By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Former county commissioner Dianne Novak, challenging commission chairman David Mueller, made no bones about her stances on issues facing the county at a Republican candidate forum Sunday.

“I have concerns with where our economy is going right now,” Novak said.

Novak said the county spent too much money on an office building on US-56 at Marion’s north edge without doing enough research.

Peabody having no ambulance service also causes her concern, she said.

Novak is opposed to Sunflower Wind farm expanding toward Goessel and supports a resolution opposing a 30x30 conservation program in Marion County.

Lincolnville farmer Mike Beneke, also running for Mueller’s seat, said roads were the worst they have ever been. He’s had semi trucks get stuck on his road when trying to get to his farm.

When discussing ambulance service for Peabody, Beneke reminded listeners he was instrumental in getting an ambulance station in Marion.

Beneke said there were ways to boost efficiency at the transfer station and that the 30x30 program needed to be studied.

“This is my third time to run for commission,” Beneke said.

He quipped that he didn’t have to worry about term limits.

Peabody resident Clarke Dirks, who hopes to unseat longtime commissioner Randy Dallke, criticized the wind farm as subsidizing people in Arizona.

He was the first person to attend a commission meeting and talk about Sunflower Wind’s plan to expand. That was in October.

Other wind farm opponents have attended meetings but had little to say on the subject.Sunflower Wind has not approached the commission.

Dallke said an anti-30x30 resolution needed to be studied, and that people can farm around wind towers but he hates to see solar panels.

Sheriff

In the race for sheriff, challenger Travis Wilson said he led by example when he worked for the sheriff’s office from 2008 to 2022. He worked under Rob Craft, who died in February, 2022. He later became Peabody police chief, a post he recently resigned.

“I just want to see the sheriff’s office move toward the end goal that Sheriff Craft had,” Wilson said.

Incumbent Jeff Soyez said he was raised in the county. He listed other jobs he has held and noted that he returned when Craft died.

He participated in an emergency response leader board that meets to discuss things and plan for future emergencies.

He told the audience mental health treatment was something he’s pushing. The county pays $90,000 a year for Prairie View, but when the sheriff’s office called the mental health provider for a patient bed, he said, learned there was none.Soyez said he worked with Prairie View to upgrade service to the county.

Both Wilson and Soyez agreed the biggest problem facing the county is drugs.

Asked what changes would or have been made after events of the last year, including a raid on Marion County Record and two homes, Soyez said he didn’t see anything new changing.

His office lost several deputies after the raid. Soyez said he had all but one person replaced.

Register of deeds

In the race for register of deeds, Hannah Branson had difficulty addressing the large crowd and cut her five-minute speaking time short.

She had the knowledge to run the office and was excited for additional training.

Challenger Shelby Schroeder, who grew up in California and moved her family here in June 2022, said she had the relevant skills to do the job.

She has worked two years in the county appraiser’s office.

The skills she could bring to the register’s office are reading and writing legal descriptions, interpreting deeds, splitting and combining properties, and maintaining digital property records.