Dr. D. Kent King, the Commissioner of Education at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, died on Wednesday at his home in Rolla surrounded by friends and family.
King, served as Rolla Superintendent for 19 years
King, 65, was diagnosed with a brain tumor two years ago, which had become steadily worse in the last several weeks.

Members of the Rolla Municipal Utilities Policy Review Committee during its second meeting Wednesday addressed four issues ad-hoc members agreed are most important.
Committee members, under the leadership of Committee Chairman Ward 4 Councilman Lou Magdits, reviewed the city-utility relationship, its technical relationship and compliance with legal requirements, compensation differences — whether real or perceived — between RMU and city workers, and improving the relationship between the utility and the public.

Tax levies and bond issues top the agenda at the Rolla Board of Education gathers for its first meeting of the year at 5:30 p.m.
At its last board meeting, the board discussed extensively after Ken DeSieghardt, the CEO of Patron Insight in Kansas City, Mo. presented findings supporting a tax increase from a survey performed in November.
The school district is considering, putting on the April ballot, a separate bond issue and tax increase.

The representative of the union city workers have elected to join is expected to meet with eligible city workers next week to discuss results of a survey prospective members will have submitted.
“We’ll try to get together next week or the week after,” said Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Representative Perry Molens. “By then, I should get back the results of the contract surveys, and we’ll be able to discuss them.”

The Phelps County deputy placed on administrative leave after receiving a citation from a Dent County deputy for assault, is “no longer an employee” at the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, said Phelps County Sheriff Rick Lisenbe on Tuesday in a released statement.

Phelps County Sheriff Rick Lisenbe requested assistance from the County Commission on Tuesday in appointing a neutral assistant to help consolidate an inventory of property and equipment at the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department.
Citing a two-inch thick, hard copy of a list of equipment inventoried by the PCSD through a period of four-to-five years, with an approximate value of $2.5 million, Lisenbe stressed the importance of having a neutral third-party verify all the equipment listed on the inventory is validated.