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138th Year, No. 27 • Our 7,131st Issue!
Mt. Vernon, Missouri • August 14, 2013
50 cents (includes tax)
Mt. Vernon police chief heads down road after 28 years Longtime cop Garry Earnest moves to Aurora Police Department
By Ryan Squibb July 11, 1985, was Mt. Vernon Police Chief Garry Earnest’s first day on the job, Aug. 31, 2013, will be his last. Earnest, who will still reside in Mt. Vernon, will then move on to the Aurora Garry Earnest Police Department where he will be
deputy chief. “It’s been a fun ride,” Earnest said of his 28-plus years at the department. “The people I work with, that was the hardest part about it. Telling everyone what’s going on.” Earnest submitted his resignation to the city July 24. “It was a decision I had to make for the welfare of my family. I look forward to the opportunities there, since Aurora is twice the department size of Mt. Vernon.”
Earnest added that he had been approached three times about the job, until he finally took the position. The Marionville and Aurora police departments recently merged on a trial basis to the end of the year, making the department that much larger. If the joint operation is accepted, it will be adopted as full-time Jan. 1, 2014. Mt. Vernon City Administrator Max Springer is thankful for Earnest’s years of service.
“Chief Earnest has been a great asset to the city of Mt. Vernon and will be greatly missed. During his five-year tenure as chief of police, he has made numerous improvements to the police department and to the service the police department provides to the citizens of Mt. Vernon,” said Springer. “Chief Earnest is well-respected by law enforcement agencies throughout southwest Missouri and the state. He is to be commended for his dedication to
the city and its citizens. We wish him the very best in all his future endeavors.” Springer added that Mayor Dave Eden will appoint an interim chief until the Mt. Vernon Board of Aldermen decides if they are going to promote from within or begin taking applications. The topic was to be discussed at the Aug. 13 board meeting.
Back to school wash out Leaking Miller Elementary air conditioner bumps back district start date two days
By Ryan Squibb A simple, malfunctioning clamp on an air conditioner in Miller Elementary caused a major problem over the weekend. The clamp gave way, releasing a full flowing water hose from the air conditioner, pumping water onto the floor until it was discovered Sunday afternoon. When it began is a mystery, but it was long enough to spill approximately 2,700 gallons of water onto the floor of the second-fourth grade wing of the school. Down the hall and into classrooms—the water, which measured two inches deep in some spots—ruined or compromised everything in its path. The water wicked up drywall walls, ruined a few computers, a few desks, bookcases and brand new textbooks, said Miller Superintendent Tracey Hankins.
“At first we didn’t know where it was coming from so we shut off the water,” Hankins said. “Then it was all about getting someone to come out as quickly as possible to extract the water.” Hankins called the company Serv Pro for assistance. The closest crews, thanks to flooding in Hollister and Waynesville, were from Kansas City. The school received two crews total. The bottom foot of the walls of all the affected rooms were removed and are in the process of being replaced, which Hankins expects will take two weeks. The repair also includes drying out all the floors with fans and dehumidifiers, and rewaxing the floors. Also, all of the air conditioners have to be removed to repair the drywall behind. Climate conditions in the building are also a consideration. The temperature must remain below 70 degrees and 20 percent humidity to prevent the spread of bacteria, said Hankins. During the clean up, several classes will be relocated. The third and fourth grade will be going to the high school; one first grade class will be in the art room; one second grade class will be in the computer lab and one in the library. To accommodate some of the repair, the district has moved its start day back two days to Thursday, Aug. 15. Hankins fondly remembers the
day before the flooding. “We already had open house, we were ready for school,” Hankins said. “It was beautiful here— yesterday.”
Miller R-2 School District First day of school Aug. 15 For a full relocation schedule visit www.millerschools.org
Photos by Ryan Squibb
Top, Miller Elementary principal Josh Angel discusses clean up progress with district superintendent Tracey Hankins. Left, The air conditioner blamed for the spill sits partially disassembled. Bottom, A worker saws off drywall as a dehumidifier lowers the humidity to prevent the spread of mold. Lawrence County Special Election Unnofficial Results - August 6, 2013
Lawrence County Health Department tax fails at polls By Ryan Squibb Despite a strong campaign to pass a property tax to benefit the Lawrence County Health Department, Lawrence County voters said “no” at the polls Aug. 6. The tax proposal failed 37 percent (519 votes) to 63 percent (886 votes), in a vote that only saw six percent of registered voters turn out. Only five of the 19 precincts favored the tax. The tax proposed was a 15-cent property tax on $100 of assessed personal or real estate property.
Here is a look at the voting per precinct in the county.
Jurisdiction Wide
Reg. Voters Ballots Cast % Turnout Reg. Voters Total Votes YES
SW AURORA SE AURORA N AURORA BUCK PRAIRIE FOREST PARK FREISTATT GREEN HOBERG LINCOLN MT. PLEASANT N MT. VERNON SE MT. VERNON SW MT. VERNON OZARK PIERCE CITY RED OAK SPRING RIVER TURNBACK VINEYARD
2243 1191 1428 2647 2330 342 310 403 1126 625 1778 1491 1520 1048 1504 259 1057 930 579
99 74 60 94 59 39 25 23 69 58 114 83 80 50 144 33 32 56 28
4.41% 3.87% 4.20% 3.55% 2.53% 11.40% 8.39% 5.71% 6.13% 9.26% 6.41% 5.57% 5.26% 4.77% 9.57% 12.74% 3.03% 6.02% 4.84%
2243 1911 1428 2647 2330 342 310 403 1126 625 1778 1491 1520 1048 1504 259 1057 930 579
97 72 60 94 59 39 26 23 69 58 113 83 80 50 144 33 32 56 28
57 28 20 35 19 21 2 6 24 5 61 42 48 9 26 2 10 12 2
Absentee Voters
0
192
0.00%
0
189
90 47.62%
99 52.38%
23531 23531
1221 192
5.19% 0.82%
23531 23531
1216 189
429 35.28% 90 47.62%
787 64.72% 99 52.38%
23531
1413
6.00%
23531
1405
519
886
Total
Polling Absentee
Total
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40 44 40 59 40 13 24 17 45 53 52 41 32 41 118 31 22 44 26
41.24% 61.11% 66.67% 62.77% 67.80% 46.15% 92.31% 73.91% 65.22% 91.38% 46.02% 49.40% 40.00% 82.00% 81.94% 93.94% 66.75% 78.57% 92.86%
63.06%
Photo by Ryan Squibb
A vehicle struck the Barry-Lawrence Regional Library causing extensive damage the afternoon of Aug. 12. Although closed the afternoon following the incident, the library has reopened for business.
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