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The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Thursday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. Deputy Wayne Becker brought in a letter from the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force that said that the Dent County Sheriff’s Department has been awarded a subgrant for $10,000 to cover the purchase of equipment or training. The funds must be expended by September 1^st of 2012 and the invoices must be submitted by October 1^st, 2012. Deputy Becker said that these grant funds have been added to the income and expense portion of the budget. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell said that workers would be spreading sand and salt where necessary across the district. Purcell said that he attended the IDA Annual Meeting Wednesday night at the Bank of Salem Courtesy Room, and also will be attending the MRDC meeting in St. James next Wednesday. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson stated that workers will be sanding the chip and seal roads, performing maintenance on some county vehicles, working on downed signs, and some workers will also be doing some back-sloping work on Dent County Road 2440. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said that he attended the MRPC meeting Thursday night in St. James that included the Public Housing Authority meeting as well as External Relations Committee meeting. He went on to say that he would be attending a County Commission Association of Missouri meeting in Jefferson City on Tuesday. He also stated that the Dent County Courthouse would be closed on Monday in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day so there will be no commission meeting Monday. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported that the last day to request a mail out ballot for the February election is February 1^st, and the last day to vote absentee is Monday, February 6^th. She asked that if anyone had an address or name change to please contact her office before the election so that the voting registration can be correct when you go to vote. Otherwise work continues to prepare the 2012 budget for the public to review. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be held on Thursday, January 19^th at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

Chief Keith Steelman of the Salem Police Department indicated that a 27-year-old Salem man was airlifted out of Salem on New Year’s Eve to a St. Louis hospital after suffering a knife wound to his throat in the 1000 block of South Pershing. Steelman stated that the police are investigating the injury as being self-inflicted as the individual was under the influence of alcohol and drugs. According to Chief Steelman, a 20-year old Salem woman was found at the scene also under the influence of drugs and alcohol. She was taken to the Salem Memorial District Hospital for treatment and was later released. The names of the persons involved have not yet been released.

A Municipal Election will be held in the City of Salem on Tuesday, April 3^rd, for the purpose of  electing a Mayor, an East Ward Alderman, and a West Ward Alderman. Those wishing to apply for the Mayoral position, which is a two-year term, must be at least 25-years of age, a citizen of the United States, a resident of the City at the time of and at least one year next proceeding his/her election, and may not be in arrears of any charges owed to the City of Salem. Anyone seeking to apply for either the East or West Aldermanic seat, which is a two-year term, must be 21-years of age, a citizen of the United States, an inhabitant and resident of the City for at least one year next before his/her election and be a resident of the ward from which he/she is elected and may not be in arrears of any charges owed to the City of Salem. Currently there is a three-way race for Salem's West Ward Aldermen and a two-person race for Mayoral race, after the latest round of filings. In the Mayor’s race, Susan D. Smith filed on January 4^th for the two-year term that is up for election in April. She will face incumbent Mayor Gary Brown. For the West Ward Aldermen's position, Randy S. Atchely was the last to file for the two-year term. He will face incumbent Kenneth Nash and former Alderman Bill Riley, Jr. East Ward Alderman Jerry Randell is currently unopposed at this time. A Declaration of Candidacy may be filed with the City Clerk at 400 North Iron Street by Tuesday, January 17^th, during regular business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and that is Monday through Friday. The filing fee for the positions is $25. Declaration of Candidacy received shall be placed on the ballot in the order they are received. The City offices will be closed on Monday for Martin Luther King’s birthday.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol would like to remind the public that driver examination stations throughout the state would be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, on Monday, January 16^th. Normal operations will resume Tuesday, January 17^th.

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