Local News – Wednesday, July 6th, 2022
With the excessive heat expected this week, the City of Salem and Intercounty Electric Cooperative Association is asking everyone to try to conserve your energy usage especially between 4:00 in the afternoon until about 9:00 in the evening. The City of Salem and MPUA are under a PEAK POWER ALERT through Thursday afternoon, July 7th from 2:00 through 6:00. A Peak Alert is issued when the City and City’s power provider are trying to manage the electric load on the system to prevent setting a new high (peak) power usage. This is not a notice of a power shortage, but a management tool to keep usage under previously set “peaks”. If the citizens of Salem are not able to conserve electric usage during a Peak Alert and that results in setting a new Peak Demand for Salem, or a new peak power high point, what happens is the cost of electricity the city buys from MPUA increases and your electric bill will increase in relation to that increase in cost. The easiest way is to increase the temperature on your thermostat for your air conditioner anywhere from one degree to four or five degrees, use ceiling fans or small fans to help circulate the air in your home, hold off doing any baking or using your stove top burners fully during those hours by preparing meals earlier in the day and using your microwave to reheat them, avoid doing laundry during these hours especially if you have an electric water heater and electric clothes dryer, and close your blinds or drapes to eliminate direct sunlight from beating into your home which can add as much as ten or more degrees to the temperature. These tips can help conserve energy and help you save on your electric bill. For more energy saving tips, please visit www.salemmo.com and type in the search box summer energy saving tips.
A drowning happened Monday, July 4th in the Meramec River in Meramec State Park just downstream from the state park boat ramp. According to the water patrol report, 25-year-old Uriel Ramirez of Collinsville, Illinois, jumped off a bluff and was unable to be rescued by bystanders. Ramirez was pronounced dead by Missouri Baptist Sullivan EMS at 5:30. He was transported by Superior Mortuary Service to the St. Louis County Morgue. The water patrol was assisted by park rangers and the Sullivan Fire Department.
Mayor Greg Parker called a Special Meeting of the Board of Aldermen of the City of Salem for Wednesday evening at 6:00 at the Salem Community Center @the Armory. To consider a bid from OPW Fuel Management System for the Salem Airport. Following the bid consideration, the meeting will be adjourned. The meeting is open to the public.
The City of Salem’s Utility Committee will hold a meeting tonight at 6:15 at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory located at 1200 W. Rolla Road to discuss of water and sewer rates. The meeting was called by Utilities Committee Chair Kyle Williams and is open to the public.
The Missouri State Highway patrol reports that there were six traffic fatalities, no boating fatalities, & one drowning over the July Fourth holiday counting period which ran from 6:00 Friday evening, July 1st, through 11:59 Monday, night, July 4th. Highway Patrol Troopers worked 285 traffic crashes, which included 107 injuries and six fatalities. Those troopers also made 141 DWI arrests and 82 drug arrests over the holiday weekend. Water Patrol Troopers worked 11 boating crashes, which included five injuries and zero fatalities. Those troopers made 13 boating while intoxicated arrests and 18 drug arrests. One person did drown over the holiday weekend. During the 2021 counting period, seven people were killed and 532 injured statewide in Missouri over the holiday in 1,139 traffic crashes. Highway Patrol Troopers arrested 80 people for driving while intoxicated last year. Over the 2021 July Fourth holiday, there were 12 boating crashes, which included eight injuries and one fatality. One person drowned during last year’s holiday. Water Patrol Troopers made nine boating while intoxicated arrests during the 2021 counting period.
Deer hunters can now apply online through the Missouri Department of Conservation’s website for a shot at more than 100 managed deer hunts throughout the state this fall and winter. MDC offers managed deer hunts for archery, muzzleloading, crossbow, and modern firearms from mid-September through mid-January at conservation areas, state and other parks, national wildlife refuges, and other public areas. Some managed deer hunts are held specifically for youth or for people with disabilities. The managed deer hunt application period is now through July 31st. Hunters are selected by a weighted random drawing. Draw results will be available August 15th through January 15th. Applicants who are drawn will receive area maps and other hunt information by email, or mail if an email address is not located on the customer’s account. To get more information on managed deer hunts, preview hunt details, and apply starting July 1st at mdc.mo.gov and search for managed hunts. Details about managed hunts can also be found in the MDC “2022 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information” booklet. It is now available at MDC offices and nature centers, from permit vendors around the state, and also online.
Kayaking is part of the Women’s Outdoors Program to be held at the upper lake at the Current River State Park on Thursday, July 14th. During the class women will learn a few basics, then put into practice with a nature interpretive tour around the lake. Bring a PFD if you have one. For more information or to register contact Connie at 573-751-1224 or email connie.weber@dnr.mo.gov.