News – Monday, August 5th, 2024

The Board of Directors of Salem Memorial District Hospital will conduct a special meeting Monday, August 5th, at 7:00 in the Hospital Library. After the call to order and roll call the Board will vote to go into closed session. After the closed session the meeting will be adjourned.

The 2024 Primary election will be held in Dent County tomorrow. Voters will have to choose a party before voting and they have four choices this year in Dent County: Republican, Democrat, Libertarian and Non-Partisan which allows voters to only vote for the two amendments on the ballot. Besides the statewide races, there are some contested races in the area. In the race for the United States Representative seat for District 8, Republicans Jason Smith, James Snider and Grant Heithold are running while Democratic party candidates for District 8 are Randi McCallian and Franklin Delano Roth II. Candidates running for the State Representative District 120 seat are Republicans John W. Hewkin and Lancer Blair, and Democrat Jen Tracy. All other local races have only Republican Party candidates. Wes Mobray and Keith Green are running for 1st District County Commissioner seat, while the race for 2nd District Commissioner is between Denver Ellis, Gary Polk, and Jimmy Williams. Bob Wells and Michael Loveday are running for Dent County Sheriff, Alisa Brookshire and Jamie L. Homeyer are running for Dent County Assessor, and Tim Bell and James D. Crocker are running for the Meramec East Township Committeeman. Be sure to take part in our local elections and go vote tomorrow.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and Meramec Hills Master Naturalist Chapter are hosting a free catch-and-release fishing event for students returning to school. The event will take place on August 8th from 5 to 7 p.m. at Bray Conservation Area in Rolla off of Bridge School Road. The event is open to school-aged children and their families, but registration is required. Participants can register online at the MDC website. Fishing poles and bait will be provided for all school-age children. MDC staff and master naturalists will offer information on fish identification, native plants, and ways to connect with nature. The first 50 participating students will receive free school desk items courtesy of MDC. Attendees are advised to bring extra drinking water. For more information, interested parties can contact Dwight Warnke at Dwight.Warnke@mdc.mo.gov.

Calling all Missouri veterans with a passion for hunting! Missouri State Parks is excited to team up with the Missouri Veterans Commission to offer 35 lucky veterans the opportunity for a weekend deer hunt at Mark Twain State Park for the Hero Hunt or Crowder State Park for the General Crowder Hunt. These special hunts are being offered November 8th through 10th, 2024. Apply now for one of these all-inclusive hunting trips. Lodging and meals are provided along with a hunting guide, and if guests harvest deer, there will be limited processing as well. Applications must be picked up and returned to a local Veterans Service Office by September 6th. Veterans in Dent, Crawford, Maries and Phelps counties can pick up applications from Cassondra Stevens, Veteran Service Officer, Missouri Veterans Home, 620 N. Jefferson, St. James or Laura Turner, Veteran Service Officer, 1101 Kingshighway in Rolla. Mark Twain State Park is located at 37352 Shrine Road in Florida, Missouri. Crowder State Park is located at 76 NW Highway 128, Trenton, Missouri. For more information contact: Mark Twain Hero Hunt at 573-248-9985 or General Crowder Hunt at 660-359-6473. For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

As the new school year begins, the Salem R80 School District wants to highlight the crucial role of regular attendance in academic and personal success. In a letter from the R80 Superintendent, Nate Wills, he emphasized the importance of being present in class. He outlines in a letter how consistent attendance fosters engagement, responsibility, and a positive learning environment. Missouri’s 90/90 rule requires that 90% of students attend 90% of the time, impacting school funding and performance ratings. Last year, Salem R80 had a 77% compliance rate. To improve, the district is launching campaigns and offering incentives for good attendance, alongside support measures for chronically absent students. Salem R80 will notify families of daily absences and provide additional support as absences accumulate, involving school coordinators and the juvenile office if necessary. The district encourages families to prioritize attendance, underscoring the collective effort needed to help students thrive. The letter from Superintendent Wills is available on our KSMO Radio, Your World Today Facebook page. If you have any questions you can contact the Salem R80 School District office at 573-729-6642.

The 2024 School Readiness Event will be held on August 17th at the Salem Community Center@The Armory from 9:00 until 11:00 in the morning. At the event, kids will be given free backpacks and school supplies. There will be prizes and giveaways as well, but pre-registration is required. You can pre-register August 14th at the Dent County Community Action Agency at 1405 South Wines Street in Salem from 8:00 in the morning until 4:00. For more information, call 573-729-3500, extension 10.