Tuesday, the Louisa County community at the epicenter of last month's earthquake sports a commanding lead in a contest to bring a country superstar to town. Mineral leads by thousands of votes, but the free concert could tax the town's resources.
Rebuilding quake-damaged buildings continues to be the focus in Louisa County. But planning is in the works for the Alan Jackson concert to benefit recovery and rebuilding.
The concert contest is the talk of the town, including the lunchtime crowd at Mineral Restaurant. Right now, with more than 25,800 votes, Mineral leads second place Kansas City by 18,000.
The vote doesn't end until October 10, but the town is preparing just in case Mineral wins. A contest disclaimer says the winning community must meet Jackson's production requirements and find a venue that can hold 1,000 to 3,000 people.
"We don't have any areas big enough to accommodate the number of people expected. So, it's a lot of thought we're going to have to put into it," said Mineral Mayor Pamela Harlowe.
"I think the community itself would come together and put it together and volunteer and donate," added Karla Harrison, who lives in Mineral.
Walton Park or the Louisa County High School football stadium are possible concert locations.
The concert would also require logistics planning and coordination with the sheriff's office that could end up costing the county.
NBC29 reached out to Jackson's reps to see who is responsible for that tab, but so far we have not heard back.
