Local News – Wednesday, November 1st, 2023

Healthy Dent County will be having their Fifth Annual Casino Night Fundraiser this Saturday at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory with a “Biker Fest” theme. Doors will open Saturday evening at 5:30 with the gaming beginning at 6:30 and lasting until 9:00. The event features game tables much like the ones you will find in a real casino, as well as a number of professional dealers to run the games. Traditional games such as craps, roulette and blackjack are available as well as two poker tables. Food and a cash bar will also be available. New this year, to go along with the “Biker Fest” theme, will be video bike races throughout the evening. Winners of these races will receive special tickets for a drawing to win a two-bedroom Florida vacation. Other prizes include St. Louis Blues Hockey tickets; 2024 St. Louis Cardinals tickets; $300 Wal-Mart gift card; Blackstone Griddle; Wine Barrell, a Mizzou Basketball and Football Tickets package, a Southwest Airlines Gift Card, a Branson Trip, I-Mop, Canoe Trip, a TV, a Taurse G2S 9MM pistol and more. This year’s event would not be possible without many local businesses sponsoring the event with American Family – Jonah Schafer, Agent being the main event sponsor. Tickets are available for $50 per person of $85 per couple. Event ticket holders will receive $10,000 in chips to play the casino games of their choice throughout the evening. Guests are asked to come dressed in Biker – themed attire and receive an extra $1,000 in gaming money. If you ride your bike to the event, you will receive an additional $1,000.00 in gaming money. At the end of the evening, prizes are drawn after exchanging gaming money for tickets. Casino Night tickets are available at Salem Community Center @ the Armory at 1200 West Rolla Road or online at https://tinyurl.com/HDCBikerFest2023. For more information, please call 729-8163.

The Missouri Sheriffs’ Association, in cooperation with the Dent County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Salem Police Department, will be hosting a basic law enforcement training academy starting January 30, 2024 in Salem at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory. The Academy will be a 700 hour course that will qualify graduates with a Class A peace officer license in Missouri. The class will meet Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6-10 pm as well as Saturdays from 8 am-5 pm and some Sundays. This is an eleven month program with a maximum of 25 students and a graduation being held in November 2024. The Missouri Sheriffs’ Association Training Academy meets and exceeds the State of Missouri’s minimum basic training requirement for peace officer certification. Graduates will be certified in several areas from report writing to arrest procedures, intake booking to inmate supervision. Driving instruction courses will be held at the Salem airport and firearms training will be held at the law enforcement firing range. Registration is now open and continues through December 30th, 2023. Those wishing to attend may download the application form by going to the Missouri Sheriff’s Association website at mosheriffs.com/academy. There are a variety of Tuition Options ranging from VA Benefits, to ETPW/WIOA Grants, to monthly payment plans. For more information contact Gina Kauffman at 573-635-5925 or e-mail gina@mosheriffs.com. The Salem Community Center @ the Armory is located at 1200 W. Rolla Road in Salem. Major Lenny Pabin from the Dent County Sheriff’s Office will serve as the coordinator for this academy. For questions please call Major Pabin at the Dent County Sheriff’s Office at 729-3241.

A reminder that the Dent County University of Missouri Extension Council is inviting residents to join the 2023-2024 group of volunteers that make Dent County a better place to live through Extension programs. Representatives will be elected in a non-partisan election from January 8th through the 12th. Candidates must be at least 18-years-old and reside in the county they want to serve. Applications to be a candidate are available by calling 573-729-3196, online at extension.missouri.edu/dent or email at dentco@missouri.edu. Completed applications are due by November 16th at the Dent County Extension office at 112 East 5th Street in Salem. Designated by state statute as the official body to cooperate with the University of Missouri in delivery of Extension programs, the council has roles in programming, fiscal and personnel. The Dent County Extension Council is the local link between county residents and the University of Missouri four-campus system. Responsibilities of those on the council include attending monthly meetings (4th Monday), identify concerns of the community to connect citizens with Extension resources, administer the county budget and assist in planning, promoting, and carrying out Extension efforts. Individuals interested in serving on the council may contact Ray Walden, County Development Specialist, at the Dent County extension office (573-729-3196). Information about the Dent County Extension office can be found on the web at www.extension.missouri.edu/dent.

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that young hunters ages 6 through 15 harvested 11,118 deer during Missouri’s early youth portion of the 2023 deer hunting season, October 28th and 29th. Top counties were Franklin with 258 deer harvested, Osage with 224, and Texas with 209. Of the deer harvested, 6,857 were antlered bucks, 3,410 were does, and 851 were button bucks. In the local area, Dent County youth hunters harvested 154 deer as did Reynolds County hunters. Young Crawford County hunters killed 191 deer and Phelps County hunters took 164 more. Archery deer hunting continues through November 10th and resumes November 22nd through January 15th, 2024. The November portion of firearms deer season runs November 11th through the 21st. The late youth portion runs November 24th through the 26th. The late antlerless portion of firearms deer season runs December 2nd through the 10th in open counties and the alternative methods portion will occur December 23rd through January 2nd, 2024.

As a reminder, the end of Daylight Savings Time is 2:00 Sunday morning, November 5th when clocks are adjusted to “fall back” an hour. This time change can also serve as an easy reminder to change smoke and CO alarm batteries once a year. Remember, when you change the time, change the batteries. Always have properly installed and maintained smoke detectors on every floor of your home, near every bedroom, and in common areas like hallways as a minimum. If you use propane, naturals gas or burn wood for heat, you should also have carbon monoxide alarms in your home.