Our opinion: Thankful for officials' service

January is a time of new beginnings, and a beginning often follows an ending. Such was the case for a number of area public servants as 2024 marked the end, or at least the end of one chapter, of their careers.

Among them:

• 32nd Circuit Court Judge Benjamin Lewis. He retired after two decades on the bench. Lewis adjudicated cases across the legal spectrum, from a serial killer to multi-million-dollar lawsuits. During the course of his judgeship, the system evolved on issues such as pre-trial detention, sentencing and funding, he recently told the Southeast Missourian.

• Cape Girardeau County Associate Commissioner Paul Koeper. Four four-year terms were enough for Koeper, who did not seek reelection last year. As a county commissioner, Koeper oversaw the construction of a justice center and emergency operations center and renovation of the courthouse.

• Cape Girardeau County Treasurer Roger Hudson. Mostly behind the scenes, Hudson maintained the county’s financial records for 20 years. Like Koeper, he did not seek reelection last year.

• Bollinger County Clerk Brittany Howard. First elected to office in 2014, Howard served a decade as the top elections and public records official in the county. She left office in 2024 to pursue a career in the medical profession.

• Scott County Public Administrator Julia Dolan. Appointed to the position in 2015, Dolan won election twice before opting to not seek reelection last year after serving for nine years.

Those who seek elected office or work in other public positions perform valuable service to the people. They don’t take on these often thankless jobs for the money or glamour. They want to help, in their own way with their unique talent, skill and experience. Often, the decisions they make include large sums of taxpayer dollars or, in the case of judges, individual freedom. These are serious duties that require thoughtful, capable men and women.

We’re thankful for the decades of service these and other elected officials have given to their communities. We wish them well in their new endeavors, as we do those who have now stepped into these important roles.