BY KYLE TROUTMAN ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com
9 questions to be asked at event in Cassville Friday
Voters seeking more information on Barry County sheriff candidates will have the opportunity to hear from three first-hand on Friday at the Barry County Sheriff Candidate Forum.
The free-to-attend event, set for 7 p.m. Friday at the Cassville FEMA Event Center, will feature the three active Republican candidates for Barry County sheriff running in the Aug. 6 Primary Election. The forum, hosted by the Cassville Democrat, should last about 60-75 minutes. It will also be livestreamed on the Cassville Democrat Facebook page.
Participants, in order of filing, include Randy Kalbaugh, current Stone County deputy; James Morgan, current captain of criminal investigations division at the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office; and Danny Boyd, current sheriff.
Mike McGuire, Cassville police officer, has suspended his campaign. As the withdraw deadline has passed, McGuire will appear on the ballot, but is not actively campaigning and is not participating in the forum.
This event is hosted by the Cassville Democrat and will be moderated by Denna Clymer, Social Science division chair at Crowder College.
A meeting with the forum participants was held Wednesday, with two candidates attending in person and the third by phone.
When the event begins on Friday, host Kyle Troutman will deliver an introduction to reiterate the format and rules agreed upon Wednesday.
Each candidate will have 2 minutes for an opening statement, then candidates will answer nine questions, with the first to answer rotating clockwise so each candidate answers three questions first.
Candidates have 90 seconds to answer each question, and a time keeper will display signs to indicate when 30 seconds remain and when time has expired.
Rebuttals will be at the discretion of Dr. Clymer and may be up to 30 seconds long.
After the nine questions, candidates have 1 minute each to make closing statements.
Questions were developed by Troutman and Clymer, and the candidates were not given any questions beforehand.
The candidates may refer to limited notes and take notes during the event. A bottle of water, notepad and pen will be provided to each candidate.
They may not use any visual props or campaign materials and are not allowed to use any devices during the forum, nor may they have contact with anyone other than the moderator and time keeper.
Candidates are also not allowed to interrupt one another, but may signal for a rebuttal if they believe one is deserved.
The audience is asked to show their support with applause twice during the event: first, when each candidate is introduced by the host, and second, after all three candidates have completed their closing statements.
No noisemakers or campaign materials (excluding T-shirts and hats) may be displayed by attendees during the forum, and any hecklers or disruptors will be asked to leave and escorted out by the Cassville Police Department.
Special thanks go to the Cassville School District, Element 79 and The Rib for assistance with facilities and setup.
