Supervisors discuss letter to Amish community, upcoming primary election

JEFFERSON COUNTY - The Jefferson County Board of Supervisors discussed sending a letter to leaders of the Amish community to talk about using steel wheels on a newly paved road near Lockridge.

The county has undertaken a major road renovation project this spring, one prong of which is repaving Vetch Boulevard near Lockridge and Four Corners. Members of the Amish community in the area are known to use steel wheels on their tractors and wagons, as well as modified horseshoes that provide better traction on pavement. The county is concerned that all of these things will damage the newly paved Vetch Boulevard, and wants to discuss solutions with the Amish about how to prolong the life of the road.

Supervisor chairman Daryn Hamilton said he has driven around the county to inspect the road projects, which began April 20, and said they are progressing nicely. Apart from Vetch Boulevard, other sections of road that are being paved include Packwood Road, Brookville Road, Germanville Road and Pleasant Plain Road, the last of which has seen markedly less traffic since Cambridge Investment Research began having its employees work from home.

'I do applaud [Cambridge] allowing them to work at off-site locations,” Hamilton said. 'That's reduced the traffic tremendously on Pleasant Plain Road on Mondays through Fridays.”

Primary election

In other news, Hamilton said the county courthouse will remain closed to the public until further notice. However, it will still host absentee voting for the June 2 primary election. Early voting at the courthouse will begin Monday, May 4. Hamilton said absentee voting by mail is a perfect alternative for those who want to have as little contact with the public as possible.

For those who wish to vote in person at the courthouse, there are a couple of ways to do that. First of all, the exterior doors to the courthouse are locked at all times, so you will need to call the auditor's office at 641-472-2840 when you are outside the building. For those who do not have a cellphone, they will need to schedule a time to vote so an employee can meet them at the door.

To participate in the June primary, you must be registered as either a Democrat or Republican, and you only receive the ballot that corresponds to your party.

The auditor's office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. It will be closed for Memorial Day, May 25. It will have extended hours, being open an extra 30 minutes until 5 p.m., on Friday, May 22 and Friday, May 29. It will also be open Saturday, May 30, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. On the primary Election Day itself, June 2, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Every active, registered voter will receive an absentee ballot request form in the mail, which the auditor's office began distributing April 29. The last day to request an absentee ballot is Friday, May 22.

Hamilton said the state has issued guidelines stating that the normal rules against gatherings of 10 people or more, and asking all people to be six feet apart, do not apply to polling places.