News – Tuesday, June 10th 2025

A Bunker resident was killed in an accident in Reynolds County Sunday afternoon at 3:05 on Highway 21 two miles north of Ellington. According to the Highway Patrol report a northbound 2006 Honda VTX, operated by a 52-year-old Bunker man, attempted to pass multiple vehicles in a no passing zone. The Honda was struck head on by a southbound 2012 Chevrolet Silverado, driven by a 21-year-old man from Ellington. The Bunker man was pronounced deceased at the scene by Reynolds County Coroner Jeffrey McSpadden at 4:45. The deceased was not wearing any safety equipment. The report stated that the operator of the Chevrolet was not wearing a safety restraint. Both vehicles were totaled and removed from the scene by Aissie’s Towing at Officer’s Request.

A Dent County resident was involved in an accident Sunday afternoon at 3:20 on Highway 8 one and one-half miles east of St. James. According to the Highway Patrol report an eastbound 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, driven by a 22-year-old Salem woman, traveled off the right side of the roadway, where she overcorrected, then traveled off the left side of the roadway, and overturned before coming to rest upright facing westbound. The woman suffered serious injuries and was flown by Phelps Air Ambulance to Mercy Hospital in St. Louis. The report stated that the woman was not wearing a safety restraint. The Chevrolet was totaled and removed from the scene by Spurgeon’s Towing.

Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District (ORSWMD) announced that eight Oak Hill Elementary students in Dent County were honored with first and second place awards and honorable mention awards in the 34th Annual Earth Day Poster, Trash and Graphic Art contest. This year’s contest theme was “Put Waste in Its Place.” Winners from Oak Hill Elementary were Corbin Light, 1st Grade Division, First Place Poster, Ashton Poor, 3rd Grade Division, First Place Poster, Jacob Mosher, 1st Grade Division, Second Place Poster, Raelynn England, 1st Grade Division, Honorable Mention Poster, Ava England, 4th Grade Division, Honorable Mention Poster, Ada Greener, 5th Grade Division, Honorable Mention Poster, Xalissa Mosher, 3rd Grade Division, Honorable Mention Poster, and Nora Wright, 2nd Grade Division, Honorable Mention Poster. Oak Hill Elementary students were under the direction of Rachel Privett. Kathryn Hawes, environmental specialist, said that the The Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District Earth Day Art Contest is in its 34th year and we were thrilled to see so many entries in all categories including new schools and home school students participating. The contest required participants to re-purpose trash into three-dimensional pieces of art or create posters (hand drawn or graphically designed), based on the year’s theme. There were 779 entries from 15 schools in the district and four home-school groups. The contest was open to kindergarten through 12th grade, home-school, college and university students who reside or attend school in Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties.  Tammy Snodgrass, MRPC’s environmental program manager, said that the Earth Day contest is one of my favorite programs. The projects the kids come up with are so creative. You don’t often think of trash as a medium for artistic expression, but it’s a great  way to provide environmental education to our children and increase awareness of solid waste issues. A gallery of awarded students art by grade level may be found on the MRPC website at https://ozarkrivers.org/. The 2025 Earth Day Contest was funded through a ORSWMD grant, made possible through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), along with donations from the following area sponsors: 63 Auto & Truck Parts, Infuze Credit Union, The Maries County Bank – Vienna, Bank of Crocker, DML, LLC, Phelps County Bank – Rolla, Legends Bank – Belle, Belgrade State Bank, Bank of Salem, Security Bank of Pulaski County, First State Community Bank – Rolla and Richland and Town & Country Bank. Gary Larson, Dent County Presiding Commissioner, chairs the ORSWMD. The district’s strategy for solid waste reduction, which has been individually adopted by all member governments and approved by Missouri Department of Natural Resources, involves education and increased recycling and waste reduction efforts in member counties and cities. MRPC provides administration of the district and assists with a variety of implementation projects. For more information about ORSWMD or waste reduction and recycling opportunities in the Ozark Rivers area, contact Tammy Snodgrass, MRPC environmental programs manager, at 573-265-2993 or by email at tsnodgrass@meramecregion.org. Also, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ORSWMD and on the web at www.ozarkrivers.org. MRPC provides the day-to-day administration for Ozark Rivers.