News

The Dent County Commissioners held their regular meeting at the Dent County Courthouse Monday morning. Deloris Gray Wood was in attendance and wanted to let the commissioners know that a ceremony is going to be held on July 7^th at the Upper Parker Community Church for the sesquicentennial anniversary of the Skirmish at Inman Hollow that took the life of 11 confederate soldiers. Another ceremony for the Skirmish at Ashley Creek will also be held later this summer at a time and date to be announced. Ron Michno came in and asked about the bridge on the Hospital Road and Commissioner Gary Larson stated that the county is waiting on the permits from the Department of Natural Resources and Corp of Engineers. Once the permits are received, the county will immediately begin work on the bridge, weather permitting. In the road report, District One Commissioner Dennis Purcell said that grading would be done on Dent County Roads 4150, 5450, 5630, 6190, 6630, 6633, and 6640. He stated that brush would be cut on Dent County Road 6410 and that crews were hauling brown rock. District Two Commissioner Gary Larson said that materials would be added and grading was going to be done on Dent County Roads 4283, 4285 and 4287. He also reported that work crews were working on washouts in the Lake Spring area. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles stated that there would be no commissioner meeting on Monday as all the commissioner will be at a meeting. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported that MoDOT’s Dennis Brady informed the commission that work will begin on the Route NN bridge on Monday, April 16^th and that they will also start preparing for the Highway 32-72 East bypass over Spring Creek. At the last meeting, the commissioners approved the low bid for unleaded fuel from MFA Oil for $3.382 per gallon for 1,000 gallons, and the bid from Hocker Oil at $3.368 per gallon for 7,000 gallons of diesel. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

On Friday, April 6^th at 4:58 in the afternoon, radio communications were given out by the Missouri State Highway Patrol about a vehicle traveling south on Highway 72 driving at an excessive speed and passing vehicles while driving on the shoulder of the highway. While traveling north on Highway 72, Highway Patrol Trooper Stewart turned around and began to follow the vehicle and requested assistance as Deputy Stewart was attempting to make a stop on the truck and the driver was failing to yield. Dent County Sheriff Rick Stallings then activated his emergency lights and siren and caught up with Trooper Stewart just north of county road 2090 on Highway 72. The vehicle continued traveling south on Highway 72 at speeds of 100 miles per hour. As the driver of the truck approached county road 3180, the driver swerved over into oncoming traffic and nearly struck an oncoming vehicle. The driver continued driving in the left lane while the view was obstructed by a curve. As the vehicles approached county road 3200, the truck stayed on the left side of the roadway and again nearly striking two vehicles, both of which had to pull over onto the shoulder of the road to avoid being struck. The truck continued traveling at a high rate of speed and swerving into the path of oncoming vehicles nearly striking several vehicles. The Salem Police Department officers took over the pursuit near the Salem Memorial District Hospital as the vehicle continued south of Highway 32. As the truck approached the MFA Fuel Depot on Highway 32 East, the driver of the truck swerved abruptly across the highway to the far left shoulder and drove along the shoulder at speeds around 75 miles per hour. The truck struck a 1996 Ford F250 pickup driven by 69-year old Carl Nelson of Salem head-on in front of the Wells Package store. The driver was later identified as 60-year old Larry V. Lough of Salem. Both Nelson and Lough were wearing seat restraints at the time of the accident. Lough was charged with a felony driving while intoxicated, felony resisting arrest by fleeing, felony vehicular assault, and felony resisting arrest by attempting to strike an officer. He was incarcerated in the Dent County Jail and placed on a 24-hour hold. A Cash or Security Bond has been set at $50,000.

The Community Wide Yard Sale will be held on Saturday, May 5^th. If you would like to reserve a space on the City Lot located at 4^th and Iron Street in Salem, the fee is $8.00 and the deadline to reserve your spot is Friday, May 4^th. Call 729-2428 for more information. If you would like your yard sale to be included on the map and in the newspaper advertisements the fee is $10.00 and the deadline for the map and newspaper is Friday, April 27^th. For more information call 729-4126.

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