Latest / Grow Clinton Podcast / GCP274 - Meet James McHugh, Candidate for Clinton County Attorney

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GCP274 - Meet James McHugh, Candidate for Clinton County Attorney · Grow Clinton Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, my favorite part is probably uh the legal research.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_01: You're listening to the Grow Clinton Podcast.
• 0:05
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• 0:13
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• 0:17
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• 0:19
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• 0:43
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• 2:16
  SPEAKER_01: Good show today, Jenny.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_02: We have uh somebody who's new but not new to our community and is about to step into a great role.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_01: Great role indeed, Mr.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_01: Jim McHugh.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for joining us.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for having me.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_01: I'm glad to be here.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_01: So, Jim, J James, Jim, what do you prefer?
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: Either or.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_01: I like Jim.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_01: Let's keep it Jim.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_01: You said it earlier.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_01: You said your parents said, Jim.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_01: Let's go to Jim's house.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm sticking with Jim.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: James, otherwise.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_01: So, Jim, you are this is an uncontested.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_01: You're the you're the you're this the lone wolf taking over for Mike Wolf.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_01: I see what you did.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_01: The current Clinton County, Iowa attorney.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: Are you excited, my friend?
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: I am excited.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: I've been in the office now for 12 years working with Mike.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: And so when he decided to uh retire after 28 years as a county attorney, uh he'd asked if I was interested uh in uh running for his job and um but didn't spend a lot of time thinking about it, but said yes.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: And um, and fortunately I am the only candidate.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um it's makes my uh my life a little easier, especially since you're still working.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I mean, but on the other hand, if I lose, it's gonna be really embarrassing.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: I think you're a shoe in, my friend.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_01: 12 years of experience working in the Clinton County attorney's office.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_01: Those years with current Clinton County attorney Mike Wolf, he is calling it quits uh end of the calendar year.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_01: Is that when he's officially retired?
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so his um the election's November 3rd, and then his term expires uh end of uh December 2026.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_01: Now, all those 12 years of you worked with him, what are you gonna take from his teachings into your position as now the Clinton County attorney?
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: Uh consistency, fairness, and um being upfront with what uh is happening and going on.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, he's always been uh approachable, and so if you're in a situation like, hey, what's happening?
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: Why is it happening?
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, you can just go to him and say, hey, what's happening, why is this happening?
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: And he'll take the time to talk to you and tell you.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: And I think I intend to continue that tradition.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_02: Now, before we started talking live, we talked about how you're here um 12 years.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_02: Can you give us a little bit about your background?
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: So originally I'm from Northwest Iowa, Emmett'sburg, Iowa.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: Uh is where my my parents uh um well, my dad's originally from Philadelphia.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: My mom is from Northwest Iowa.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_01: What?
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_01: Ah, my old stomping.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm from Reading, Pennsylvania.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, my dad's from Philadelphia, f Philly.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um, bunch of my family's still out there in the Philly uh community.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: As is mine, yeah.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: And so yeah, he he came out uh to be an Iowa State trooper during the State Patrol back in uh 76.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: So uh they just celebrated the 50th uh swirling in back July 2nd, 2008.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: So um I hope that math worked out, but uh I'm a lawyer, not a mathematician.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I appreciate attorneys that are not mathematicians.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: But uh yeah, and so um from Northwest Iowa originally, Emmitsburg, um you know, my dad's a retired state trooper.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: I have two uncles that are retired Iowa state troopers.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: I've got a third uncle who is um had been out in the Philadelphia police uh force, he had been a chief and running communities out there.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um his son, I believe, is fourth or fifth generation Philadelphia Cap now.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um and then yeah, my aunt's a retired DCI criminalist.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: I have a retire uh uncle retired from a counselor from the uh prisons.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: So the penal system has kept your family employed.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I've got two cousins in the FBI right now.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: Uh yeah, we are uh kind of a pro-law enforcement family.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_01: Well, to say, well, yeah, that's it's an understatement, but to say that you don't have a wealth of resources would also be an understatement.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: So where did you go to school?
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: So I went to undergrad at Stevens Adolphus College in St.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: Peter, Minnesota, uh, which is far from here, but not so far from Emmett'sburg.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and then I went to Iowa for law school.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_01: Very nice.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_01: Gohawks.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_01: Gohawks.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_01: You like to see him beat the Buckeyes?
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_01: Would have uh been nice.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_01: That would that hurt a little.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's too soon.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I mean, they beat they beat Michigan, so that's all I really care about.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_01: But I would have loved to see him beat the Buckeyes.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_01: But that was once they started going downhill, there was no clon back.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_02: They were coasting.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_02: I'll tell you what.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_01: So now in a position, so have you uh did you practice law prior to working for the attorney's office?
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: So I started in uh Punavista County as a Punip Assistant Punavista County attorney.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so I spent four and a half years uh same job, different county.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and then I got an opportunity to go work for the U.S.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: Attorney's Office in Des Moines, the Southern District of Iowa, um, under a Hyder grant with high-intensity drug trafficking.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so it was a three-year position as a special assistant U.S.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: attorney.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so I did that for three years, prosecuting federal drug cases while I was there.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: Uh the grant ran out in 2014.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: I was looking for a job.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: Mike was looking for an assistant, and that's how I ended up in Clinton.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: Just so worked out.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yep.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_02: And I love the story about your parents.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_02: Tell us about that.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_02: That they moved here.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: So I I moved to Clinton.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't have any connections to Clinton.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: And um, so they were kind of curious to see what was gonna happen.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but then I bought a house and they're like, well, I guess he's staying for a while.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: Um and so they moved to town shortly thereafter.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_00: I think they closed on their house like a month or two after I closed on mine.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, and so now they live in town.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and so um my brother lives in Chicago land.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: He's in Tinley Park, and my sister at the time was in St.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: Louis.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and so Clinton is much closer to both locations than uh Emmitsburg is right.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_01: What's Emmitsburg famous for?
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: Is there a football?
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: Football.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_02: He told me right before.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, no, um, yeah, I mean, uh it's the other Wild Rose.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: Uh for some reason it was very familiar.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_01: And I think I went to Emmitsburg.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_01: I was in a program called Leadership Iowa, 2015-16.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_01: And usually when there's a community that rings a bell, I made a pit stop there.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_01: You may have been there.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: So Iowa Lakes Community College is in one of the campuses in Emmitsburg.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then yeah, we were pretty good at football from like the 70s through the 2000s.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_02: Nice state champs, right?
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_00: Uh yeah, in 97, I was on the state championship team.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: I think I was one of like eight or nine.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_02: Wait a minute.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_02: You were on the state?
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: My brother was a starting quarterback, uh, and but I was on the team.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_02: All right.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_02: Very good.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_02: That's very good.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_02: Very nice.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: That's all about in 1997.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: So very nice.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_01: So as you slide into this position of Clinton County attorney, what are you most excited about?
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: Well, it's interesting because on one hand, I've worked there for 12 years.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: So it's not like the people, the job is going to be different.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um so and it's really more about carrying on um the successes of the office.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: We've, you know, Mike has built a really talented office.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: We got a lot of really good attorneys with a lot of really good experience doing a lot of good work.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and now it's gonna be my responsibility to make sure that they can continue to do that.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, I shouldn't leave out the sports staff, you know, the legal assistant secretaries.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: We got a lot of people with a lot of time and experience there as well.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and so we got a great office.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: He put together a great office, and so um I'm looking forward to being in a position to help carry that on.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, they're good people doing a good job, and I want to make sure that the next boss is someone who appreciates what they've accomplished.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_01: Excellent.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_01: Now who will be your assistant?
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: Well, Ross Barlow is still the first assistant.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I mean he's been uh so he actually was there before Mike.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: Uh he's been there in the office longer.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: He's been the first assistant since I've been there.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and the job is his as long as uh I can keep him from retiring.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_01: You're maintaining some institutional knowledge as long as long as he's in.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, there's a total of six uh attorneys in the office, and so um we've already actually hired my replacement, um, which is kind of a weird way to say that.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: But uh so and he got uh sworn in uh yesterday actually.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: So he's officially a licensed attorney in Iowa, and so he'll be uh picking up the slack.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: And so actually we'll be able to hit the ground running, you know, when Mike officially retires, and um so we'll have the entire office uh fully staffed and uh moving forward.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, so you moved to Clinton.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_02: What's your what what have you found that you really like about the area?
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: So uh I I I've enjoyed my time in Clinton.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_00: I've managed to uh integrate well.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: I um my church is important to me.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: I go to St.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: John's Lutheran Church.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: I'm uh elder there.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: Uh that's a LCMS church on Main Avenue.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um and then uh my gym, I go to Weber's gym.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um and so yeah um yeah, I've been going there.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_00: It helped Barb, uh who just recently retired from the county attorney's office, was in the county attorney's office with us.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_00: And so I come to town like, hey, is there a gym around?
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: She's like, Yeah, there's a gym.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_02: Heck yeah.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_02: Like, oh, okay.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_02: That Weber name goes with Jim.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so I went and and I've been I've you know clicked there ever since.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: And so uh, you know, so those are you know, you know, types of activities, you know, that I've been able to integrate, meet a lot of people through both of them.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: And so um those are things, you know, that like I'm gonna go there after this to the gym.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, so take your frustrations out on some steel plates.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I don't know about that, but yeah, I'm gonna, you know.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um so people, you know, don't realize the Clinton County administration building is up on 1900 North Third, and then you have the Clinton County Courthouse.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_01: The courthouse is is kind of the people's building, right?
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_01: So when you are trying cases as the county attorney, um, are a lot of those cases uh open to the public?
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_01: They can come in and sit down and observe the process.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: So I mean the jury trials themselves open to the public.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_00: Court proceedings are generally speaking open to the public.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: Um now there's a lot of uh plea negotiations and things like that that go on that wouldn't necessarily be open to the public.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: So I mean if you show up to the courthouse on a random day, uh it might be a little boring.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um, because there's a lot more paperwork involved in uh the legal practice than um actual in-court, you know, arguing.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_01: But um And I don't know if you're aware, but Sarah Olson, uh she was recently appointed to the uh 7th judicial district as a judge.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_00: So I was at the investiture yesterday.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_00: They uh uh they were kind enough to actually hold that in Clinton uh at our courthouse, uh which is a big deal for us because that district also includes the s the Quad City, Scott County.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_01: Oh my goodness, yeah.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_01: So uh I you know I wrote a letter of support because I've known Sarah for a long time and I've had nothing but great experiences working with her.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, I think it was between her and another individual from the Davenport area.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_01: And but a large portion of the district does include outside of Davenport.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_01: So it made sense to recommend somebody that would have more of the district within their area kind of of service.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_01: Uh so but now she has to kind of give up her practice and she's got a boss again.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_01: That's good for our area.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no, it it's good.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I um I considered, well, Mina was the other candidate for the and uh I consider Mina and Sarah both friends, and so I'm really happy for both of them, uh, but happy for Sarah.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and it's good to have someone from Clinton County um, you know, in uh the judicial branch.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we've got Judge Barrows, he's originally from Clinton, so I mean it's not like we don't have anybody, but um, you know, Sarah is uh her practice was here.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, the day she got the phone call was the day she stopped, you know, private practice, and so um which really left a hole in our um uh court appointed list because she did a lot of court appointed work.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: And so I worked with her quite a bit, and so it's and she just all right it that's how I figured out she got the job because I saw motion after motion to to withdraw.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_00: Oh and so I'm like, oh, I guess she must have got the job.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: Uh she had to get out of every case.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_01: Now, Jim, as an attorney, I mean we have a lot of very talented attorneys in our community, uh, but many of which are getting closer and closer to retirement.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, what can we do?
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_01: And what in your opinion, what can we do as a community to attract younger legal professionals to the practice?
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I I and I we were touching on this before we started.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's probably one of my biggest concerns is we are having a shortage of attorneys throughout the state of Iowa.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, and as you know, the baby boomer generation uh retires, there's will not be the same number of attorneys coming out of uh law schools to f fill all the positions, and so there's going to be shortages.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_00: Um I think the Iowa Bar Association already categorizes Clinton as a uh legal desert or severe legal desert.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um so we have um real issues there.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um I know like Masqueteen County has been uh has a vacancy in the county attorney's office since like April.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_00: Um and so that is a large problem already uh in terms of shortage of attorneys, shortage of attorneys on the court-appointed list uh as well for defense counsel.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_01: What does that mean, quite a court-appointed list?
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_00: So uh by I by constitution, um criminal defendants are entitled to legal representation.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um usually the triggering offense is whether or not jail times are a possibility.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_00: And so they're entitled to representation, and so that means we have to provide representation to them.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and so we have the public defender's office, which is full-time employees, uh, but we also have a fairly large list of court-appointed attorneys, which means that they work on a contract uh to the State of Iowa, the public defender's office.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_00: And so they have a private practice on as well, but then they will take um criminal defendants and then represent them throughout the entire process.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: And then the public defender's office pays the attorney, and then the defendant may be required to pay the uh public defender's office back for the that.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um but that's that's how the majority of our um indigent defendants get representation is through a court-appointed attorney's um.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_02: So I imagine if they're I mean, if we're running into a problem with not having any, that kind of grind makes things grind to a halt.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_00: I think Scat County, I think, is dealing with it more um strongly right now than Clinton County is.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_00: And um yeah, exactly how that's going to uh break uh is a very big concern right now and and hopefully doesn't get worse.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_00: You know, and so lots of discussions about how to you increase the numbers, you know.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_00: Is it the s you know, the pay for court-appointed list?
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_00: You know, do you need to raise that?
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_00: Where's the money coming from?
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um and so Yeah.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we have our challenges ahead, unfortunately.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um both in the legal community throughout the state and Clinton itself and 7th Judicial District.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_01: So, sir, what is your favorite part about being an attorney?
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um All the reading.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um I don't mind that so much.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but I mean my favorite part is probably uh the legal research and you know, it's um and getting to work through s the issues in terms of okay, so how does this fit together and so what is the law?
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um because we're are a mixture of statute and common law.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, d we are a common law system, which means that uh court precedent uh is uh binding on us.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: And so if the Supreme Court has said this is how we do it, you know, uh that's what we have to abide by.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um you know, and but then it's never exactly on point.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's like it's a similar situation, it's a similar traffic stop, but it's a slight, you know, here's this nuance or this ring colour and so um and so the legal analysis is probably my favorite part of being a lawyer.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um That's a good thing.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_02: But that's a you like that.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_00: Uh yeah.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_01: But so now you walk in to your office on the first day of being the newly elected Clinton County attorney.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_01: What are you most excited about for that?
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_00: Well, this I haven't given that a whole lot of thought.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's um I joke that I'm gonna still see Mike in the office because he he he's a workaholic and he we won't be able to give up.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, I just showed up.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_00: I want to do a couple odd things here and there.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: So um, but um yeah, I in terms of the the job, I'm uh yeah, there's nothing like it because it's the same office, it's the same you know, co-workers, and so I'm not, you know, um like oh no, I'm the boss.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_00: No, it it's just more responsibility, more obligations that I'm taking on.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_00: I'm ready for them.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: I'll do well at them, I believe.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_00: I I firmly believe that, but it's not a uh, you know, it it it's just more obligations, responsibilities.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_02: You're not going into clean house.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no, no.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_00: Uh um maybe with some Windex and you gotta wash all those windows over at the courthouse.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_00: Oh my goodness.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_00: The cowbooks.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_00: That courthouse is how old?
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_00: So um it was remodeled in 2003, but it's um Because not so long ago there was a there was a problem with some guano upstairs.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_01: That which is uh also uh bat dookie.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, and it was pretty hefty uh in in terms of how much accumulated.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_01: So they had to hire a contract with a specialist to go up there and mitigate that.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, well, bats have been a problem for quite a while.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um, because we have a fourth floor, which is used to be the um uh law library, um, but now the books have you know not been as relevant.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_00: Um it's you know kind of fallen out of use.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_00: And so um, yeah, and I guess the bat droppings have uh, you know, I guess there were some concerns about um contagion.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um I don't know exactly how the details on the virus.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I I've been up in that clock.
• 20:30
  unknown: Yeah.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_00: It is really cool to get it.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_00: It is really cool.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_02: And uh nice story about Mike Wolf.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_02: There was a person I knew who was uh ill, and one of the last things they wanted to do, or not last didn't turn out that way, but one of the things that was on his bucket list was to go up and see the view from that clock.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_02: And uh Mike uh said sure.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and let him do it.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_00: I I can see Mike uh totally making sure that happens.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that was amazing.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_01: Well, best of luck to you, sir, in the future.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_01: Uh no doubt you're gonna do a fine job.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_01: You've had a very good teacher over the course of your last 12 years.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_01: Kudos to Mike Wolf and best of luck to him in his retirement.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, you're right.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_01: I do not see him just sitting down watching dateline and waking up to 60 minutes or whatever.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_01: Good morning, America, being a couch potato.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_01: He's an active guy, does runs all the time, and we're excited to see what he's able to do moving forward for the community because he's not the type of person that's not going to be involved.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_01: So very good.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_00: He comes in with a new plan of a uh new job every week.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_00: We'll see what happens when it happens.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, he's he's already in in the planning stage.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_01: Well, Jim, thank you so much for joining us in the Grow Clinton podcast.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_01: We look forward to seeing you, and uh, you'll have a new set of business cards.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_00: I have a new piece of business cards.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_03: Okay I know.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_01: We actually have business cards that you can tap on a phone and it brings up all the contact information because I'm not the type of guy that likes to carry a stack of business cards.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_01: So it's kind of nice.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_00: I'll have to look into that.
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_01: Really slick.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_01: Matt found them several years ago.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_01: And also there's a QR code in the back says sometimes gets finicky with some Android devices, but for the most part, it works very well.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_01: And you can scan the QR code and it'll put it'll open up your contacts and it puts all the information in.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_01: And the person just hits save contacts and you're good to go.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_01: There you are.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_01: And it says on waste, which I so Jenny.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, Friday.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_02: Friday.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_01: Busy weekend.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_02: Uh-huh.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_02: I'm having a party at my house.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_02: That's right.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_02: Birthday party.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_01: Uh well, tonight I have the Sawmill Museum auction.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm excited about that.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, they raise money to support the operations there, the small small mill.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_01: Small mill.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_01: Sawmill museum here in Clinton.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_01: And we were just there today doing a presentation of an award that we do every quarter called the Value Spotlight Award this quarter.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_01: It was for innovation.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_01: And we recognize the sawmill and their partnership with the Bickelhopped Arboretum regarding the Dambo troll attractions.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_01: So those trolls, man.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_02: It was good.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_02: They're the best.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_01: But no, low-key weekend for me, watching some football, hanging out.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, kind of, I guess I'm gonna enjoy the warmer weather, but I am looking forward to it dropping back down to the 60s come Tuesday.
• 23:09
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my when do the Eagles play?
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_01: Uh Eagles play Monday night.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_01: No, do they no Sunday?
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_01: Jaguars, and I don't remember what time.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_01: So I hope they do well this week.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_01: My heart can't take anything.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_01: Just for you.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_01: My heart can't take anymore.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_01: Is your dad an Eagles fan?
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, that's what I'm talking about.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_01: Your dad and I need to hang out, and we'll get a few other of the birds fans across the city.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_01: There's uh police officer who's a huge Eagles fan, actually, two of them, and then there's a retired individual that's uh is a huge Eagles fan, may or may not have retired from the school board and now be on the Clinton County Development Association board.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_01: But he has a calf tattoo of the birds, and he got that when they won the Super Bowl 52.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_02: So maybe not another one this year, but just keep trying.
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_01: Just lock it up because the Cowboys are doing well.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_01: I don't want to hear it.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, we got to take it when we can get it.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_01: All right, everybody, thank you so much for tuning in to another episode of the Grow Clinton Podcast.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_01: Remember, if you're not subscribed, please do so wherever you find your podcast.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_01: Just search Grow Clinton Podcast.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_01: Never misses an episode.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_01: Until we speak again, folks, stay classy.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_01: See ya.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for listening to the Grow Clinton Podcast.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_01: Be sure to subscribe and follow us on all your socials.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_01: Until next time, see ya.