Commissioner OK, recovering from recent fall from ladder

Northern Commissioner Kennon Shaw is at home convalescing after a fall from a ladder Monday, Oct. 8, left him with a bruised heart, cracked ribs and sore pride. Shaw was preparing a building for painting when the accident occurred.

“I was up on the side of the building, up at the peak of the roof, scraping it before painting and the ladder was at a steep angle,” Shaw said. “I lost my balance and fell.”

Shaw said he was thankful for the concern shown and the help offered by family and friends.

“I’ve had a lot of help from my family,” Shaw said. “A lot of people from the church have been a real help too. I didn’t know so many people would go out of their way like that. I really appreciate all the kindness they’ve shown.”

Shaw said that the people of Vernon County were one of the reasons he enjoyed living here so much.

“I was living up in the city, I worked at the Vendo Company that made all the Coke machines, and I told Joanne one day I didn’t know if we would starve or what but we were moving back down here,” Shaw said. “We moved in and cleaned out a building on my folks farm. It turned out well for us and I’m glad to live where I do.

Emergency response was very rapid and Shaw said he was glad he lived close to a first responder.

“John Post was the first one here,” Shaw said. “He’s a first responder and he was here in a minute and a half. The ambulance got here in about 12 minutes. Those boys did a heck of a job. I couldn’t have asked for better treatment.”

Shaw said his convalescence would probably take another week or two but that he was eager to get back to work.

“I think I’ll be back next week or the week after,” Shaw said. “I enjoy working with the other two commissioners and we get along very well. I look at our jobs there as to be sure we’re all hitched up to the same end of the wagon so we’re not all pulling in different directions.”

When contacted by the Daily Mail Shaw was modest and asked that the incident not be made into a big deal.

“I didn’t jump off the ladder for political reasons or to get sympathy,” Shaw said. “I would just as soon not bother anyone with this.”