News

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The Dent County Commissioners met Monday for their regular meeting at the Dent County Courthouse. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell said materials would be added and grading would be done on Dent County Roads 2400 and 2470, while only grading would be done on county roads 5610, 6410 and 6420. Purcell stated brush would be cut on Dent County Road 5680, and a work crew would be working on patching the chip and seal on county roads 4237 and 6180. Purcell did indicate he would have a man screening brown rock. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson reported that materials would be added and grading would be done to Dent County Road 4290, while only grading would be done on county roads 3170, 3360, 4010 and 4050. Larson said brush would be cut on county roads 2530 and 4060. He also gave a report on the new bridge on Dent County Road 3210. Larson said the deck has been poured, back filling was being done and the approaches to the bridge are being completed. Larson said the guardrails still need to be installed and the concrete deck still needs to cure so the bridge will not be open this week. The commission hopes it will be ready by next weekend. Dent County Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles wanted to remind citizens who wanted to attend the MRPC Annual Awards Banquet and Dinner to submit their reservations by October 30th. The cost is $30 per person. For more information on the banquet, call 573-265-2993. Skiles did want to remind everyone to check those CenturyLink bills to make sure that your sales tax is going to the county and/or city that you live in. If you do find that the sales taxes are going to a different county or the wrong city, call 1-800-786-6272 or 1-866-579-7885. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported that absentee balloting would be going on until November 3^rd at 5:00 in her office. She said her office would be open on Saturday, November 1^st from 8:00 in the morning until noon for absentee voting and the last day to mail out a ballot would be Wednesday, October 29^th. The commission was also going to take phone bids for fuel for the road and bridge department. The next meeting for the commission will be held Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and that meeting is open to the public.

The Missouri Community Betterment Association held their awards banquet Monday evening in Columbia that recognized 19 communities and 17 individuals. Salem placed second in Category 4 behind Pleasant Hill who eventually won the Gene Speichinger Community of the Year Award. Two individuals from Salem were recognized at the event. Tod Kinerk was given an Adult Leadership Award and Rachel Walden was presented a Youth Leadership Award. Steelville won the Youth Group Award in Category 3 and was then presented the Glen Smith Youth Group of the Year Award. Congratulations to all the entries and individuals who were saluted at this year’s event.

The mild weather that had put the brakes on fall color for the last two weeks is finally changing in our favor. The early colors of sumac, dogwood, and black gum has peaked in the northern. Ozarks but still has a week to go in the Arkansas border counties. The big star in the fall color landscape this weekend are the bright yellow hickory trees. There are six different species of hickories in the Ozarks: mockernut, pignut, black, shagbark (true hickories), and bitternut and pecan (pecan hickories). Look for oaks to start showing good color this week, with predicted peak color this weekend in the Rolla, Eminence, Houston, and Salem areas, and the last week of October around West Plains, Doniphan, and Ava. This weekend you will find beautiful fall scenery along Highway 8 east of St. James. Stop at the Woodson K. Woods Memorial Conservation Area, listen to the Meramec River, and explore Maramec Spring.

Hunters checked 594 deer during the urban portion of Missouri’s firearms deer season. Officials with the Missouri Department of Conservation attribute the lower-than-average harvest in part to warm, rainy, windy weather. Top County harvest totals during the urban portion were: Greene with 122; St. Charles checked 88; and Boone had 84. Hunters are only allowed to shoot antlerless deer during the urban portion. This focus on harvesting female deer is designed to control deer numbers in urban and suburban areas, where hunting pressure is lighter and the potential for deer-vehicle accidents and property damage is greater. Temperature does not appear to have been a factor this year, since daytime highs ranged from the mid-50s to high 60s. Conservation Department Resource Scientist Jason Sumners says gusty wind and rain during the four-day hunt likely played a role in holding down this year’s urban harvest. Sumners said expanded archery hunting opportunities in many of Missouri’s urban communities, plus the hemorrhagic disease outbreak in 2012, have helped reduce deer numbers in some urban areas, and likely played a role in keeping the urban-portion harvest down. Missouri’s firearms deer season consists of six portions, totaling 42 days. The remaining portions of Missouri’s firearms deer season are: early youth November 1-2, November 15-25, antlerless November 26-Dec. 7, alternative methods December 20-30, and late youth January 3-4.

Sports [TOP]

Funeral services for Pauline Julia “Peaches” Stotler of Lenox, age 56, will be today at 12:00 noon at the Wilson Mortuary Salem Chapel. Visitation will be from 11:00 until time of service. There will be no interment. Memorials may be made to the American Legion Post #99.

Funeral services for Georgia Wagner of Rolla, age 90, will be held today at 1:00 at the James and Gahr Mortuary in Rolla. Visitation will be from 11:00 until service time. Interment will be in the Rolla City Cemetery.

Funeral services for Freddie Emmitt Whitaker, Sr. of Salem, age 78, will be held Wednesday morning at 11:00 at the Wilson Mortuary Salem Chapel. Visitation will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 tonight. Interment will be in the New Hope Cemetery.

Funeral services for Leota Evans of Steelville, age 73, will be held at 11:00 Wednesday at the Britton-Bennett Funeral Home in Steelville. Visitation will be today from 4:00 to 8:00.

Funeral services for Nora Opal Woolsey of Springfield, formerly of Salem, age 89, will be held Thursday at 10:00 at the James and Gahr Mortuary in Salem. Visitation will be Wednesday from 5:00 to 7:00. Interment will be in the Cedar Grove Cemtery.

Funeral services for Virginia Leora Hewkin, age 80, will be held at 11:00 Friday morning at the Britton-Bennett Funeral Home in Steelville. Visitation will be Thursday from 4:00 to 8:00. Interment will be in the Martin-Trask Cemetery.

Funeral services for Wilton Earnie “Wil” Edgar of St. James, age 85, will be held Saturday morning at 11:00 at the Wilson Mortuary Salem Chapel. Visitation will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 Friday night. Interment will be in the Roseberry Cemetery.

Weather   [TOP]