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VOL. 18, NO. 13 - 75¢
Coronavirus does not stop Jersey voters Election results show locals unfazed by pandemic By JARAD JARMON Jersey County Journal COVID-19, colloquially known as coronavirus, has upset or shut down nearly every part of the country, but one aspect seemingly unaffected by this pandemic was the primary elections — at least in Jersey County.
“People wanted to exercise their right to vote.”
Pam Warford Jersey County Clerk Unofficial primary election results are in, and it appears local residents still wanted to exercise their civic duty Tuesday, March 17. This year, 3,143 out of the 15,020 registered voters in the county went out to the polls to cast their vote. “It is pretty typical for a primary —an ordinary primary,” Pam Warford, Jersey County Clerk, said. “In 2016, we had nearly twice that many ballots cast, but that was a record turnout. We had about a 20 percent turnout for this one.” This year roughly mirrors the 2018 primaries that included the gubernatorial race, which also saw a 20 percent turnout. Ahead of the election, Warford was uneasy about
what the turnout would look like. At the time, more confirmed coronavirus cases were being announced, along with increasingly restrictive orders from state officials. “Monitoring early voting, I felt like it was going to be a very typical primary, but then at kind of the last hour, the virus stuff kind of ramped up. I was c oncerned we were going to have a very low turnout.” However, people still came out. Of those who voted, approximately 54 percent cast a Republican ballot and 46 percent voted in the Democratic Primary. This is a gradual shift from recent election years. According to election Jarad Jarmon/Jersey County Journal results, more have been voting on the Democratic ballot each Election judges Roxie Gresham and Linda Eads assist voters with their ballots ahead of writelection year — although they ing in their votes Tuesday, March 17. are still not a majority in the Warford noted some vot- ers,” she continued. “We kind tion, where she will face off county. In Jersey County, voters against incumbent U.S. Rep. ers were vigilant and brought of had some extra expectasupported Joe Biden in this Rodney Davis. She took home their own pens or wore masks tions of them in the polling places this time. We sent out election. According to the 72 percent of the vote, with and gloves. For the election officials, sanitizing supplies and hand results, Biden got 907 votes 918 votes. Along with the number of this year’s election was more sanitizer and such. We were -- a commanding lead over his closest competitor, Ber- voters, coronavirus did not taxing with the additional con- asking them to be vigilant nie Sanders who received 391 much affect the way in which cerns around health and safety about keeping things clean.” Throughout the day, elecon top of everything else. votes. On the Republican tick- people voted this year either. “It added a higher level of tion judges and voter machine “People pretty much stuck et, President Donald Trump was challenged by Roque to their normal patterns,” War- stress for everyone,” she said. technicians were cleaning ink Still, election judges and pens, voting machines as well “Rocky” De La Fuente. Trump ford said. “I think we had a got 98 percent of the votes cast few more early voters — folks officials took the added pres- as wiping down door knobs, tables and chairs. who came in and expressed sures in stride. in the county. Now, for election officials, “Everybody just hung in More locally, Betsy Dirksen that they were voting early Londrigan beat out Stafanie this time because they felt like there and decided it needed to it’s time to start focusing their attention on the general elecSmith for the 13th Congres- it might be safer if they had happen,” Warford said. “I am very pleased and very tion — one that is anticipated sional District Democrat chal- some type of a health risk — proud of our staff and work- to have a much larger turnout. lenger spot in the general elec- but not a huge shift.”
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INDEX Opinion . . . . . . . . . . .A4 News . . . . .A2-3, A6, B5-7 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A10 Court. . . . . . . . . . . . . .A7, A9 Public Notice. . . . . . . . .A7 OBITUARIES: CHAPMAN, DAVENPORT, PEPPER, SHAW JERSEY COUNTY
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City of Grafton 100-year-old Jersey local considering next recalls a century of illnesses step amid cannabis By CONNOR ASHLOCK Jersey County Journal In 100 years, Dr. E. Neal Gipson has garnered quite a lot of experience in the world. Born in Idaho in 1919, he was the second eldest of five children born to Edgar and Florence Gipson. He’s lived and studied in Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Montana and everywhere in between, furthering his education in medicine and proudly serving his country during the Second World War. His military experience took him all the way from the Bay of Fundy to the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska, and even overseas to Libya, with many places too lengthy to mention both during WWII and in subsequent years as a doctor in the military. He was a close descendant of distinguished scholars, farmers, authors, business owners and servicemen, and in no way did he drop the ball in upholding the family tradition of valuing and utilizing a good education. A doctor of anesthesiology, Gipson has an garnered a unique perspective in world history as it connects to medicine, not only because he’s practiced it extensively, but because he has lived through most of the twentieth century, notably seeing many of the infamous diseases that have made their way through the world. “My dad was one of about 1,000 soldiers who were stationed in San Francisco during the First World War. He contracted the Spanish Influenza and became extremely ill. He nearly died, but he recovered and came home,” Gipson shared. Growing up in Gipson’s time, not many vaccinations existed and untold millions suffered as a result. Neal recalls a time growing up in Twin Falls, Colo., where a deadly disease took the lives of many young people. “In Twin Falls, we had an epidemic of meningitis in the community. I was in high school at the time and we lost a lot of young people.” Thankfully, Gipson didn’t fall ill to meningitis, but he would encounter a serious illness of another sort that would cause him to be quarantined. “We didn’t have many vaccinations. In fact, that was the reason why I had cowpox, a relative of smallpox. I was nine or 10-years-old at the time,” he said. “I was ill enough that they put me in the garage. I had a bed out there, and I had no relationship with the family at all. My mother would bring out the food to me, put it by the garage door and walk away and I’d eat. She used a washtub that she’d pour boiling water in to sterilize my eating utensils. “I was in isolation for about six weeks. I missed the latter part of my school, and I had to go to summer school to make up for the time I lost.” “In my family, I was the only one who had cowpox, but chicken pox and mumps are what
business interest By JARAD JARMON Jersey County Journal
I
t was not expected, and yet, calls have trickled in inquiring about the ability to bring cannabis to Grafton.
Connor Ashlock/Jersey County Journal
Dr. Neal Gipson reclines in his sunroom on March 20.
we dealt with as a family,” Gipson added. Indeed today, chickenpox is not seen as a serious illness, but when Gipson’s baby brother was less than a year old, he contracted a severe case of chickenpox and passed away from it. Gipson even recalls in the early 1950s when the polio epidemic gripped the nation in fear. “Oh we were much aware of polio,” Gipson said. “In fact, when I was going through medical school, I was in an epidemiology and communicable disease class when we were made aware that there was a vaccine to treat it.” The polio vaccine, which was developed by Dr. Jonas Salk in 1955, was a major medical and humanitarian development that immensely benefited a world brought to its knees by fear of the disease. “People were very happy,” he said. “As I can remember, there was no problem giving people the vaccine, unlike today, when some people don’t agree with vaccines. People welcomed the polio vaccine because they were scared to death of it and it was a deadly disease.” At the same time the polio vaccine was being developed, there were still many diseases that were common ailments that we don’t see much of today in our neck of the woods, such as measles. Many people can still recall having measles and being affected by it in some way. Even today, we’re surrounded by friends and neighbors who had to live in a room devoid of any sunlight whatsoever to avoid permanent damage to the eyes while their bodies fought the disease. “I remember that when I was in medical school, there was a student who was completely bald-- completely without hair. No hair on the arms, legs or head,” Gipson recalled. “The measles just wiped out his hair follicles when he (See, 100-YEAR-OLD, A2)
“I have gotten calls across the gamut,” Grafton Mayor Rick Eberlin said. Currently though, city officials don’t have an answer to their inquiry: Are they open for business to the cannabis industry? Following the legalization of adult-use cannabis, also known as recreational-use marijuana, a threepercent tax on cannabis sales was established in Grafton ahead of an Oct. 1, 2019 deadline to establish regulations on the drug, following a council vote. The tax is imposed upon all who are engaged in the business of selling cannabis other than medical cannabis. But outside of this tax, city leaders have not declared where they stand on seeing this type of business in the city. That is set to change. The Grafton City Council and Mayor Eberlin are geared to address the issue at the next council meeting. The meeting last week was abridged in response to safety measures put in place in response to COVID-19, but Eberlin stressed it is an issue that needs to be addressed. According to Eberlin, that interest is all across the board. He said there have been those interested in establishing a craft cannabis facility, a 30,000 square foot growing facility, a marijuana smokehouse/bar and a consumable cannabis business such as a bakery. “We need to make a decision on what we are going to allow,” he said. The mayor reiterated he is a proponent of and sees benefit in accepting a medicinal marijuana facility in the city. Recreational marijuana, on the other hand, he is “not all that crazy about.” Based on many of the calls he said he has received from those in the community, that sentiment is shared. More were on the negative than the positive side of the issue regarding bringing recreational cannabis to the city. “People are saying, ‘do you really think Grafton really needs that,’” Eberlin said. Eberlin noted he has received comments from overnight stay owners who are especially wary of the potential repercussions of bringing the marijuana industry to Grafton. Eberlin says he considers Grafton a family-friendly town and that he, too, is cautious regarding the proposals. Speaking of conversations held between council members, Eberlin said, “I don’t think there is a snowball’s chance” of seeing a smoke lounge. It would be a challenge for those interested in dispensaries as well. But, he said, he has seen general interest in accepting a grow facility or a medicinal cannabis establishment.