News – Wednesday, August 12th, 2026

It was released Tuesday night that the Salem Police Department, in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) St. Louis Field Office, will be conducting a joint search operation on Wednesday, Aug. 12th along the walking trail between Rolla Road and the Salem Care Center. The walking trail will be closed to public access from 8:00 in the morning until 2:00 in the afternoon. This operation is part of an ongoing investigative effort related to a 2015 homicide case. Community members are asked to avoid the area during the operation and provide investigators with the space necessary to conduct their work. The Salem Police Department appreciates the community’s understanding, cooperation, and continued support as it remains committed to seeking answers and pursuing justice for the community.

The City of Salem’s Utility Committee will be holding a meeting tonight at 6:15 in the evening at the Old City Hall Auditorium on 202. North Washington Street. This meeting is open to the public. After approval of the agenda and any scheduled public comments, the committee will consider the approval of the previous meeting minutes and then hear reports from the chairman. The board will then discuss utility meter testing, solid waste pickup and disposal bids, and the Nexgrid customer portal. Under reports, the committee will hear a financial and billing update, discuss notes from the Missouri Public Utility Alliance (MPUA) and Mid-Missouri Municipal Power Energy Pool (MMMPEP) meetings, and hear work reports from utility crew members. The committee will then adjourn.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen held a meeting Tuesday evening at the Old City Hall Auditorium. With no public comments, the board moved along to approving a street closure for the annual “Trunk-or-Treat” from Macarthur to 4th Street on Halloween, Oct. 31st. The appointment of Derrick Marfitt to the Utility Committee was then approved. The East Roosevelt Project was discussed, which is planned to replace aging waterlines, sewerlines, pavement, and potentially sidewalks from Hwy. 19 to Mildred Street. The preliminary opinion of Toth & Associates’ indicates a total project cost of approximately $2.5 million. The board approved several motions to submit an application to the Delta Regional Authority’s (DRA) Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF) grant for the East Roosevelt Project for $1 million, the maximum amount for the grant; if awarded, the grant will be utilized for the sewer line portion of the project. The remaining $1.5 million is planned to come from the Special Streets, Capital Improvements, and Water funds. If the city is not awarded a minimum of $500,000 in grant funding, the project will not proceed until other grant or outside funding is found. Under bids, the board approved an emergency purchase of an additional $3,150 to inspect and reinstall the Wastewater Treatment Plant’s RAS pump. The board approved two ordinances between the city and Archer-Elgin for engineering services related to the Wastewater Treatment Facility improvements, recommended by Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR.) One of these ordinances will allow for additional hard and electronic copies of plans and specifications to be made, while the other will allow for additional engineering scope for the disposal of existing biosolids at a cost of $128,834, funded through the MDNR Clean Water SRF Emerging Contaminants grant. In reports of city officials, Mayor Greg Parker recognized and thanked Water Superintendent Chris McGuirt, who has served the city for 30 years and will be retiring. McGuirt expressed his appreciation of the current City of Salem’s administration. City Administrator Sally Burbridge shared that the Roosevelt Project is one of several key areas where infrastructure improvements are planned in the future. Grants and outside funding is constantly being sought by staff to ensure the least amount of impact on rates for residents. Burbridge further shared a report on recent meetings with the Missouri Public Utility Alliance (MPUA) and its power pool, Mid-Missouri Municipal Power Energy Pool (MMMPEP.) Burbridge shared that MMMPEP has awarded a bid to Tesla for an 8 megawatt battery pack capable of deploying 2 megawatts for up to 4 hours, in order to shave peak demand during  peak alerts for the entire power pool. Site selection is underway by MPUA for that pilot project. Finance Director Stacey Houston shared a financial update, stating that July Fiscal Year 2026-27 sales tax revenues have seen a 30% increase over prior year at $429,961. For electric, revenues billed totalled $621,472; for water, revenues billed were $123,301; and for sewer, revenues billed were $138,618. The city has paid MPUA $544,867. Houston shared that overall expenditures, a total of $2.1 million, exceeded overall revenues, a total of $1.5 million, primarily due to significant grant-related expenses being paid before reimbursements were posted. The combined fund balance of all city funds is approximately $16.9 million. Parks and Recreation Director Melissa DuBois shared that flag football and cheerleading season is ongoing with registration open; work is ongoing for the Salem MO Spectacular planned for Oct. 24th; and a mural is being painted by Hannah Heithold behind the splash pad. The board then voted to enter closed session for the purposes of discussing real estate and attorney-client privileges. To watch this meeting recorded, visit youtube.com/@CityofSalemMissouri. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the City of Salem Board of Aldermen will be Tuesday, Aug. 25th at 6:00 in the evening.

The City of Salem Parks & Recreation reminds that registration is open for Flag Football and Cheerleading with a $10 late fee until Aug. 18th. This is for those within 1st to 6th Grade, with practice to start the week of Aug. 31st and games to start Sept. 26th. The cost is $35 for Flag Football and $45 for Cheerleading. For more information, contact salemparks@salemmo.com or visit the City of Salem Parks & Recreation Facebook page at facebook.com/SalemMoParks.