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An accident occurred at 7:30 Tuesday evening in Dent County that took the life of a Bunker woman. According to the highway patrol report, 38-year old Donna Nunley of Bunker was driving a 2002 Honda Sportrax ATV east on Highway A in Bunker when she lost control, causing the ATV to overturn. Nunley was pronounced dead at the scene by Dent County Coroner Gina White at 8:59. Her body was taken to the McSpadden Funeral Home in Bunker. She was not wearing a safety device at the time of the accident.The Salem Board of Aldermen met Monday evening at the Council Chambers of City Hall. Willis Stagner was supposed to address the board about the fence at the John Stagner Cemetery but was not in attendance. The board approved the request from the Grace Community Church to block off Water Street from the south end of their parking lot to the corner of Water and Franklin for a community outreach program on Sunday, September 21^st from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and then again on October 31^st for a community event from 4:00 PM until 9:00 PM. They also approved the request from the Oak Grove Baptist Church to block off West Hunt Street from Missouri Avenue to Sligo Street on Wednesday, September 3^rd from 5:30 to 9:00 for a Bible Study kickoff show for children. The board approved the purchase, by a 2-1 vote, of a 2011 Ford 550 4x4 w/Altec AT40M Aerial Unit Truck for $76,900 from Altec Nueco from Birmingham, Alabama. The street department has $30,000 budgeted this year for that purchase. This would replace a 1996 Model. Prior to the aldermen meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission met for the rezoning of Block H of the Douglas Park Addition lots 7, 8, 9, 12, 13 and 14 from Residential R-3 and Commercial C-1. With no negative comments, the Planning and Zoning Commission made the recommendation to change the zoning which was approved by the board. The owners are under contract to build a Dollar General retail store on the property. After the consent agenda was approved, the board approved the contract with Salem R-80 to allow the FFA to use the new shooting range with the conditions that a legal description of the property be included in the contract along with a copy of the school board’s minutes showing their approval to enter into this contract. City Administrator Ray Walden said Logan Excavating has completed the water line work on McArthur and will be back to do some seeding later, and Pace Construction will begin moving in their equipment to do the road work. Walden said Pace would likely get started after the Labor Day holiday. Walden reported the Missouri Rural Water Association has started on their rate survey and it should be completed in a few weeks. Walden stated the city received the Phase 2 assessment of the Old Middle School from DNR concerning asbestos and he will review it before bringing viable options the city can take with the property. Walden also stated that he is going to go through the strategic plan update from the public meetings held last year and compare it to the city issues and challenges that were presented by the aldermen in 2011 to city administrator Clayton Lucas. Mayor J.J. Tune held a public hearing for the 2014 City of Salem Tax Rate. There were a lot of public comments about how to try to increase the income to the city, but not on the rate itself, which had already been established the previous year when the alderman did not take the maximum tax rate. The rate was $0.6334 per $100 assessed valuation. The board approved that as the 2014 tax levy in Bill #3279 and it will generate about $292,000 in revenue for the city. In the mayor’s report, Tune did indicate he would like the Park Board to look into the possibility of a sales tax to support Parks and Recreation, possibly on the April ballot. The Task Force for Healthy Dent County asked about creating a smoke free environment for the children at the Salem City Park. They prepared signs they would like to post at the park that were delivered to the aldermen. City Attorney William Camm Seay said that he thought the city’s current ordinance on non-smoking applies only to buildings at this time. He said the Park Board would need to identify designated smoking areas at the parks that would have to be handicapped accessible. The board allowed the task force to go ahead and put the signs up while the ordinance is researched. The board went into closed session with no votes being taken, but did come back into open session and approved to proceed with HW Lochner for the grant funded airport project engineering administered through MoDOT. The meeting was then adjourned.

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