News – Wednesday, August 5th, 2026
The Primary Election was held Tuesday in Missouri to determine who will run for offices for their respective parties in the November General Election. A total of 3,829 ballots were cast for a voting turnout of 37.41% of a possible 10,234 registered voters within Dent County. Only the contested races are presented in this article. It is important to note results presented are unofficial. Amendment results will be reported at a later time when official.
*indicates winners
State Auditor (R)
Scott Fitzpatrick* 2,355 votes
Gerald (Jerry) Wistrand Jr. 369
U.S. Representative District 8 (R)
Jason T. Smith* 2,533 votes
Gordon Heslop 501 votes
State Senator District 16 (R)
Bill Hardwick 1,076 votes
Philip Lohmann 160
Don Mayhew 615
Hannah Kelly* 1,107
Presiding Commissioner (R)
AJ Seay* 2,221 votes
Denver Ellis 798 votes
Recorder Of Deeds (R)
Jessica Dooley* 1,808 votes
Melissa Piatt 1,058 votes
Gladden Township Committeeman (R)
Ken Nelson 31 votes
Josh Akers* 49 votes
Gladden Township Committeewoman (R)
Cynthia Nelson 32 votes
Alicia Watson* 49 votes
State Auditor (D)
Quentin Wilson* 271 votes
Gregory Upchurch 173 votes
US Representative District 8 (D)
Chris Reichard 58 votes
Frank A. Barnitz* 476 votes
The following are the unofficial results only from Dent County regarding the proposed constitutional amendments. Official results from the statewide vote will be shared at a later time.
Constitutional Amendment No. 1
YES 2,545 votes
NO 1,198 votes
Constitutional Amendment No. 2
YES 2,553 votes
NO 1,107 votes
Constitutional Amendment No. 4
YES 970 votes
NO 2,793 votes
Constitutional Amendment No. 5
YES 584 votes
NO 3,190 votes
On Monday, August 3rd, two Salem Police Department patrolmen responded to a business in the 200 block of South Main Street following a report of a vehicle that had crashed into a gas pump. Upon arrival, officers located an unresponsive male driver and immediately rendered medical aid. The driver was subsequently transported for medical evaluation and later cleared by medical personnel. The driver, identified as Nathan Halte, was taken into custody. During the initial investigation, officers located numerous fentanyl capsules and syringes inside the vehicle. The investigation also revealed that Halte has multiple prior felony convictions in several states. Following the investigation, Halte was transported to the Dent County Jail pending the filing of formal charges. A probable cause statement was submitted to the Dent County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Curley reviewed the case and filed a felony complaint in the Circuit Court of Dent County. The Honorable Judge Kelsaw subsequently issued a $50,000 cash/surety bond warrant for the following offense: Trafficking Drugs in the Second Degree. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional driving-related charges are expected to be sought. All persons are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is inviting the public to join the discussion on high-priority unfunded transportation needs at an upcoming meeting. MoDOT, working with its regional planning partners, has outlined a draft High-Priority Unfunded Needs listing, which identifies $1.3 billion in annual unfunded transportation needs for the system. The list was created to guide the development of needs into funded projects as state and federal transportation funds become available in future years. The public is invited to review the list and provide feedback on the order of priorities and additional needs that could be funded in the future. A meeting to discuss the draft High-Priority Unfunded Needs list in Central Missouri will be held Wednesday, Aug. 19th from 4:00 to 6:00 in the evening at MoDOT’s Central District office, located at 1511 Missouri Boulevard in Jefferson City. The presentation materials and a comment form are also available online, found on the MoDOT website at modot.org and by searching “High Priority Unfunded Needs Public Meeting.”
Salem High School will be hosting an Open House in the afternoon of Aug. 20th from 4:00 to 6:00. Incoming students of the 2026-27 school year will have the opportunity to tour the campus, meet teachers, and ask questions. Available for purchase will be Chromebook insurance, parking passes, and t-shirts. For questions, contact 573-729-6641. To see supply lists for the year, visit salemr80.org/page/supply-lists.