News – Monday, July 22nd, 2024

The Salem and Dent County 4-H and FFA Livestock Auction was held this past Saturday at The Commons that raised an unofficial total of $313,500.37 through animal bids and another $13,200 in ribbon bids for a total of $326,700.37. This figure also includes resales. Auctioneers Roger Schafer and Brady Hagler auctioned off three pens of market chickens for $1,246.50, eight pens of market rabbits for $1,721.02, eight cured meats brought in $2,848.65, 19 market goats sold for $15,396.20, 15 market lambs fetched $16,261.25, 56 market hog sales raised $105,020.50, the 37 market steers raised $171,006.25. The top ten buyers at the auction this year were the Bank of Salem, Curt’s Mobile Homes, County Fuels, Interstate Regional Stockyards, Phil-Mart, Town and Country Bank, Farm Bureau-Willie Strader, Agent; Rushing Construction, Roberts-Judson Lumber Company and  Steelman Abstract and Title Company. The Salem FFA Chapter and all the Dent County 4-H Clubs thank everyone who attended the auction this year for their generosity and support. If you missed this year’s auction you can go back and watch it on either the KSMO YouTube page or Facebook page.

The Salem R-80 School District held its regular board meeting on Thursday. Shortly after the meeting began, it was noted by Superintendent Dr. Nathan Wills that the district plans to begin live streaming their regular board meetings in August. The board then moved to the Superintendent’s report, headed by Dr. Wills, He stated he has started to receive scores from last school year’s Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) and End of Course Exam (EOC), and they “look promising”. The materials for the greenhouse have been delivered and construction is anticipated to proceed as scheduled, with the building to be completed by mid to late August. The building principals then gave several updates on how they are getting ready for the start of a new year. The “New Tiger Training” will be held on August 13th & 14th. The first day will be a walk through on what to expect on the first day of school, and the second day will be a rundown of how to use the various technologies provided by the school. The middle school is planning to implement policy changes regarding students’ personal devices. These policy changes will be announced via the Salem R-80 Facebook page in the coming weeks. The district has implemented online registration this year for returning students through Infinite Campus that began Monday, July 8th and ended Sunday, July 21st. Online registration for new students is now going on through the parent portal. Walk-in registration for new students will be held on Friday, August 2nd from 8:00 AM until 3:00 PM at the high school library. If you have questions about registration, contact kara.constance@salemr80.org or check out the Salem R-80 Facebook Page for more information. In new business, the bids for the roof repairs were compared by the board and in a 6-0 unanimous vote, the board chose the bid from SRI Constructors. The board unanimously approved the 2024-2025 meal prices and also approved the bid to provide fiber to the Tin Gym with Advanced Telephone LLC by a 6-0 vote. A motion was made to consider the Progressive Ozark Bank Season Pass debit card, which the board passed in a 6-0 vote. The board set the Tax Rate Hearing before the regular board meeting on August 15th at 5:15 to be followed by the regular board meeting. The board then went into closed session where they unanimously approved the salaries of Mary Hinkle and Brian Andrews, and extending the contract of Carmen Vaughn by five days. Also in closed session, the board made a motion to approve Tammy Herpich as a teacher pending a background check, hiring John Smith, approved Brandon Schloemer as a middle school football volunteer, and Lonnie Lee as the Assistant Track Coach. Dr. Wills also notified the board of internal moves of upper elementary school registered nurse Jody Parker, aide Christine Smith at William Lynch Elementary and bus driver Terry Nash. The board also discussed real estate issues before ending closed session and adjourning the meeting.

An accident happened in Dent County at 5:50 Friday evening on Highway 32 about a mile west of Route MM. According to the highway patrol report, a 2007 Chevy Silverado 1500 driven eastbound by 25-year-old Brandon Clark of Viburnum, was traveling too fast for a curve and went off the right side of the roadway and overturned. Clark suffered minor injuries and was evaluated at the scene by the Salem Ambulance crew. The Chevy Silverado was totaled and removed from the scene by Blackie’s Towing. Clark was not wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident.

All this week the City of Salem, in partnership with the Missouri Rural Water Association (MRWA), will conduct smoke testing on the main sewer trunk line. The testing will cover an arc from the southern part of town to the Wastewater Treatment Plant on the north along Salem’s eastern edge. This maintenance procedure involves introducing non-toxic smoke into the sewer system to identify leaks or improper connections, ensuring efficient system operation. While the testing primarily focuses on the main trunk line, residents may notice smoke emerging from sewer drains or related fixtures. Officials emphasize this is normal and does not indicate a fire or hazard. For more information, contact the City of Salem Public Works Department at 573-729-4811, ext 110.

The Dent County Fire Protection Board of Directors will hold a special meeting this evening at 6:00 at the Dent County Firehouse for the purpose of discussing insurance policies for the department. The meeting is open to the public.