News – Wednesday, October 1st 2025

In a press release sent by Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley, he reports that Jacob Stotler of Salem pled guilty to three counts of possession of child pornography. A sentencing hearing was held on September 24th in front of Judge Michael Randazzo. The counsel for Stotler sought a suspended imposition of sentence due to defendant’s lack of criminal history and previous acts of philanthropy throughout the region. Prosecutor Curley sought a conviction involving a suspended execution of sentence for a term of seven years for each count, due to the nature of the material seized from the Stotler’s computer. At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Randazzo sentenced the defendant to seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections with a suspended execution of that sentence for each count, placing the defendant on five years’ probation that imposed a litany of probation conditions.

The Dent County Historical Society is hosting the 155th Birthday of the Dent County Courthouse in downtown Salem on Saturday, October 4th from 11:00 in the morning until about 4:00 in the afternoon. Prepare to be entertained with a variety of performances and activities. Please bring a lawn chair or blanket, and maybe a picnic basket, to relax and enjoy the local concerts, featuring a diverse range of groups and vocalists for an enjoyable early afternoon concert. This event is not just a celebration, it’s a community gathering. It’s free and open to everyone, ensuring that all can join in the festivities. To start the festivities at 11:00, there will be a prayer, Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of “God Bless America” in front of the Dent County Courthouse. Musical entertainment will be provided by Southern Sound, the Current River Bluegrass Band, and a group from Walking Faith Ministries. At noon, Country Mart will deliver 155 mini cupcakes for the singing of “Happy Birthday” to the courthouse. At about 12:45, Rick Mansfield will portray one of his characters, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, to tell the story of Schoolcraft when he enters Dent County in 1818, before Missouri becomes a state. The final ceremony will begin at 3:00 in the afternoon with Deloris Gray Wood, President of the Dent County Historical Society, acting as the Master of Ceremonies. Cindy Ard, the elected Dent County Recorder of Deeds, will share her perspective on the Dent County Courthouse, and Liz Seay Condray will speak about the Seay family and its connections to the Dent County Courthouse. Items of interest that the public can view that are scheduled to be downtown will be the Glass Carriage from the James & Gahr Funeral Home, an Air Evac Helicopter is set to be available for a two-hour window, three of the Dent County Fire Protection District newest Fire Trucks will be parked between the City of Salem Administrative Office and the Dent County Courthouse on Iron Street, plus the Current River Cruisers will be showcasing their antique cars, along with other vintage vehicles, including some of Glen Sapaugh’s antique cars, as well as a 2023 Chevy Corvette. The Salem Public Library, which is celebrating its 10th year at its location, will be where Kent Nichols’ Movie: “Civil War in the Ozarks: Battle for Dent County” will be shown in the downstairs library meeting room. The Dent County Museum will also be open near the top of East Salem Hill from 1:00-4:00 Saturday afternoon, October 4th. The Bank of Salem is providing the Dent County Historical Society with headquarters in its Courtesy Room. In case of rain or an unexpected event, the City of Salem City Hall Auditorium will be available for the live event. For more information, contact Deloris Gray Wood, Society President at 573 729-1496.

The Missouri Department of Conservation and Rolla Parks and Recreation Department will host an Outdoor Skills: Primitive Fire-Starting and Campfire Cooking program October 4 from 10:00 in the morning to 1:00 in the afternoon at Eugene North Community Hall, 400 W. 4th Street in Rolla. MDC Conservation Educator Dwight Warnke will teach participants how to start fires without matches using char cloth and flint-and-steel devices. Char cloth is partially charred material that catches sparks easily when flint and steel are struck together, creating embers that can start fires for recreational or emergency purposes. The program will also include campfire cooking recipes and food preparation techniques. Warnke noted that primitive fire-starting skills can enhance camping experiences and provide valuable emergency preparedness knowledge. The free program is limited to 50 participants and requires registration. All materials will be provided. Registration can be found on the MDC website at mdc.mo.gov/events. For more information, email Dwight.Warnke@mdc.mo.gov.

The Missouri Department of Transportation is looking to fill open full-time maintenance positions and hire emergency maintenance equipment operators to supplement the department’s winter weather response efforts in the upcoming months. MoDOT employs 2,400 maintenance employees across the state to maintain more than 33,000 miles of state routes, but more help is needed, especially in the winter months to treat and plow ahead of, throughout and after winter weather events. To help recruit for the effort, MoDOT is offering greater flexibility for emergency and volunteer help in the form of two shifts, an eight-hour shift and/or a 12-hour shift. The minimum starting salary is $19.91 per hour, depending on level of experience, with an additional $3 or $6 per hour based on area of operation. For the full-time maintenance worker positions, salaries vary based on experience. Applicants need to be at least 18 years old and successfully complete a criminal background check (a misdemeanor or felony conviction is not an automatic restriction to employment). It’s preferrable for applicants to have a CDL permit for full-time help, but emergency worker applicants must already possess a CDL.  To learn more about these career opportunities, visit modot.org/opportunities-maintenance. For more information, call MoDOT at 888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636) or visit www.modot.org.