PINEVILLE, Mo. —
McDonald County voters here Nov. 6 will decide races for sheriff and Western District County Commission.
In the sheriff’s race, Democrat incumbent Robert Evenson is being challenged by Republican Michael Hall.
Evenson is asking for a third term as sheriff. He has worked in law enforcement 23 years, first as a deputy marshal in Noel.
He graduated from the Missouri Southern State University Police Academy in 1988. He obtained a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice administration and an associate degree in law enforcement from MSSU in 1991. He also holds a firefighter certificate from Crowder College.
Evenson cites his experience for the job. He worked as an investigator for 11 years, working on cases involving homicide, child abuse, sex crimes and other offenses. He said he is certified as an investigator for major case squads, homicides and crime scenes, and that he updates his training every year on topics involving not only law enforcement but sheriff’s department operations.
He is on the boards of the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, Southwest Missouri Drug Task Force and McDonald County 911 system, and is a member of the law enforcement advisory committee for the U.S. Attorney of Western Missouri and the Homeland Security Advisory Council for U.S. Rep. Billy Long.
Hall is a private security officer at the McDonald County School District and teaches Drug Awareness and Resistance Education in the schools. He was employed by the sheriff’s department at the rank of lieutenant until he filed for election.
Hall has been in law enforcement since 1997 when he graduated from the Missouri Southern State University Police Academy. He joined the sheriff’s office in 2006 as a jailer. He has worked since as road deputy, school resource officer, corporal, sergeant and lieutenant, and handled operations of the department and the jail.
He filed for the office, he said, because “I thought that I could do a little better job as administrator and manager over the office. I want to implement some things that have been taken away, one being the school resource officer.”
Hall said he regularly updates his training and teaches classes as well on topics such as first-line supervisor and instructor school in addition to basic law enforcement. He is an instructor for active shooters and is a site coordinator for Missouri Sheriffs Academies held there since 2005.
Since 2006, he has accrued more than 600 hours of training and taught over 500 hours to other officers, he said.
COUNTY COMMISSION
Democrat David Holloway and Republican Nadine Sexson are vying for the post held by incumbent Ronald Walker, who was defeated in the primary.
Holloway worked for the Missouri Department of Transportation for 16 years and previously was a mechanic for the McDonald County School District for eight years. He attended Crowder College.
Voters in the county will be asked whether to terminate the County Planning Commission. Commissioners who supported the planning work have not been re-elected.
Holloway said he supported the development of a comprehensive plan but does not support subdivision regulations or zoning.
“I did not like the plan presented by the planning committee to the commission in reference to subdivisions,” he said. “However, I agree with the initial idea of a comprehensive plan to address four main areas: Where we are now, where are we going, where do we want to be, and how do we get there. This is part of basic planning and provides direction for the commission.
Sexson worked at Casey’s General Store for five years and the Big W, now the RedNeck, for five years. She formerly worked for New Visions, taking care of patients.
She said she also does not support further regulations by a planning commission.
“I do not think the people will like a zoning law for McDonald County,” she said. “We have too many laws already. People moved to the country to get away from all the zoning laws. We would not have moved to the country if we knew we were going to be zoned. I think you will have trouble with the zoning in the country as people do not like to be zoned.”
Local News
Sheriff, commission seats to be filled in McDonald County
- Local News
-
-
Sheriff’s funds to pay for two building projects
Jasper County’s general fund budget may pay some initial costs for renovating and constructing two county buildings, but the final bill for the projects will come from law enforcement sales tax funds.
-
Pittsburg crews work to repair storm damaged Schlanger Park
City crews using heavy equipment spent Thursday cleaning up Schlanger Park after a storm tracked through Monday night.
-
No charges to be filed in Joplin shooting case
The nonfatal shooting of a 25-year-old man at a Joplin residence on May 13 has been deemed justified by authorities. Jacob B. Boykin, 21, of Joplin, shot Justin S. Johnson, 25, of Carterville, once in the chest with a small-caliber handgun at 5260 E. Sunny Acres Lane.
-
Mike Pound: DVD smells like pizza; how great is that?
Just when I think the rest of the world is passing us by, this great country does something that renews my faith in innovation. It does something that renews my faith in that can-do spirit that led Charles Lindbergh to fly nonstop across the Atlantic, thus leading to the invention of the airplane bathroom.
-
Joplin Board of Education to decide fate of East Middle School teacher
After hearing nearly 10 hours of testimony from more than a dozen witnesses and accepting more than 45 exhibits into evidence, members of the Joplin Board of Education voted to move behind closed doors Thursday night to decide whether Randy Turner, a communication arts teacher at East Middle School, will continue to teach.
-
Memorial Day travelers bemoan high gas prices
Norm Hayward and his wife, Claudia, have a couple of things going for them as they continue their increasingly expensive motor home trip around parts of the United States. For starters, the Phoenix, Ariz., couple are saving on hotel costs.
-
Cunningham Park vandalism estimated at $4,000
Vandals caused an estimated $4,000 worth of damage in Cunningham Park, draining the pool in the aquatic center of about 200,000 gallons of water and throwing some large landscaping rocks into the reflecting pond.
-
Joplin team drove through storm to get to Moore
It was a long drive in the middle of a severe thunderstorm that had earlier produced a massive tornado in Moore, Okla. With the two-year anniversary of Joplin’s deadly twister approaching on Wednesday, a team of 14 Joplin emergency workers was ready to risk the trip in order to get help to a hurting Moore.
-
Cunningham Park vandalism bill estimated at $4,000
The city estimates that vandals caused about $4,000 worth of property damage in Cunningham Park, draining the swimming pool of 200,000 gallons of water and moving some large landscaping rocks into the reflecting pond.
-
Content of book, students' access to it at issue in hearing for suspended teacher
A standing-room only crowd is present at the hearing this morning to decide the fate of suspended Joplin Middle School teacher Randy Turner, who has asked for the hearing before the board of education.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Sheriff’s funds to pay for two building projects
