Local News – Wednesday, February 17th, 2022
Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley released reports from Circuit Court held in Dent County Monday in front of Judge Megan Seay. In the first case, Jennifer Smith of Salem pled guilty to two counts of felony stealing charges. She was sentenced to serve seven years under the Section 559.115 program as requested by the prosecutor. Justin Parker of Salem then pled guilty to domestic assault in the 2nd degree as a prior and persistent felony offender. Parker was sentenced to serve ten years under Section 217.362 which is a long-term treatment program. According to Curley, both dispositions occurred with the advice and consent of the victims in each case. Also on Monday in the Dent County Circuit Court, Judge Megan Seay sentenced Mark Graham of Salem to serve seven years in the Department of Corrections for a charge of assault in the third degree on a law enforcement officer.
The Salem Park and Recreation Board will be meeting tonight at the Salem Community Center@The Armory at 5:30 in the Rotary Room. The agenda includes a presentation from People Centric about “getting the most out of the board.” Kyle Williams will also discuss the Frisbe Golf Course before any other business isaddressed. The meeting will then be adjourned. The Salem Park and Recreation Board meeting is open to the public.
Six Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC) Missouri Veterans Homes have received “Best in Class” Customer Experience Awards from the Pinnacle Quality Insight for 2022. The Missouri Veterans Homes in Cameron, Cape Girardeau, Mexico, Mt. Vernon, Warrensburg and St. James have won this award for three consecutive years. In all seven Veterans Homes, these six and Missouri Veterans Home in St. Louis, they ranked highest with cleanliness, dignity, respect, and safety and security. The organization also received a 100% resident satisfaction rating. The Pinnacle national average is 76.1% in this category. Pinnacle is a customer satisfaction measurement firm with 26 years of experience in post-acute healthcare; they conduct over 150,000 phone surveys each year and work with more than 2,500 care providers. During the telephone survey, veterans and their family members are asked open-ended questions and to rank facilities in specific categories. The Missouri Veterans Commission operates seven state Veterans Homes, five State Veterans Cemeteries, and the Veterans Services Program. The Commission is committed to providing high-quality, compassionate care for Veterans, seamlessly integrated with the Veteran community, emphasizing a culture of transparency and excellence. For more information about the Missouri Veterans Commission programs, call 573-751-3779 or visit http://www.mvc.dps.mo.gov/>.
The team at Current River State Park invites the public to participate in the joy of bird-watching at the park’s annual event from 9:00 to 10:00 in the morning on Friday, February 18th. Those interested in attending should meet at the Ninebark Trailhead at 9:00 for a short walk through a forested river bottom to look for nuthatches, woodpeckers and many more birds. Participants should bring binoculars and favorite field guides if available, and if not, there will be a limited supply of binoculars and some field a limited supply of binoculars and some field guides available for use. Dress for the occasion and wear shoes for hiking. This walk will be on natural material and can be uneven with the possibility of downed trees. For more information, feel free to contact Connie Weber at connie.weber@dnr.mo.gov or 573-751-1224. Current River State Park is located on Highway 19, approximately 23 miles south of Salem and approximately 15 miles north of Eminence.