Fair office introduces new staff, reviews vendor contract and investigates speech incident

Fair staff introduced a new employee, Aspen (Axton) Smith, who started in the fair office in recent weeks, and informed the advisory board that a volunteer (Mindy Nady) resigned before the fair. Staff said the county administrator and the deputy civil prosecutor are reviewing a vendor contract after staff raised concerns about a public incident involving political speech during the fair.

Melissa (fair staff) said she will parse a backlog of emails and interview involved parties to produce a clear narrative of the incident; the county administrator and deputy civil prosecutor will determine next steps. Staff also said vendor contracts contain gaps that make enforcement difficult and that the administrator has requested a review of contract language to clarify obligations and remedies.

Staff announced onboarding and outreach items: a volunteer orientation is scheduled for Oct. 4 at the Expo Building, and the fair coronation is planned for Jan. 31, 2026. Staff requested board assistance in recruiting volunteers for several open positions and said applications are being accepted for open seats on the advisory board.

Ending: Staff will report back after the internal review and legal consultation; the orientation and coronation dates stand and recruitment for vacancies is ongoing.