News – Monday, September 15th 2025

A two-vehicle accident occurred Thursday at noon on Highway 63 near Beaver Creek in Phelps County. A 10-year-old boy from Salem suffered minor injuries and was transported by Phelps Health Ambulance to Phelps Health. According to the Highway Patrol report, a 2003 Chevrolet 2500 driven by a 28-year-old man from Rolla was traveling southbound when it went off the right side of the roadway. The driver overcorrected, causing the vehicle to cross the center line and strike a northbound 2000 Pontiac Montana driven by a 30-year-old man from Salem. The Chevrolet sustained total damage and was towed by D & D. The Pontiac had moderate damage and was also towed by D & D. Both drivers were wearing seat restraints at the time of the accident.

Nicole M. Raulston, 42, of Salem was arrested Thursday night at 10:25 by the Missouri State Highway Patrol on multiple charges. She was released Friday. Raulston was charged with driving while intoxicated with a person less than 17 years old in the vehicle, no valid license, no seatbelt, and two counts of failing to secure a child less than 16 years old. The arrest occurred in Dent County and was handled by Troop I of the Highway Patrol.

The Missouri Department of Transportation will replace culverts on several area routes this week. One lane will remain open during construction, with crews flagging traffic through work zones. Route 8 will have culvert replacement work at various locations. Routes B, K, and N will also have culvert replacement during the same period. MoDOT asks motorists to buckle up, put phones down, obey traffic signs, and slowdown in work zones.

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors met Tuesday evening at the Fire Station at #2 South Main. The Board approved the consent agenda, then did a review of the financial report which showed an ending balance of $328,086.50. The budget was also reviewed and approved. The Monthly Reimbursement Report showed there were 19 calls for August and a total of 190 calls year-to-date. The calls in August included nine fire calls, two accident calls with injuries, two false alarm responses, two medical calls, two calls categorized as other, two canceled calls en route and one HazMat call. In old business, the Fidelity (CTI) Tower Lease was tabled. The bond payments will come from a Bank of Salem Money Market account with two signatures as approved at the July meeting. The trucks that have been declared surplus by the department are wanted by the rural fire departments, and the board approved selling the trucks to the rural departments that provide mutual aid. The assistant chief presented a bid to repair the drop cords in the bay and lights in the parking lot. The board approved $4,700 to complete the electric on the parking lot lights and the bay will be time and labor only. In new business, quotes were presented for safety lights and the board approved to purchase 30 Angel Lights for $1,800; plus quotes for safety vests were also presented with the board approved purchasing 50 safety vests up to but not to exceed a $2,500 purchase price. The board approved having three fire trucks at the Dent County Courthouse 155th Anniversary Celebration on October 4th. Fire Chief Dennis Floyd presented a number of different quotes for the board to consider. He presented quotes for vent fans which were tabled for more information; presented quotes for vent saws where the board approved the purchase of three electric vent saws for a total of $3,990; presented a quote for a K12 Saw and the board approved the purchase for $2,328; presented a quote for practice dummies that come in six different sizes where the board approved to purchase three different size practice dummies for $5,075; presented a quote for a search and rescue training room where the board approved purchasing the materials needed to build the room with the firefighters building it; and presented a quote for a calibration machine and two multi-gas detectors where the board approved the purchase of the detectors with calibration tools for $6,872.66. Floyd reported the district had eight SCBA Scott Packs and parts are no longer available. The board approved decommissioning the SCBA Packs. The next Dent County Fire Protection District Board meeting will be October 14th at 6:00 at the fire station.