News – Wednesday, March 11th 2026

The Salem R-80 Board of Education will be holding its regular monthly meeting 5:30 in the afternoon today in the board room located at the Administration Office on J Highway. After the Call to Order and the Pledge of Allegiance, the board will approve the agenda and consent agenda. The board will hear communications from Heather Whitlock. The William Lynch Elementary’s Pre-Kindergarten program will be receiving recognition. Under the Superintendent’s Report, CSIP Goals will be addressed. Administration reports will be heard from William Lynch, Upper Elementary, Middle School, and High School administration. Athletics and Activities, Special Education, Technology, Maintenance, and Transportation reports will be received by the board in writing. Under new business, the board will be: approving a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Missouri S&T, holding a discussion regarding vaping products, approving summer school dates of May 18th through June 5th, approving a career ladder plan, approving Apptegy contract, and approving a Show-Me Technologies service contract. Also under new business will be the authorization for the administration to approve and process payment of all district bills that are received or become due after the meeting and before the next regularly scheduled board meeting. All such payments will be included in the list of bills presented to the board for ratification at the next meeting. A hire of Angel Hunter, ECSE personal aide, is scheduled for consideration. The board will enter closed session to discuss personnel and student issues, followed by adjournment after returning to open session. The regular meeting of the Salem R-80 Board of Education is open to the public.

The City of Salem Parks and Recreation Board will meet this evening at 5:00 in the Old City Hall Auditorium located on 202 N. Washington. The board is meeting to vote on approving the budget adjustment for the Fence Bid, and voting on recommending James Taylor to be appointed to the Parks Board. This meeting is open to the public.

Salem R-80 High School had several students place as finalists for the Youth Tour, sponsored by Missouri electric cooperatives including Intercounty Electric. The student finalists who submitted a 250-500 word essay with the essay topic of, “The hardest lesson I’ve learned so far,” were Carlnez Head, Ivan Brooks, Jhonine Maralit, and Emma Purcell. On March 25th, these students will interview before a panel of volunteer judges to hopefully earn a trip to Washington, D.C. this summer. Two runners up from each school will earn a spot on the Cooperative Youth Conference and Leadership Experience (CYCLE) trip to Jefferson City, and one student from each school will be named as the alternate-ready to jump in, should any student be unable to attend their trip.

Officials urge Missourians to remain alert as another surge in phishing texts has been reported. These texts are often threatening and falsely claim to be from a trusted source, such as the Missouri Department of Revenue, MoDOT, the Department of Motor Vehicles, or the DMV. These text messages may include a warning regarding unpaid traffic violations, outstanding toll charges, or other fines owed. If you receive texts posing as the aforementioned entities threatening you to pay now, it’s a scam. Other common tactics include: asking you to verify purchases, claiming issues with your payment information, offering prizes or gift cards, sending fake package delivery notifications, and warning you of suspicious activity on one of your accounts. If you receive one of these phishing texts, take the following action: Do not click on links or scan QR codes; Do not provide personal information such as passwords; Do not respond to the text; Delete the text. If you have been scammed or think you may have been contacted by a scammer, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For more information on how to protect yourself and your neighbors, visit consumer.ftc.gov.

MoDOT is hosting a virtual public meeting now through April 3rd to gather public feedback on updates to the draft versions of the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and State Freight and Rail Plan (SFRP). These plans will help determine the state’s 25-year transportation vision. Participants may review the draft plans and provide comments by visiting modot.org and searching “Long-Range Transportation Plan and State Freight and Rail Plan Updates.” Both plans have been shaped over the last year by extensive outreach and input with stakeholders and the public, according to a MoDOT press release. These plans serve as roadmaps for the state’s transportation network, addressing the evolving infrastructure needs and setting funding priorities. Draft documents for both plans are available for public comment as part of the virtual public meeting through April 3rd. Those without internet access are encouraged to call 573-751-6550 between the hours of 8 in the morning and 5 in the afternoon, Monday through Friday, to access information and ask questions during the development process. The final plans will be presented to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission for review and consideration later in 2026. More information about LRTP and SFRP plan updates can be found on MoDOT’s website at modot.org.