No muddy issues for Pocahontas voters

Anyone who has ever had to deal with an overflowing toilet or a sewer that's backing up into a basement has some idea of the trials and tribulations of septic tanks, particularly those in the clay soil common to this area.

So when voters in Pocahontas got the opportunity to vote last week on a new sewer system, the decision was a no-brainer for all but one of the 31 voters (48 percent of the 61 registered voters in the rural Cape Girardeau County community).

Even with the strong support for the $500,000 bond issue authorized Tuesday by Pocahontas voters, new sewers are still a ways off.

The entire project is expected to cost $1 million. The town has applied for federal and state grants, and at least some of the cost will have to come from monthly sewer fees of up to $30 a month.

That's OK. To voters in Pocahontas, all the elements of a successful election were in place: The need was clear. The bond issue was specific. The voters said yes.