News – Wednesday, January 8th 2025

Dent County is accepting applications for opioid remediation projects through its Opioid Settlement funding. Businesses, not-for-profit organizations and tax entities serving Dent County are eligible to apply. Applications are due January 15th, 2025. These funds come from a joint effort to hold accountable those companies that have contributed to the opioid epidemic across the nation. In 2020, the Missouri General Assembly established the Opioid Addiction Treatment and Recovery Fund to receive settlement payments. In 2021, the state received its initial settlement payment. As of January 2024, settlements continue to be negotiated and finalized by the state and the political subdivisions that signed on to the lawsuit. Dent County is one of 106 counties participating in the opioid lawsuit. For a project to be eligible for funding, it should be listed on the Exhibit E, Schedule B of the Missouri Department of Mental Health’s Approved Uses for Opioid Remediation, located at https://moopioidsettlements.dmh.mo.gov/Resources/AllowableUses. Dent County has funding priorities in the areas of transportation, child and family support services, housing, prevention education, reentry services, support groups, law enforcement and first responders, treatment court and community support services. Those interested in applying can receive an application by contacting the Dent County Opioid Fund Disbursement Board Chairman Lieutenant Rick Letchworth at 573-729-3241 or rickletchworth@dentcountysheriff.org. Letchworth will collect proposals and review projects for completeness to ensure that activities proposed are eligible and will then submit all projects to the Dent County Commission, along with its administrative review information, for the county to make funding decisions and disburse funds at the January 30th, 2025, Dent County Opioid Fund Disbursement Board meeting. The board is asking that applicants attend that meeting to present their proposals. MRPC assisted the commission with developing its application and process and will assist the county by ensuring selected projects are eligible expenditures under opioid settlements. MRPC will also be helping to secure required documentation and reporting. To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.

The Creative Arts Center in Salem will hold a “Painting the Landscape with Oils” Workshop with Lee Copen on Wednesday, January 15th from 9:00 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon with a break for lunch. Students will learn about oil painting techniques and processes, including mixing the correct values and colors with a limited palette and will work from the provided photo. Materials provided include a 9×12 or similar size canvas panel, oil paintings brushes, oil paint, turpentine, palette paper and oil painting medium. This workshop is for beginner through advanced students. The class is open to those 13 years of age and older. The cost of the class is $75. There must be four people sign up to hold the class and it will be limited to 12. To sign up, go to the SACBA website, click on “Programs” link and then on the Creative Arts Center.