Local News – Wednesday, September 18th, 2019

The Salem Board of Aldermen met Monday night for their regular meeting. Mayor Brad Nash was unable to attend so Alderwoman Kim Steelman ran the meeting. The board approved a request from the Salem United Methodist Church to temporarily close Doss Road on Halloween night for their trunk and Treat event. The board approved the low bid recommended by Lochner for the construction of the taxilanes at the Salem Municipal Airport for a total of $496,850.90 that includes the use of asphalt instead of concrete. This is more than the original estimate approved by MoDOT and the city will have to pay more of the 10% that is due from them. City Administrator Ray Walden said the Request for Proposals for the 1st phase of the Downtown Project has been posted. He also said the position of Chief of Police has been advertised in advance of Chief Keith Steelman’s retirement in February. Walden said the City Wide Yard Sale will be held October 5th and the Fall Clean-Up Week will follow on October 7th through the 11th on your regular trash day. Walden said he was looking for the next date for a nuisance workshop and it will either be October 7th or 21st. He said the Water and Sewer Department will be changing water meters in the near future as part of the new AMI system. He said residents will be given advance notice before that change happens. The Board approved Bill #3430 that will allow Mayor Brad Nash to sign an amendment to the State Block Grant agreement with the City of Salem and the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department to allow for an increase in funds to be provided by the grant and the city for the taxi-lanes at the airport. The board also adopted Resolution #23-2019 that adopts the Salem and Dent County Missouri Economic Development Strategy as prepared by Sally Burbridge. The document was prepared for the city with Dent County as a partner. The board then voted to go into closed session.

With the archery deer hunting season now going on and with the firearms portion coming in November, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) wants hunters, landowners, and others to know key information about chronic wasting disease, or CWD. MDC is continuing its efforts this fall and winter to limit the spread of CWD in Missouri deer by finding new cases and slowing its spread to more deer or more areas. CWD is a deadly, infectious disease in white-tailed deer and other members of the deer family that eventually kills all animals it infects. There is no vaccine or cure. CWD is spread from deer to deer and through the environment. MDC has found 116 cases of CWD in Missouri since 2012 out of more than 100,000 deer sampled so the disease remains relatively rare in the state. There have been no reported cases of CWD infecting people, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strongly recommends having deer tested for CWD if harvested in an area known to have the disease. The CDC also recommends not eating meat from animals that test positive for CWD. For more information, visit mdc.mo.gov/cwd under Human Health Risks. MDC has a CWD Management Zone of counties in or near where CWD has been found. The 29 counties of the CWD Management Zone for this season are: Adair, Barry, Cedar, Chariton, Christian, Crawford, Franklin, Gasconade, Hickory, Howell, Jefferson, Knox, Linn, Macon, Mercer, Oregon, Ozark, Perry, Polk, Putnam, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, Stone, Sullivan, Taney, Warren, and Washington. See the included map image. Learn more at mdc.mo.gov/cwd.

The University of Missouri Extension will host a Management Intensive Grazing School September 26-27 at the MU Hugo Wurdack Research Center near Cook Station. The two-day program will include guest speakers covering the topics of grazing system layout and design, watering systems, fence systems, soil fertility, livestock nutrition, and forage growth and quality. Additionally, extensive farm tours will be included to allow participants to receive training on grazing system utilization. The cost of the two-day school is $135 per person or $175 per farm couple. This fee includes the cost of meals, resource books and other handout materials pertinent to the course. Space is limited for this program and registration along with full payment is required by September 20. For more information, please contact Rachel Hopkins, MU Extension Ag Business/Community Engagement Specialist at 573-438-2671. To register, contact the Crawford County SWCD (Soil & Water Conservation District) office in Rolla, MO at 573-364-6202.