Local News – Wednesday, October 31st, 2018
The City of Salem has again designated the hours from 6:00 until 8:00 tonight as Trick or Treat Hours in the city limits. Make sure all children have reflective tape or a light costume on so that they can be seen when traveling from house to house. Children also need to be very alert when crossing well traveled streets. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Halloween drunk-driving fatalities are on the rise. From 2012 through 2016, 44% of traffic fatalities on Halloween night involved at least one drunk driver. In total, 168 people were killed in these alcohol related crashes. In 2017, there were three serious injury crashes in Missouri on Halloween night. Children out trick-or-treating, and those who accompany them, are also at risk. In those same years, 14 percent of pedestrian fatalities on Halloween night involved drunk drivers. Drivers between ages of 21 to 34 accounted for the most drunk-driving fatalities (46%) on Halloween night in 2016. Driving impaired has scary consequences. On average, a DUI can set you back more than $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, court costs, lost time at work, higher insurance rates, car towing and repairs, and more. Even worse, you could injure or kill someone. Do your part to keep Halloween fun and safe.
An accident happened near the intersection of Center and Washington on Wednesday night at 9:36, October 17th. According to the Salem Police report, a 2002 Lexus ES300 owned and operated by Evelyn Randall of Salem was west abound on West Center approaching Washington Street. At that time, Randall began to accelerate instead of braking and failed to stop at the stop sign. Randall then made a wide right turn on to North Washington and made contact with the west side curb. The vehicle then ran off the left side of the road into the front yard of #3 North Washington and continued north and struck a city of Salem utility pole before coming to a rest. The Lexus received extensive damage. Randall suffered moderate injuries and an occupant in the vehicle received minor injuries. Both were transported by ambulance to the Salem Memorial District hospital for treatment. The landscaping at #3 North Washington sustained minor damage as did the City of Salem utility pole.
Are you going to be in the market for health insurance? Now is the time to visit the website www.HealthCare.gov to get ready for this year’s Open Enrollment and review your 2019 plan options. The marketplace open enrollment starts Thursday, November 1st and will last until December 15th. As has been the case for a couple of years, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is the only provider for Dent County on the marketplace. You can go online to compare your plan from last year to the new plans offered this year, or you can just start shopping your choices for the 2019 year. Remember, if you do not enroll by December 15th, you will not have insurance as of January 1st, 2019.
Runners, walkers and bikers in the Salem area, do you think Salem needs more trails? Healthy Dent County invites you to voice your opinion on the website www.salemmotrails.com. At that websight, you will see a number of proposed trails around Salem with descriptions of the trails. It is their goal to find out where the community wants and would use additional trails. You can leave your comments on the website and if you do, you will be entered in a drawing to win a $50 gift card. Healthy Dent County is orking in conjunction with PedNet out of St. Louis on this project. If you have questions about the site or want more information about the trails presented, call Kelsey at Healthy Dent County at 729-8163.
The City of Salem will be hosting a public reception for their new economic development director, Sally Burbridge, the evening of Monday, November 5th from 5:00 until 7:00 in the City Hall Auditorium. Light refreshments will be served at the reception which is open to everyone.