News – Monday, June 30th 2025

There will be a special meeting of the Board of Alderman this evening at 6:00 in the Old City Hall Auditorium located at 202 North Washington Street. After call to order, roll call, and approved agenda the board will have first reading of Bill 3673, Bill 3674, Bill 3675, Bill 3676, and Bill 3677. These bills all are an ordinance establishing rates for electric services provided by the City of Salem. Next is Bill 3678 an ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute Change Order No 5 with Donald Maggi, Inc. for the Salem sidewalk improvements project. Then Bill 3679 an ordinance adopting an annual budget for the City of Salem. Up next is Resolution No 23-2025 authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement between the city and the Meramec Regional Planning Commission for technical assistance. The board will also discuss credit and debit card processing charges and Bid-3 phase demand meters before going into closed session.

The Dent County Commissioners met Thursday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson was not in attendance due to prior commitments. District 1 Commissioner Keith Green acted as the temporary Presiding Commissioner. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams presented the PILT monies received and that total came to $186,132.00 which is $7,814 more than last year. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Green said the crews will be grading around the Highway 119 area and then move towards Montauk. He also said a crew was going to repair some washouts on Maledy Ford and Dent Ford Roads. He said all graders were in operation. District 2 Commissioner Jimmy Williams said rock would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 2210, 2360 and 3250. He said grading would be done on county roads 4020, 4270 and 4280 that will be used more now with the MoDOT closure of Route TT in Sligo. Williams also indicated that brush would be cut on Dent County Roads 3260, 3270, 3273 and 3275.  He also said the county has been reimbursed $30,100 from the Department of Conservation for the work the county did on the roads leading to conservation areas. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reminded businesses that the Liquor License renewal deadline is June 30th and there are still 10 businesses that have not yet renewed their license. Grant Wilson from Representative Jason Smith’s Rolla office was in and said Smith continues to work on the passage of the Trump “One Big, Beautiful Bill” by Independence Day. Commissioner Green said bids were taken for red dye diesel fuel and the low bid was County Fuels at $2.48 per gallon. Dent County Collector Shannon VanKirk said people have until June 30th to pay their 2022 real estate tax bill to keep that property from being sold on the courthouse lawn. VanKirk said any payment now needs to be made with cash or a cashier’s check. Personal checks will NOT be accepted. At the last meeting, Kevin Crider from the University Extension came to the meeting to discuss the feral hog situation. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be this morning at the courthouse at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

On Wednesday, June 25th in the 42nd Judicial Court held in Dent County, Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Curley reported that Isaac Ghormley of Salem, who was currently serving an imposed sentence in the Department of Corrections for the Possession of a Controlled Substance, pled guilty to the possession of methamphetamine. He was again sentenced to serve seven years in the Department of Corrections as recommended by Prosecutor Curley.