The primary election will be held this Tuesday, August 2, 2022. Susette Taylor, Atchison County Clerk, submitted the following information so you can be prepared as you go to the polls.

The primary election is the process for choosing a political party’s candidates in the general election. Missouri law limits each voter to one political party in the primary. Most states require that you register to vote by political party in order to participate in a primary election – that’s where the terms “Registered Democrat” and “Registered Republican” originate. In Missouri, you are not currently required to register to vote by party, but you can only choose the candidates for one political party at a primary election.

The section in Missouri law that requires you to choose a party or vote only on the issues is below – 115.397 RSMo.

Missouri has never required voters to register to vote by political party but has required voters to choose only one party in a primary since the establishment of primaries. No government record of your party selection is kept but the political parties are allowed to have volunteers collect lists of what ballot each voter chooses.

Political parties currently authorized to hold primaries in Missouri are Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, and Constitution.

There are no local or state issues on the August ballot, so there will not be a nonpartisan ballot.

NON PARTISAN BALLOT – 115.397. In each primary election, each voter shall be entitled to receive the ballot of one and only one political party, designated by the voter before receiving his ballot. Each voter who participates in a party primary shall be entitled to vote on all questions and for any nonpartisan candidates submitted by political subdivisions and special districts at the primary election. Each voter who does not wish to participate in a party primary may vote on all questions and for any nonpartisan candidates submitted by a political subdivision or special district at the primary election.

You may view the sample ballot in this edition of the Atchison County Mail or online at www.acmoelections.org. Please be prepared as you enter the polling location on August 2. You will be required to tell the judges what ballot style would like from the list above. The local Associate Judge race and the Circuit Clerk race will be on the Republican ballot.

Absentee voting is open. You can vote during regular business hours through August 1 and the county clerk’s office will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Saturday, July 30.

Once again, all precautions will be taken at the polling locations with shields and sanitizer. As a large turnout is expected, please remember to stay six feet apart in the polling location. Booths and tables will be sanitized regularly. Masks will not be required but feel free to wear one if you have an additional health risk for the additional safety of yourself and the judges, who so graciously serve our election process in Atchison County. Please thank them for their dedication as you go to the polls on August 2.

 

Voters will go to the polls Tuesday, August 2. There are two races in Atchison County: Circuit Clerk and Associate Circuit Judge. Tierra Stoner and Thyra (Davis) Beckman have filed for the Circuit Clerk office, and Sharleen Pritt-Bothwell and Brett Hurst have filed for the Associate Circuit Judge position. All four candidates are on the Republican ticket.

The candidates were asked to submit information about themselves and their experiences that would make them the best candidate for the position. The profiles are printed as submitted, in the order they were received.

CIRCUIT CLERK

Tierra Stoner

My name is Tierra Stoner, and I have been an employee/resident of Atchison County for over 14 years. My husband, Cory, is a 2001 graduate of Rockport who served five years in the Marines followed by four years in the National Guard. Cory has worked for Cooper Nuclear Station for 12 years. We have two daughters, Raelynn (8) and Remi (6), as well as my two sons, Domonic Evans (20) – a recent Rock Port graduate currently serving in the National Guard while pursuing his Computer Science Degree and working at Midwest Data, and Dakota Evans (16) – a junior at Rock Port active in FFA, Jays for Jesus, football, basketball, and track.

I’m proud of my husband and family’s respective accomplishments and contributions to our community. We’ve worked, operated local businesses, and supported our community in any way we could – spending many hours volunteering by coaching youth sports (soccer, wrestling, and t-ball) and assisting in various community organizations. We work to help Atchison County thrive, and I believe a well-functioning judicial system is an integral part of a thriving community.

Since 2012, I have been the legal assistant at Jones Law Office in Tarkio for which I have been working with the judicial systems in two states (MO & IA) and courts in over 12 counties.

My position involves drafting documents in a wide variety of civil matters such as real estate litigation, collection matters, family law, probate, guardianships & conservatorships that are electronically filed with the Clerk’s Office, monitoring the status of pending legal matters and court docket filings, coordinating service of process with County Sheriffs’ offices, communicating with clients, courts, legal counsel, and vendors, and assisting with real estate closings and estate planning. I supervise the office staff and ensure projects are handled properly while managing IT for all office technology, including multiple software programs and a proprietary elite cloud-based client/ office management system.

I have gained proficiency and knowledge in most aspects of the court system, including, but not limited to, Missouri Rules of Civil Procedure and the related Local Rules; the handling of sensitive documents; and ensuring that court procedures and processes are followed in accordance to state requirements. These are HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES that I have practiced daily for over 10 years and that I am confident in executing. These are skills that I can confidently use as your Circuit Clerk. I am confident that my familiarity with the multiple judicial systems and courts will allow me to start serving immediately. In addition to my experience in the legal field, I have a strong work ethic, am bluntly honest, act with integrity, assist people with compassion, and have the willingness and ability to learn and handle new areas quickly.

I believe that my experience and genuine ability to work for the people of the county separates me from the opposing candidate and allows me to say that I am the best candidate for this position. I appreciate your support and look forward to you filling in box 2 on August 2nd!

Thyra (Davis) Beckman

My name is Thyra (Davis) Beckman and I currently serve Atchison County as the Chief Deputy Clerk in the Circuit Clerk’s office. As a life-long resident of Atchison County and a RPHS graduate, I’ve also made this home to my family. Growing up and to this very day, my parents have been pillars in this community. I cherish what our communities stand for, and this position is no different. When anyone is in need, no matter the circumstances, we as a community step up and support one another. This is me wanting to step up and give back in a way others’ might not even think about, and one that I could not be more privileged to have the opportunity to do so! I am excited and proud to be running for the Circuit Clerk, because I truly love what I do! I took on the position as Chief Deputy Clerk from day one in this office, never as a secretary, as I love to help and serve the public. I’ve seen first-hand the challenges that come with this position, and they are one’s that I don’t take lightly. Whoever holds this position should regard it with the utmost importance, and this is the very reason I believe I am the best candidate for the position.

In order for the Circuit Clerk’s Office and the Circuit Court of Atchison County to function properly, the Circuit Clerk must have the knowledge and training necessary to run the Court and its programs. Only experience and training on the Court side of the legal system can give you the knowledge of the computer systems, programs and processes used in the Circuit Clerk’s office. I have that experience, knowledge and training. These processes are completely different from the e-filing processes of outside agencies. Please let me share with you a FEW of the programs and systems that are currently used daily to keep the office operating efficiently: JIS, SMC, MACSS, SMJ, Plead and Pay, Lotus Notes, FTR, Cognos, E-bench, OSCA Reports, CIC, our credit card programs, Law Library, ESS, WebEx, HR Connect and the program for month-end financials and bank reconciliations.

With an everchanging court system, one must also know the variety of case types and their own unique processes. Along with the vast knowledge it takes to learn all the above, you must also know the proper filing fees, court costs, fines, paperwork and docket codes associated to each case, and knowledge of court and jury trial schedules. When the new Circuit Clerk is sworn in, the Court must continue to operate at full speed. I am the only candidate with this experience, in the position to ensure that happens without pause in the same cohesive environment that we have already created and work in every single day.

I want to thank everyone in advance for their continued support and getting out there to vote. I look forward to continuing to serve Atchison County in the professional manner you all deserve!

ASSOCIATE CIRCUIT JUDGE

Sharleen Pritt-Bothwell

Why would I be the best candidate for Associate Circuit Judge?

I am the best candidate for Associate Circuit Judge. I have had a long, successful career as an attorney in Atchison County. I opened my office on Main Street in 1994 and have experience in a wide variety of cases, including, but not limited to; federal court bankruptcies, appeals, dissolutions of marriage, child custody and modifications, child paternity cases, probate cases involving both guardianships and conservatorships, landlord/tenant cases, will contests, preparation of property deeds, criminal prosecution and criminal defense. In the past I have served 3 terms (12 years) as Prosecuting Attorney in Atchison County. Additionally, for the last 8 years, I have served as the Attorney and Chief Juvenile Officer for the 4th Circuit, which includes the counties of Atchison, Holt, Nodaway, Worth and Gentry. In my capacity as Prosecutor and defense attorney, I gained trial experience in both bench trials (to the Judge), and in jury trials. I also gained much experience in dealing with the public and managing staff and budget. Those are skills I continue to use in the management of the Juvenile Office. Currently my home office is in Maryville and I oversee a staff of five.

I graduated from Tarkio College in 1988 and started law school at Creighton University School of Law in 1990, completing my degree in 1993. Most of my career has been spent in Atchison County.

I have raised my family in Atchison County. My sons attended school in Rock Port and lead successful/productive lives. My oldest, Damien, still lives in Rock Port and is self-employed in construction. My middle son, Derrick, is employed at KCP & L and lives in St. Joseph. My youngest, Dillon, currently serves in the Navy and is stationed in Japan. My actions impressed upon them the importance of working hard, being responsible and meeting goals. I attended law school when the first two were young and they can appreciate the hard work, effort, and financial sacrifice of achieving a dream.

I have worked hard at my profession and have always considered it an honor and a privilege to be an attorney and serve the public. I have given back by providing legal services for free/low costs in some cases. I have had the most satisfaction in my career in representing children and the elderly. In these cases I see people at their lowest, (which is true of most people involved in the court system) and am able to assist, one on one, in emphatically assisting the most vulnerable through some of the hardest situations of their lives. Currently I serve as Treasurer of the 4th Circuit Bar Association and volunteer frequently on a panel that trains foster parents. (Of which we need many additional foster parents in our circuit). As Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give”.

Brett Hurst

As a candidate for the Associate Circuit Judge for Atchison County, Missouri, I would like to start by thanking all of you for your support in my past endeavors. I believe that I am the most qualified candidate for the position, and kindly ask for your vote on August 2, 2022.

I was born in Fairfax, Missouri in 1981. Being raised on a farm northeast of Tarkio, I attended school at Tarkio High School, graduating in 2000. I then attended the University of Missouri-Columbia from 2000 to 2004, receiving my Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture Business Management. After graduating college, I took a year off and returned to the farm where I worked until heading to Lansing, Michigan to attend the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law in 2005. I graduated with my Juris Doctorate in 2008 and passed the Missouri Bar Exam in 2009. Upon passing the bar exam, I immediately opened my private law office in Tarkio in 2009.

During the last twelve years of practicing law, I have been involved in a variety of cases, including but not limited to, criminal defense, family law, real estate, wills and trusts, probate administration and adoptions. I briefly owned two title insurance companies and have acted as attorney for numerous minors in abuse and neglect cases. I proudly served as Prosecuting Attorney for this County from 2015 until March of 2022. I have been on both sides of all these cases, both prosecuting and defending.

Living in a small rural community such as Atchison County, it is important that the Associate Circuit Judge know not only the people involved, but also have experience in the areas covered by this Court. In Atchison County, the Associate Circuit Judge is charged with handling all small claims cases, traffic, misdemeanor criminal cases, all family law cases and several other matters. As I have been intimately involved in each of these areas of the law, I believe I have the experience necessary to act as the Associate Circuit Judge.

While this experience is important, what makes me the best candidate is the experience I have gained since being appointed by Governor Mike Parson to fill the vacant Associate Circuit Court position. After closing out my private office and resigning as the Prosecuting Attorney, I was sworn in and took office on March 16, 2022, and have been serving since that date. It is this experience that I think sets me apart and makes me the best candidate for the job.

Again, I would truly like to thank you all for your past support and ask that you continue that support and vote for me as the Associate Circuit Judge on August 2, 2022. Thank you all.