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The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Monday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. John Martin was in attendance to discuss with Commissioner Gary Larson what he believed was the delivery and grading of rock by county workers on a private driveway by the Tune Cemetery. Larson said that he was unaware of any county workers doing work or providing material on a private drive, but he would drive out to the site and check it out after the meeting on Monday. In the road reports, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell reported that workers would be out sanding and salting the chip and seal roads, and checking out other known problem areas to make sure they are passable. Purcell said that he would be attending a Meramec Regional Development Corporation meeting Wednesday in St. James. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said that workers in his district would also be out sanding and salting the chip and seal roads, and in other locations where it is necessary. Larson stated that he attended the Council for a Healthy Dent County meeting last week and they elected Liz Gruendel as the new President and Clay Moody as the new Vice-President. He also said that Sandy Nichols was added to the board. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles stated that he attended a TAC meeting last Thursday and said that 19 bridges from the 800 Safe and Sound Bridge Project would be repaired or replaced this year. Those include the three bridges in Dent County and they are on schedule to be replaced starting April 23^rd with the Route H bridge and the Route NN bridge on April 30^th. Those roads will be closed at the bridge for up to 45 days for the replacement. The Highway 32-72 East bridge will be replaced starting June 4th and there will be a temporary bypass installed while the replacement is taking place. That project is expected to take up to 60 days and is supposed to be reopened before school begins. Skiles also said that MoDOT provided to the commission the highway patrol report showing that there were 776 fatalities on Missouri roads in 2011, which is the lowest fatality figure since the 1950s, but that there were 56 fatalities in the MRPC region in 2011 and that was up from 38 in 2010. MoDOT is going to review those accidents in the MRPC region and see if there is something that can be done to reduce the fatality count. Skiles went on to say that the commissioners all attended the Dent County Cattlemen’s Legislative night at the Bank of Salem Courtesy Room last Thursday night. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported that people must be registered to vote by March 7^th in order to vote in the April 3^rd election. At the last meeting, the commission signed off on the budgeted transfers including $5,000 from General Revenue to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Bad Check Fund, $35,374.26 to the Law Enforcement Sales Tax Fund from the 9-1-1 fund, $9,064.13 to the Law Enforcement Sales Tax Fund from the Sheriff’s Revolving Fund, and $2,000 to the Law Enforcement Sales Tax Fund from the Inmate Security Fund. The commission also met with Salem City Administrator Clayton Lucas, Salem Police Chief Keith Steelman and Dent County Sheriff Rick Stallings about the joint city and county shooting range. Also at the last meeting, Sheriff Rick Stallings discussed replacing the window in the dispatcher’s room and paying for it out of the Building and Grounds Fund. The commission agreed. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Thursday morning at the courthouse and that meeting is open to the public.

A couple of accidents occurred yesterday in Phelps County on I-44 due to the snow. The first accident happened at 4:00 in the afternoon in the eastbound lane at the 186 mile-marker. According to the highway patrol report, a 2000 Freightliner driven by 24-year old Michael Gage of Bakersfield, California slid off the right side of the road, struck a guardrail and light pole. The vehicle then overturned and caught on fire. Gage and an occupant, 40-year old Lawrence Weldon of Bakersfield, California, suffered serious injuries and were taken to the Phelps County Regional Medical Center. They were both wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Freightliner was totaled in the accident and was removed by C&S Towing. The second accident occurred at 5:25 in the evening in the westbound lane at the 184 mile-marker. According to the highway patrol report, a 2004 Buick Rendevous driven by 21-year old Alison Ranzini of Rolla traveled into the median and struck the cable barrier after losing control on the snow covered roadway. Ranzini suffered minor injuries and was taken to the Phelps County Regional Medical Center. She was  wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Buick was totaled in the accident and was removed by Dishman’s Towing.

An accident occurred on Tuesday, January 31^st at 1:59 in the afternoon at the intersection of Highway 19 and Roosevelt in Salem. According to the Salem Police report, a 1997 Dodge Ram driven by Wallace Cooksey of Salem was making a left turn onto the highway and made contact with a 1994 Plymouth Voyager driven by Sharon Melton of Salem, who was southbound on Highway 19. Cooksey sustained minor injuries, but refuses medical treatment. Melton and two occupants sustained minor injuries and were taken to the Salem Memorial District Hospital. The Dodge sustained extensive damage, and the Plymouth sustained moderate damage.

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