News – Wednesday, August 26th, 2026

There was an accident in Phelps County Tuesday morning at approximately 7:25 that left a 34-year-old man with serious injuries. The accident occurred on County Road 3060 east of Highway V. According to the Highway Patrol report an eastbound 2000 Harley Davidson, operated by the Newburg man, crossed the center of the roadway and struck a westbound 2022 Ford Escape, driven by a 23-year-old Rolla woman. The man suffered serious injuries and was transported by Phelps Air to University Hospital in Columbia. The woman suffered minor injuries and was transported by private conveyance to Phelps Health. The report stated that both individuals were wearing safety devices at the time of the accident. Both vehicles were totaled and removed from the scene by C & C Towing.

The Dent County Health Center Board of Trustees will be holding a special board meeting 5:00 in the afternoon Thursday at the Dent County Health Center Annex Building at 1014 East Scenic Rivers Boulevard in the conference room. The board will vote to go into closed session for the purposes of discussing personnel before adjourning. The next regular meeting will be Thursday, Sept. 17th.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen met for its regular meeting and Tax Rate Hearing Tuesday evening. The hearing was held with no comments provided, and the board approved an ordinance levying a tax of $0.6795 cents for general revenue. The board approved the closure of streets around the Dent County Courthouse square on Sept. 19th from 7:00 in the morning to 4:00 in the afternoon for the Current River Cruiser’s fundraiser for local cancer support group, Project Win. Under new and miscellaneous business, the board approved the annual membership at $4,489.70 with Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) through June 30th, 2027. MRPC provides grant research, project development, grant writing, and other technical assistance to the city. Additionally, the board approved a Salem Memorial Airport grounds lease with pilot Richard Bell, who approached the city offering to pay for the demolition of previously condemned t-hangers at the city airport, along with the construction of a new hanger, under the condition of 15 years of no lease fees. Amendments were approved to the 2026 Employee Manual in order to allow for flexible scheduling, including four, 10-hour day workweeks. A section detailing how benefits and leave are treated when an employee is out on worker’s compensation was added. Under bids, one bid was received and approved from Dunlap Masonry Construction in the amount of $65,300 for tuck pointing Craig Plaza and the Administration Building. The board also approved a bulk price bid for concrete, utilized for sidewalk and approach repair throughout the city, from Kienstra 44, LLC. Lastly for bids, the board approved GFL Environmental, Inc. for residential curbside trash collection and wastewater treatment plant biosolids disposal, alongside an ordinance for a five-year contract beginning Sept. 1st and ending Aug. 31st, 2031. A first and second reading was provided for several ordinances. A task order was approved with Archer-Elgin related to the lead service line inventory project that changed the scope of service, allowing the contractor to go door-to-door in order to notify neighborhoods of work being completed. The administrative fee for residential solid waste collection services was approved in the amount of $0.50 cents. Lastly, a change order was approved with BuildTec Construction LLC. for the installation of five fire hydrants, in order to utilize remaining grant funding, alongside a one-time cost of $3,000 to change the chlorine analyzer to the same type used on existing wells. The board then moved into closed session for the purposes of real estate and personnel. The next regular meeting of the City of Salem Board of Aldermen will be Tuesday, Sept. 8th at 6:00 in the evening at the Old City Hall Auditorium and will be open to the public. Meetings are also livestreamed and archived on the City of Salem Youtube page at youtube.com/@CityofSalemMissouri.

The Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) will be holding its annual dinner and awards program on Thursday, Oct. 29th in Rolla at the Bear River Ranch with Phelps County to serve as hosts. Each year, MRPC requests proposals from cities and counties in the Meramec Region to host the annual dinner event, where volunteers from across the region are honored for their contributions to their communities and the region. The MRPC board evaluates proposals and selects the location based on various criteria. Residents in Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties may purchase tickets at a cost of $40 to attend the dinner and awards ceremony. Bear River Ranch will be catering, and dinner will include smoked ribs and barbeque grilled chicken as the entrees. A reception starting at 5:30 in the evening will include a silent auction. Dinner will begin at 6:30 with the awards presentation to follow. Award recipients will be announced soon, and MRPC will begin taking reservations for the event in September. To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at meramecregion.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/meramecregion.