EMINENCE, Mo. — Shannon County, a rural community of just over 7,000 people, has faced weeks of contentious commission meetings that have resulted in little action but plenty of heated discussions between county leaders, concerned citizens, the sheriff’s department and others.

This week’s meeting on Monday morning in the Shannon County Courthouse drew headlines after Shannon County citizen Mike Bell’s Facebook livestream of the open session captured Presiding Commissioner Beth Long saying “r******” — a derogatory slur aimed at people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

‘Snowballed out of control’

During the incident, Bell and Long were discussing Bell’s attempt to get on the Monday, Sept. 15, agenda after he called the clerk’s office during lunch on Friday, Sept. 12.

Long

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