Brace re-elected in Corning
By LARRY PETERSON — CNA assistant managing editor lpeterson@crestonnews.com
Corning’s incumbent Mayor Guy Brace narrowly escaped Tuesday’s elections in one of many heated races in the area.
Brace received 272 votes, edging challenger Matthew Riley by 32. Christie Smith received eight votes in Corning’s mayoral election.
Another challenging race for the mayor’s seat occurred in Orient where write-in candidate Doug Davidson topped Michael E. Cooley, 46-37.
Voter turnout was only 3.1 percent in Creston as there were no contested city council races and no mayoral election.
Incumbents Randy White (Ward 1), Betty Shelton (War d 3), Larry Wagner (Ward 5) and Theresa Koets (at-large) were re-elected. In Ward 3, Shelton had 37 votes with a total of 16 scattered write-in votes. Koets had 129 votes with 33 scattered write-ins for the at-large seat.
Close race
There was a close race for two council seats in Lorimor, as Steve Roseman had 29 votes with 25 for Kevin Decker and 24 for Melvin Davis in unofficial vote totals.
In Thayer, there were no votes cast to fill a vacancy on the city council. Sandy Hysell, Union County auditor, said she is checking with state officials on whether a special election is required, or if the council can make an appointment.
In Taylor County, Lenox voters approved two referendums to expand the Lenox Municipal Utilities Board of Trustees from three to five members, and to reduce the Lenox Municipal Library Board of Trustees from seven to five members.
Clarke County voters split decisions on public measures there. Public measure C authorizing a 1 percent local option sales and service tax in the unincorporated area of county was voted down 195 to 177, while public measure B authorizing the same tax in Murray succeeded 144 votes to 48.
Winning seats on the Clearfield City Council were Linda M. Anderson, Karen Larsen and Phil Buchanan, with Roger A. Hering a close fourth in a six-person race for three seats.
In Ringgold County, John W. Egly III and Lester Elliott were elected to two Diagonal city council seats in a race also involving John W. Shields. Shon O’Kelly ran unopposed to fill a vacancy.
Donald Solliday was elected mayor in Mount Ayr in a close race with write-in candidate Raymond Hensley, 177-151.
Kristina Nail was elected mayor in Kellerton in a three-way race involving Paul Fifer and David Handy.
The Ringgold County Board of Supervisors will have to draw a name during election canvassing to break a tie in the Beaconsfield election, as Connie Neesen and Tim May tied for third place with seven votes each. Elected to two of the three seats were Eugene McAlexander with 11 votes and Michael R. Neessen with nine.
There was also a tie for mayor in Maloy, with Don Ray and Jennette Todd each receiving three votes.
Adams County
Carbon — Mayor: Brian Corpe 12. City council (5): Donna Rochau 12, Dwight Sunderman 12, Cathy Jones 11, Ricardo Alphonso Avila 8, Jauson King 5, Ed Harlow, 5 (tie) and Larry Johnson 3.
Nodaway — Mayor: Patricia Shipley 20 and Karen Pafford 12. City council (5): Christine Dunn 34, Becky Poen 33, Shawn Kammerer 31, Christine Wiechman 30 and Hartford Cooper 28.
Prescott — Mayor: Jerry L. Loghry 50. City council to fill a vacancy (2): Gary Riley 56 and Mick Gray 42. City council (2): Mary Brandt 50, Sherry S. Gray 40 and Douglas M. Privett 18.
Corning — Mayor: Guy Brace 272, Matthew Riley 240 and Christie Smith 8. City council at large (1): Richard Blazek 407 and Aaron Anderson 98. City council ward 2 (1): Cynthia Peterson 96 and Kenneth M. Mallas 62.
Clarke County
Murray — Mayor: Mary Donner 109. City council at large (2): Scott Busick 157 and Sheri Miller 98.
Public measure C to authorize 1 percent local option sales and service tax in unincorporated area of county effective July 1, 2010: 195 no, 177 yes.
Public measure A requiring members of library board of trustees to be bona fide citizens at least 18 years old — four from Murray and one from rural Clarke County: 164 yes, 24 no.
Public measure B to authorize 1 percent local option sales and service tax in Murray effective July 1, 2010: 144 yes, 48 no.
Adair County
Bridgewater — Mayor: Gary Firch 24. City council (2): Marlo Smith 24 and Dean Griffith 21. City council to fill vacancy (1): Leo Marnin 19.
Fontanelle — Mayor: R. Scott Hornan 43. City council (2): Ron Reed 35 and Jim Warrior 43. City council to fill vacancy (1): Linda Shafer 41.
Greenfield — City council (3): Kevin S. Hall 73, Debra Houghtaling 73 and Ron Smith 61. Park board (2): Robert Guikema 71 and Bill Ferguson 67.
Orient — Mayor Doug Davidson 46, Michael E. Cooley 37, Cecilia Maginis 5 and Gary Metzger 2. City council (3): Gary Metzger 77, Jolene M. Neal 71 and Susan Cruz 70.
Ringgold County
Beaconsfield — Mayor: Gary Smith 14. City council (3): Eugene McAlexander 11, Michael R. Neessen 9, Connie Neessen 7 and Tim May 7 (tie), Penny Sue May 4, Lillie M. Matlage 3.
Diagonal — Mayor: Lowell D. Johnson 58. City council (2): John W. Egly III 57, Lester Elliott 55, John W. Shields 15. Council vacancy: Shon O’Kelly 58, scattering 17.
Ellston — Mayor: Tim Creveling 11, Ray Derscheid 9. City council (5): Gene Reed 12, Jerri Stewart 11, Nan Derscheid 11, Curt Jones 10, Joanne Bullock 9.
Kellerton — Mayor: Kristina Nail 35, Paul A. Fifer 28, David D. Handy 12. City council (3): Janet P. Holmes 71, Kathy Comer Johnston 40, Chad Eugene Holmes 33.
Mount Ayr — Mayor: Donald Solliday 177, Raymond Hensley 151. City council (2): Mack Greene 284, Brent Ricker 258.
Tingley — Mayor: Elmer D. Bradley 28. City council: Larry Jarred 29, Lois Ibbotson 27.
Taylor County
Clearfield — Mayor: Roger Hering 27. City council (3): Linda M. Anderson 56, Karen Larsen 55, Phil Buchanan 52, Roger A. Hering 41, Marlene Darling 17, Richard Saville 11.
Lenox — Mayor: Glenn D. Grout 155. City council (2): Robert Halligan 134, Sandra K. Donaldson 122. Public measure, reduce Library Board of Trustees from seven to five members: Yes 51, No 17. Public measure, expand Utilities Board of Trustees from three to five members: Yes 92, No 77.
Union County
Afton — Mayor: Michelle Burger 36. City council (3): Mary F. Hill 32, Sherry Parrott 30, Jeffrey Burger 29.
Arispe — City council (2): Robin Vogel 26, Lori Vanderpluym 17.
Creston — City council at-large: Theresa Koets 129, scattered write-in 33. Council Ward 1: Randy White 22. Council Ward 3: Betty Shelton 37, scattered write-in 16. Council Ward 5: Larry Wagner 51. Park and Recreation Board: Gary Borcherding 31.
Cromwell — Mayor: Duane Adamson 16. City council (5): Roger Millslagle 18, Karen Priest 18, Deborah L. Marquart 18, Brian Campbell 18, Mary Lou Judd 16.
Lorimor — City council (2): Steve Roseman 29, Kevin Decker 25, Melvin Davis 24.
Shannon City — Mayor: John McCulley 7. City council (5): Terry Gilbert 7, Randy Lilly 5, Ed Cook 4, Brandi Foot 4, Thad Hoffman 4. All were write-ins.
Thayer — City council (fill vacancy): No votes.
