Meigs SWCD to Observe 78 Years, Annual Meeting and Banquet set for Oct. 5
Meigs SWCD to Observe 78 Years, Annual Meeting and Banquet set for Oct. 5
POMEROY—The Meigs Soil and Water Conservation District will observe its 78th birthday on Tuesday, Oct. 5 at the Kountry Resort Campground banquet hall during its annual meeting and banquet.
The meal begins at 7 p.m. with voting for supervisors starting at 6 p.m. Reservations are required by Friday September 24 at 4:30 p.m. Cost is $15 per person. For more information or to purchase tickets contact the Meigs SWCD, weekdays 8-4:30 p.m. at 740-992-4282.
The speaker will be Chris Gilkey, Wildlife Officer for Meigs County. Officer Gilkey will give an update on the Division of Wildlife’s canine program.
Eligible voters will choose two of three candidates for the Meigs SWCD Board of Supervisors. The candidates are as follows:
Joe Blackston
Blackston, Reedsville, along with his wife, Holly, and son, Ranger, owns and operates a cow/calf farm on 450 acres in Chester Township. He currently has a conservation plan and participates in the USDA-NRCS EQIP program and has installed fencing, a winter feed pad, waterline and tanks. He regularly practices no-till agriculture and frequently rents equipment from the Meigs SWCD. He is employed at NAPA and is a 2010 graduate of Meigs High School.
James “Tony” Carnahan
Carnahan, Syracuse, has served on the board since Jan. 1, 2016. He is the son of Nancy Carnahan and the late Jim Carnahan and is a lifelong resident of Meigs County. He spent his childhood on a dairy farm and during his youth was active in FFA and 4H. He worked in dairy until 1994 and is now involved in custom hay baling and corn farming. He is employed as a mechanic for Meigs Local Schools and is an active member of the Big Bend Farm Antiques Club, Athens-Meigs Farm Bureau, and River City Players.
Travis Mugrage
Mugrage, Long Bottom, aside from serving his country proudly for three years in the U.S. Army after graduating from Southern High School in 1995, Travis is a lifelong resident of Meigs County. He is the son of Peach and Chuck Mugrage of Racine. He has been married to his wife, Sammi Mugrage, for 24 years. They share two children: Avary, who is enrolled in the nursing program at Washington State Community College, and Bella, who is a Junior at Eastern High School. Travis was a locomotive engineer for Norfolk Southern Railroad for 23 years. He is currently running for Chester Township Trustee. Travis enjoys the outdoors, hunting, fishing, and helping his daughters with their 4-H market goats.
Residents or landowners, firms, and corporations that own land or occupy land in Meigs County and are 18 years of age or older may vote for supervisor.
There are three ways an eligible voter can cast a ballot: at the annual meeting, at the SWCD office until 3 p.m. on Oct. 5, or via absentee ballot by requesting an absentee ballot from the SWCD office at 113 E. Memorial Dr. Suite D, Pomeroy, OH 45769. Absentee ballots can be requested by calling 740-992-4282 or stopping in the office during office hours.
Supervisors serve staggered three-year terms. The winner will be announced the evening of the annual meeting and banquet.
The Meigs SWCD is a legal subdivision of state government that provides natural resource management assistance to county landowners and other units of local government. The district is funded by the Meigs County Board of Commissioners, and county funds are supplemented by funding from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. The district is governed by a five-member board of supervisors, all county residents. Current supervisors include Joe Bolin, Carnahan, Bill Baer, Keith Bentz, and Tonja Hunter.
