News
The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. James Fulton was in to discuss a petition to change Dent County Road 2230 from a public to a private drive. He says that the road has not been serviced in over ten years and by statute should be declared a private drive. Commissioner Gary Larson stated that he thought the road had been graded or had snow removed from it, but wasn’t absolutely positive when that happened. He told Mr. Fulton he would talk with the Prosecutor Sid Pearson about the situation. He also said that if the road became private, it would mean another change of address for those on the road. Gary Fritzinger was in and had a concern about a 9-1-1 emergency medical call from Sligo that affected his neighbor. He said that the call went to Steelville, and was then forwarded to the Salem Hospital. Fritzinger then stated that a sheriff’s deputy called the neighbors asking if they were in Boss when the home was actually in Sligo. Fritzinger said that the EMS hadn’t left yet at that time and it took them 50 minutes to get to the home some 22 miles from Salem. He wanted the commission to check into this to see what happened and why there was confusion with the hospital and sheriff’s department. In the road report, District One Commissioner Dennis Purcell said that grading was going to be done on Dent County Roads 6633 and 6660, and that materials would be added, brush would be cut and grading was going to be done to Dent County Road 6240. Purcell reported that the temporary bridge bypass for the Swiney Bridge on Dent County Road 5680 would be closed Thursday and Friday as the construction crew will be moving steel into place on the new bridge. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said that grading was going to be done on Dent County Roads 3170, 3273 and 3275. He went on to state that a pipe would be installed on Dent County Road 4380, brush would be cut on Dent County Road 2570, and that materials were going to be added to Dent County Road 2140. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said that the commissioners attended the annual Missouri Association of Counties meeting in Jefferson City last Sunday through Tuesday. He also said that he would be attending the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District full council meeting and awards presentation Tuesday night at the MRPC in St. James. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported that preparations for the 2013 Dent County Budget are underway. The commissioners opened four bids for financing for the lease purchase of two new graders. The commission received bids from the Bank of Salem, US Bank, Fabick and Company and Town and Country Bank. The low bid was Town and Country Bank with an annual rate of 2.44% for five years with an annual payment and preparation fees to be paid by the county. The commissioners agreed to go with Town and Country Bank with a 3-0 vote. The next meeting of the Commissioners will be Thursday at 9:00 at the courthouse and it is open to the public.
The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors held their monthly meeting in the hospital library last Tuesday. The summary of operations for the month of October showed a total of 44 patients were admitted. The inpatient revenue was below budget and even though the outpatient revenue was above budget, there was a loss from operations of $54,515 and there was an excess of expenses over revenues of $53,276. The cash flow statement showed a reduction in cash of $397,840, mostly due to it being a three payroll month, and the days in accounts receivable were down from 51 in September to 44 days in October. There were 54 acute care patients admitted with an average or 6.7 patients per day. In the Director of Nursing report for the month of October, there were 796 emergency room visits with 57 transfers. The average turn around time in the ER was 121 minutes for the month. There were a total of 167 ambulance runs with 166 patients being assessed, 26 surgery cases, 1,865 outpatient registrations, 186 Home Health visits, 8,538 lab tests, 994 radiological procedures, 159 CT scans, 35 MRI scans, 18 nuclear med scans, 1,814 cardiopulmonary procedures, 556 rehab treatments, 222 dialysis treatments and 359 clinical visits. Hospital Administrator Dennis Pryor then updated the Board and reported that the Hospital Auxiliary Holiday Home Tour has been cancelled. He stated that with the nice weather of late, work on the lagoon is about half done. He then presented to the Board a plaque from the American Hospital Association that was awarded to the Salem Memorial District Hospital for 25 years of membership. A project-planning meeting for Hospice with Dr. Prince is scheduled for November 30th. Election filings would be held from December 11th and end on January 15, 2013 for two seats on the hospital board. The current District 6 seat is held by Joe Brand and the District 4 seat held by Ken Sheriff, which has a 4-year term remaining. The Board then approved the budgeted purchase of a replacement hematology analyzer for the Laboratory of $52,800 from Fischer Scientific, which was below the budgeted amount of $66,000; and a laptop computer for Information Systems for $1,198 from ABS. The Board then approved a non-budgeted item, a steamer dish washer, for Dietary from $4,924 from Central Restaurant Products. The Salem Memorial District Hospital December Board meeting will be held on December 11th at 5:30 in the hospital library and the then the Joint Board of Directors and Medical Staff Dinner will be held at 6:30. The Board then voted to go into closed session.
On Wednesday, November 21st, deputies from the Dent County Sheriff’s Department went to a residence located at the 4000 block of Highway YY looking for a subject with active warrants from Texas County. The subject wanted on the warrants was not located at the residence; consent to search the residence and a vehicle was given. As a result of the search, methamphetamine was found inside the residence and inside of a vehicle. Deputies found the remains of a methamphetamine lab in a trash barrel behind the residence. Arrested for possession of methamphetamine, manufacturing of a controlled substance and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia were 33-year old Bradley D. Delashmit of Salem and 18-year old Tanner B. Devereaux also of Salem. Both subjects are currently being held in the Dent County Jail. Delashmit is being held on $100,000.00 cash with conditions bond, while Devereaux is being held on a $ 75,000.00 cash only bond.
Sports [TOP]
Cody Whitaker scored 17 points to help lead the Salem Tigers to a season opening win over Northwest, 60-46, on Saturday. Chad Elliot added 16 points and Brady Floyd scored 15 points for the Tigers, who will play at Pacific Friday night.
The Kansas City Royals have signed pitcher Jeremy Guthrie to a three-year contract. Guthrie, 33, was acquired from the Colorado Rockies on July 20 in exchange for pitcher Jonathan Sanchez. The right-hander went 5-3 with a 3.16 earned run average over 14 starts with the Royals, including a 4-0 mark with a 2.17 ERA over his final 11 starts.
Obituaries [TOP]
Funeral services for Letha Mahurin of Salem, age 89, will be held today at 11:00 at the Dent County Memorial Chapel. Interment will be in the Cedar Grove Cemetery in Salem.
Weather [TOP]
