News

The Salem Park Board met Monday night at the Salem Community Center @ The Armory. Parks and Recreation Director Greg Nash said the Youth Basketball League would now be played during the evenings in April due to the adverse weather conditions in February and the unavailability of the gym earlier in March. A coach’s meeting was held Tuesday night and the first night for the program will be April 9^th. Nash said the baseball, softball and T-Ball sign-ups will begin this week on Thursday and Friday, March 26^th and 27th and again next Thursday and Friday, April 2^nd and 3^rd from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. A signup will also be held Saturday morning April 4^th from 9:00 to noon. All the signups will be held in the lobby of the Salem Community Center @ the Armory. Children ages 4-13 as of August 1^st are eligible to play and the cost is $20 per child. Nash said the water will be turned on next week in the buildings and the restrooms next week after this weekends expected freeze. Nash said the work crew will be getting the pool ready as soon as they can this year. It will have to be acid washed and checked for leaks and that will all be done when weather permits. The board discussed the concession stand situation for the next year. Nash said the concession stands made money on the product sold, but took a hit on the labor costs. With that in mind, it was suggested that vending machines be installed at the Salem Municipal Pool and at Al Brown Fields this year and keep workers in the concession stand at the Salem City Fields. It was suggested to have parents of teams that are not playing that night man the concession stand to help save even more on labor and that was not ruled out, but park board members thought it may put an additional burden on some parents who have more than one child playing. It was also discussed to go back to having businesses sponsor teams or having banners placed on the outfield fences at the field as an additional way to raise money for the program. These ideas or suggestions will be brought to the Board of Aldermen for discussion at the next meeting April 6^th. The meeting was then adjourned.

An accident occurred at 2:05 in the afternoon on Saturday, February 28^th on Highway 32 and Missouri Avenue in Salem. According to the Salem Police report, a 2007 Chevrolet Trail Blazer driven by Kayla Howard of Salem was traveling south on Missouri Avenue approaching the stop sign at the intersection of highway 32. Due to the snow and ice on the roadway, the Chevrolet slid past the stop sign and into the path of a 2008 Ford F-250 driven by Michael Cannon of Salem that was traveling west on highway 32. The Ford was unable to avoid the Chevrolet. Howard and an occupant suffered minor injuries and were transported by private vehicle to the Salem Memorial District Hospital for treatment. Both vehicles sustained moderate damage and the Ford was towed from the scene.

The Industrial Development Authority of the County of Dent will conduct a meeting tonight at the Bank of Salem located at 4^th and Main Streets beginning at 6:00 pm. After approval of the agenda will be the election of officers for the 2015/2016-year, approval for payment of bills if any, a review of financial statements for the period ending February 27, 2015, any other business that may come before the board and the meeting will then be adjourned. The Industrial Development Authority of the County of Dent meeting if open to the public.

Colonel Ron Replogle, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, would like to remind the public that spring brings varying temperatures and weather patterns, which can bring challenges for motorists and boaters. One area of concern is flooding, which affects safety on both waterways and roadways. Due to the amount snow and ice this past winter and recognizing spring rains will begin soon, flooding may occur. The Patrol reminds everyone that flooding has proven to be extremely dangerous and could be fatal. Barricades closing a roadway are there to protect you. Drivers must respect barriers or barricades put in place by MoDOT — it is extremely dangerous and a violation of state law to drive around them. Never drive through fast-moving waters; even a small amount of fast-moving water can sweep a slow-moving vehicle off the roadway. If your vehicle becomes stuck in rising water, get out quickly and move to higher ground. Motorists should remember that spring’s widely varying temperatures can leave roadways or bridge floors covered with frost. Even though roads appear to be clear, it is important to slow down and watch for slick areas, especially early in the morning. Temperature changes also cause fog to develop. Drivers need to slow down, turn on their headlights, and be prepared to stop in foggy conditions. Weather conditions requiring the use of windshield wipers are usually those that affect visibility. Motorists are reminded that state law requires them to turn on their vehicle’s headlights any time they are using the windshield wipers. It only takes a second to turn on your vehicle’s headlights. But, that second could make you more visible to other drivers and prevent a traffic crash. In nice weather, joggers are more common. Also, children are likely to walk or ride their bicycle to school. Stay alert!

Voices Only, Lindenwood University’s select vocal choir, will present a musical program at Oak Grove Baptist Church on Friday, March 27, starting at 7:00 p.m. This elite group of young men and women from historic Lindenwood University in St. Charles will perform a variety of contest pieces. The public is welcomed to attend at no cost. Oak Grove Baptist Church is located at 700 South Missouri Avenue in Salem. For more information, please contact 573-247-7878.

Sports [TOP]

The Salem Baseball Tigers got the 2015 season off to a rough start as they committed 11 errors against the Mountain Grove Panthers in the first round of the Houston Tournament and lost by the score of 19-2. Salem had only five hits in the five-inning game. They will face Houston Thursday afternoon at 4:00 at Houston.

Alex Steen recorded the game-winner just 35 seconds into overtime and St. Louis ended a road trip with a 3-2 decision over Pittsburgh at CONSOL Energy Center. Robert Bortuzzo and Marcel Goc scored in the second period for the Blues, who head home after going 3-1-2 on their six-game sojourn. Jake Allen had a 24-save effort in the win. The Blues will be off until Saturday night when the host Columbus.

The Cardinals hade the day off yesterday in Florida and they will face Washington today.

The Kansas City Royals were also off yesterday in the Cactus League and they will play the Chicago White Sox today.

Obituaries   [TOP]