Editor’s note: The following news analysis was submitted by award-winning journalist, author and public relations professional Brent Engel of Louisiana 

BOWLING GREEN—Susie Oberdahlhoff, Pike County clerk announced the her office of Pike County has successfully secured $10,000 in a nonprofit grant to fund safe and secure elections.

LOUISIANA—Kathy Smith was appointed mayor of Louisiana during a city council meeting Monday evening in City Hall.

Stark and Foster win their races

BOWLING GREEN—Two people, one from each of the two major political parties, were testing the electronic ballot boxes that will be used in the Nov. 4 election.

BOWLING GREEN—There’s a lot that goes into the office of assessor for Pike County, and Donna Prior said she’s learned all the ins and outs of the job during her five terms in office—and the 17 years before that—working in the county’s assessor’s office.

BOWLING GREEN—When she was younger, Tracy Riffle Foster said she was like a lot of young people in a small town—she was eager to get out and explore the world.

Health concerns cited as reason

BOWLING GREEN—As momentum gathers for the November elections, the Republicans and the Democrats are urging people to get out and vote.

Stark seeks re-election

BOWLING GREEN—The suit brought against the Pike County Clerk's office and three of the staff members was dismissed late Monday afternoon.

BOWLING GREEN—Once Jim Arico had been elected mayor, it became necessary for him to step down from his position on the Bowling Green Park Board to avoid a conflict of interest. Arico made the move during the Board of Aldermen meeting July 20.

BOWLING GREEN—With the primary election wrapping up yesterday, there were a slew of calls the last few weeks to the Pike County office about mail-in ballots versus absentee ballots.

BOWLING GREEN—Pike County residents flocked to the polls Tuesday to cast their votes in the August Primary Election. Local elections decided yesterday are listed below. These results are considered unofficial until finalized by the county clerk.

BOWLING GREEN—Four of the candidates running for the 40th District state representative position, were on hand to answer questions from the media and the audience during the first of a set of forums Wednesday.

Because of the concerns about the heat index topping 100 degrees on Sunday, the candidate forum has been moved to the third-floor courtroom in the Pike County Courthouse in Bowling Green. The address is 115 West Main Street, Bowling Green, Mo. 63334.

BOWLING GREEN—Pike County residents streamed to the polls Tuesday to make their voices heard by voting.

Pike County — and, it transpired, every other county in Missouri — turned out in a big way for former Vice-President Joe Biden in the state’s Tuesday, March 10 primary election.

LOUISIANA – Republicans of Pike County met Nov. 7 at Faith Baptist Church in Louisiana.  Paul Lewis led in prayer and Dan Turner led the Pledge of Allegiance.

LOUISIANA – A little more than 90 years ago, Louisiana, Pike County and well-wishers from around the country gathered to mark what was understood to be an epochal moment in the history of the town and the region: the bridging of the Mississippi by the Champ Clark Bridge.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Monday that public bodies in Pike County can get federal help to pay for the cost of their flood defenses and the damage left in flooding’s wake.

BOWLING GREEN – Champ Clark still has something to teach us — at least according to his great-grandson.

LOUISIANA – The director of Pike County’s recently launched unified emergency dispatch center reassured members of Louisiana City Council that sirens would not again fail to sound when needed in Louisiana, as they did as a tornado threatened on Friday, June 21.

LOUISIANA – A thin rivulet connected the pools of water on either side of Route 79 in south Louisiana Monday morning, Only a few weeks ago, the area between Noix Creek had been comprehensively swamped, leaving blocks of 79 inside the city limits underwater.