News
The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Thursday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams presented the current sales tax numbers for the county. Her figures show that for the collection from the state in May, Dent County received about $5,400 less than in 2011, but year-to-date in 2012, the sales tax numbers are up $10,550.67 over 2011. Wayne Becker from the Dent County Sheriff’s Office came in to let the commission know that he is going to need an additional monitor for the dispatcher for the Interop-Solutions equipment. He said that the funds of about $200-225 would be taken from the 9-1-1 fund. Sherry Lea from the Council for a Healthy Dent County asked the commission if the council could use their allotted 18 hours of labor from the MRPC to help prepare a NAP grant application. The county would have had to use these hours by June or they would expire, so they agreed to let the council use them. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles signed a letter to that effect. In the road report, District One Commissioner Dennis Purcell said that rock would be added and grading was going to be done on Dent County Road 2460, while brush was going to be cut on Dent County Road 6510. Purcell also reported that a man would be screening brown rock at the shop. District Two Commissioner Gary Larson said that grading would be done on Dent County Roads 3333, 4290 and 4300; while rock would be added and grading would be done on Dent County Road 2380. He said that work crews were checking roads to cemeteries to make sure they were ready for Decoration Day. He also met with Nick Girondo from the Department of Conservation at the bridge on Dent County Road 3210 to see what can be done. He also attended a Council for a Healthy Dent County meeting at noon. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he attended an Ozark Rivers Solid waste Management District Executive Board meeting Tuesday and that the tire collection held in Rolla recently collected about 7,500 tires. He stated that there would be an e-waste collection in Salem on October 20th from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM for computers, monitors and old electronics. He said the board approved the district implementation grant application packet for recycling and waste reduction projects for 2013. Sheriff Rick Stallings came in and stated that Dent County collected two pounds of old or outdated prescriptions in April while the city of Salem collected 20 pounds. The state of Missouri leads all surrounding states in the collection of old prescriptions taking in 20,529 pounds in April while the next closest state was Kansas with 8,753 pounds. At the last meeting, City Administrator Clayton Lucas, Sheriff Rock Stalling and Salem Police Chief Keith Steelman updated the commission on the shooting range. The county will donate 30 to 50 loads of fill material to the site. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will soon add 35 wild elk to the Show-Me state’s recently restored herd at Peck Ranch Conservation Area. Peck Ranch is part of a 221,000-acre elk-restoration zone that covers parts of Shannon, Carter and Reynolds counties. The elk are scheduled to arrive at the refuge area of Peck Ranch on Friday, May 18th from a capture site in eastern Kentucky. The elk are making the 400-mile overnight journey in a livestock tractor-trailer. They will join 31 adult elk transplanted from Kentucky in 2011 and five calves born at Peck Ranch last spring. MDC is again working with the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the U.S., Kentucky and Virginia departments of agriculture, along with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Services (KDFWS) and Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) to ensure the health of all captured elk. Missouri-bound elk will also be fitted with radio collars in Kentucky to help monitor their movements in and around the restoration zone. Virginia is beginning elk restoration and joined MDC and KDFWS in capturing this year’s elk. The 54 elk captured this year will be divided between Missouri and Virginia. Peck Ranch Conservation Area covers 36 square miles in the Ozarks and has been MDC’s site for the restoration of various native plants and animals since the early 1940s. MDC has temporarily closed the 12,000-acre refuge area at Peck Ranch to public access until mid-summer to minimize disturbances to elk arriving from Kentucky and to resident elk that are calving.
So many veterans feel confused about benefits and services they’ve earned. There’s so much to know...and so many changes from one year to the next. That’s why the nonprofit Disabled American Veterans (D-A-V) offers help. The DAV Mobile Service Office will be at the Fox Fire Department at 115 Old Salem Road in Licking, Missouri on May 16th from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. to personally provide the best counseling and claim filing assistance available. Like all D-A-V services, help from the Mobile Service Office is free to all veterans and their families.
Sports [TOP]
The Salem Baseball Tigers lost to Rolla Thursday by the score of 9-1. Brady Floyd went 3-4 for Salem in the loss. Toby Yorks went 3-4 for Rolla with two RBI and he scored twice. Salem will travel to Houston to face the Houston Tigers in the first round of district play Saturday morning at 9:00. The admission price is $4.00 except for children six and under. You can hear that game on KSMO Radio and online at ksmoradio.com.
There are still tickets remaining to the St. Louis Cardinal and Philadelphia Phillies game on May 26th that will be followed by the Salem and South Calloway High School game at Busch Stadium. Tickets are $26 each and a tour bus through USA Tours has been secured for those who want to ride the bus for an additional $19 per person round trip. For more information about tickets or about the bus, please call the Salem TCRC at 729-8163 or drop by 1200 West Rolla Road in the Salem Freedom Activity Center.
The St. Louis Cardinals had the day off yesterday and will start a three-game series with the Atlanta Braves tonight at Busch Stadium. You can hear the game on KSMO at 6:30.
The Kansas City Royals also had the day off yesterday but will start a three-game series with the White Sox tonight in Chicago.
Obituaries [TOP]
Funeral services for Bebincio “Ben” Lliaban of Rolla, age 88, will be announced at a later date. All arrangements are under the direction of the James and Gahr Mortuary in Rolla.
