News – Tuesday, Aug. 4th, 2026

This is a Notice of Public Hearing. The Dent County Fire Protection District Board will be holding a public tax levy hearing at the Dent County Fire Protection District Firehouse located at #2 South Main on Tuesday, Aug. 11th at 6:30 in the evening. The meeting is open to the public.

The Dent County Commission has given notice that its regular meeting scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 6th has been cancelled. The next regularly scheduled meeting for the Dent County Commission will be 9:00 in the morning Monday, Aug. 10th at the courthouse.

An accident occurred early Sunday morning around 3:35 in Pulaski County on Highway O at the intersection of Concord Road. According to the highway patrol report a 2017 GMC Canyon driven by a 45-year-old female from Dixon travelled off the right side of the roadway and struck a tree. The driver suffered serious injuries and was transported by Dixon Ambulance District to Phelps Health Rolla. The report states she was not wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The GMC sustained extensive damage and was removed from the scene by TC Towing.

An accident occurred Saturday afternoon around 12:18 in Phelps County at 16226 Highway O. According to the highway patrol report a 2002 Ford Explorer driven by a 34-year-old female from St. James was travelling northbound and traveled off the right side of the roadway and struck a tree. The driver suffered moderate injuries and was transported to Phelps Heath by Phelps Health EMS. The report states she was wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The Ford sustained extensive damage and was towed by Tunes Towing.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors held its regular meeting on Tuesday evening at 7:00 in the Doctor’s Library.  A presentation was given by the auditing firm Wipfli for the 2025 Fiscal Year audit, led by Paul Traczek and David Goodman. A clean opinion on the financial statements for 2025 was issued. Key highlights included a noted operating margin of 1.4%, net days inpatient accounts receivable at 62 days, an average financial age of 19 years or fixed assets, and a debt service coverage ratio of 4.08. Several internal control issues were flagged in need of improvement, including segregation of duties due to limited staff, and 29 audit adjustments causing a $3 million decrease to the bottom line, credited to late reconciliations from 2024 and the 2024 audit. Despite this decrease, Goodman noted that there was still a positive bottom line with income from operations over $500,000 in comparison to a loss in 2024 of $2.5 million. Traczek wrapped up the presentation by noting that the landscape of rural healthcare is changing rapidly, due to Medicaid and Medicare funding changes, incoming impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), and the Rural Health Transformation fund allocating $50 billion over the next five years, split into two $25 billion tranches. The first $25 billion will be distributed through the states. In Missouri, $216 million has been allocated for the state to disburse, with anticipation of $200 million being allocated to the state annually over the next four years. The next tranche of $25 billion will be distributed directly by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) through competitive applications with a requirement of “innovation” for proposals. All $50 billion must be expended or have a congressionally approved plan by the end of the 5‑year program period. Traczek encouraged board members and staff to stay updated on these upcoming changes and challenges and continue looking for grant opportunities as they come available. The board approved the audit, as presented. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors will be held on Aug. 25th at 6:45 in the Doctor’s Library and is open to the public. At that time, a tax hearing will precede regular business.

The Salem R-80 High School will be holding another walk-in registration day this Thursday, Aug. 6th for anyone needing a device or internet connection to complete their online registration for the upcoming school year. This will be held from 8:00 in the morning to 3:00 in the afternoon.  Please enter through the High School library’s doors. If you have already completed your registration, or plan to register on your own device, you do not need to attend.

A traveling exhibit on loan from the State Historical Society of Missouri Springfield Research Center has landed at the Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center, titled “Broadcasting the Ozarks: A History of RadiOzark Enterprises.” The exhibit showcases the history of Springfield’s RadiOzark Enterprises, the company behind nationally-known syndicated radio programs such as The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show, The Red Foley Show, and Shorty Thompson’s Dalle Rockin’ Rhythm. At the exhibit, learn about Springfield’s legacy as the “Crossroads of Country Music” and the RadiOzark Record Collection housed at the State Historical Society of Missouri’s Springfield Research Center.