News – Thursday, September 25th 2024

The Salem Missouri Board of Aldermen held their regular meeting Tuesday evening at 6:00 in the Old Auditorium. After approving the agenda and the consent agenda, the board approved the Second Street Property Bid Approval, and the Welcome Home Bid Approval for 102 S. Washington. Alderwoman Sisco abstained from the Welcome Home Bid Approval vote. The Board approved the bid for Westport Pools for $25,000 to replace the pool media. During new and Miscellaneous Business, the board approved Assistant City Clerk Wanda Suhr as the employer delegate at the LAGERS Annual Meeting at Lake Ozark, in City Administrator Sally Burbridge’s place. During the Community Support Funding discussion, The Board heard requests from SACBA, who requested $5,000 for beautification, Sleep in Heavenly Peace requesting $4,500 for lumbar, tools and supplies, and the Dent County Extension office who requested $8,200 to be used to support the 4-H Program. All three requests were unanimously approved. The Board approved the request for destruction of documents per state and local record retention schedules. Sally presented a request to fund a City of Salem sponsored Holiday Lighting contest for City Utility Customers, in lieu of Light Up The Park. Winners of this contest will receive credits on their Utilities bill, the money for which will be coming out of Community Support Funding. The Christmas Lighting Contest was approved. The Board approved a motion for the sewer adjustment policy for water leaks to include no more than three months. Resolutions 23-2024 and 24-2024, requesting a reduction on a Welcome Home Contractor’s bid, were approved, with Alderwoman Sisco abstaining from both votes. The CDBG Grant Agreement in the amount of $790,000 to fund Wastewater Treatment Facility upgrades was also approved. The Board then approved the invoice from Trumpia, the company that has provided the platform for community wide text alert services, in the amount of $6,000.00. During City Officials Reports, Finance Director, Stacy Houston gave an update on City Financials. Public Works Director, Steve Paine gave his report on City Utilities. Mayor Greg Parker wanted to remind citizens that the citywide yard sale will be held Saturday October 5th, and the dates for the citywide clean up will be October 21-25. Alderwoman Sisco gave an update on the Salem, Mo Fireworks Committee, as well as the upcoming sign ups and tryouts for the Boys traveling basketball team which will be held on October 14th at the Upper Elementary. With no other reports, or discussions, the meeting adjourned to closed session. 

The University of Missouri’s Wurdack Extension and Education Center 2024 Field Day, Friday, October 4th, will focus on cattle management strategies, including reproduction, feed and forage. Gatlin Bunton, director of MU Wurdack Center, a 1,200-acre research and demonstration farm on the Meramec River in the northeastern Ozarks, said that cattle and forage management should be top of mind for any beef producer in Missouri. He went on to note that this field day will allow participants to gain new perspectives on reproductive strategies in beef cattle and a better understanding of forage options beyond tall fescue. MU Extension experts are among the speakers on the tour. The field day begins at 9:30 and wraps up with a free lunch at noon. Topics and speakers will include cattle reproduction and artificial insemination techniques by Cecilia Constantino Rocha, assistant research professor, reproductive management in replacement heifers presented by Thiago Martins, state extension beef reproduction specialist, winter annual forage options by Chrisee Brandl, field specialist in livestock.  grain sorghum as a winter-feeding strategy will be explained by Rusty Lee, field specialist in agronomy. Other topics and presenters include beef management on warm-season grass pastures by Eric Meusch, field specialist in livestock, economics of conversion to native warm-season grass explained by Rachel Hopkins, field specialist in ag business and assessing cool-season grass pastures for renovation by Ellen Herring, research specialist. The MU Wurdack Extension and Education Center is at 164 Bales Road, Cook Station. For more information, visit extension.missouri.edu.