News – Wednesday, June 18th 2025

The Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors have called for a special business meeting this evening at 7:00 in the Hospital Library. After the call to order, roll call, and approval of the agenda the Board will hear public comments &/or public presentations which are limited to 3 minutes. No Old Business or New Business are included on the agenda. The Board will go into Executive Session for the discussion of personnel and legal issues. Any person that would like to attend the open session by telephone or electronic means should contact the SMH Administration office at 573-729-6626 extension 4005.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol would like to remind the public that driver examination stations throughout the state will be closed on Thursday, June 19, 2025, for the observance of Juneteenth. Normal operations will resume on Friday, June 20, 2025. For more news, follow the Missouri State Highway Patrol on X @MSHPTrooperGHQ

The Salem Memorial Hospital ToRCH Community Leadership Board is accepting applications for community grants through the Transformation of Rural Community Health (ToRCH) Project. Salem Memorial Hospital is one of six hospitals collaborating with MO HealthNet in the pilot program, which focuses on improving health outcomes for Medicaid patients by addressing social determinants of health. The hospital is partnering with Healthy Dent County, Compass Health, Dent County Health Center, Aging Best, South Central Missouri Community Area Action Agency, and Four Rivers Community Health Center on the initiative. Population health goals for Dent County include increasing dental care access for Medicaid members under 21, improving blood pressure and diabetes control among eligible Medicaid members, reducing emergency room visits for COPD patients, and increasing follow-up visits after emergency department visits for mental health or self-harm. Grants will address gaps in community services with funding available for expanding staffing, securing facilities, purchasing equipment, and overcoming logistical challenges. Categories include Community Service, Transportation, Behavioral Health Access, Diabetes Prevention, Food Insecurity, Maternal/Child Health, Obesity Prevention, Primary Care Access, and Quality of Life. Applications are due July 14, 2025, with awards announced by August 11, 2025. Total grant funding distributed by the Leadership Board will be $240,000 for projects running August 2025 through September 2026. Question and answer sessions will be held Friday, June 27th at 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory. Organizations seeking information or applications should contact Tabitha Stanfast, ToRCH Program Manager, at tstanfast@smdh.net.

On Thursday, the USDA Forest Service will waive standard amenity fees for all visitors to national forest and grassland day-use areas. Thursday, June 19th celebrates the historic Juneteenth holiday. On this special fee-free days, standard amenity fees are waived for day use sites — like picnic areas, developed trailheads, and destination visitor centers. Some exceptions apply. To check if a site will be fee free and for safety alerts, contact your local national forest website. About 95% of national forest land can be enjoyed fee-free, year-round. Where fees are assessed, at least 80% of these funds are reinvested at the collection site, to provide needed maintenance and services or pay for future improvements. The Forest Service offers fee-free access a few times each year to encourage exploring national forests and grasslands. The remaining fee-free observances for 2025 are National Public Lands Day on Sept. 27th and Veterans Day on Nov. 11th. For more information about inter-agency passes, visit the Forest Service’s Passes and Permits page. The Forest Service encourages everyone to take advantage of these fee-free opportunities to experience the great outdoors. Get outside and connect with nature to reflect, exercise and make memories.

Friday morning, June 20th, at 10:00 there will be a Nature Journaling Workshop with Color Play at Echo Bluff State Park. This nature journaling workshop will revisit some of the tried-and-true methods of nature journaling and will also introduce new ideas to keep your journals fresh and interesting. Bring your own journal and favorite instruments for getting color on your page, and let’s color! Participants will also be playing with watercolors. Some watercolor paints and pencils will be provided, but you are encouraged to bring your own if you have them. Registration is required by calling 573-751-1224 or email connie.weber@dnr.mo.gov. Participants will meet at the Bluff Top Pavilion in the park located at 35244 Echo Bluff Drive near Eminence. For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Need fishing gear? The Missouri Department of Conservation works with your own Salem Public Library as well as other locations around the state to loan fishing gear for free! Call the Salem Public Library at 573-729-4331 or stop by at 403 North Jackson Street to learn more.