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.

A long discussion about implementing interoperable communications was the highlight of the Dent County Commissioners meeting held Thursday morning. Greg Biitz and Hamilton Kennedy of Interop-Solutions, LLC discussed how they could take the existing systems of the Dent County Sheriff’s Department, Dent County Fire Department, Emergency Management, Salem Police Department, Air Evac and even school radio systems, then integrate them through the use of servers and routers to handle emergency situations of all types including accidents, fires and severe weather. With this integration, all the entities will be able to speak to each other at the same time to coordinate their efforts. The system can also accept video, e-mails and other communication tools. As the communication is gathered, the system can be updated to provide up to-the-second information that can be viewed on laptop computers at different locations. The system would normally cost about $50,000 for the hardware, software and training, but Interop-Solutions is offering this system to Dent County for the cost of the hardware alone which is about $20,000 to $25,000. They will provide the software free of charge and provide training in person and online. Their reason for offering the deal is that Dent County would be the first county to use their system in Missouri, and they believe that other counties will also want this system. If Dent County recommends the system to another county and they buy it, Interop-Solutions will waive the annual $5,000 maintenance fee for Dent County. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles would like to see how the system works, and the commission was invited to the University of Nebraska at Kearney for a training exercise on April 15^th. In the road report, District One Commissioner Dennis Purcell said that grading would be done on Dent County Roads 2445, 5490 and 6420. He also said that rock would be added and grading would be done on Dent County Roads 5520, and that the patching of chip and seal roads would continue. District Two Commissioner Gary Larson reported that grading was going to be done to Dent County Roads 2320, 2330, 4300, 4310 and 3030. He said that a culvert pipe would be installed on Dent County Road 3160 and rock would be added to that road. He also said that rock would be added and grading would be done on Dent County Roads 2380 and 3040. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles reported that he attended a Meramec Community Enhancement Corporation meeting Tuesday at the MRPC and said that five different senior housing projects in the region were being rehabbed. He also said that the MCEC was recertified by HUD for counseling for those who had lost their home by foreclosure. Skiles also said that he along with County Clerk Angie Curley and Commissioner Larson attended an insurance consortium meeting in Springfield where the discussion centered around what impact the new health care legislation could have on the consortium. Curley wanted to remind everyone that the Dent County Courthouse would be open from 8:00 until noon Saturday for absentee voting, and also on Monday until 5:00. Deloris Gray Wood was also in attendance and told the commission that Ken Fiebelman will be the featured speaker at the celebration for the 140^th anniversary of the Dent County Courthouse on April 25^th. She also asked that the courtroom be available in case of rain that day and the commission approved her request. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissions would be held Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

At the last Dent County Commissioner meeting on Monday, David Thompson had issues with a helicopter landing next door which he says is about 300 feet from his front door. He said that he has a petition with signatures from his neighbors about the helicopter and would like to know if the county could look into passing an ordinance. The commission will visit with the prosecuting attorney and the sheriff about the problem. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles held a conference call with Representative Jo Ann Emerson and the US Census Bureau and reported that if anyone has not received their census packet by April 12^th to please call Leslie at 1-866-872-6868 or 1-573-335-0101.

You are invited to the 7^th Annual Business Expo, sponsored by the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, The City of Salem, KSMO Radio and the Salem News. The Business Expo will be held on Saturday, April 10^th at the Salem Senior High School Gymnasium from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. This would be a good time to come and check out businesses located in the Salem area and see what kind of services they have to offer. For more information regarding the 7^th Annual Business Expo, call the Chamber at 729-6900.

Sports [TOP]