THURSDAY, OCT. 24, 2024 • VOLUME N0. 124 • ISSUE NO. 6 • 1 SECTION • 10 PAGES
Serving Colfax • Mingo • Baxter • Western Jasper County
4-H Halloween Trunk-or-Treat Fun Jasper County 4-H clubs welcome kids for spooky holiday event Oct. 20 at fairgrounds in Colfax
Jamee A. Pierson/Jasper County Tribune
ELECTION 2024 Jasper County Supervisor Candidate Q&As Name: Jerry Chandler, Jr Age: 60 Residence: Newton Occupation: Business owner, Jerry Lee Plumbing and Heating and Chandler Construction Office seeking: Jasper County Supervisor 1. Introduce/Reintroduce yourself to voters and explain why you are running. Chandler: As a 1982 graduate of Newton High School, I am a lifelong resident of Jasper County and my children Chandler and one of my siblings live here as well. Jasper County is my home. I am a longtime business owner in the community, have a passion for common-sense public service and have previously served as the assistant maintenance director for the county. I am running for county supervisor because my know-how as a contractor and plumber, and my passion for fiscal responsibility, will bring new perspective to this important role in
the county. It required a great deal of dedication for me to become an HVAC tech and a licensed journeyman plumber, but it also took hours and hours of hands-on experience. This combination of formal education and ability to learn-in-the-moment uniquely positions me for this role. 2. Secondary roads maintenance is always on the minds of residents who drive on gravel roads. How do you feel about what the county has done for gravel roads? Are there any solutions or strategies you would propose? Chandler: County workers are doing the best they can with the resources provided. We could invest more in training with the equipment to maintain gravel. Grading, leveling and maintaining roads is skilled work. Preventative maintenance is also something to be more attentive to. It’s less expensive to care for what we have than to replace it completely once it’s totally eroded. 3. For the past few months the county has been holding town hall meetings about the proposed $6.4 million bond vote
Name: Doug Cupples Age: 53 Residence: Newton Occupation: County supervisor and auto sales at Lauterbach Buick GMC Office seeking: Jasper County Supervisor 1. Introduce/Reintroduce yourself to voters and explain why you are running. Cupples: I have lived in Newton since 1979. I am passionate about my faith in Christ. I have an amazing wife and three grown kids Cupples who I love dearly. I genuinely care about people and making a positive impact in their lives. I’m deeply concerned about issues like taxes, roads and law enforcement, and I want to help find solutions that benefit our community. My goal is to serve and improve the quality of life for everyone. 2. Secondary roads maintenance is always on the minds of residents who drive
on gravel roads. How do you feel about what the county has done for gravel roads? Are there any solutions or strategies you would propose? Cupples: When I started with the county, they were only adding rock to 25 percent of the gravel roads each year. The citizens of rural Jasper County were clear that we needed more rock. So I worked hard to increase that to 50 percent of Jasper County roads per year, and we’ve continued improving ever since. Roads are our largest concern, and our team works tirelessly to improve them every day. One of my concerns is how we currently conserve rock along the road edges. While it saves rock, it often forms a curb that channels water down the road, especially on hills, creating ruts and puddles. The key to maintaining good roads is to keep water off them, and we are actively working on better solutions. Everyone in the county wants to see these roads improve, and we are committed to that. 3. For the past few months, the
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Name: Randy L. Ray Age: 67 Residence: Newton Occupation: Entrepreneur and farmer Office seeking: Jasper County Supervisor 1. Introduce/Reintroduce yourself to voters and explain why you are running. Ray: As a lifelong resident of Newton, Iowa, I’m excited to share my vision for our community as I run for county supervisor. After 67 years in this close-knit county, Ray I’ve seen both our incredible potential and the challenges we face. My 40 years as a farmer and 35 years as a small business owner have instilled in me a deep appreciation for hard work and fiscal responsibility. Though I am not a politician nor will ever claim that I am, the reason I am running for county supervisor is because I believe every resident’s voice matters, regardless of their background. It’s crucial that our county
prioritizes essential services while minimizing wasteful spending of hardworking taxpayers’ money. My key priorities include improving our rural roads to ensure safe travel, enhancing the visibility of our courthouse lawn to honor our veterans and carefully scrutinizing how taxpayer dollars are spent. Together, we can make a meaningful difference for Jasper County! 2. Secondary roads maintenance is always on the minds of residents who drive on gravel roads. How do you feel about what the county has done for gravel roads? Are there any solutions or strategies you would propose? Ray: I understand and have experienced the concerns residents have about the maintenance of our gravel roads. Since the change in management, it’s clear that proper grading has been overlooked. Further on these roads there are visible curbs that prevent effective water drainage. As a result there is pooling, which not only creates hazards for drivers but also accelerates road deterioration. This must be addressed. RAY | 3A
Name: Thad Nearmyer as county chair. I’ve served on the Jasper Age: 56 County Farm Bureau Board of Directors Residence: Monroe for 25 years. During this time I’ve held Occupation: Farming leadership positions including treasurer, Office seeking: Jasper County Super- vice-president and president. Currently, visor I’m serving as voting delegate. From 2002 1. Introduce/Reintroto 2010, I worked at Principal Financial duce yourself to voters Group in individual annuities where I and explain why you are oversaw a team of folks processing anrunning. nuity applications. At PFG I was given Nearmyer: My name opportunities to sharpen my leadership is Thad Nearmyer and skills. I’m running for a seat on the board I’m running for Jasof supervisors because I can bring my reper County Supervisor. cord of teambuilding and collaboration to I’m running for the Jasper County. seat that was original2. Secondary roads maintenance is ally Denny Carpenter’s Nearmyer ways on the minds of residents who drive and is currently held on gravel roads. How do you feel about by Denny Stevenson. what the county has done for gravel roads? My wife Jodi and I live two miles north Are there any solutions or strategies you of Monroe where we feed hogs and have would propose? a cow-calf herd with my brother Todd. I Nearmyer: I live on a gravel road, and Shaw Media have been chair of the Jasper County Re- the concerns rural folks have about their publican Party for over eight years where roads are very important to me. I unwe have seen unprecedented success in derstand that modern farm machinery electing Republican candidates. Repub- has increased in size. There are more lican voter registration numbers have dramatically increased during my tenure NEARMYER | 2A est. 1851
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