Local News – Wednesday, September 2nd, 2020
Due to COVID 19, the Salem Memorial District Hospital has extended their health fair screenings for the entire month of September, but the event will be held this time at the hospital. In an effort to comply with social distancing and to maintain a safer environment to serve the community, you will need to pre-register and schedule your health fair screenings to be performed at the hospital. You can register for the health fair profile which will include a full lipid profile, comprehensive metabolic panel as well as tests for uric acid and iron levels for a cost of $35. Other tests being offered include a hemoglobin A1c for $15. A TSH (thyroid) test, Urine microalbumin test, and the PSA test for men will still be offered for $15 each. A DEXA Scan test can also be scheduled for $35, however, this test will require an order from your physician. The screenings will be held Monday through Friday morning from 7:00 until 11:00, AND all appointments MUST be scheduled. Participants will enter through the north entrance of the hospital and be COVID screened after which the fees will be collected and consent forms will be signed prior to testing. Labs will be drawn in the hospital library, then patients will exit out of the same entrance. To schedule an appointment and pre-register, you may call Karen Brown Monday through Friday from 8:00 in the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon at 573-729-6626 extension 4005.
As the state attempts to return to normal amid the global pandemic, the Missouri Department of Transportation is dealing with a surge in work zone crashes despite decreased traffic volumes. MoDOT has already had 39 truck/trailer-mounted attenuators hit in work zones across the state this year. That compares with 19 hits at this time in 2019. Attenuators are like giant, crushable shock absorbers which absorb momentum and reduce the force of the impact. Damage to drivers and vehicles involved is lessened. MoDOT Director Patrick K. McKenna said they have had a 100% increase in TMA hits at a time when traffic on Missouri roads has decreased by nearly 50% for much of the year. That’s not only an overwhelming figure; it’s also completely avoidable with appropriate driver attention. Distracted driving has been recognized as a major factor in work zone crashes. Since 2014, cell phone related crashes in Missouri have increased by 35%. Using a cell phone in a car is potentially one of the most dangerous actions you can take while driving. Any time highway workers are present on a Missouri roadway – whether it’s a long-term lane closure, a moving operation, or shoulder work – your safety and the safety of those workers depends on drivers’ focus and attention. Since 2012, the state “Slow Down and Move Over” law requires motorists to slow down and change lanes when approaching MoDOT vehicles or law enforcement and emergency vehicles with lights flashing. Failure to do so is a Class A misdemeanor and can result in fines and/or imprisonment. To further underscore the importance of driving safely in work zones, last year Governor Mike Parson signed “Lyndon’s Law,” to revoke the driver’s license of anyone who hits a highway or utility worker in a work zone or an emergency responder in an emergency zone. Lyndon Ebker was a 30-year employee of MoDOT when he was hit and killed in a Franklin County work zone by a distracted driver in 2016. McKenna said that operating a motor vehicle—whether it is an 18-wheel commercial transport or the family sedan—is a full-time job. Road conditions can change in a heartbeat. We don’t want that heartbeat to be the last—either for you or our workers.
The Salem Police Department has released reports between the dates of August 15th and August 25th. On Saturday, the 15th at around 12:36 in the afternoon, an officer conducted a traffic stop on a motorcycle at the intersection of Center and Warfel Street and it was found that the driver was operating the motorcycle without a driver’s license and was found to be in possession of controlled substance, pills not prescribed to the driver. The driver, a 43-year-old Salem male was arrested and issued a summons to appear in court. Then on Sunday, August 16th near 10:00 in the evening, an officer conducted a traffic stop for an expired registration at the intersection of Jackson and Dent streets. Contact was made with the driver and it was discovered the he had a suspended driver’s license. As a result, a 31-year-old Salem male was arrested and later released on a summons. During the evening of Monday, August 17th around 8:49, an officer was dispatched to Phil-Mart for a report of a theft of propane. It was reported that two males had a propane tank filled and left without paying for the propane. The estimated amount of Propane that was not paid for was $20.53. The incident is still under investigation. On Wednesday, the 19th of August at around 10:30 in the morning, an officer was dispatched to the lobby of the police department to speak with a victim about someone using her debit card for approximately $1,800 of purchases without her consent. This incident is still under investigation. During the afternoon of August 21st near 2:20, an officer was dispatched to the lobby of the police department to speak with a victim about someone using her debit card without her consent in the amount of $877.00. This incident is still under investigation. Please contact the Salem Police Department at 729-4242 if you have any information regarding an ongoing investigation.