Local News – Wednesday, June 15th, 2022
On Friday, June 10th, Dent County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Curley reported that a sentencing hearing was held for Cheri Sturdivant of Salem. She had pled guilty to the distribution of meth and was sentenced to ten years in the department of corrections. Sturdivant was a prior and persistent offender. Then on Tuesday, June 14th in Dent County in front of Judge Megan Seay, Lisa McGraw of Salem had her probation revoked and she was sentenced to 10 years in the Department of Corrections.
Take Dad to the river for Father’s Day weekend and participate in the 15th annual Upper Current River clean-up and Kayak give-away. The event is scheduled for this Saturday, June 18th. Registration will take place at Cedar Grove, Akers Upper Landing, or the Pulltite river access points between 8:00 and 10:00 on the morning. You will also pick up your mesh trash bags at these points. Locations for clean-up include Montauk State Park to Baptist Access, Baptist Access to Cedar Grove, Cedar Grove to Akers, Akers to Pulltite, and Pulltite to Round Spring. You may also clean-up a put in or take out area such as Tan Vat, Baptist, Parker Ford, Cedar Grove, Flying W, Welch Spring, Akers, Pulltite, Sinking Creek or Round Spring. No BBQ will be held because they do not want participants to congregate due to Covid-19. The drawing for the Kayak will come from all registration forms. The drawing will take place at noon and the winner will receive a text or call on June 18th to arrange pick up of the kayak that day. The Scenic Rivers Stream Team Association needs to know the total amount of trash that is picked up so they ask that when you get home to e-mail photos and let them know how much trash you collected. There will be a prize for the most trash collected, and the most unusual item found. You can email this information to jack_Maryficker@hotmail.com. A group site at Round Spring is reserved for participants to use without charge
The Salem Board of Aldermen met Tuesday evening in the City Hall Council Chambers. After approval of the consent agenda, the board discussed Bill #3507 which would have created an ordinance setting new electric rates for residential and commercial customers that would have included a $10 Service Availability Fee and a 27% rate increase. Alderman Kyle Williams, who is the Utility Committee Chairman, said the increase would be a heavy burden for many people as times are hard now with rising prices. Alderman Shawn Bolerjack said he did some calculations after the utility committee meeting and for a person with a 600-kwh bill, the rate increase with the $10 Service Availability Fee would have been over $27 which in essence would have been a 42.7% increase. He feels there may need to be a higher service availability fee for commercial accounts rather than for residences. Williams said since the finance committee has not yet approved the final budget, he said he would like to see what other options might be available to reduce the burden on the people including looking into some budget cuts the city may be able to take. Alderman Tod Kinerk said he would let the automatic rate increase happen on July 15th as people are already expecting it and eliminate the numerous discounts offered to specific groups. He said he personally would not support any Service Availability Fee. Alderwoman Kala Sisco agreed with Alderman Bolerjack and Williams in exploring other options to reduce the deficit. The board voted down the bill unanimously. The board heard a request to seek a 50/50 grant from Employers Mutual to get a new dog box for the animal control officer that will accommodate larger and more aggressive dogs safely. The current dog box is no longer functionally safe. The cost of the dog box is $8,000 and the city would be responsible for $4,000. The board approved the request. The board accepted the appointment of Leigh Ann Price to the Salem Public Library Board to replace Ruth Ann Parker who resigned. The meeting was then adjourned.
The Missouri Department of Transportation’s draft plan for the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program from 2023-2027 is available for your review and comments at MoDOT.org. A number of projects are in the program for Dent County that includes a bridge rehabilitation on Highway 119 over Pigeon Creek in the 2023 year, and the bridge replacement on Highway 19 over Gladden Creek is also scheduled for 2023. In the year 2027, a bridge improvement over Spring Creek on Highway 19 is expected while in 2026, MoDOT has scheduled a bridge improvement over Dry Creek on Route B. Other expected projects in Dent County for the fiscal year 2025 will be pavement improvements to Route K from Highway 19 to Route KK, and on Route J from Highway 72 to 32. Near Dent County in
Crawford County in 2025 will be pavement improvements to Highway 49 from Highway 19 all the way to Highway 32. You can comment on the plan by clicking on the “View Draft STIP” button the STIP plan this Friday by going to MoDOT.org near the middle of the page. Once in that window, you can click on the link to make comments.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol would like to remind the public that driver examination stations throughout the state will be closed on Monday, June 20th in observance of Juneteenth. Normal operations will resume on Tuesday, June 21st. For more news, follow the Missouri State Highway Patrol on Twitter.