AUGUST PRIMARY WILL DECIDE CAPE COUNTY CORONER'S RACE

Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Carpenter wants to serve another four-year term. For that to happen, he will have to defeat Republican challengers Don "Butch" Gast and Wayne T. Godwin in the Aug. 8 primary.

The winner is assured of victory in November as there is no Democratic candidate for the position.

The 54-year-old Carpenter has been battling cancer. But he says that hasn't stopped him from doing his job and won't prevent him from handling the coroner duties for another four years should voters re-elect him. He currently is serving his 12th year in office. He was first elected in 1988.

"Everything is going good as far as the health situation goes," said Carpenter. As coroner, Carpenter is assisted by deputy coroner John Clifton.

But Carpenter said he is in charge and continues to do much of the work himself.

He also operates a mortuary service in Jackson.

He said he has handled some 1,200 cases as coroner over the years. Currently, he said, his office handles 125 to 150 cases a year. Most of them involve deaths due to natural causes.

Both Gast, 46, and Godwin, 52, argue that it's time for a change. They say they could improve the operation of the office.

Both Gast and Godwin have worked for Carpenter's mortuary service.

Gast also served as deputy coroner for a time. A former paramedic, he conducts physical examinations for insurance companies.

Godwin previously did such work. Godwin, who also worked as a paramedic, said Gast used to be one of his employees.

Godwin has worked as a security officer at the Federal Building in Cape Girardeau since January 1999 and stresses his law enforcement background in his campaign. He worked part time as a Scott County Sheriff's Department deputy in the early 1980s.

"I think the people of Cape Girardeau County have the right to know what happened to their loved ones in the case of foul play," he said. "They have a right to expedient results and accurate results."

The candidates said they can't make a living solely on a coroner's $17,000-a-year salary. Godwin said he would consider changing jobs, if necessary, so it wouldn't interfere with his duties as coroner.

Gast said he plans to continue doing physical examinations for insurance companies.

"The reason I am running is not the money," said Gast.

"When I served as deputy coroner, I thoroughly enjoyed it."

Gast believes the coroner shouldn't operate a mortuary service as Carpenter does because it could pose a conflict of interest.

Gast said he would contract for the embalming work and other services with area funeral homes and Carpenter Mortuary Service on a rotating basis.

But Carpenter said the county benefits from his operation of a mortuary service. "Most funeral homes are not going to want to come out on Interstate 55 at 2 o'clock in the morning to remove a dead body and tie up their men and equipment," he said.

"Their business is the funeral business," he said. "They are not equipped to be a coroner's transfer service."

Carpenter said he has three vans that he uses to haul bodies both for his mortuary service and in his duties as coroner. "I have the building and equipment," he said. "It is costing taxpayers nothing."

Gast wants to implement a disaster plan for the coroner's office. The coroner's office, he said, should be prepared for a disaster involving numerous deaths.

"If you have a train wreck or a plane falls out of the sky, you have to have a way of transporting and storing bodies until identification can be made and families notified," he said.

Godwin believes he could run the coroner's office more efficiently by making use of computerized recordkeeping.

He also wants to have more autopsies performed locally. Currently, most of the autopsies are performed by a doctor in Farmington.

"There are doctors in Cape Girardeau that can do the autopsies. They haven't been utilized very much," he said.

If there aren't any local doctors willing to perform autopsies on a regular basis, one could be recruited who would, Godwin said.

Godwin said he has the "honesty, caring and professionalism" to handle evidence properly.

Unlike Gast, Godwin doesn't see a need for the coroner's office to develop a disaster plan. That's the job of the county's emergency preparedness director, Godwin said.

Gast said his experience as deputy coroner makes him a good candidate for the job. "I just want the opportunity to serve."

Carpenter counters by stressing his experience. Carpenter said he is the only board certified coroner in forensic examination in the state of Missouri.

As a first-class county, Cape Girardeau County needs a well-trained coroner, he said.

Carpenter said he lobbied successfully to get legislation passed that allows Cape Girardeau County to continue to rely on a coroner rather than hire a medical examiner. The move, he said, has saved the county money.

JOHN E. CARPENTER

Age: 54

Hometown: Cape Girardeau

Party: Republican

Job History: Cape Girardeau County coroner since 1989, running for re-eletion to a fourth term; also owns and operates Carpenter Mortuary Service in Jackson.

Education: Graduate of Southeast Missouri Law Enforcement Academy, attended Southeast Missouri State University and colleges in Indiana and Kentucky, graduate of Sikeston High School.

Personal: Married. He and his wife, Sue, have no children.

DON "BUTCH" GAST

Age: 46

Hometown: Jackson

Party: Republican

Job History: self-employed as physical examiner for insurance companies, previously served as a paramedic with the Cape County Private Ambulance Service and as deputy coroner.

Education: Attended Jackson High Schook, obtained GED and took college courses in the Navy.

Personal: Married. He and his wife, Rebecca, have five children.

WAYNE T. GODWIN

Age: 52

Hometown: Jackson

Party: Republican

Job History: Security officer at the Federal Building in Cape girardeau, previously worked as a paramedic and part time as a Scott County sheriff's deputy. Also served in the Army.

Education: Graduated from Jackson High School, attended Southeast Missouri State University for a year.

Personal: Has two children.

Area county coroner candidates

Contested primaries:

Cape Girardeau County

Wayne T. Godwin Jackson Republican

John E. Carpenter (I) Cape Girardeau Republican

Don "Butch" Gast Cape Girardeau Republican

Mississippi County

Lonnie Thurmond East Prairie Democrat

John McMikle Charleston Democrat

Uncontested pimaries

Bollinger County

Gene Ward (I) Marble Hill Democrat

Charles Hutchings Marlbe Hill Republican

Perry County

Herbert E. Miller (I) Perryville Democrat

Bob Young Perryville Republican

Scott County

Scott Amick (I) Scott Democrat

I -- Incumbent

Winners for each party will advance to the Nov. 7 election.