News – Friday, November 8th 2024

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Thursday morning in the courthouse. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams gave her sales tax report for the money collected this month. She said the General Revenue Fund and Law Enforcement Sales Tax Fund each received $87,156.67 which is $3,138.25 more than for November of 2023. Year-to-date, the General Revenue Fund and the LEST funds are up $60,546.89 which is about a 6.25% increase. The Road and Bridge Fund received $40,498.95 this month, and that is down $260.60 from the money received in November of 2023. Year-to-date, that fund is up $25,437.97 which is close to a 5.7% increase. The Dent County Jail Operating and Trust funds each received $81,419.40 in November and that is down $542.13 from the November 2023 receipts. Year-to-date, those funds are up $52,038.72 which is about a 6.4% increase. Grant Wilson from Jason Smith’s Rolla office was in attendance and told the commission that Congressman Smith is aware of the Dent County situation and once assessments are determined, let his office know to look into possibly getting  federal assistance. In the road report, both commissioners indicated there is extensive road damage in Dent County and both District 1 and District 2 are working at getting the impassable roads at least passable, beginning with the worst roads. They did want to say that Dent County Road 4210 and Montauk State Park are closed until further notice. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson wanted to thank Bonnie Prigge and Anne Freund from the MRPC and Preston Kramer from MoDOT as well as Salem Public Administrator Sally Burbridge and Salem Public Works Director Steven Paine for attending the Dent County transportation priority meeting updating the previous years’ transportation needs. Larson also said a special meeting was held on Tuesday, November 5th to discuss what the districts needs and priorities will be during the flooding that day. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley was complimented by the commissioners for her outstanding job for the election Tuesday where everything went smooth. Curley gave the credit to the poll workers, her staff, judges, those who set up the equipment, law enforcement personnel, emergency response personnel and others. Curley was quick to note that one poll worker had to be water rescued from Pigeon Creek, and then still went to work at the polls at Green Forest R-II from the water rescue scene, wet from the waist down. Curley reported that Dent County had over 70% voter turnout and set new records daily for no-excuse absentee voting getting over 2,500 votes cast in the 10 days before the election. Curley said her office is saddened over the loss of two poll workers in Wright County from the storm. Dent County Emergency Director Derrick Marfitt gave a list of roads damaged that he and the Dent County Sheriff’s Department has found damaged, then told of damages sustained by three cabins near the Current River in which one of them was actually removed from its foundation and floated down river. Marfitt did want to let Dent County residents know that if they sustained major damage to their home, loss of livestock, or damages to their business in the county to please call him at 573-247-7504. There may be assistance available to help recover from the losses from FEMA depending upon the total dollar amounts from throughout the county. He also said if you have damage, document it and take pictures if you can. He said he would be meeting with SEMA Region I Coordinator from the Response Division Brett Hendrix and would inform him that at this time, based on information from the county commission, it appears damages to the county roads will come to about four million dollars in materials alone and that does not include labor. He will also ask if the county can get additional equipment like dump trucks and trailers to help address getting equipment to the road problems, and additional manpower would also be beneficial, if available.  It was announced the courthouse would be closed Monday due to Veteran’s Day and there will be no meeting. The next commissioner’s meeting will be Thursday morning, November 14th at 9:00 at the courthouse and it will be open to the public.

On Thursday, October 31st in the U.S. District Court in St. Louis, 45-year-old Jason Michael Enke of Crawford County, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. In court, Enke admitted that from August 2023 to October 2023, he sent a series of sexually explicit messages via social media and during online chat sessions to five people who identified themselves as minors. He also sent a video of himself and a 16-year-old engaging in sex acts and attempted to persuade the minors to engage in sexual conduct. In November of 2023, the FBI’s St. Louis office received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that Enke had sent a video containing child pornography to an Instagram user who listed their age as 15. FBI agents performed a court-approved search of Enke’s home near Bourbon, Missouri and found videos containing child sexual abuse material on his electronic devices. Enke is scheduled to be sentenced January 29th, 2025. The receipt and distribution charges carry a potential penalty of five to 20 years in prison and the coercion charge carries a sentence of 10 years to life in prison. The FBI and the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.