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An accident occurred Thursday afternoon at 4:30 PM on Dent County Road 615 about four miles south of Salem that took the life of a Salem woman. According to the highway patrol report, a 1998 Dodge Van driven by 36-year old Jeannette D. Wells of Salem was traveling southbound on County Road 615. The Dodge Van traveled off the right side of the roadway, at which time Wells overcorrected, slid off the left side of the roadway and overturned. Dent County Coroner Eddie Wilson pronounced Wells dead at the scene at 5:10 PM from open head trauma injuries. Toxicology tests were preformed and will be forwarded to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Wells was not wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Dodge Van was totaled and towed from the scene by Whitaker Towing of Salem. The Missouri State Highway Patrol Crash Team will reconstruct the accident.

An accident occurred Friday morning at 10:15 in Phelps County on Highway 72 about eight miles east of Rolla. According to the highway patrol report, a 1994 Plymouth Voyager driven by 51-year old Rodger Wingfield of Salem was traveling west on Highway 72 when he failed to give a proper signal when making a right turn from Highway 72 and was struck from behind by a 1995 Freightliner tractor-trailer unit driven by 42-year old Richard White of Salem. Passengers in the Voyager, 33-year old Stacy Hill and Jaime Price, both of Salem, suffered minor injuries and were taken by the Phelps County Ambulance to the Phelps County Regional Medical Center. White, the driver of the tractor-trailer unit, suffered minor injuries and sought his own medical attention. Everyone involved in the accident was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Plymouth Voyager sustained minor damage and was towed from the scene by Knight Towing of Salem; the tractor-trailer unit sustained minor damage and was driven from the scene. Wingfield was cited for failure to give a proper signal and knowingly operating a vehicle with defective equipment.

In May, The Doe Run Company’s Southeast Missouri Mining and Milling Division’s (SEMO) mine rescue teams continued the company’s tradition of earning top honors in mine safety competitions. Most recently, SEMO’s Gray Team competed in the Kansas Regional Shoot Out Mine Rescue Contest and earned awards in every category entered. Held May 22nd through 24th at Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kansas, Doe Run’s team placed second overall. Other accolades included first place in the Bench-Gas competition, which involved repairs to equipment; second in the First Aid competition; third in the Field Competition, which included written tests and problem-solving exercises; and fourth in the BG4 Benchman Competition, which called for repairs to the BG4 breathing apparatus. Contests like these keep the mine rescue teams sharp and provide learning opportunities to improve abilities if needed in an actual emergency. Gray Team members include: Wayne Marlin (team captain) and Charlie Walker, both of Salem, Randy Hill and Garry Moore Jr., both of Ellington, William Johnston, of Viburnum, Ken Wood, of Bunker, Larry D. Barton, of Bismarck, and Kenny Sherrill, of Rolla.  Larry Hampton, also from Ellington, has served as the team trainer for nine years.  From May 2nd through 4th, SEMO’s Maroon Team competed in the Southern Regional Mine Rescue Contest, held in New Iberia, La. The team achieved the top score in the underground and written portions of the test and finished second in the field competition. Carl Mann secured a third-place finish in the BG4 Benchman Competition.  Maroon Team members include: Steve Setzer (team captain), of Davisville, Ricky Martin (national benchman champion), of Steelville, Keith Markeson, of Salem; Andrew Hampton, Luke Davis, Carl Mann and Denny Dickerson, all of Ellington; Shawn Pratt, of Viburnum; and Jerry Laramore, of Belgrade. Hampton also serves as trainer for the Maroon Team. Several salt mining teams also competed in the New Iberia contest, along with teams from the University of Missouri-Rolla, Intrepid Potash and Barrick Goldstrike.  SEMO’s mines are known as some of the safest underground mines in the world. In fact, The Doe Run Company and its predecessors have won the prestigious Sentinels of Safety award for Underground Metal Mining a total of 23 times.

The City of Salem’s Finance Committee will hold a meeting today beginning at 4:00 PM in the City Hall Council Chambers to consider the 2007/2008 budget called by Mayor Gary Brown. This meeting is open to the public.

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Funeral services for Jeannette Darlene Jester of Salem, age 36 will be held this morning at 11:00 at Wilson Mortuary. Interment will be in the Berry Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Jeannette Jester Memorial Fund at Progressive Ozark Bank or left at Wilson Mortuary.

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