News – Thursday, December 5th 2024

Public notice is hereby given that a Meeting with the board of the Dent County Opioid Settlement Committee, will be held at the Dent County Associate Courtroom located at 112 E. Fifth Street in Salem.  Thursday evening at 6:00. According to the agenda after roll call and reading of previous meeting minutes, the board will confer and approve priorities for funding and amount of funding. Before adjourning approve application for media publications.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri has consistently ranked within the top 15 states nationally for collisions involving deer. The Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance (DCI) warns drivers to be mindful of deer and other wild animals that commonly cross the roadways as temperatures drop and nights become longer. In 2023, Missouri drivers experienced 3,591 crashes involving deer, equating to one deer strike occurring approximately every 2 hours and 30 minutes in the state. In these crashes, there were four fatalities, and 420 people were injured. Dawn and dusk are the most susceptible times to experience deer collisions. Always be cautious and regularly scan both sides of the roadway. Keep in mind some accidents are unavoidable, so it’s always best to be prepared by contacting your agent or carrier to discuss appropriate insurance coverage. Deer are often in groups, even in populated areas. Be extra cautious at night when animals tend to be more active and watch for the reflection of their eyes from your vehicle headlights. Stay focused while driving and be ready to react by reducing your speed if you encounter deer. Never swerve to avoid animals in the road, as it can cause loss of vehicle control, resulting in serious injury or death. Damage to a vehicle from an accident with an animal is covered under an auto policy optional comprehensive coverage. If you only have collision or liability coverage, your insurance carrier will not cover vehicle damage from an animal collision. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates damage caused by deer accidents alone results in about $1 billion of uninsured losses annually. If you experience an animal collision accident, ensure your personal safety before promptly reporting the incident to your insurance carrier. Take photos to document the on-scene damage if you can do so safely. Filing a claim for an accident covered by your comprehensive coverage means you’ll still need to pay a deductible. After that, your insurer typically covers the costs of the claim up to your policy limits.

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows young hunters ages 6-15 harvested 2,530 deer during Missouri’s late youth portion of the 2024 firearms deer hunting season, November 29th through December 1st. Of the 2,530 deer harvested, 1,046 were antlered bucks, 270 were button bucks, and 1,214 were does. Top counties for the late youth portion were Pike with 58 deer harvested, Harrison with 55, and Lincoln with 55. The MDC website showed county totals in our area were Crawford with 20, Dent with 17, Phelps youth harvest was 14, Reynolds with 9, Shannon with 14 and Texas County 17. For more information on this season’s harvest totals, visit the MDC website at extra.mdc.mo.gov. Last year’s harvest total for the late youth portion was 3,617 deer. Get more information on Missouri deer hunting from MDC’s 2024 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, available where hunting permits are sold and online at mdc.mo.gov.

The Salvation Army Dent County Service Unit volunteer bell ringers will begin raising funds for those in need at Country Mart and Wal-Mart this Wednesday, then every Friday and Saturday through December 24th. Counter kettles will also be located throughout the community. The kettles are the primary way funds are raised locally to continue to meet the needs of the less fortunate in our community. For those who do not want to handle cash, you can donate digitally with Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Venmo at any Red Kettle. Every donation helps hope march on for those in need, and all gifts stay within the community in which they are given. If you would like to volunteer to ring the famous Salvation Army bell, please call Susie at 729-6771 or 247-7099. You can also call the Salvation Army Dent County Service Unit office at 729-8163. 

The 2024 Christmas Fest Art show and Sale with the Ozark Heritage Artisans will be held Saturday, December 7th from 9:00 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon at the Creative Arts Center on South Main, next the ONCRC. Everyone is welcome to shop for unique handcrafted gifts and home accessories created by local artists at the annual Christmas Fest Art Show and Sale! There will be demonstrations, free snacks and a free kid’s craft table, an elementary art show, and a holiday door prize.  Thanks for supporting the Arts and shopping local in our community!