Elected Officials take oath Dec.

30
Greener pastures for
O
McLaughlin Western
ne of the best kept secrets
of all time is McLaughlin West-
ern located just outside of Paris
nestled in the heart of Monroe
County. The sparkling boutique
has now closed after more than
35 years in business. Adding on
to their store four times over the
Left to right: Jim Reinhard, Marguerite Jones, J. David years, Julann and Mike made
Hoffman, Ron Staggs, Mike Whelan western wear a way life.
The official Swearing In Cer- and newly elected Ron Staggs For now, though, they’re
emony for the 2017 Monroe for Western District Commis- shutting the doors of their west-
County Elected Officials took sioner. ern storefront, but they are not
place Friday, Dec. 30. Those Each official received the out to pasture just yet. Their
that were sworn in were Incum- highest total votes for the of- bread and butter, so to speak,
bent Marguerite Jones for Public fices in the November General
comes from shows they fre-
Administrator, Incumbent Jim Election. These sworn elected
Reinhard for Coroner, Incum- officials took on the office as of quent, up to 20 shows through-
bent J. David Hoffman for Sher- January 1. out the Midwest in a year. Julann and Mike McLaughlin of Paris have closed the
iff. Incumbent Mike Whelan for doors of their western store, however are not slowing
Eastern District Commissioner, Continued on page 5 Continued on page 10 down anytime soon.

Hometown Volunteer Pig Govenor Greitens Chinn

produces like market hog
Left to right: Susan Guyer
of Hometown Volunteers;
Jodie Clarkson, Tammy
and Ziggy Latiffoski of
Monroe City Family Res-
taurant; “Weinger” the
pig; Keith Mersman; Rog-
er Guyer of Hometown
Volunteers
Keith Mersman, of Hun-
newell, owns a ceramic pig.
Actually he owns several. The
pig its home at Monroe City
Family Restaurant early in the
holiday season.
Continued on page 4
to make stop
in Hannibal on
Thank You Tour
Just a few days away from
the Gubernatorial inaugura-
tion, Missouri will soon have
a Navy SEAL and an outsid-
er as governor. Eric Greitens
is hard at work preparing to
change politics as usual and
shake up the status quo. In
the days leading up to the
inauguration, he’ll be travel-
ing the state on a Thank You
Tour, meeting with support-
ers and discussing his plan to
fight for Missourians.  Join
the governor-elect as he be-
gins to take Missouri in a
new direction.
On January 3, his tour
brings him to Kirksville,
where he will make his first
stop at Truman State Univer-
sity Union at 10 a.m. and on
to St. Joseph at 1:30 p.m. he
visits Missouri Western Uni-
versity and later he will make
his way to Kansas City’s Ga-
rozzo’s Ristorante on Haris
Street.
Continued on page 7
appointed
Director of
Agriculture
F armers and ranchers are
the backbone of Missouri. Ev-
ery day, men and women across
the state wake up before dawn
and do hard work to make qual-
ity, affordable food for our fam-
ilies. 
Eric Greitens is proud to
welcome an outsider and a
champion for agriculture to his Chris Chinn
team. He has selected Chris advocate.
Chinn has become a voice
Chinn as the next Director of
for Missouri farmers, and she
the Missouri Department of
has repeatedly stood up to
Agriculture.  Chris is a fighter
who cares deeply about our critics and activists. She writes
farmers because she is one. and speaks around the state and
She’s fought hard for her family country about what a farm can
farm and for the tradition it do when it is run with care.
represents. Now, she’s ready to Her words and actions have
fight for you.  been widely recognized. In
Chris and her husband are 2013, she was selected by the
fifth-generation farmers. They U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Al-
raise hogs, cattle, corn, soy- liance as one of their Faces of
beans, and hay on their farm in Farming & Ranching, an honor
Northeast Missouri. It’s tough given to just four outstanding
enough to run a successful farm, farmers in the country.
which the Chinns do, but Chris
is also a leading agriculture Continued on page 6

Subscribe today Save money Your Insert Headquarters:

Inside this edition
(573) 735-3300
For inserts online www.lakegazette.net
Call today for your username & password.