Stoddard voters to choose sheriff, coroner, commissioners

Republican voters in Stoddard County will decide several races when they go to the polls Tuesday.

Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

Among the races to be decided is sheriff. Sheriff Carl Hefner is facing Tim McCoy for the post.

Carl Hefner

At a recent forum, Hefner said he has served as sheriff for more than a decade.

"I have worked for the sheriff's office since 1993. In November 2004, I was elected sheriff of your county and took office January 1, 2005," stated Hefner. "I have always served the county with honesty, integrity, professionalism and always had the best interest of you citizens in the forefront."

Hefner has pointed to drug eradication and sex offenses as top priorities.

McCoy, who worked at the Sheriff's Office for about a decade ans was part of the county's Major Case Squad, has been with the Prosecuting Attorney's Office since 2014.

Tim McCoy

He said he would focus efforts on protecting citizens in the most rural parts of the county.

"But what I will certainly do is give the citizens of Stoddard County real 24-hour protection for rural Stoddard County from Day One," he said. "We will begin working DWI investigations to make our roadways safer from those who may be driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol."

He further said he would make staffing changes to provide more patrol deputies.

District 1

Incumbent Steve Jordan, 63, is facing J.W. Mattingly, 38.

Jordan is co-owner of Heavy Duty Trux Ltd. in Bloomfield and has been affiliated with the business for more than two decades.

Steve Jordan

He has identified developing the Interstate 57 corridor as important to the county's economic future.

"I would like to see more traffic as the I-57 corridor gets closer to completion and would welcome ideas on how to help Stoddard County draw traffic and businesses to this area! The I-57 project will attract new businesses," he said. "GOSEMO bringing fiber optics into Stoddard County also makes us a lot more desirable for businesses to look at us seriously. I believe we are headed in the right direction. We are in good shape financially, revenues have held up and our spending is well within our budget."

Jordan said local control is important to governance.

"These are times none of us were expecting. I believe using common sense in our daily lives is the way through these times. I am not for letting the government be it local, state or federal take over our lives by locking down healthy people," he said.

J.W. Mattingly

Mattingly, regional sales director for Aflac Insurance Co. and owner of Mattingly & Associates Insurance Agency, said county government should increase transparency.

"One change I would like to see happen is the mandatory keeping of the minutes for every commissioners meeting. With so many crucial decisions to be made, it only seems logical that there is proper documentation of everything discussed," he noted. "Accountability and transparency are highly important to me. The commissioners are making decisions that directly impact every resident of Stoddard County for years to come, and providing documentation for each of these decisions helps allow every citizen with the knowledge of why these decisions were made."

He added that "needs-based spending" is critical in the rural county.

District 2

Incumbent Carol Jarrell is facing Jeff Riddle and Willard Adams,

Carol Jarrell

Jarrell, who has served nearly a dozen years in the post, said she wants to maintain the status quo.

"Our revenues are doing well, and the new jail is coming along really great -- thanks to the Stoddard County citizens that said yes to the 1/2-cent sales tax to build the jail and also yes to 1/2-cent sales tax to support the sheriff's department," she commented. "Passing to keep the use tax has helped keep our revenues up. The elected officeholders are doing great with their budget also."

She said businesses in the county are facing difficult times with the coronavirus pandemic and wants to stay in office to help them recover.

Jeff Riddle

Riddle, owner of JSR Environmental Services, which provides emergency response services, said economic opportunities are important to the county's future.

"Most important duties of this position are having the capabilities to protect the financial wellbeing of the citizens of Stoddard County, along with having the ability to lead the county in difficult and trying times," he said, adding he wants to "ensure that the citizens of our county are protected by a commission that is organized, prepared and financially responsible to the needs of our community."

He noted his experience working with emergency response agencies would benefit the county in the event of a disaster.

Adams is a former mayor and longtime alderman. He is a veteran.

"Experience matters. I've got the experience," stated Adams. "And I've got the wisdom, and I would just like to do something else for Stoddard County."

Willard Adams

He noted elected officials sometimes face difficult choices.

"All decisions are not easy. Hard decisions are not always the popular decisions. Right decisions are not always popular," said Adams. "I have no problem making the hard decisions."

Coroner

Incumbent Kenny Pope is not seeking re-election, and vying for the office are Don Seymore and Brent Stidham.

Kenny Pope

At a candidate forum, Seymore said he has assisted the office for more than four decades and would seek federal funds to stock the office.

Don Seymore

"When I am elected I will have an immediate meeting with Frank Killian, who is in charge of the Stoddard County $3.4 million CARE Act funds that were given to Stoddard County for expenses relating to COVID-19," said Seymore. "I will inquire to see if any of the personal protective equipment related to the coroner can be purchased with that money, as well as coroner supplies."

Brent Stidham

He stated if the purchases are allowed with the CARE Act money, then the coroner's budget can be put back into the county's general funds and allow the funds to go to the other county offices.

Seymore noted he has experience with a local fire department and fire marshal's office.

Stidham, who has an educational background in law enforcement, said he has served as a reserve officer with Bernie Police Department and as a deputy with the Sheriff's Office.

"This job is different than any other position that is here tonight and is much different than what we see on TV," he said. "It is considered to be a very difficult job and it deals with the very difficult topic of death."

He said he had many personal reasons to want the job of coroner, but the most important is his understanding of death and how it affects people. He said he has lost a brother, mother, grandparent and childhood best friend, some under unusual circumstances. He said this has given him the understanding of what people are going through in these circumstances and how they rely on a professional, respectful and compassionate coroner.

Reporting by Josh Ayers and Dexter Statesman.