Scroll Down for Sports, Weather and Obituaries! For State-Wide News, go to the MissouriNet! To read previous editions of Your World Today please visit our Archives Page.

The 2012 Business Expo will be held from 9:00 a.m. until noon on Saturday, March 31^st at the Salem High School gymnasium. The Business Expo is an exceptional opportunity for area businesses to advertise their products and services, according to the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce. The expo is organized by the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Salem Publishing Company and KSMO. The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce’s Business Expo is the areas business trade show. Were hundreds of people attend to see what local businesses have to offer in the ay of products and services.  The annual Expo is free to the public. Salem Area Chamber of Commerce members receive one booth space (10 foot by 6 foot) at no charge. Additional booth spaces are $35 each. The booth space fee for non-chamber members is $135. There will also be a drawing to be awarded a  “premier” booth space location on March 15^th. Businesses may bring their entry form to the chamber membership luncheon meeting on that day. No sales exchanges are allowed at the Business Expo, however attendees may place orders for products or services. There will be food concessions in the cafeteria during the event. Businesses that plan on giving prizes valued at $250 or more are asked to contact the chamber office in order to take full advantage of name recognition in the Expo advertising in the Salem News and on KSMO Radio. For more information about the 2012 Business Expo, contact the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, 729-6900 or e-mail them chamber@ salemmo.com. 

Ozark National Scenic Riverways has completed the internal review of the park’s General Management Plan. Besides the park staff reviewing the draft, the National Park Service’s Denver Service Center and the Midwest Regional Office in Omaha, Nebraska have also reviewed the draft document and provided their input.  Comments from all enities will be incorporated into the draft which will be sent to the National Park Service leadership in Washington D. C. for  their review.  Once this review is completed, the draft General Management Plan will be released for public review and comment.  Ozark National Scenic Riverways and the planning team anticipate the public release for review and comment to occur Spring 2012. The park will inform the public when the  review and comment period will occur.

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors held their meeting Tuesday evening at the fire station. After approval of the agenda, bills were reviewed and file copies were signed. During the calendar review it was noted that the Road Rally will be in Salem on February 23^rd. The reimbursement report for January showed that there were a total of 31 calls during the month. During the Chief and Officer’s reports, construction of the front offices should be completed by the 1^st of March. Craig Smith reported that the generator had been sold and the money was collected. Also Liz Gruendel reported that a slogan had been chosen and wanted to present it to the Board for approval. The Board then approved the slogan “PRIDE, COMMITMENT, SERVICE”. The Board then scheduled their next meeting monthly meeting to be held on Tuesday, March 6^th at the fire station.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is launching a statewide roundup to rid homes of mercury, sponsoring nearly 50 mercury drop-off locations throughout the state, including nine in southeast Missouri. The department, working with fire departments and county health offices throughout the state, is providing drop-off locations where private citizens or nonprofit agencies can leave mercury-containing instruments like thermometers, blood pressure cuffs, thermostats or switches. Citizens seeking to dispose of items at these sites should first secure the item in two zip-top plastic bags and then place it in a crush-proof sealed container, such as a coffee can, plastic margarine tub, or plastic beverage bottle. A person who is uncomfortable with transporting mercury instruments, or who has large quantities of mercury, can contact the department's spill line at 573-634-2436 to arrange to have items picked up. This program does not include compact fluorescent bulbs, or CFLs. The drop-off  site in our area is the Dent County Health Department, located at 601 South MacArthur. For more information call The Dent County Health Department, Monday through Friday between 8:00 am to 4:00 pm at 729-3106. The mercury roundup will end May 31^st.

The Meramec Regional Planning Commission will conduct their monthly meeting on tonight at the MRPC office located at #4 Industrial Drive in St. James beginning at 7:30 pm. After approval of the agenda and several contracts, Connie Willman and Kelly Sink-Blair will discuss the impact of Economic Development Administration and the Community Development Block Grant programs and application process for both programs. John Peterson will report on the Transportation Advisory Committee meeting, Tammy Snodgrass will report on solid waste activities, and Kraig Bone will report on Meramec Regional Emergency Planning Committee meeting. Tom Klebba will report on business loan activities, T.R. Dudley will report on workforce development activities, Chair Laura Antolak will report on the MRCf meeting and Chairman Russell Scheulen and Director Bonnie Prigge will then report on issues of interest. The meeting of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission is open to the public.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol would like to remind the public that driver examination stations throughout the state would be closed in observance of Lincoln’s Birthday (observed), on Monday, February 13^th. Normal operations will resume Tuesday, February 14^th.

Sports [TOP]