Election Q&A: Drury challenged by Juden, Wheetley in Scott County sheriff’s race

BENTON, Mo. — Scott County voters will decide their sheriff’s race in the Tuesday, Aug. 6 Primary Election as there are only Republican candidates running for the office.

On the Republican ballot, voters will choose between incumbent Wes Drury of Kelso, Missouri, and challengers Hunter Juden of Morley, Missouri, and Derick Wheetley of Sikeston, Missouri. There are no Democratic candidates.

To help voters get to know the candidates, the Standard Democrat has compiled information in a question-and-answer format with them. The following responses are from Drury, Juden and Wheetley.

Background:

Wes Drury

Drury: I grew up in Kelso and still reside there. Since 1980, I’ve been involved in various roles throughout the county: serving as EMT for North Scott County Ambulance, a fire fighter and arson investigator at the Scott City Fire Department. Over the past four decades, my contributions have extended to roles such as reserve deputy, road deputy, jail administrator, investigator for the prosecuting attorney and sheriff. My wife, Connie, and I are proud parents of four children and grandparents to six grandchildren with another grandchild on the way, all residing in Kelso. Additionally, I am a member of the Scott City Knights of Columbus.

Hunter Juden

Juden: I was born and raised in Sikeston to Drew and Debbie Juden. I graduated from Sikeston High School and later attended the SEMO Law Enforcement Academy. While in high school, I attended the criminal justice program and during the summer the Missouri State Highway Patrol Cadet Academy. I was a deputy sheriff at Scott County where I was also the K-9 handler for K-9 Rex. During my time at Scott County as a deputy, I was also a fugitive task force officer with the United States Marshal Service. I’m currently the police chief of Morley, the vice president of the Scott County Central School Board and the president of Morley Oaks. I am also currently working as a patrolman for the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

Derick Wheetley

Wheetley: I’m a lifelong resident of Scott County. I grew up in Benton and graduated from Kelly High School in 2002, playing many sports and other school activities. I grew up in local politics as my great-grandfather was John Dennis, who served as Scott County sheriff and Missouri senator. I’ve been married for 18 years and have three children. My oldest son serves full-time in the Army National Guard, and my youngest two children attend Sikeston High School. I’m an avid traveler; I’ve visited 39 countries. I love learning about different cultures, and I am an avid recreational scuba diver.

What do you think the biggest issue the sheriff is likely to face during your term if elected?

Drury: Due to retirements and a lack of recruits, we need to attract new jailers, deputies and dispatchers for our community. Our county offers some of the lowest salaries in Southeast Missouri, compounded by challenges like the COVID pandemic. During COVID, despite shutdowns, crime persisted, filling our jail to capacity while dealing with sick staff and minimal crews. Surviving these trials proves our resilience, and with citizen and county administration support, we can enhance law enforcement staffing and services.

Juden: If I am elected sheriff of Scott County, one of the many issues I will be facing is fixing and improving the current jail facilities and ensuring the security of the facility as a whole. Another is working on grant funding, as I have already been successful with currently in Morley, so that less taxes have to be placed onto the public. Lastly, arguably the most important issue to face, will be increasing the amount of patrol deputies on the roads, along with increasing their pay.

Wheetley: The biggest issue I believe is going to be getting the trust of the citizens of Scott County and keeping their trust. This will be achieved by hard work, dedication and being transparent. Our county deserves safe neighborhoods, follow-up on cases and the Sheriff’s Office’s full dedication to every case. The second biggest issue will be getting wages and benefits competitive with surrounding agencies. This is important to help retain employees and keep adequate staffing levels. By maintaining employees, we will cut future costs on training new employees often.

What issues do you think are the most important to the county?

Drury: It is essential for every elected official to collaborate effectively for the welfare of Scott County residents. Our children and elderly are particularly vulnerable, often targeted by predators. Our county must prioritize efforts to safeguard children from predators, including those engaged in human trafficking. Similarly, measures need to be taken to shield the elderly from individuals and scams that threaten their financial security and well being.

Juden:The issues I believe are important to the county are the safety of our children, feeling safe and secure within our neighborhoods and homes and protecting and upholding the constitution in this ever-changing world.

Wheetley: Like the last question, I believe, after spending months talking to countless citizens of the county, one of the biggest issues is trust in the Sheriff’s Office along with following up with cases and timely responses to calls of service. I will hold all employees to a high standard to ensure we serve everyone to the best of our abilities. Another topic brought to my attention a lot is the amount of illegal dumping and littering throughout the county. We will ensure all calls will be handled and investigated.

If elected, what are your goals?

Drury: If elected for my final term, I aim to restore essential services that Scott County Sheriff’s Office has lost due to recent budget constraints. My priorities include reinstating and fully supporting the K-9 program under the exclusive management of our department, meeting high demand from school administrators for detecting illegal substances. Additionally, the K-9 unit plays a crucial role in drug detection within our jail facilities. I also intend to enhance deputy involvement in state and federal task forces, fostering stronger collaborative efforts. It’s crucial to ensure our resources align with community needs, reinforcing the commitment to safety and effective law enforcement across Scott County.

Juden: If elected, my goals are to put a school resource officer in every school in the county, increase the amount of patrol deputies, increase the amount of home visits completed on sex offenders to ensure compliance with their conditions and work toward cleaning up our county roads by having low-risk offender county inmates cleaning trash off of our roadways and ditches.

Wheetley: Bring a balanced, effective and community-focused law enforcement effort back to Scott County; display leadership and vision in a way that ensures public trust; build safe neighborhoods and strong communities with integrity and a service mindset; use tactics and respectful communication to effectively improve and secure public safety; improve the safety of the jail for workers and inmates; address crimes such as agricultural thefts and drug use/manufacturing that occur off main roads in the county; more follow-ups and being more transparent with county citizens; work with commissioners to set a budget that improves the salaries and benefits of employees.

Why should the voters pick you (experience or other)?

Drury: Throughout my 40 years in emergency services, Scott County has faced floods, a pandemic and other significant challenges. Situated on the active New Madrid Fault Line, which experiences approximately 200 earthquakes annually, our area spans 120 miles south from Charleston, Missouri, crossing multiple state lines and two major rivers. It’s imperative that Scott County is led by officials and leadership capable of cohesive collaboration to ensure our community preparedness and needs are effectively addressed. With my experience in EMS, fire and law enforcement, coupled with my leadership background, I am the candidate for the job. Furthermore, our county operates a jail where ensuring proper treatment of inmates demands expertise and dedication. Managing the jail presents distinct challenges necessitating a sheriff who ensures safety by understanding the court system, meeting regulatory standards and maintaining effective working relationships with county judges. With my background as a jailer, jail administrator and a sheriff, I am the only candidate that possesses the qualifications to meet the needs of our community, inmates and detention facilities effectively. On Aug. 6, I humbly would appreciate your vote and support for one last term in serving the Scott County citizens as your sheriff.

Juden: Voters should choose me on Aug. 6 because, while I’m the youngest candidate, I possess the knowledge and experiences to lead this county into a better future. I plan to lead the sheriff’s department by being physically involved in every aspect the role will demand, not by making decisions from an office. I believe in building a strong relationship with the community we serve, where the citizens can have trust in the decisions being made. This county is ever-changing and I believe I am the only sheriff candidate that will put the need of the county above all else and get the job done. Thank you and God bless.

Wheetley: I have 21 years' experience in law enforcement: the first two years with the Scott County Sheriff’s Office and the last 19 years with Sikeston Department of Public Safety. While at Sikeston, I worked as an officer, a sergeant for nine years, lieutenant for three years and have been a captain since 2020. I have experience in preparation and oversight of a multimillion-dollar budget and have overseen a division of 20-plus people. I have led the rescue team as part of the Homeland Security Response Team for this region and served as coordinator of Region E Fire Mutual Aid. During the COVID pandemic, I was tasked with coordinating with Jefferson City, Missouri, and getting personal protective equipment to all police and fire agencies in Region E, which consists of 13 counties. I have also been involved in securing numerous grants for Sikeston DPS along with Region E and the Homeland Security Response Team. I am not one to hype myself up so I will let my past work history and actions speak for themselves. I encourage everyone to look into all candidates’ experience and work history to properly educate yourselves about us all.

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6.