Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024
Vol. 6, No. 11
PCMExplorer Local People. Local Stories.
JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HOCUS POCUS
The PCM Elementary PTO’s Trunk or Treat featured creative stops for candy and a unique swing attraction created by using a piece of construction machinery Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer
ELECTION 2024 Jasper County Supervisor Candidate Q&As 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 Cupples amazing wife and three grown kids 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
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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 CUPPLES | 3
Name: Thad Nearmyer Age: 56 Residence: Monroe Occupation: Farming Office seeking: Jasper County Supervisor 1. Introduce/Reintroduce yourself to voters and explain why you are running. Nearmyer: My name is Thad Nearmyer and I’m running for Jasper County Supervisor. I’m running for the seat that was originally Denny Carpenter’s Nearmyer and is currently held by Denny Stevenson. My wife Jodi and I live two miles north of Monroe where we feed hogs and have a cow-calf herd with my brother Todd. I have been chair of the Jasper County Republican Party for over eight years where we have seen unprecedented success in electing Republican
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candidates. Republican voter registration numbers have dramatically increased during my tenure as county chair. I’ve served on the Jasper County Farm Bureau Board of Directors for 25 years. During this time I’ve held leadership positions including treasurer, vice-president and president. Currently, I’m serving as voting delegate. From 2002 to 2010, I worked at Principal Financial Group in individual annuities where I oversaw a team of folks processing annuity applications. At PFG I was given opportunities to sharpen my leadership skills. I’m running for a seat on the board of supervisors because I can bring my record of teambuilding and collaboration to 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 NEARMYER | 3
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