News – Thursday, October 3rd 2024

An accident happened on Monday afternoon at 1:34 in St. Charles County on Highway 94 at 3rd Street that left a Salem woman with serious injuries. According to the highway patrol report, 18-year-old Ian Schroeder of Florissant, driving a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado westbound on Highway 94, apparently fell asleep at the wheel and traveled off the right side of the roadway striking a MoDOT electronic traffic control sign and post. The Silverado’s direction was diverted from the collision and it came back onto pavement on 3rd Street where the pickup began to slide towards the post office striking a yellow parking post and a pedestrian identified as 54-year old Kristian Flett of Salem. Flett suffered serious injuries and was taken by the St. Charles County Ambulance District to Mercy Hospital in St. Louis. The Silverado sustained moderate damages and was driven from the scene. Schroeder was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident but had no insurance.

The Salem Park and Recreation Board will be holding a meeting today at 5:00 at the Old City Hall Auditorium to discuss a budget adjustment needed to cover improvements to the Al Brown Field Concession stand. The cost of the improvements exceeded the budgeted amount of $9,000 and the Park Board will either approve allocating funds from the previous years beginning balance to cover the difference, or to take the money from the proposed bleacher purchase. The meeting is open to the public.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is conducting its annual search for a large Christmas tree for use on the governor’s mansion lawn in Jefferson City. MDC is asking landowners, homeowners, businesses, and communities that may have possible candidate trees to contact the Department. MDC is looking for a tree that is about 30 to 40 feet tall. The preferred species for the tree is eastern red cedar, Norway spruce, or white pine. The best candidates will be fully branched on all sides and easily accessible by large equipment. The right tree may either be near the end of its life or may need to be removed for other reasons. Often evergreens are planted too close to homes and buildings and eventually grow too large for the space. MDC Community Forestry Coordinator Russell Hinnah said that most of the trees we find were planted decades ago and have outgrown their space at the end of their life. Hinnah went on to note that donating a tree like that is a great way to share its beauty with thousands of Missourians who visit the mansion during the holidays. Once the tree is selected, MDC staff will coordinate the cutting and delivery of the tree to the governor’s mansion at no cost to the owners. The donor will receive a thank-you from the governor and an invitation to the lighting ceremony, which will take place on Friday, December 6th. Hinnah asks people to take photos of candidate trees and email them to holidaytrees@mdc.mo.gov. Be sure to include a contact telephone number, location of the tree, and several pictures taken from different angles and distances. Candidate tree nominations can also be submitted by mail to: Missouri Department of Conservation, ATTN: Mansion Christmas Tree, PO Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102. All entries must be submitted by Oct 10. Full guidelines are available at mdc.mo.gov/trees-plants/governors-mansion-christmas-tree-search. For more information or questions, contact MDC Communications Specialist Holly Dentner at 573-751-4115, ext. 3110.

The Power of Hope Equestrian Center will have it’s Annual Charity Barn Dance October 5th at the Power of Hope Barn, located at #3 Farm House Lane Steelville. The doors will open at 4:00 and the band will start playing at 7:00. This year’s barn dance will feature live music by Missouri’s Most Wanted Outlaw Band and catered food by 19/49 Junktion. There will be a silent and reverse auctions with fantastic items up for grabs. The event will feature guest speakers and testimonials from participants whose lives have been transformed by the Power of Hope programs. Dinner and band tickets are $50, while band only tickets are $25. Tickets can be purchased at powerofhopeec.com. All proceeds from the event will directly support programs that continue the life changing equine therapy for children, adults, veterans, and first responders. Funds raised will allow participants to benefit from the therapeutic power of working with the program’s horses.

This City Wide Yard Salem will be held Saturday, October 5th. Copies of the maps will be available at area convenience stores and the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, also be printed in the Salem News. Spaces are available on the parking lot behind the City Administration Building at 4th and Iron Streets on a first come, first serve basis.