Elections, the economy and storm shelters all led the news of Pettis County in 2008.
Despite the efforts of Pettis County officials, the county was not immune to growing economic challenges across the country in 2008.
kAmr@>>:DD:@?6CD 5676?565 E96 DE2E6 @7 E96 =@42= 64@?@>J[ H9:49 92D ?@E 6IA6C:6?465 E96 D2>6 =6G6= @7 5:77:4F=E:6D 2D @E96C A=246D 2C@F?5 E96 DE2E6]k^Am
kAm%96 64@?@>:4 @FE=@@< :D >@C6 AC@3=6>2E:4 ?@H E92? :? a__f[ 3FE E96 4@>>:DD:@? C6>2:?65 @AE:>:DE:4 E92E E96 64@?@>J :? !6EE:D r@F?EJ H:== 72C6 36EE6C E92? @E96C A=246D]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< H6 ?665 E@ 36 G6CJ 42FE:@FD 2D H6 >@G6 7@CH2C5[ 3642FD6 E96 ?2E:@?2= 64@?@>J H:== 6G6?EF2==J 368:? E@ 92G6 2? :>A24E @? FD =@42==J[” !C6D:5:?8 r@>>:DD:@?6C #FDEJ z29CD D2:5] “x E9:?< E92E 6G6? H96? H6 5@ 766= E96 :>A24E =@42==J[ E96C6 H:== 36 =6DD @7 2? :>A24E :? !6EE:D r@F?EJ E96? E96C6 :D ?2E:@?2==J]”k^Am
kAm%96 4@>>:DD:@?6CD 28C665 E92E 56G6=@A:?8 5:G6CD:EJ 2>@?8 =@42= :?5FDEC:6D[ C6E2:=6CD 2?5 28C:4F=EFC6 AC@5F4E:@? 92D 366? 2?5 H:== 36 2 G:E2= 2DA64E E@ DE23:=:K:?8 E96 64@?@>J @G6C E96 ?6IE J62C]k^Am
kAm“%96 <6J :D 5:G6CD:7:42E:@?[” z29CD D2:5] “q6EH66? @FC :?5FDECJ[ @FC 28C:4F=EFC6 32D6 2?5 @FC A2CE?6CD9:A H:E9 (9:E6>2?[ :E 2== >2<6D 2 5:776C6?46 2?5 :E 2== 92D 2? :>A24E]”k^Am
kAm%96 4@F?EJ’D 3F586E 7@C 7F6= 2?5 2DA92=E 6IA6?5:EFC6D >@C6 E92? 5@F3=65 7C@> E96 368:??:?8 @7 E96 J62C 2D 82D AC:46D DA:<65 E9:D DF>>6C[ z29CD D2:5]k^Am
kAm“(6 H6C6 A2J:?8 EH@ E@ E9C66 E:>6D >@C6 E@ 3FJ 2DA92=E[ 2?5 :E 2=D@ 4@DE D:8?:7:42?E=J >@C6 E@ 92G6 E96 >2E6C:2= ECF4<65 @FE E@ ;@3 D:E6D[” z29CD D2:5] “xE H2D E96 D2>6 E9:?8 E92E :>A24E65 6G6CJ@?6 24C@DD E96 4@F?EJ]”k^Am
kAmr@>>:DD:@?6CD D2:5 2? :>A@CE2?E 4@>A@?6?E @7 D66:?8 E96 4@F?EJ E9C@F89 5:77:4F=E 64@?@>:4 E:>6D H:== 36 E96:C AFCDF:E @7 7F?5:?8 7C@> DE2E6 @C 7656C2= 8C2?E AC@8C2>D] %9:D J62C[ E96 4@F?EJ C646:G65 @FED:56 7F?5:?8 7@C 4@FCE9@FD6 >2:?E6?2?46[ D96=E6CD[ 3C:586 4@?DECF4E:@? 2?5 2 4@?4C6E6 C64J4=:?8 AC@;64E]k^Am
kAm“(6 2C6 6IEC6>6=J 288C6DD:G6 :? AFCDF:?8 8C2?E >@?6J 5@H? 96C6[” z29CD D2:5] “x E9:?< E92E 92D 2 =@E E@ 5@ H:E9 H9J @FC 64@?@>J :? !6EE:D r@F?EJ :D 5@:?8 2D H6== 2D :E :D[ 3642FD6 H6 2C6 ECJ:?8 E@ 3C:?8 :? E96D6 @FED:56 5@==2CD :? 255:E:@? E@ @FC 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E 5@==2CD] xE’D 2== 2 A:646 @7 E96 3:8 A:6]”k^Am
kAmx? a__h[ E96 4@>>:DD:@? A=2?D E@ 4@?E:?F6 H@C<:?8 E@ 2EEC24E @FED:56 7F?5:?8 7@C EH@ 3C:586 C64@?DECF4E:@? AC@;64ED[ C6?@G2E:@?D @? E96 C2:=:?8D @FED:56 E96 4@FCE9@FD6 2?5 h`` 6>6C86?4J DJDE6> FA8C256D]k^Am
kAm“p== @7 E96D6 E9:?8D]]] AC@G:56 E96:C @H? D6CG:46[ 3FE H96? J@F E2<6 :E 2== :? E@E2=:EJ :E :D AC@;64E:?8 E96 >6DD286 @FED:56 @7 !6EE:D r@F?EJ E92E H6 2C6 @A6? 7@C 3FD:?6DD[” z29CD D2:5]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mt{tr%x~}$k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm!6EE:D r@F?EJ $96C:77 z6G:? q@?5 H@? C6\6=64E:@? 3J >@C6 E92? b[f__ G@E6D @G6C s6>@4C2E:4 492==6?86C qC25 p?56CD]k^Am
kAm%96 D96C:77 42?5:52E6D 5:G6C865 @? D6G6C2= <6J :DDF6D :? E96 4@?E6?E:@FD 42>A2:8?[ :?4=F5:?8 E96:C BF2=:7J:?8 6IA6C:6?46[ E96 C6DA@?D:3:=:E:6D @7 E96 @77:46[ E96 ;2:=’D 7:E\7@C\4@?7:?6>6?E A@=:4J 2?5 E96 2DD:8?>6?E @7 A2EC@= 56AFE:6D] %96 42>A2:8? H2D 2=D@ E96 >@DE 6IA6?D:G6 !6EE:D r@F?EJ C246[ H:E9 E96 42?5:52E6D DA6?5:?8 >@C6 E92? Sd`[___ 4@>3:?65 @? E96:C 3:5D 7@C @77:46]k^Am
kAm“x 5:5 ?@E E9:?< E96 DAC625 H@F=5 36 E9:D H:56] %96 G@E6CD >256 2 DE2E6>6?E[” q@?5 D2:5 @? 6=64E:@? ?:89E]k^Am
kAm!6EE:D r@F?EJ G@E6CD 2=D@ C6\6=64E65 (6DE6C? r@>>:DD:@?6C {2CCJ (:=D@? 2?5 t2DE6C? r@>>:DD:@?6C #@5 {:?56>2?? 3J ?2CC@H >2C8:?D :? }@G6>36C]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m$wt{%t#$k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmr@?DECF4E:@? 3682? @? E96 7:CDE @7 6:89E AC@A@D65 D96=E6CD E@ 36 3F:=E :? !6EE:D r@F?EJ] %96 A=2? >256 ?2E:@?2= 9625=:?6D 7@C 36:?8 E96 7:CDE :? E96 4@F?ECJ E@ C646:G6 ?2E:@?2= >:E:82E:@? 7F?5:?8 7@C DE@C> D96=E6CD]k^Am
kAm(@C<6CD 3C@<6 8C@F?5 @? E96 7:CDE D96=E6C :? {2 |@?E6 :? }@G6>36C[ 27E6C J62CD @7 AC6A2C2E:@?] t249 D96=E6C :D 6IA64E65 E@ 4@DE Sbc_[___[ H:E9 E96 DE2E6 2?5 7656C2= 7F?5:?8 4@G6C:?8 fd A6C46?E @7 E96 4@DED]k^Am
kAmx? ~4E@36C[ E96 A=2? >256 ?2E:@?2= 9625=:?6D H:E9 2? 2CE:4=6 :? &$p %@52J] %96 AC@A@D2= 5C6H 4C:E:4:D> 7C@> ~<=29@>2 t>6C86?4J |2?286>6?E s:C64E@C s2G:5 q2C?6D[ H9@ D2:5 E96 D96=E6CD 4@F=5 6?4@FC286 A6@A=6 E@ EC2G6= :? A@@C H62E96C 4@?5:E:@?D]k^Am
kAm“%96 A@:?E E92E 96 C2:D65[ H6 925 255C6DD65 :? @FC @A6C2E:?8 A=2?]]] p5G2?465 ?@E:7:42E:@? 2?5 86EE:?8 A6@A=6 E@ 4@>6 E@ E96 D:E6D H96? 2 DE@C> H2E49 :D :DDF65 H:== 36 E96 <6J E@ D2G:?8 =:G6D[” z29CD D2:5]k^Am
kAmz29CD AC2:D65 {2 |@?E6’D 677@CED E@ 4@?DECF4E 2 4@>>F?:EJ 46?E6C @? E@A @7 E96 D96=E6C E@ 6?4@FC286 A6@A=6 E@ E2<6 4@G6C[ 6G6? :? 2 D66>:?8=J D>2== DE@C>]k^Am
kAm%96 4@F?EJ H:== 2446AE 3:5D 7@C D96=E6C 4@?DECF4E:@? 2E D:E6D :? |2A=6H@@5 2?5 $>:E9E@? :? y2?F2CJ[ 2?5 E96 4@>>:DD:@? 6IA64ED E9C66 @7 E96 6:89E D96=E6CD H:== 36 4@>A=6E65 3J E96 6?5 @7 E96 J62C]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mr~&#%w~&$t #t}~'p%x~}$k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%96 !6EE:D r@F?EJ r@FCE9@FD6 H2D C6?@G2E65 E9C@F89 EH@ AC@;64ED 62C=:6C E9:D J62C]k^Am
kAm%96 7:CDE AC@;64E[ A2:5 7@C H:E9 4@F?EJ 7F?5D 2?5 4@>A=6E65 :? a__g[ :>AC@G65 2446DD 7@C A6@A=6 H:E9 5:D23:=:E:6D 3J C6A=24:?8 D:56H2=<D 2?5 A@C496D @? E96 62DE 2?5 H6DE D:56D @7 E96 4@FCE9@FD6]k^Am
kAm!6EE:D r@F?EJ 2=D@ 2446AE65 2 s6A2CE>6?E @7 }2EFC2= #6D@FC46D 8C2?E E@ 96=A H:E9 E96 >2:?E6?2?46 AC@;64E E9C@F89 E96 |:DD@FC: w6C:E286 !C@A6CE:6D !C@8C2>]k^Am
kAm“%96 w6C:E286 8C2?E :D 7@C E96 4@FCE9@FD6 6IE6C:@C 4=62?:?8 2?5 C6DE@C2E:@?[ EF4<\A@:?E:?8 2?5 4=62?:?8 ]]] 27E6C g_ J62CD @7 =:>:E65 @C ?@ 2EE6?E:@? E@ E96 6IE6C:@C @7 E96 3F:=5:?8[” z29CD D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 4@F?EJ H:== 36 C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C 23@FE Sae[___ @7 E96 Sge[___ E@E2= 4@DE @7 E96 AC@;64E] %96 >@?6J H:== 8@ E@H2C5 A2J:?8 7@C 4=62?:?8 E96 DE@?6[ EF4<\A@:?E:?8 D6G6C2= 2C62D 2?5 H2E6CAC@@7:?8 E96 D62=]k^Am
kAm%96 4@>>:DD:@? A=2?D E@ 368:? 2446AE:?8 3:5D 7@C E96 C64@?DECF4E:@? AC@;64E 62C=J :? a__h[ H:E9 H@C< 6IA64E65 E@ 368:? :? |2C49 @C pAC:=]k^Am
