oddly enough

oddly enough

No votes cast in small-town Iowa school board race

MCINTIRE, Iowa

An Iowa farmer who was running unopposed for his local school board failed to earn any votes – not even his own – but he’ll probably still get the job.

Randy Richardson, 42, didn’t find time to vote for himself between his full-time maintenance job at a bean-processing plant in Riceville and his chores on his farm near McIntire, The Des Moines Register reported.

Richardson was recruited to run by school staff, and though he said he’s “run paper- thin the way it is,” he agreed because he has two kids in the district.

Neighbor Jessie Miller said there wasn’t any key issue to drive her to vote in the school board race.

“I would’ve voted for him!” she said. “He’s an awesome guy.”

Riceville is a farming community of about 500 residents near the Minnesota state line.

The school board district Richardson was running for also is home to a number of Amish and Mennonite farmers who typically don’t vote.

There are only 122 registered voters who could have voted for Richardson. Across the entire school district, only 36 people voted in the Sept. 8 election.

School board president Karl Fox, who also farms, said the timing of last week’s vote was unfortunate because it’s a busy time of year for fieldwork.

Fox said farmers have a hard time sacrificing a day of nice weather at this time of year, and many people in the area have to drive 50 miles or more to get to work each day.

“It’s hard to get the general public to remember when to vote for president,” Fox said.

But Richardson likely will still get the job on the Riceville School Board because the board probably will appoint him to fill the seat he was running for, Fox said.

Police: Robber tells pizza clerk he’s having a ‘bad day’

HIBBS, Pa.

Police are searching for a shotgun-wielding robber who told a Pennsylvania pizza- shop clerk he was having a “bad day.”

State police say the man entered Fox’s Pizza in Hibbs about 8:15 p.m. Friday carrying the gun and a camouflage bag.

Police say the man demanded cash and told the clerk she wasn’t moving fast enough and had 10 seconds before he grabbed the money and ran away.

The clerk wasn’t hurt. The robber wore a camouflage jacket, pants, mask and black gloves.

The shop is in German Township, Fayette County. That’s about 40 miles south of Pittsburgh.

Associated Press