News – Friday, January 24th 2025

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Thursday morning at the courthouse. Corky Stack with AEA Stack Design Company was in with his company’s final bill for the work on the courthouse as well as the release of the retainage to Alexander Construction. Stack said the county held out $10,005.19 retainage to pay for any last-minute repairs or oversights, and the commission approved paying the retainage less any expenses to Alexander Construction. They also approved the last bill from AEA Stack Design Company of $138 for the project. Denver Ellis asked the commission about the new water tower the city is putting up out by the hospital and if the commission had checked with the city to see if that was going to affect residents in the area. Former Commissioner Wes Mobray was in attendance and said he spoke with the city about it as well as reviewed the engineers reports which stated there would not be a problem as the municipal well will be deeper than most residential wells. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Keith Green said maintenance work was being done on a grader and then a dump truck. He also said crews would be working on doing the FEMA estimates for the road repair work that has already been done as well as work yet to be done from the November flood. District 2 Commissioner Jimmy Williams said brush would be cut on county road 4370, and rock was being added to county road 2070. That road is being worked on to repair it from the damage of the November flood. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson was to attend the MRPC Day at the capital Tuesday but was unable to attend due to a special meeting called by the commission. At that special meeting, the commission approved to raise the Emergency Management Director’s salary during this time where he is putting in the extra time for the FEMA Disaster work for the flood to $20,000 a year. Once the disaster reporting is complete, the salary will return to $3,300 per year. Deputy Clerk Melissa Piatt said Dent County Clerk Angie Curley was attending the Missouri Association of Counties Board meeting Thursday in Jefferson City, and following the approval of the budget, bills would be paid. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Monday at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public. 

The Salem Police Department has recently released their report for the month of December. The department responded to 10 accidents during the month. Officers responded to seven alarms sounding and addressed 18 animal calls, investigated two assaults or fights, two burglaries, performed 13 well-being checks and 11 area checks in December. Police investigated seven domestic disputes, six verbal disturbances, conducted 27 follow-up investigations, and provided 16 escorts. They investigated three fraud reports, a parking complaint call, an intoxicated pedestrian report, one peace disturbance report, three shoplifting reports and three property damage reports. The Salem Police wrote seven stealing reports, five trespassing reports, responded to seven traffic complaints and assisted four motorists. Officers responded to three reports of suicidal persons, 12 suspicious circumstance calls, nine suspicious person calls, and seven suspicious vehicle calls. Officers attempted to serve ten warrants and conducted 35 traffic stops during the month. The police responded to a total of 390 incidents in December with the average response time to calls being one minute and 56 seconds. The average time spent on the scene was 32 minutes and five seconds. If you have any information regarding an ongoing investigation you can contact the Salem Police Department by calling their non emergency phone number at (573) 729-6550 or speak with them in person at 500 N. Jackson Street in Salem.