Pettis County Presiding Commissioner John Meehan led a collective and emotional goodbye to departing county officers on Friday at the courthouse.
“This is a great occasion, but also a sad one,” Meehan said as former and current county officials, employees and members of the public filled the third floor courtroom to honor western commissioner Larry Wilson, eastern commissioner Rod Lindemann, treasurer Jane Kelley — who are all retiring from office effective Monday — and former assessor and now District 51 state representative-elect Dean Dohrman.
kAm|6692? E92?<65 E96 7@FC 4@F?EJ @77:46CD 7@C E96:C 92C5 H@C< 2?5 565:42E:@? E@ E96 4@F?EJ 367@C6 AC6D6?E:?8 6249 H:E9 92?5\5C2H? A@CEC2:ED 3J $652=:2 2CE:DE {:?52 w@@G6C 2?5 A6CD@?2= 8:7ED 7C@> 76==@H @77:46C 2?5 4@F?EJ 6>A=@J66D]k^Am
kAm%96 A2CEJ H2D E96 =2E6DE EFC? @7 2 H9:C=H:?5 7@C s@9C>2?[ H9@ C6D:8?65 9:D A@DE s64] a`[ 2?5 9:D DF446DD@C[ 2DD6DD@C\6=64E z2C:DD2 {@82?] s@9C>2? H:== 36 DH@C? :? 2D 2 >6>36C @7 E96 |:DD@FC: v6?6C2= pDD6>3=J @? y2?] h[ 2?5 {@82? H:== 36 DH@C? :? |@?52J[ 7:==:?8 @FE E96 C6>2:?56C @7 s@9C>2?’D E6C> 27E6C 2 %9FCD52J 2AA@:?E>6?E 3J v@G] y2J }:I@?]k^Am
kAm{@82?’D 7:CDE 7F== E6C> 2D 2DD6DD@C H:== 368:? $6AE] `]k^Am
kAm“s62? 92D 5@?6 2 8C62E ;@3 :? E92E 42A24:EJ W2D 2DD6DD@CX 2?5 x’> DFC6 96 H:== D6CG6 E96 4@F?EJ H6== :? y6776CD@? r:EJ[” |6692? D2:5 @7 s@9C>2?]k^Am
kAms@9C>2? E92?<65 4@F?EJ C6D:56?ED 7@C “E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 36 !6EE:D r@F?EJ pDD6DD@C” 2?5 “7@C E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ >@G6 @? E@ y6776CD@? r:EJ]”k^Am
kAmu:CDE 2AA@:?E65 E@ E96 A@D:E:@? :? a__d[ s@9C>2? E@=5 E96 s6>@4C2E E96 2DD6DD@C’D @77:46 H62E96C65 2 E@F89 C62DD6DD>6?E AC@46DD E92E 5@G6E2:=65 H:E9 E96 64@?@>:4 4@==2AD6 :? a__g[ 3FE 76=E E649?@=@8:42= FA8C256D E@ E96 @77:46 92D 4C62E65 “2 >@C6 677:4:6?E 2?5 72:C 2DD6DD>6?E DJDE6>]”k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 :D =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ E96 FA4@>:?8 D6DD:@? @7 E96 v6?6C2= pDD6>3=J[ H96C6 96 H:== D6CG6 2D 2 7C6D9>2? @? E96 w@FD6 @7 #6AC6D6?E2E:G6D t5F42E:@? pAAC@AC:2E:@?D 4@>>:EE66] w6 D2:5 96 6IA64ED E96 >2;@C:EJ @7 E96 D6DD:@? H:== 36 DA6?E 562=:?8 H:E9 3F586E :DDF6D DF49 2D 65F42E:@? 7F?5:?8[ 2D H6== 2D “6IA2?D:@?D @C 25;FDE>6?ED E@ |65:42:5]”k^Am
kAm{@82? E92?<65 s@9C>2? 7@C “8:G:?8 >6 2 ;@3 H96? x 8@E @FE @7 4@==686 2?5 2=H2JD 6?4@FC28:?8 >6 E@ 492==6?86 >JD6=7]”k^Am
kAm“s62? H2D 8C62E E@ H@C< H:E9 2?5 :D G6CJ <?@H=658623=6 2?5 92D 366? G6CJ 96=A7F= E9C@F89 E96 EC2?D:E:@?[” {@82? D2:5]k^Am
kAm{@@<:?8 29625 7@C 96C ?6H @77:46[ {@82? D2:5 D96 H2?ED E@ 7@4FD @? E9:D J62C’D 4@>AC696?D:G6 C6D:56?E:2=[ 4@>>6C4:2= 2?5 28C:4F=EFC2= AC@A6CEJ 2DD6DD>6?E[ ?@H F?56CH2J[ 2D H6== 2D 7F=7:==:?8 2 42>A2:8? A=6586 E@ FD6 E96 4@F?EJ’D H63D:E6 E@ <66A C6D:56?ED FA E@ 52E6 @? E96 2DD6DD>6?E AC@46DD]k^Am
kAm“xE :D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 3FDJ J62C[” {@82? D2:5]k^Am
kAm{@82? H:== 36 ;@:?65 3J 62DE6C? 4@>>:DD:@?6C\6=64E qC6?E w2>AJ[ H6DE6C? 4@>>:DD:@?6C\6=64E y:> |2C4F>[ 2?5 EC62DFC6C\6=64E z:> {J?6 :? 2 AF3=:4 DH62C:?8 :? 46C6>@?J A=2??65 7@C `_ 2]>] |@?52J :? E96 !6EE:D r@F?EJ r=6C<’D @77:46]k^Am