News – Friday, August 2nd, 2024

This weekend is the “Back to School” Sales Tax holiday in the state of Missouri. It begins at 12:01 this morning, and runs through Sunday night at 11:59. Certain back-to-school purchases, such as clothing, school supplies, computers, and other items as defined by the statute, are exempt from sales tax for this time period only. The 2024 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday exempts all state and local sales or use tax taxes during the exemption period on qualifying items with some limitations. Those limitations are on clothing which can be any article having a taxable value of $100 or less; school supplies which cannot exceed $50 per purchase; computer software where the taxable value is $350 or less; personal computers which cannot exceed $1,500; computer peripheral devices which cannot exceed $1,500; and graphing calculators which cannot exceed $150. During prior years only state and some local sales and use taxes were exempt. Senate Bill 153 changed this by exempting all local sales and use tax on qualifying items. For more information you can visit the Missouri Department of Revenue website at dor.mo.gov and click on the “Taxation” tab.

The Dent County Commission met Thursday morning at the courthouse where in the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said rock would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 4215 while only grading would be done on county roads 5680 and 6590. He also stated brush would be cut on county roads 4210 and 4120. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk said grading would be done on Dent County Roads 4340 and 4370, while rock would be added to county roads 4430 and 4290. He also stated brush would be cut on county roads 4430 and 5310. Polk went on to say a cylinder hose was being replaced on a dump truck. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson reported electrician Chad Heithold and the city electrical department were getting ready to repair some of the issues with wiring at the courthouse and also providing a new service connection to the courthouse which was part of the renovation. Larson said Heithold may stop by the courthouse to provide some options the commission may consider. Larson stated tourism tax collections for the month of July were $11,008.78 as reported by the collector. This fund is made up of fees from camping, Air BNB’s and lodging. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said no-excuse absentee voting continues through Monday, August 5th at 5:00 at the courthouse, and voters should make sure personal information on file in the clerk’s office is up to date such as their address or any name change. Voters can also contact her office to see where they will be voting in the Primary on Tuesday, August 6th. Her office phone number is 729-4144. Election Day will be Tuesday when the polls will be open from 6:00 in the morning until 7:00 in the evening. Curley said her office in the courthouse will be open this Saturday from 8:00 in the morning until noon for absentee voting. Sample ballots are available at her office, or she can e-mail one to you. This is a Primary election so all voters will have to declare a party for whom they will cast their vote from Republican, Democrat, Libertarian and Non-Partisan, which only allows the voter to vote for the Amendments. Don’t forget to bring a photo ID with you when you vote. Also don’t forget, there is no electioneering within 25 feet of any voting locations and that includes political shirts, caps, signs, etc. Curley also said she applied for and received $11,750 from the “Help America Vote Act” grant for the 2024-25 year as part of the state allocation. At the last meeting, resident Terry Baker agreed to pay the county $7,000 for 1/5th of a mile to be chip and sealed on Dent County Road 2220 for the first layer of chip and seal. A second installment of chip and seal shall be applied within five years and the second payment will be due at the time the work is to be done. As part of the agreement, an exhibit was attached and should Mr. Baker pass away, the agreement would be settled through his estate. The next meeting of the commission will be Monday morning at the courthouse at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

The Dry Creek Bridge on Route HH, near Cherryville, has reopened to traffic as of July 31. MoDOT announced that rehabilitation work on the bridge has been completed. The bridge has been closed since June 3rd. The construction involved replacing the bridge deck, which had deteriorated over time. Officials noted that while the bridge’s supporting structures, dating back to 1961, remain in good condition, the driving surface required replacement. The reopening of this route should ease travel for local residents and commuters in the area. MoDOT encourages drivers to use caution when crossing newly reopened bridges and to obey all posted traffic signs.

Join Bob Phelan on Sunday afternoons this month from 2:00 till 4:00 for Photographing Missouri’s Beauty. Get to know your digital (or film) camera and what it can do for you. Learn what all those buttons do and how you use them to tell YOUR visual story! Your camera should have adjustable settings. The Missouri Conservationist Magazine will be used to show you how their great photographers make you feel that you are right there in the story, so you can use some of their techniques. If you have questions you can email Bob at: bphelan352@gmail.com. The cost is $20 per session, per person. To register, go the SACBA website and find the Programs tab. Find the Creative Arts Center and click to register for the class. Registrations online are on a first come, first serve basis.