News – Thursday, July 23rd, 2026

No excuse absentee voting is officially underway and will continue through Aug. 3. The courthouse will be open for absentee voting on Saturday, Aug. 1 from 8:00 in the morning to noon. To stay up to date on upcoming deadlines and voting information, be sure to follow the Dent County Elections Facebook page by searching Facebook for “Dent County Elections/County Clerk-Angie Curley.” For more information, visit the Missouri Secretary of State website at sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri.

Salem R-80 High School has given notice that online registration is now open for the 2026-26 school year. Find online registration directions on the district website under the “District” tab at salemr80.org/page/onlineregistration. New families do not have a Parent Portal account, so please use the link located under “Brand New Families to the District” to begin the registration process. Returning families (including those that did Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and Freshmen pre-registration), visit your Campus Parent Portal and click “Menu” and then “More” to find your online registration. If you do not have the Campus Parent app, you can find the link on the Salem R-80 website at salemr80.org under the “Parents” tab. If you have a new student to add, you can do so during your registration process. If you have forgotten your username or password, the Campus Parent Portal homepage has the option to send the information to your security email. If you need to change your Campus security email, you may contact kara.constance@salemr80.org.

Join Salem Public Library this evening from 6:00 to 8:00 for an engaging presentation from Mike Snyder of WildWise Botanicals on edible wild mushrooms of the region. Snyder has been hunting and studying Missouri’s fungi for 15 years and is the author of the forthcoming Foraging Mushrooms of the Ozarks. Presenting a slideshow of original photography, Snyder will walk attendees through some mushroom basics and cover how to find delicious mushrooms in our region, along with tips on their utilization in the kitchen. Several of the most common toxic species will be covered as well. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to learn about the fascinating fungi that grow right outside our doorsteps. There is no cost or library card required to attend, and the event will take place in the Shirley Seay Hospitality Room.

The Dent County Toy Drive will be holding its 6th annual Christmas in July fundraiser this Saturday at the Dent County Commons from 9:00 in the morning to 3:00 in the afternoon. This is a special year for the toy drive as it will be celebrating its 50th anniversary serving children in Dent County. There will be plenty to enjoy at the event, including pulled pork sandwiches, music throughout the day, and a free kids carnival. Attendees can also look forward to the car show, craft show, and poker run. Of course, there will also be Santa on the beach visiting from 10:00 to noon. The event will be held rain or shine. Attendees are asked to bring a toy to fill the truck, although not required to attend. For updates, visit the Dent County Toy Drive at its page at facebook.com/TheDentCountyToyDrive.

The Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) has released that it has received a 2026 Excellence in Transportation Planning award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO.) The award recognized 22 projects nationwide. The award received by MRPC recognized the Active Transportation Plans completed for the City of Salem. Executive Director Bonnie Prigge and Planning Manager Anne Freand attended the 2026 National Regional Transportation Conference in Atlanta and participated in the awards reception Monday evening where the project was shared with fellow planners. Thanks was given by MRPC to Freand along with Orin Pogue, MRPC community development specialist, for their work on the project, and the City of Salem stakeholders and leadership. Thanks was also given to the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services for funding the project. To learn more about the project, visit the City of Salem website at salemmo.com and search “Active Transportation Plan.”

The Dragonfly Wings Foundation’s Flemings Variety on 4th will be holding a holiday event from Nov. 6th through the 8th. There will be pies, cheeseballs, cookies, and candy homemade, frozen, and ready to take home for holiday treats, alongside handmade and retail items to peruse. Raffles for quilts and auction items will also be available. Every penny spent supports teachers and educational programs all throughout Dent County. To learn more about the Dragonfly Wings Foundation, visit their website at dflyw.org. To stay up to date on their upcoming events, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/dragonflywingsfoundation.