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The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning for their regular meeting. After approving the minutes from their last meeting, the budget hearing and a special meeting to pay the bills, the commissioners opened the meeting to public concerns. Theresa Stark was in attendance to ask if the commissioners would go around town taking pictures of people’s homes. She thought she had seen Commissioner Larson in a large white truck but he was actually in Jefferson City at a commissioners training. The commissioners stated that they would have no interest in taking pictures of anyone within the city limits anyway. Thomas Krips representing four families from Dent County Road 5515 came in with a petition signed by the residents of the road to close it to the public and make it a private drive. The county would have to follow state statutes in vacationing the road from county maintenance.  Before that happens, Commissioner Purcell said that he would visit with the four families to see if this is what they really want to do as they will have to maintain the road themselves, allow companies like Embarq to have access to the road, and consider what would happen if someone sold their property. Purcell said that after he visits with them all, he would like to hold a meeting with all the commissioners to address the situation. Red Cummings told the commissioners that a road sign was missing on a short road off of Highway 68 and the road has not been maintained. Commissioner Larson said that he would check into it. Todd Kinerk then asked the county to sign a Quit Claim Deed for the railroad right of way on his property north of town off of Highway 19. A Quit Claim Deed from the county just means that the county relinquishes any claim to the property whether or not they ever had any interest in it. The commissioners agreed to let the prosecutor review the document to make sure that there are no errors before they sign it. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Purcell said that grading would be done on Dent County Roads 6090, 6380 and 6400. He stated that rock would be hauled to Dent County Road 5460 as it will be graded and some culvert work will also be done on that road. Purcell went on to say that brush would be cut on Dent County Road 5100. In District 2, Commissioner Larson said that workers would be removing the snow plows and spreaders, and would be cleaning up the trucks. He said that grading would be done on a number of white rock roads in the area, but he did not have a list. He did mention that the road and bridge department personnel would be attending a required training today. Presiding Commissioner Skiles stated that he and the commissioners attended their training last week, and he said that he would be attending the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District meeting  this morning at 10:00. Bernie English then addressed the commission about the article in the newspaper concerning the prosecuting attorney asking them if they all agreed with the headline. Skiles said that they don’t write the headlines, they are just the commissioners. English said that the deal with an annex had gone on for two years when all the prosecutor had asked for was more space on the second floor for files when she took office. Commissioner Skiles showed English that the Extension Office on the second floor was used 143 times last year so it is not “vacant” space. Commissioner Larson then stated that the commissioners had agreed to review the situation in the annex at the first of the year, but had been working on the budget the whole month of January. He said they would be evaluating the situation to determine who would move into the annex. English then asked what the commission was going to do with the second floor if the prosecutor left. Skiles said that as of today, they have no plans. Commissioner Larson then added that the county has to deal with an ADA compliance problem with the second floor and that could weigh on their decision as to who moves and who doesn’t. English said that he didn’t think the taxpayers would want this going on for two more years and Skiles said that the decision as to who will move would probably be made before the end of this month. At the last meeting, Prosecutor Sparks requested 15 file cabinets for file storage and the commissioners approved her request. Purcell said he could get the file cabinets in his box trailer from Surplus Property. Sparks gave an estimated cost of $25,000 for the Judy Spencer case and maybe more to cover a sequestered jury. She also told the commissioners that J. Max Price would be interested in selling his building. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Thursday morning at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

Sports [TOP]

The Salem Boys Basketball Tigers will be in Thayer tonight to face the Bobcats in SCA play. Salem enters the game with a 10-10 record and 3-0 in the SCA. You can hear the game on KSMO Radio and online at ksmoradio.com.

Zaire Taylor hit the game-winning jumper with 1.3 seconds left to help 17th-ranked Missouri deal No. 16 Kansas its first conference loss of the season with a 62-60 victory over the Jayhawks. Taylor finished with seven points for the Tigers (21-4, 8-2 Big 12), who have won four straight games. DeMarre Carroll chipped in 22 points and seven rebounds while Leo Lyons scored 13 points in the triumph. The Tigers host Nebraska on Saturday.

The St. Louis Blues host the Vancouver Canucks tonight at 7:30. KSMO will join the game in progress after Salem Tiger Basketball.

The St. Louis Blues have signed injured forward Andy McDonald to a four-year contract extension. McDonald has been sidelined since mid-November with a fractured left leg. He has six goals and 12 assists for 18 points in 16 games this season.

The St. Louis Cardinals announced on Monday that they have given second baseman Adam Kennedy his unconditional release. Cardinal’s vice president and general manager John Mozeliak said that the club had decided releasing Kennedy was in both the second baseman and the team's best interests after failing to find a trade partner. Competing for the second base job will be Brendan Ryan, Brian Barden, Joe Thurston, Jarrett Hoffpauir and Tyler Greene, along with outfielder Skip Schumaker. Kennedy appeared in 115 games last year with the Cardinals and hit .280 over 339 at-bats. The left-handed hitter added two homers, 36 runs batted in and 42 runs scored.

Obituaries   [TOP]

Funeral services for Archie A. (Buddy) Spence of Edgar Springs, age 79, will be held this morning at 11:00 at the James and Gahr Chapel in St. James. Interment will be in the Jefferson Barracks Cemetery in St. Louis. Military honors will be held at the cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Spence family.

Funeral services for Willa Mae Yocom of Davisville, age 88, will be held Wednesday at 11:00 at the Britton-Bennett Funeral Home in Steelville. Interment will be in the Steelville Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society or the Steelville Cemetery Association.

Weather [TOP]