News – Friday, September 18th, 2026

At the request of Dent County Fire Chief Derek Thomas, and the Chiefs of Lenox Rural Fire Department, Jadwin Volunteer Fire Department, and Montauk Rural Fire Department, the Dent County Commission has adopted an ordinance implementing a county-wide burn ban due to current drought conditions and the increased danger of fires throughout Dent County. Outdoor burning and open burning are prohibited throughout Dent County. This includes burning trees, logs, brush, stumps, and other vegetative material, as well as burn barrels and agricultural burning. The ordinance does provide limited exceptions, including cooking or grilling with charcoal, wood, propane, or natural gas in appropriate cooking/grilling appliances, as well as certain heating, construction, and maintenance uses specified in the ordinance. Anyone maintaining an outdoor fire may be held responsible for fire suppression costs and damages caused by the fire. Violations of the ordinance may constitute a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 365 days in jail, a fine of up to $2,000, or both. The burn ban is intended to protect the lives and property of Dent County residents during the current dry conditions. The duration of the burn ban may be shortened or extended depending on weather and fire conditions.

The Dent County Commissioners met Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse for their regular meeting. During public comments, Michael Garrett, who was buying some property, asked the commission to prepare a letter on county letterhead stating Dent County does not have planning and zoning. The request was approved. A resident of County Road 5170 requested brush be cut on that roadway. Canyon Goodbar of the Dent County Sheriff’s office requested approval of a radio grant application for $25,000 from the Missouri Department of Public Safety for three radios and three repeaters. The commissioners approved the grant application. Grant Wilson, representative of Congressman Jason Smith’s office, urged Dent County residents to document and report rainfall amounts to the drought monitor. Under road reports, District One Commissioner Keith Green said crew members are off until Monday. District Two Commissioner Jimmy Williams said that a crew member is cutting brush. Chip and seal work has been completed in both districts, and both Williams and Green reported they were pleased with the job that was done. Williams further noted that both districts had replaced a lot of culverts; thus, the county’s supply is getting low. Williams and Green have both noted in the past that replacing culverts is one task that they can complete when it is too dry to grade. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson reported he attended a lengthy meeting in St. James on Tuesday of the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District (ORSWMD) which decided on the distribution of requested grant funds. He noted that there were over $351,000 in requests, and that the funds available totaled $326,464; it was approximately $25,000 short of meeting all requests. All the applications will be funded, but some at lower amounts than requested. The approved amounts would be awarded at the next meeting of the ORSWMD. Moving on, Larson stated he would have a Zoom meeting with the county health insurance company, MAGIC Consortium. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported that bills  were being approved by the commissioners for payment. Brent Duncan, Midwest Mechanical; Tony Haile, Gene Haile Excavating, Inc.; Shannon Jenkins, Mera Excavating; Mason Parker, Build Tec Construction; and Brooke Rogers, Courtney Construction, were present for the bid opening on FEMA 2 crossing repairs. Christa Swartz with Great Rivers Engineering was also present and bids were opened at 10:00. Gene Haile Excavating bid was $161,488; Build Tech Construction bid $66,950; Courtney Construction bid $97,997.23; and Mera Excavating bid $149,069.52. The Midwest Mechanical bid was opened, but it was labeled on the envelope with the wrong bid. Brent Duncan went to his vehicle to get the correct bid, which was presented after 10:00 at $51,050. Christa Swartz discussed that $92,888 was Great Rivers engineer’s estimate, and she will reach out to the first and second bidder. GRE will review received bids to make sure they meet all requirements. Swartz discussed the fact that the Midwest Mechanical bid was not in the meeting at the required 10:00, so it would not be counted. The commissioners agreed. Dent County Fire Chief Derek Thomas presented a Burn Ban Ordinance which was approved by the commissioners. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse, and the meeting will be open to the public.