Towns settle hotly contested races

The Fillmore Town Council elected three new members last night.

Ward 1 candidate Wes Terhune earned 89 votes to defeat incumbent Curt Leonard, who earned only 32 votes.

Ward 2 candidate Alan Jones earned 81 votes, defeating Robert Tyler, with 28, and incumbent Albert Epple, with 14.

Ward 3 elected candidate Jeff Osborn, who earned 77 votes, while Danny Grimes had 22 and David Nissen had 23 votes.

Jones told the Banner Graphic that the new council's first order of business is looking into water and sewage bills.

"There are 245 houses in town and 19 of them are empty. Almost every one is empty because of high water and sewage bills. I'm not sure how much we can do about it, but we are sure going to try," he said.

Leonard, who has served on the council for more than a decade, said, "It's time someone else took the reins to see if they can help."

Leonard also points to high water bills as a deciding factor in this year's elections, and hopes fresh blood will bring fresh ideas.

"We have four new people taking over, and I'm sure they will do a fine job."

Wanda Seidler defeated Margaret Alexander in the Fillmore Clerk-Treasurer race 92-32. Long-time clerk Maxine Davies did not seek re-election.

In Russellville, the hotly contested Russellville Clerk-Treasurer position was handed to Sally McAfee, who earned 68 percent of the Russellville vote with 62 votes.

She defeated incumbent Janet Kay Smith, who earned 7 votes, and Devon Davis and Lisa Curtis who each finished with 11 votes. "Good people were running," said McAfee, who watched the returns at the Putnam County Courthouse last night said. "I'm very happy for the town."

McAfee says that her top priorities as clerk-treasurer will be to start looking into grants to repair infrastructure and combing through Russellville's budgets to start planning for next year.

Russellville also filled the roster for its new town council.

Incumbents Don Reddish, with 83 votes, and Jim Rodgers, with 57 votes, will remain on the council along with newcomer Norma Jean Gross, who earned 73 votes.

Betty Joy Need, with 20 votes, and Dianna Gorrell, who earned 17 votes, were defeated.

In Bainbridge, Naomi Barker earned 50 votes and will remain in her Ward 1 seat on the Bainbridge Town Council after defeating C.R. "Bob" Curran, 39 votes, and Brent Foltz, who earned 33 votes.

Ward 2's seat on the Bainbridge Town Council went to Bonnie Osborn who earned 52 percent of the votes to Michael Smith's 47 percent. Richard Cope ran unopposed in Ward 3.

Jason Hartman ran unopposed to retain the seat of Bainbridge Clerk-Treasurer.