Bartosh Wins Incumbent Bid.

Incumbent Presiding Jasper County Commissioner John Bartosh won just under 44% of the Republican vote to be nominated to face Independent T.J. Teed in the general election in November. Teed has announced he will have a news conference tomorrow at the Carthage Courthouse to officially announce his entry in the race for Presiding County Commissioner.

Challengers David Troyer (2,992), Jeff Hammons (2,267) and James Pendergraft (2,227) trailed Bartosh throughout the evening and could not overcome his strong 5,874 vote finish.

Republican Clerk of the Circuit Court Linda Williams retained her title against challenger Melissa Holcomb by a slim margin of 7,005 to 6,330 and is so far unopposed for the November election.

Proposition C won overwhelming support in Jasper County with 81.52 per cent of the voters voting for the measure. As of late last night, statewide, the measure was ahead with a little over 75% of voters voting against the federal health care mandate.

I’m sure it’s not like the "Good ole’ days", but it’s always enjoyable to show up at the courthouse for election night. You can almost smell the cigar smoke of yesteryear lingering in the halls of the "hall of justice."

These days it’s a pretty calm experience. At least for those of us just observing. The few candidates that actually show up do show a little tension from time to time, but they aren’t typically there if they don’t have a comfortable lead.

Most likely they have "spotters", reportin’ by cell phone the numbers as they come in. ‘Course with tv coverage, most likely they hear the new ‘bout as fast sittin’ in their favorite chair at home. It’s still more fun to see it live.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

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Weekly Columns

HERE’S A TIP

By JoAnn Derson

• "If you are facing a dusty bookshelf and don’t want to just spread dust around, try this handy hint: Cover your vacuum cleaner hose with a leg of pantyhose, and vac the dust right off the shelves. You can stir it up with a feather duster, or get right on the books or shelf. The hose will let air and dust through, but won’t suck up any small items on the shelf." -- R.F. in Pennsylvania

• "I love to clip coupons, which I take to the store in a reusable plastic envelope. To remember to use the coupons, when I get to the store, I take out my debit card and put it in the envelope with the coupons. This way, I can’t pay without being reminded to whip out those little money-savers!" -- Y.L. in South Carolina

• If you need to truss a chicken or turkey, just use dental floss. Make sure it’s not flavored, though. Unless you like that kind of thing.

• "Get a wonderful shine to your hair by rinsing it with cool water and vinegar. Don’t worry about the smell; it goes away quickly, leaving your tresses shiny and lustrous. I do this once a week and get comments on my hair all the time." -- D.E. in Massachusetts

• If you have mineral deposits in a narrow-neck vase, try using a denture-cleaning tablet. Add a small amount of water to the vase (enough to cover the deposits), then drop in the tablet, breaking it up as needed. Let it sit overnight and rinse well.