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The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning for their regular meeting. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell stated crews would be sanding and salting curves, hills, as well as shady and icy areas where needed. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said his crews would be doing the same, and he felt that later today crews may be adding materials to some spots where soft spots may start showing up with the thaw this week. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles reported he attended the TAC meeting Thursday where no roads in Dent County made the Top 10 road priority list. He said in the External Relations Committee meeting, they finalized their legislative priorities that were sent on to the board. At the MRPC meeting, Skiles indicated that three or four representatives were in attendance to discuss what to expect this year in the state legislation. At the top of the list were Medicaid Expansion and what would happen when the federal funding runs out, the state budget and funding education. He said he would also be attending the South Central Missouri Community Action Agency meeting in Winona today. Spencer Jones and Toby Stephenson from Great Rivers Associates brought in the Low Water Crossing Evaluation that was partly paid for by Title 3 Funds for fire safety as 14% of Dent County Roads are in National Forest Land. Jones stated the low water crossings were inspected and documented for safety and were classified as either a concrete slab or gravel ford, culverts or box culverts, three-sided projects or low water crossings. The reports documented bank conditions, line of site conditions, skewness of the crossing approach and the conditions of the road, deck and structure. They also included statements that could be used by the Missouri Department of Conservation for those crossings that could impede the free flow of water and prevent natural fish migration. A benefit for the county would be that pictures were taken of every existing crossing and if there was a natural disaster, the county would have a record of the condition of the crossing and what it looked like before the disaster to provide to FEMA. The reports were separated out by township for easy location. A total of 335 crossings were located with 134 of them being culverts, 111 were low water crossings, 15% were gravel fords and 13% were three-sided structures. Jones stated that seven crossings were in need of attention soon, another 32% were in fair condition and 12% were in new or very good shape. Jones also gave a report on the new bridge for Dent County Road 3210. He provided the commission with a preliminary drawing that showed a 90-foot structure that allowed for water to flow free under the bridge. The grade would be reduced to 2% on both approaches to the bridge so a lot of fill dirt would be needed on both sides of the current road. The new structure will be 24 feet wide, and he reported some right-of-way may need to be negotiated for the landscaping of the ground, but no property owner would lose any fence line they currently have. Commissioner Larson signed the application for a Core of Engineers permit that will be submitted by Great Oaks with their studies and drawings. At the last meeting, the commissioners approved the budgeted transfer of $18,625 to a holding account from the Senior Citizens Service Fund, and the quarterly $9,750 from General Revenue to the Assessment Operating Fund. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Dent County Fire Protection District released reports. On Sunday, December 1^st at 9:00 am, a call came in to provide manpower on Highway 32 East. A total of seven firefighters responded to the call. On Thursday, December 5^th at 4:42 in the afternoon a call came in to provide manpower on Highway 19 South. A total of six firefighters responded to the call. A call came in at 12:46 in the early morning on Sunday, December 8^th for structure fire on Highway U in Salem. A total of eight firefighters responded. Upon arrival the structure was more than 90% involved and nobody was home. The house was a total loss. That afternoon at 4:50, a call came in for emergency medical service on Highway 32 West. A total of six firefighters responded to the call. That same evening at 7:27, a total of four firefighters responded to a call on County Road 4155 to provide emergency medical services mutual aid for SMDH.

An accident happened in Dent County at 7:10 Monday morning about 20 miles east of Salem on Route CC. According to the highway patrol report, 78-year old Betty Brooks of Salem was driving a 2002 GMC Z-71 westbound when she lost control on the ice-covered roadway, ran off the left side of the roadway and struck a sign before the vehicle overturned down an embankment. Brooks suffered minor injuries and was taken by the ambulance to the Salem Memorial District Hospital. Brooks was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident and the GMC Z-71 was totaled. Whitaker’s Towing removed the vehicle from the scene.

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