Man whose name still on ballot remains in jail

Even with nine seats on city councils listed on Tuesday’s election ballots in Cherokee County, only one contested race developed this spring. While that lone contested race did not develop in Baxter Springs, another question did. While Stan Pickering’s name remains the only one on the ballot for the 1st Ward council post, uncertainty now looms over him being able to serve even if he were to receive the most votes over a write-in candidate.

Social media changing political campaigns

The days of kissing babies and canvassing neighborhoods from door to door may have gone the way of the rotary-dial phone and “I Like Ike” campaign buttons. This is the era of social media, when Facebook, Twitter and other technology-based platforms are this era’s answer to the whistle-stop campaigns of yesteryear, but the goal remains the same.

Rep. White seeking means to speed up issuance of death certificates

State Rep. Bill White, R-Joplin, has introduced legislation that would require the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to develop an electronic death registration system and make its use mandatory. “We have an ongoing problem of taking a tremendous amount of time for families to get death certificates,” White said. “When you have a case that happens that a family does not get one, it creates lots of different problems.”