WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 2018 ■ VOLUME 2, NUMBER 42 ■ 12 PAGES ■ PRICE 75¢ www.MariesCountyAdvocate.com Rock work continues at Highway 42 bridge. See Sports Page 3. Vienna Sex offender to spend with stun gun $200,000 at Belle Fair on street faces class E upgrades felony charges BELLE— BY LAURA SCHIERMEIER The Maries ADVOCATE STAFF WRITER 70th Belle Fair County Sheriff’s [email protected] Office and Belle delivers fun for all Police Depart- VIENNA — Capital Paving was in ment arrested Vienna Monday — more than a month a known sex earlier than expected —­­ to put an asphalt The 70th Belle Fair filled the city park offender who overlay on six city streets.­­ with all ages last week. Wednesday was spotted at activites included the Little Mister City Clerk Sherry James said Capital the fairgrounds and Miss Contest, Toddler Contest, Paving of Jefferson City contacted the city Princess and Queen coronations. last Wednesday last Wednesday asking to move up the date The Belle Fair court (above, from left) night, the first for the company to do the work because of included; Gracelyn Scott, Payden night of the an- some other projects being moved around. Woodruff, Ashley Tegart, 2018 Queen Scott G. Birmingham nual Belle Fair, Clerk James said city workers were going Brooke Rohrer, 2018 Princess Samie and he has been door-to-door letting residents know about Chitwood, Gracie Backes, Mya Honse, charged with a felony. the work and to not park on the impacted Faith Gieck; in front Belle Mister Sheriff Chris Heitman said a local streets. Toodler Cav Zumwalt, Little Mister resident saw Scott G. Birmingham, 45, Capital Paving was chosen by the Vi- Barrett Zumwalt, Little Miss Raegan of Bland, at the Belle City Park and the enna City Council during the July meeting Krause, and Miss Toddler Violet Jones. resident knew he was not supposed to be A new event to the Belle Fair was when the council looked at two bids. there. Before the fair, Heitman had asked the Thursday night’s Greased Pig Pierce Asphalt LLC of Rolla, gave a total Contest. Children under the age of 18 people to put kids and safety first at the bid of $196,578 to apply tack and overlay ran through the mud attempting to fair and warned sex offenders to stay with two inches of BP-1 on the six street catch greased pigs. See more photos away. It is illegal for a sex offender to be sites noted in the bid specifications. from the Belle Fair on pages 6, 9, 10 within 500 feet of a park with playground Capital Paving of Jefferson City, sub- and 12. Watch the Maries County equipment and the Belle Fair is held at the mitted a total bid of $199,968.20 for a two Advocate’s Facebook page for Belle City Park. inch overlay of the six streets plus transition updates as more photo galleries are The resident reported seeing Birming- milling and preparation for asphalt. The posted to: https://wardenpublishing. ham to the sheriff. Heitman said at about total tonnage for the job was estimated by pixieset.com. 9 p.m., he saw Birmingham near the Capital Paving at 2,632 tons. children’s rides at the park. He was walk- The difference between the bids is ing from the direction of the playground See Vienna roads on Page 3 PHOTOS BY JACOB WARDEN equipment and was about 370 feet from the equipment where he was arrested by Deputy Bret Turnbough and taken to the Maries County Jail. Birmingham has been charged with the Child pornography suspect sees million dollar bond class E felony of sex offender physically present/loiter within 500 feet of a park with BELLE—The Maries County Sheriff’s electronics at a residence in Belle. A week- Sheriff’s Lt Scott John, after interviewing playground/pool/museum, first offense. Office reports that a Belle man was arrested long investigation by the sheriff’s office led to Hickman, forwarded a probable cause state- Birmingham had a stun gun in his on July 22 and he has been charged with three Hickman’s arrest on Sunday. Deputy Keegan ment to the to Prosecutor Schwartze who possession and the sheriff said he doesn’t felony sex crimes. Bonham arrested Hickman after receiving a charged Hickman. know why he would have this on his Jace C. Hickman, 37, of Belle, has been tip from a citizen who knew officers were Heitman said Hickman has a previous person, but he didn’t think it was good. charged by Maries County Prosecutor Terry looking for Hickman. conviction for sexual misconduct in 1999. Heitman said Birmingham is a reg- Schwartze with the class A felony of sexual During the investigation, 21 SD cards, “We would like to thank the citizens who istered sex offender out of Gasconade exploitation of a minor child, and two counts two smart phones, a tablet, various micro SD assisted in the investigation and apprehension County. Also, he was convicted of sexual of the class D felony of possession of child cards, and other electronics were confiscated of Hickman. Cases like these can be time con- misconduct or attempt involving a child pornography. Hickman is being held in the and are being held pending search warrant suming and difficult. This case is an example under 15, first offense in October 2012 Maries County Jail on a $1 million bond. applications and forensic examination. of my Sheriff’s Deputies working together in Taney County, and the same charge in Sheriff Chris Heitman said the depart- During the investigation, law enforce- with the public to bring someone to justice. December 2012 in Stone County. ment first took a report on July 12, 2018 of ment officers also located photographs that Thank you to everyone involved,” he said. See Birmingham on Page 5 Jace C. Hickman possible child pornography being present on appeared consistent with child pornography. County begins paying bills for the August Primary BY LAURA SCHIERMEIER in the parade for the last time as presiding commissioner. The ADVOCATE STAFF WRITER weather was a lot cooler than usual, which was good for everyone. [email protected] Schwartze said many people spoke to him and thanked him for his work as a county commissioner and it made him feel good. MARIES COUNTY — Maries County has budgeted $66,284 “I tried to do the best I could,” Schwartze said about his county to pay for the three elections here in 2018. Recently, the County commission work. Commission signed for payment of the first bills for the Aug. 7 Treasurer Rhonda Slone said she and Collector Jayne Williams Primary Election. The over $66,000 budgeted for 2018 is a lot and Coroner David Martin rode on the Belle Fair float entered more than was spent in 2017 when there was only one election by the Maries County Democratic Committee. John Clayton had in April. In 2017 Maries County spent $24,844 on one election. constitution books to hand out and others on the float include This year there are three elections. Jewel Hart, Nancy Ragan who walked along beside them, and County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers last week presented invoices some senator and representative candidates. for the ballots and precinct supplies totaling $11,219.36 from Schwartze was among ten presiding commissioners from rural Elkins-Swyers Company, Inc. of Springfield. The county clerk’s counties who met in one group in Governor Parson’s office in office has purchased election ballots from this company for Jefferson City. He said the governor was very nice and began many years. On the invoice, $3,047.80 is for ballots, $1,100 for by saying something such as “I can’t give you all the answers.” precinct supplies, $3,025 for ballot layout/coding, $3,040 for One of the commissioners talked about the large amount of election information preparation/complete election testing and conservation-owned land in his county, which is not taxable. The turnkey election management, and $750 for programming for conservation department does give counties some funding in lieu Fun at Vacation Bible School ICP/BMD audio files. of taxes, but it is about half the rate the real estate tax revenue Vacation Bible School attendees Claire Canuto (left), Larissa Rollins, Tyler There will be more primary election expenses as poll workers would be. Governor Parson said the authority was given to the Rowden and Delaney Schwartze laugh as they watch Kinsey Smith and Sophie have to be paid, polling sites rent, poll worker training mileage, conservation department when in the 1970s voters approved the Neubert pass the balloon from neck to neck while not using their hands. The and advertising. one-eighth cent sales tax for conservation. Schwartze said they Vienna United Methodist Church had good attendance for its Bible School. Presiding Commissioner Ray Schwartze said the Belle Fair PHOTO BY LAURA SCHIERMEIER See Commission news on Page 3 Parade was very good. He drove his International 504 tractor Candidates BCBA receives Belle objects to prepare for $1400 in redistribution primary donations of trail grant election See Page 7 See Page 5 See Page 5 “Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.” — PLATO MCA ■ WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 2018 ■ PAGE 2 A NEW ADVENTURE The only thing new in this world s a purveyor of the written word it is sentences in France, of which 2,639 were in Paris. speeches on campus by those they oppose. understandable that I love to read. After That’s an average of over 45 per day.