Commission given update on county roads closed by hard rain

Roads were the main topic of discussion at the Saline County Commission meeting Thursday morning, April 30.

Justin Cowart, county road and bridge supervisor, told commissioners of several road closings throughout the county because of the recent rainy weather.

Parts of three roads in the Blackwater area are closed: Nature Avenue south of Highway H, Oleander Avenue south of Nelson and Harmony Avenue south of Highway YY.

Another road, Jewel Avenue near APAC quarry, is closed for safety reasons -- there is a 300-foot drop-off from the road into the quarry bottom, Cowart said.

Southern District Commissioner Richard "Dick" Hassler reported on a meeting with Missouri Department of Transportation officials concerning the driveway at Saline County Justice Facility.

MoDOT has agreed to redo the road -- it has a dip in it, which results in many vehicles scraping against the pavement -- by raising it about six inches and also widening it a little bit.

Hassler said that MoDOT will provide all the labor and funding for fixing the driveway in return for permission to use the county's backhoe equipment at some point.

Commissioners also reported on the hiring of a new communications officer in the sheriff's department. Jared Dale King began work Thursday, April 30.

Presiding Commissioner Becky Plattner was also present at the meeting.

The commission's next regularly scheduled meeting is Tuesday morning, May 5, at 9 a.m. in the lower level of the courthouse.

Contact Sydney Stonner at marshallbusiness@socket.net