Swearing-in ceremonies held for Jasper County officials

December 30, 2008 09:40 pm

— By Susan Redden
sredden@joplinglobe.com
CARTHAGE, Mo. — A half-dozen Jasper County officials who were elected in November were sworn into office Tuesday during ceremonies at the county courthouse.
County officials, friends and family members of the officeholders filled the courthouse lobby for the ceremony, conducted by Bonnie Earl, county clerk.
Repeating the oaths of office were the associate county commissioners: Jim Honey, from the Eastern District, and Darieus Adams, from the Western District. Honey, of rural Carthage, defeated two challengers in the August primary to win a third term in office. Adams, of Joplin, faced no opposition in either the primary or general election and won a second four-year term.
Taking office for the first time were Angie Casavecchia, public administrator, and Rob Chappel, coroner. Casavecchia, of Carl Junction, won the post in the primary by defeating incumbent administrator Rita Hunter and another challenger. Chappel, of rural Joplin, won a five-way primary contest and then defeated a Democratic candidate in the November general election.
Absent from the ceremony were Sheriff Archie Dunn and Treasurer Wilma “Jeannie” Wells. Both were re-elected without opposition. They are to be sworn in today, Earl said.
Also on Tuesday, Larry Newman and Dan Stanley were sworn in as directors of the Jasper County Emergency Services Board. Newman was elected and Stanley was re-elected to Eastern District positions on the board that oversees operations of an emergency-dispatching operation funded by a one-tenth-cent county sales tax.
Still to be sworn in are Western District directors Carl Francis and Jeff Merriman.

In the audience

An observer at Tuesday’s ceremony was Connie Alumbaugh-Hoover, newly elected county assessor. She will be sworn in later. The assessor’s term starts Sept. 1.