BEHIND THE SCENES: LAGRANGE PANCAKE DAY
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Lewis County
Serving the communities of Lewis County, Mo. since 1862 (USPS 088-820) Vol. XL New Series, No. 5 Canton, Mo. 63435 • 16 Pages • 2 Sections • 55 cents
BREAKING NEWS UPDATES AT
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Group seeks impeachment of Circuit Judge BY DAN STEINBECK Editor dan@lewispnj.com
PHONE SCAM TARGETING ELDERLY REPORTED The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office received information on Jan. 24 involving a telephone scam currently circulating in Lewis County. The Missouri Senior Services reported several elderly persons received telephone calls from people representing themselves as Medicare personnel. The caller attempts to glean personal banking information from the elderly person. Citizens are reminded to never give personal information over the phone.
DAFFODIL DAYS TO START MARCH 9
Four Republicans and one Democrat have proposed a resolution calling for the impeachment of Second Judicial Circuit Judge Russell E. Steele. The bill authored by Novinger Republican Representative Zachary Wyatt, and co-signed by Republicans Craig Redmon of Canton, Paul Curtman of Pacific, Andrew Koenig, of Winchester and Democrat Sylvester Taylor of Black Jack, was filed Jan. 23. Proposed House Resolution 333 calls for Steele to stand trial before the Missouri Supreme Court for alleged “violation of Article VII, Section I of the Missouri Constitution, due to misconduct, willful neglect of duty, corruption in office, incompetency, and/or oppression in office.” Among specific allegations in the HR 333 are perjury in the 2004 case of Heartland Christian Academy Community Church v. Waddle; threatening a member of the Missouri Bar, not being impartial in an Adair County case involving a former law partner, a romantic relationship with an administrative aide, a family issue of property dispersion, threatening Representative Wyatt, using a public employee for work in his personal residence, and allowing a sex offender to change a guilty plea. In a written release to media, Steele said
the allegations were “raised by political opponents in an attempt to defeat me in my last election in 2006. In 2006, the voters spoke loudly and clearly at the ballot box – rejecting those bogus allegations.” Steele’s letter also said The Commission on Retirement, Removal, and Discipline of Judges and an Adair County grand jury also rejected the allegations. Redmon signed onto the bill after reading the degree and number of charges. “I don’t know what’s been decided by a grand jury of the Commission. It’s not a partisan thing with me,” Redmon said. While Redmon doesn’t know any timeline he said “I hope something like this is disposed of quickly. I’d like for Judge Steele’s sake to put it out of the way. I hope if it is read, the judge will have his day and be found not guilty.” “I felt it was my duty on the number of things (in the resolution) rather than just turn a blind eye,” Redmon said. Redmon said the process would include being read on the floor, and the Speaker of the House having the authority to assign it to a committee, if the speaker so deems, a hearing with testimony from both sides, and if there is evidence found in the hearing, a vote on the House floor to refer it to the state Supreme Court. In other media accounts, Wyatt felt he had to uphold his oath of office after constituent concerns against Steele. In his release, Steele said this is “one of the only times in the 190 years of the his-
Photo by Dan Steinbeck
Second Judicial Circuit Judge Russell Steele speaks at a Culver-Stockton judicial forum in 2004.
tory of the Missouri General Assembly members of the House of Representatives have introduced a resolution to impeach a circuit judge.” He chided the Representatives for the “unprecedented and extraordinary political attack on a member of the judiciary and ignorance the well-established process that is in place to consider complaints against judges.”
LaBelle to vote on controversial water bond PNJ File Photo
This year’s American Cancer Society Daffodil Days starts March 9. According to Lewis County Daffodil Coordinator Lois McCutchan, the daffodils are a symbol of hope. Daffodil days have been a fundraising effort of the American Cancer Society. People may get 10 longstemmed daffodils, or the flowers in a vase, or in a vase and with a Boyds Bear. Daffodil Sunday is designated as March 12. Church members can order the flowers in honor of those fighting cancer. See related article on page 2A.
SATURDAY IS EAGLE DAY IN CANTON
PNJ File Photo
The Canton Tourism Commission is sponsoring the annual Eagle Day in Canton Saturday, Feb. 4. Scopes and binoculars will be available in the Mississippi Park shelter house for viewing eagles from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. At the same time biologist Dr. Joe Coelho will offer a lecture in the Lock 20 lockhouse on the bald eagle and its history. The Canton Area Arts Council will host a gallery exhibit at the former Saturday store (Fourth and Lewis Street) featuring photographs of local wildlife, taken by members of the Canton Camera Club. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A slide show of Lewis County birds will be given by Coelho at 1:45 p.m. at the Lewis Street Playhouse. At 2 p.m., there will be a free showing of the movie “the Big Year” starring Steve Martin, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson. The CTC will kick off a photo contest with details available that day.
BY DAN STEINBECK Editor dan@lewispnj.com
A $2.5 million water and sewer bond issue is on the ballot for LaBelle Tuesday, Feb. 7. The issue is not without controversy. City officials contend the bond issue is needed to replace deteriorating, clogged lines, and improve the water capacity for fire service. Some LaBelle property owners say the city can’t afford it. “Most people in LaBelle are on fixed incomes and are senior citizens. Ninety percent of the people in LaBelle don’t work,” said Roger Howe, who now lives in Iowa, but has six properties in LaBelle. “LaBelle has the lowest income per capita in the state of Missouri.” Howe figures a $2.5 million dollar bond issue and 100 water meters, means each resident will end up paying $25,000 of the indebtedness. Howe suggested the fire department should seek a grant through Homeland Security to help the LaBelle water system. He claims the city is behind on payments for their last bond issue. LaBelle resident Norman Strickland said he talked with a financial advisor about what would happen if the city were to default on the bond. He was told bond buyers wouldn’t get paid, the city would get sued, and the state would take over the city and possibly take all residential property. LaBelle Mayor Larry Hackemack said the city hasn’t yet reviewed options if the issue doesn’t pass, preferring to wait until after the vote. However Hackemack said one option is not to rebuild a water plant. “You’d never satisfy DNR (The De-
Photo by Dan Steinbeck
Some of the problem pipes sit on a table and were shown to LaBelle residents at a water bond issue meeting that was held Monday, Jan. 16.
partment of Natural Resources). We spent $250,000 on the water plant and six months later we had other problems,” Hackemack said The city gets its water supply from the Clarence Cannon Water District. The bond issue, if passed, would replace seven miles of distribution lines in LaBelle and allow for a new water tower with double the current 50,000-gallon capacity. Some of the lines to be replaced are over 60 years old. Mike Logsdon of Bartlett West Engineering told a gathering in January the bond issue would allow a USDA Rural Development loan of three percent for 33 years for LaBelle, and a $500,000 Com-
munity Development Block Grant. The new tower would be $450,000, the distribution system would be $1.3 million, and administrative could be $603,000. A balance of less than $200,000 would be reserved to address expected future sewer system mandates. Hackemack said some funds he felt LaBelle was close to getting, went instead to areas damaged by tornadoes and flooding in southern Missouri. Hackemack said if the issue were approved, it would be about a year before any construction could begin. “It (the water system) is to the point something needs to be done,” Hackemack said.
ONE LOCAL ISSUE IS ON PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE BALLOT BY DAN STEINBECK Editor dan@lewispnj.com
Most of the Lewis Countians who go to the polls next Tuesday, Feb. 7, will vote only on the names on the Presidential Preference Primary ballot. But LaBelle residents will also vote on whether or not to approve a $2.5 million bond issue to replace aging water pipes and replace a less-than-adequate
water tower. This issue is the only local one on the ballot (see related story). As for the Presidential Preference Primary, the four Democratic candidates on the ballot are Barack Obama, Randall Terry, Darcy G. Richardson, and John Wolfe. Republican ballot candidates are Gary Johnson, Herman Cain, Mitt Romney, Michael J. Meehan, Rick Perry, Keith Drummond, Jon Huntsman, Mi-
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chele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, and Ron Paul. The Libertarian candidate is James Orland Ogle III. For each party, as well as the Constitutional party, there is also an “uncommitted” option. The number of polls for this election has been reduced, and that information is on page 4B as is absentee voting information.
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