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An announcement was made Monday morning that Sysco Corporation and US Foods have reached an agreement to merge and create a gigantic foodservice company. Sysco will pay approximately $3.5 billion for the equity of US Foods. This will be made up of three billion dollars of Sysco common stock and $500 million in cash. A key part of the transaction is that Sysco will assume or refinance the US Foods' net debt that currently stands at about $4.7 billion, bringing the total enterprise value of the merger to $8.2 billion. The transaction, which is expected to close in the third quarter of the year 2014, is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, including antitrust approval. It was reported that Sysco would establish a team comprising members of both companies to prepare for and oversee a comprehensive integration for employees, customers and suppliers.

Snow covered roads and trying to get them passable was the central focus of the road report by Commissioners Dennis Purcell and Gary Larson at the Dent County Commissioners meeting held Monday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. Both district work crews were able to get out and push snow off the roads by Saturday, but there are still numerous slick and trouble spots that work crews are checking and working on. They are also treating curves and hills to make them safer for winter travel, especially with the weather calling for additional snow and colder temperatures. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he had numerous compliments about the Christmas lights on the big Blue Spruce in front of the courthouse and he wanted to thank the City of Salem for their help in making that possible. He also wanted to let the public know that the Draft Plan comment period has been extended through February 7, 2014. The upcoming meetings on the Ozark National Scenic Riverways Draft Management Plan have been moved to January, 2014. The public meeting at the Van Buren Youth & Community Center at the intersection of Business Highway 60 and D Highway will be held Tuesday, January 7^th. The open house will be held from 6:00-8:00 pm with the Wilderness Hearing held from 8:00-9:00 pm. The second public meeting Open House will be held Wednesday, January 8^th at the Salem City Hall Auditorium and will be held from 10:00 in the morning until 12:00 noon. The third public meeting will be held Wednesday, January 8^th at the Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center at 11715 Cragwold Road in Kirkwood. The Open House will be from 6:00-8:00 pm and the Wilderness Hearing will be held from 8:00- 9:00 pm. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams brought in the sales tax report and for the calendar year 2013, sales taxes were down $11,711.91 from 2012 which comes to about 1.5%. She also reported that tax receipts for this December were $808.24 less than December of 2012. Larry Sensintaffer contacted the commission informing them that Lisa Barnitz and Virginia Ruble were leaving the Senior Center Service Board and with a current vacancy, three new members needed to be appointed. He recommended and the county approved adding Beth Frizzell, Elaine Parks and Gayle Gravely. The Senior Citizens Service Board will meet on December 17^th to elect new officers. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said the auditors from the state have begun their audit of the county. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public and the meeting is open to the public.

The Missouri Department of Transportation public meeting tonight concerning the work on Route J in Salem and Dent County in 2014 has been postponed. The public meeting will now be held today from 4:00 to 6:00 at the Salem High School Cafeteria at 1400 Tiger Pride Drive. The project is scheduled to begin in 2014. No formal presentation will be made but the public may speak with staff from MoDOT and provide their input any time between 4:00 and 6:00. Displays and project information presented at the meeting will be available Wednesday at www.modot.org/central. The meeting facility is accessible to people with disabilities. For more information, call toll free at 1-888-275-6636.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors will conduct their monthly meeting tonight in the hospital library beginning at 5:30 pm. After approval of the agenda and the minutes from the November 19^th meeting, will be the summary of operations and statistics reports for November. The Board will then hear the nursing and ancillary services reports. Hospital Administrator Dennis Pryor will update the Board with an auxiliary report, hospital activity calendar and legislative issues. In old business, there will be the 2011 strategic planning goals update, an update on the Community Health Needs Assessment, an annual bylaw review and the election filings that begin December 17^th and end January 21^st for the District #1 seat currently held by Judy Thompson. Then in new business the Board will address purchases made for the hospital. The regular meeting of the Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors is open to the public.

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