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The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the Dent County Courthouse for their regular meeting. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell said that grading would be done on Dent County Roads 5150, 5380, 5580 and 5690; and brush would be cut on Dent County Road 6470. He stated that the spreader box and snow plow was being removed from Dent County Truck #115 in order for the truck to be used to haul material. He went on to say that shop work would also be done at the Road and Bridge Department shed. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said that materials would be added and grading would be done on Dent County Roads 2160 and 4330, while materials will also be added to Dent County Road 3225. Larson reported that brush would be cut on Dent County Road 3080. Dent County Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles stated that he attended a public forum in Van Buren hosted by State Representative Jo Ann Emerson about the National Park Service’s Draft Management Plan for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Skiles stated that about 400 to 500 people or more were in attendance and the clear consensus from the crowd would be to have the new plan come out with the “No Changes” alternative. This would hopefully stop the continuation of the closing of roads and trails in the ONSR, and should also keep the same horsepower restrictions in place. The plan is supposed to be available to the public sometime this spring. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley stated that the last day to register to vote in the April election is March 7^th although absentee voting is going on now at her office. At 10:00, Les Thomas, the Director of Mine and Cave Safety through the Missouri Department of Labor attended the meeting to discuss new “enhanced enforcement” of current MSHA mine and safety regulations that forced the closing of the county gravel plant on Friday, February 24^th. Thomas said that the state provides free training on the regulations established by the Mine Safety and Health Administration under the US Department of Labor, and things are about to change with the enhanced enforcement. He said that the minor violations found by inspectors would be increasing three fold from $100 to $300 with more serious offenses being charged much more. The county would also have to have a daily workforce exam requirement form that would have to be filled out by employees working in the gravel plant, and that any discrepancy from the form could cost supervisors as much as a $250,000 fine and possibly jail time if thought severe enough. The county has an 1950’s model Allis-Chalmers rock crusher and gravel separator, and the rock crusher portion of the machine has not worked for over five years, so that machine is used exclusively to separate gravel for roads and to produce pea gravel and sand that is used during bad weather on the county roads. He said that county would have to weigh the cost of the fines and penalties versus what the gravel plant can save in costs if they felt it was worth keeping it open with a very old piece of equipment. He said the portable screens that the county also uses to separate gravel are not governed under the MSHA rules and that they could still be used to separate the gravel. At the last meeting, Randy Dillon and Charles Thomas from Viebrock Sales came in to discuss bridge proposals for the bridge on Dent County Road 3210 that has been closed. The commission also agreed to accept bids to chip and seal some roads in Dent County. The bids are due on March 15^th at 10:00 AM. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Thursday morning at the Dent County Courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

There will be a Missouri a Show-Me Quality Assurance meeting on tonight at the Salem City Hall beginning at 7:00 pm. This is MANDATORY for all 4H/FFA livestock members planning to exhibit any animal at the 2012 Expo. This includes small animal projects. Livestock members must attend either this LAST Dent County Quality Assurance meeting or call the Extension office for dates and locations of meetings available in other counties. For more information call Ted Cunningham at 729-3196.

Dent County Assessor Brenda Bell wants to remind everyone that your Dent County Assessment forms are due by March 1^st. Forms for business and individuals need to be filled out, signed and returned by March 1^st or you may be fined $25 a late filing fee. If you need to get a new form, please stop by the Dent County Courthouse and pick one up. If you have any questions about the form, please call the Dent County Assessor’s Office at 729-6010.

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