afternoon. According to the highway patrol report, a 2011 Dodge Dakota driven westbound by 35-year-old Albert Bowling of Rolla, was stopped in traffic and waiting to turn left. Stopped behind the Dakota was a 2005 Ford Aerostar, driven by 31-year-old Caleb Steinbarger of Springfield. At that time, a 2012 Chevy Equinox driven westbound by 18-year-old Reagan Neff of Salem, failed to notice the stopped vehicles and struck the Aerostar from behind forcing that vehicle into the Dodge Dakota. The Equinox then overturned into the eastbound lane and was struck by a 2013 Dodge Ram Pickup driven eastbound by 35-year-old Bradley Abbott of Salem and a 2022 Nissan Frontier driven by 52-year-old Tina Inman of Salem. Suffering moderate injuries was Neff who was taken to the Salem Memorial Hospital by the Salem EMS. Suffering minor injuries was Abbott who was also taken to the Salem Memorial Hospital by the Salem EMS. Steinbarger, Abbott and Inman were wearing seat restraints at the time of the accident while Neff and Bowling were not. The Equinox and Aerostar were totaled and removed from the scene by American Automotive. The Dodge Ram Pickup sustained moderate damage and was removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing. The Dodge Dakota had moderate damage and the Nissan Frontier had minor damage, and both vehicles were driven from the scene.

The Salem Hospital Board of Directors have called a special meeting for tonight at 7:00 at the hospital library. In new business, the board will discuss the resignation two board directors and the plan to fill the board vacancies caused by those resignations. The board will also discuss the 2023-24 year budget before adjourning. The meeting Wednesday is open to the public by personally attending or by electronic means or telephone. Any person that would like to attend by telephone or other electronic means should contact the Salem Hospital Administrative Offices at 729-6626, ext 4005.

The Salem Board of Aldermen held their regular meeting Tuesday evening at the City Hall Council Chambers. After the agenda and consent agendas were approved, Mayor Greg Parker excused himself as the board was going to discuss the sanitation bid and he works for WCA. Board President Shawn Bolerjack led the discussion on the only bid received and that was from WCA, the current provider of trash and recycling services in the city. The bid from WCA was for three years starting with a new rate of $18.50 for residents starting September 1st with senior citizens paying $17.50 and those outside the city limits paying $21.50. The rates increase slightly in both 2024 and 2025. This bid did not offer recycling services as WCA would be phasing out household recycling collection after September 1st as the cost to recycle was high and the amount of contaminated recycling was a problem. WCA did say they would work with the city and the Solid Waste Management District through the MRPC to find a way for people to take their recycling to a location where WCA would transport the recycled materials. Utility Committee Chairman Kyle Williams wanted the utility committee to be able to review and discuss the bid. The board then tabled any decision on the bid until after the utility committee makes their recommendation, possibly at a special meeting. Public Works Director Mark Nash asked the board to enter into a preventive maintenance agreement with Vandivort Engineering from St. Louis for services on the nine city pumps and five lift stations. The board wanted a list of the pumps and lift stations and how old they are before approving the request and tabled this item. The board approved Resolution #25-2023 to allow the mayor to execute the agreement with the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce for $10,000 to operate the visitor center and provide tourism services to the area. The board also approved Resolution #26-2023 authorizing the mayor to sign the supplemental agreement #1 between the City of Salem and H.W. Lochner to perform professional services for engineering and project oversight of six T-hangers at the Salem Memorial Airport in the amount of $135,500. The board approved the Planning and Zoning Board recommendation to approve a conditional use permit to Chris Hendrix at 1000 West Scenic Rivers Blvd at Wilson Mortuary to add a crematory; and the board approved the Salem Planning and Zoning Commission recommendation to deny a conditional use permit to Michael Florence for a motorcycle repair and detail service. According to the discussion, the application was denied due to population density. The mayor appointed and the board approved Sherry Lea to replace the late Gary Brown on the Salem Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, and the board approved the mayor naming Alderman Kyle Williams to be the city representative on the MRPC Board. The board heard the first reading of Bill #3556 to create an ordinance to establish a procedure to disclose potential conflicts of interest for certain municipal officials, Bill #3558 to create an ordinance to allow the subdivision of 1506 South MacArthur; Bill #3559 to create an ordinance to allow the subdivision of 501 North Washington into two parcels, and bill #3560 that would create an ordinance to rezone 903 West Scenic Rivers Blvd in the City of Salem from Residential R-1 to Commercial R-1. The last three bills were all recommended by the Salem Planning and Zoning Commission. In the second reading of bills, the board approved Bill #3554 amending the budget for the City of Salem beginning July 1, 2022. In the reports of city officials, Public Works Director Mark Nash said here were 49 utility disconnects with 36 of them reconnected by the end of the day. He said four are still disconnected, but he believes the people may have left the area. Alderman Kyle Williams said the Utility Committee meeting will be at the Salem Community Center@The Armory tonight at 6:15 with a full agenda including a water testing quote, utility fee discussion, water and wastewater service availability fee by usage discussion, outside the city utilities rates with an emphasis on new requests for utility service and the existing account holders. The meeting of the utility committee is open to the public. The board of aldermen then went into closed session.