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.

The Dent County Commissioners held their regular meeting at the Dent County Courthouse Thursday morning. In the road report, District One Commissioner Dennis Purcell reported that brush would be cut on Dent County Road 6020, a culvert was going to be repaired on Dent County Road 5510, and a culvert was going to be cleaned out on Dent County Road 6240. He also said that workers would be screening rock. District Two Commissioner Gary Larson said that brush was going to be cut on Dent County Roads 3200, 3260, 3280 and 4060. He also said that workers were doing the ground preparation work over at the shed for the addition to the building, preparing it for the pouring of concrete. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said that the applications for the recycling grants from the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District are due at noon today at the MRPC offices in St. James. Skiles stated that as of right now, the loss ratio for the insurance consortium that includes Dent County looks excellent and that should mean better renewal rates coming out in October. He also said that due to the Labor Day Holiday on Monday, the Dent County Courthouse would be closed. The commissioners then opened bids for the lease/purchase of two new John Deere Graders from Erb Equipment for $191,052 from the Bank of Salem, Progressive Ozark Bank and Town and Country Bank. The best financing rate was from the Bank of Salem at 3.40% for five years and the commissioners approved going with that bid. At the last meeting, the commissioners approved the low bid for diesel fuel from Hocker Oil for $2.265 per gallon, and approved the low bid for unleaded fuel from MFA Oil with a bid of $2.302. The Commissioners also approved staying with MAC for their Workman’s Comp Insurance for 2011 for a total cost of $37,858. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Thursday, September 9^th at the courthouse at 9:00 and that meeting will be open to the public.

With costs savings from previous grants, the Region I Homeland Security Oversight Committee was able to award five more grants, totaling $64,200. The group reviewed applications that had not been funded previously to make the awards. The Region I HSOC recommended with Meramec Regional Planning Commission approving the following projects for funding: Montauk Rural Fire Department received $11,000 for communications equipment, and the Dent County Sheriff’s Department was awarded $28,000 for communications equipment. Any cost savings from these grants will be awarded to Lebanon Fire Department for CBRNE equipment. Under its contract with the state homeland security office, MRPC will handle the procurement of the items. Bids are currently being accepted on the generator to be located at the Vienna fire station. The Region I HSOC, established along the boundaries of the State Highway Patrol Troop I, includes Crawford, Dent, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Laclede counties.

An accident happened Wednesday night at 10:10 in Dent County on Highway 32 East about four miles from Salem. According to the highway patrol report, 30-year old Benjamin R. Wisdom of Salem was driving a 1993 Ford Escort eastbound when he failed to negotiate a curve and traveled off the right side of the roadway. The Ford struck a tree and partially overturned before coming to rest. Wisdom and a passenger in the ford, 17-year old Andres Segovia of Salem, both suffered minor injuries and refused treatment at the scene. Both were wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Ford Escort was totaled and removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing of Salem.

Labor Day weekend is among the top three busiest weekends of the year at the region's lakes and rivers, and officials of the Army Corps of Engineers say they expect this year will be no exception.  However, they warn visitors to practice good water safety habits to avoid accidents that could result in serious injury or death. Corps park rangers caution that parks, lakes and rivers will be congested, and they ask visitors to be courteous while waiting at boat ramps, sharing beaches or traveling waterways.The park rangers say they expect everyone to obey boating laws, and law enforcement officers will be on the lookout.  In addition, the park rangers urge people to go a step further during this busy weekend.  They also say wearing a life jacket at all times, though not required of adults by law, is the single most important step boaters can take to protect themselves. Whether boating or swimming, don't drink alcohol if you plan to be in or on the water. When swimming, never go alone, and never rely on toys such as inner tubes and water wings to stay afloat.  Never dive into lakes and rivers.  Don't forget that lakes and rivers are much bigger than swimming pools; don't overestimate your swimming skills.  Swim only in designated swimming areas. If you have children on your family outing, remember it only takes a few seconds for a child to wander away, so watch your children at all times. Remember safety comes first!

Sports [TOP]