Lincoln County Names New Highway Director, Addresses Gateway Fraud Questions
- John Eads
- Jul 28
- 4 min read
TROY, Mo. — Lincoln County commissioners announced a new leadership structure for the Highway Department, received updates on ongoing road and county facility projects, reviewed July revenue reports and answered questions about the county's Gateway Fiber payment fraud during Tuesday's commission meeting.
One of the meeting's biggest developments came at its conclusion when commissioners confirmed a leadership transition within the Highway Department.
Commissioners announced Building and Grounds Manager Robert Henebry will become the county's new Highway Department Director, while Jeremy Partl, who has been leading the department, will transition into the newly created Assistant Highway Director position. Commissioners said the new leadership structure will take effect Aug. 16, replacing the previous organization of one director and two foremen.
Robert Henebry discusses county projects and bridge work. Jeremy Partl updates commissioners on county road projects.
Lincoln CountyWatch reached out to both Henebry and Partl following the meeting to congratulate them on their new positions and invite them to comment. Neither had responded as of publication.
Before the announcement, Partl updated commissioners on ongoing Highway Department projects across the county. He reported crews recently completed road preservation work through Evergreen Roadworks, continued construction on Blackmore Road, completed crack sealing on Quarry and Fairgrounds roads and began improvements on Creech Road despite weather-related delays. Striping is expected to begin next week after recently treated roads have fully cured.
Partl also discussed equipment repairs, employee cross-training, upcoming maintenance staff interviews and efforts to address invasive Johnson grass along county roads. Commissioners also discussed resident requests for additional warning signs on Fred Norton Road and possible horse crossing signage on Creech Road.
Henebry followed with updates on county construction and maintenance projects, including the Old Monroe bridge demolition. He said demolition bids have been extended until Aug. 28 at vendors' request, with separate bridge wing wall bids expected in August. He also updated commissioners on improvements at the Sheriff's Office, Justice Center and county complex while the county prepares bids for snow removal, a new tractor and several routine maintenance contracts.
Treasurer Brenda O'Brien then presented the county's July sales tax and gasoline tax reports along with her semiannual treasurer's report.
Although July sales tax collections were down 4.6% compared with July 2025, the county remains ahead of last year's overall pace. Through the first seven months of 2026, total sales tax revenue is up 2.9%. General Revenue sales tax collections are up 5.5%, Law Enforcement sales tax collections have increased 5.2%, and Road and Bridge/ESRD sales tax collections are up 5.5% year-to-date.
Gasoline tax revenues also remained positive. July collections increased 6.5% over the same month last year, while year-to-date gasoline tax revenue is up 8.5%. Road and Bridge gasoline tax collections have increased 8.4%, while ESRD gasoline tax collections are up 9.3%. O'Brien also presented the county's semiannual financial report summarizing county revenues, expenditures and fund balances.
Before adjourning, commissioners opened the floor for questions from those in attendance.
After receiving numerous questions from readers in recent weeks, Lincoln CountyWatch asked commissioners to explain the county's Gateway Fiber payment fraud from 2024 and provide an update on where the matter stands today.
Commissioners explained the county partnered with Gateway Fiber using approximately $1.4 million in federal pandemic relief funds to leverage a state grant that resulted in roughly $14 million in fiber infrastructure improvements throughout Lincoln County.
Officials said scammers intercepted email communications during the payment process and submitted fraudulent banking information that closely resembled Gateway Fiber's legitimate email address. The county ultimately sent approximately $123,000 to the fraudulent account before the scheme was discovered. A second attempted payment was caught before funds were transferred.
Commissioners said the county notified its insurance carrier, legal counsel, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office and the FBI following the discovery. The county's insurance claim was ultimately denied after more than a year of review.
Despite the fraudulent payment, commissioners said the fiber infrastructure project was completed, and Gateway Fiber has not requested repayment of the lost funds. Should the company seek payment in the future, commissioners said the issue would likely be resolved through the legal process after responsibility for the compromise is determined.
Commissioners then adjourned the meeting.
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Primary Sources
Lincoln County Commission meeting
Lincoln County Commission meeting agenda
Department reports presented during the meeting
Financial reports presented by Lincoln County Treasurer Brenda O'Brien
Questions and responses during the public meeting
Interviews conducted by Lincoln CountyWatch with county officials following the meeting
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