Tim Walker
AMR Reporter
Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Chealsea Faulknier delivered that entity’s 2025-2026 Annual Report to the Pocahontas County Commission at its September 15 meeting. She said that the annual Hotel Occupancy Tax Revenue for the last year set a record of $2.7 million, and that the CVB was re-accredited in 2025.
Faulknier also reported that there were 63,000 visits to the Visitor Centers and 450,000 visits to the CVB website. Some other achievements included distribution of 82,000 visitor guides and they increased their collaboration with local groups such as SHARC, the Broadband Council and Nature’s Mountain Classroom. The CVB also remains involved with trail maintenance, the promotion of our heritage and culture, and working with tourism business partners.
In other matters, new Solid Waste Authority Board member Nancy Harris spoke during Public Input, claiming that County Clerk Missy Bennett abused her position as County Clerk by claiming to be speaking as a private citizen at a Special SWA meeting, while actually speaking as the County Clerk. Harris went on to allege that Bennett said that she had learned that an applicant for one of the SWA Secretary positions had been told by Nancy Harris to not come in for an interview for that job since she doesn’t have a college degree or enough experience. Harris claimed that was an untruth told by Bennett. Harris explained she had just advised the applicant that while she was welcome to appear for the interview, it might not be worth her missing work for it because they had many better-qualified applicants, some with college degrees.
Bennett responded to Harris’s allegations, saying that while she probably should not have brought up that job applicant at the SWA meeting, she had been careful to not use the applicant’s name. She said she had mentioned it out of concern that Harris might be denying interviews to applicants simply because they don’t have college degrees or a lot of experience. Bennett acknowledged that may have been a misunderstanding of what she had been told.
Bennett also said her knowledge and experience as a 31-year county employee is an inseparable part of her personality, so she regrets saying at that SWA meeting that she was only speaking as a private citizen. She emphasized that she said at that meeting that her remarks did not represent County Commission opinions.
Brie Rexrode spoke next and announced that she was the job applicant to whom Bennett and Harris were referring. Rexrode said she had contacted Lisa, who is a friend and an employee of the County Clerk’s Office, to inquire about the status of her job application for a position in the County Clerk’s Office. When Lisa mentioned there was also a job opening at Solid Waste, she told Lisa she had already applied for that but had been advised by Harris that since there were a lot of more qualified and experienced applicants than her, she might be wasting her time and needlessly missing work at her present job if she came in for an interview. But, Rexrode added that Harris had also made it clear that she could come in for the interview if she wanted to. Rexrode added Lisa may have misunderstood her and thought she had been denied an opportunity to be interviewed, explaining: “I did say things which would make it seem that was what I was saying…”
Rexrode also said she did not come to the commission meeting to attack Bennett, Lisa or anyone else, and only wanted to set the record straight about what was said about her at a public meeting.
Commission President John Rebinski said he was happy that this situation between Rexrode and Bennett seems to have worked itself out amicably. However, he went on to accuse Harris of having continually posted false information and lies on her Facebook page about the commission being in control of the SWA. Harris responded and blamed that on state agencies giving her incorrect information.
Commissioner Thane Ryder also spoke up, saying:
“I have been ridiculed and slandered on Facebook by a person that is now a public official, and that’s Ms. Nancy Harris,” Ryder said… “It was an eye-opening experience for me, as the newest County Commissioner to see what people would just pile on a Facebook page and do, whether they really believed it’s the truth and spread it or not. And once it hits that setting, you can’t stop it, it just rolls and rolls… You’re just making yourself look small when you have to attack people that way.”
Also, at the meeting the commissioners:
• awarded a bid from Mid-State Chevrolet for the purchase a full-sized police Tahoe pursuit vehicle for the Sheriff’s Office at a cost of $58,814.76. Mid-State was the only bidder.
• received an update on the Broadband Project from Amanda Smarr, who said construction should be finished in several weeks, and customers can start receiving service in January or February.
• approved Resolution #5 for the PMH Wastewater Project at a cost of $22,393.75 to pay invoices.
• approved payment of 2,697,73 for invoices for Resolution for the EPA Tannery Project.
• approved the 911 Center to hire Jared Lee Paul as a probationary Part-Time Dispatcher at $14 per hour.
• approved the election Officials for the November Elections, and the County Clerk’s Financial Statement and Vender List.
• approved for Animal Control to hire Kerry Joe Branch as a part-time employee at $12 per hour.
• appointed Janet Kershner-Vanover and Todd Wright to the Fire Board.
