Baker upset after campaign signs stolen

Jackson City Alderman Joe Bob Baker, after 10 hours of campaigning, was winding down at home at around 11 p.m. Saturday when he heard a vehicle stop outside.

He said he stepped outside to see what was happening and saw someone throwing something into the bed of a dark-colored, full-size pickup. He looked around the neighborhood and saw that several of his campaign signs had been plucked from yards in the Ward 4 neighborhood.

Baker said he followed the truck and when he started to pull next to them, they took off. He said he could not see inside the truck because the headlights blinded him and he could not find a license-plate number.

Baker filed a police report early Sunday morning. He said around 50 signs were stolen.

Baker is running against Jim Litzelfelner for the Ward 4 spot on the board of aldermen. The election will be on April 6. Baker said Litzelfelner's signs were not stolen in the same neighborhoods.

"I called Jim on the phone at about 1 a.m.," Baker said. "And I said, 'I'm not accusing you of taking them, but maybe it's some high school kids you know. You probably didn't know who it was, but I sure would like it to stop.' He was real nice about it."

Litzelfelner said he lost a couple of signs in the neighborhood and, once he received Baker's phone calls, went for a drive himself.

"I noted there were some of his signs along his street that were gone," Litzelfelner said. "I drove the entire ward, through the Bent Creek area and didn't see any signs gone other than through that stretch by his house. It's unfortunate and it's not right and I don't condone it because I know he put effort into it just like I did. If I would find out who did it, he would be the first to know."

Baker said each sign cost about $4.

bmiller@semissourian.com

243-6635