WGFA NEWS for Wednesday, February 3, 2010 >
WX > Cloudy, high near 31. West to NW wind at 5-10.
– PRIMARY ELECTION RETURNS “Decision 2010″ on WGFA –
> Derek Hagen of Watseka handily defeated Dan Sukel of Cissna Park Tuesday for the Republican nomination for Iroquois County Sheriff. Hagen won 76% of the vote — 4937 to 1548. Sukel won just one of 37 precincts, taking Artesia 116-103.
> Lisa Fancher of Gilman won a 3-way race for Iroquois County Clerk. Appointed to the job in late 2009, Fancher garnered 51% of Tuesday’s vote to defeat Lisa Miller of Gilman and Donna Crow of Milford. Fancher had 3247 votes, Miller 1953 and Crow 1227.
> Mindy Kuntz Hagan of Sheldon kept her job as Iroquois County Treasurer, winning 58% of the vote. Hagan had 3729 votes to Kelly Bauer of Clifton’s 2744.
> Three incumbents lost their seats on the Iroquois County Board in Tuesday’s primary. Harriett Mowrey was defeated in District 3 while Beryl Luecke and Dennis Johnson lost in District 4.
Top vote-getters in District 3 were Donald Deany of Watseka, Adam Zumwalt of Sheldon and Donna Wasmer of Watseka. Winners in a 6-person race in District 4 were Keith McTaggart of Gilman, Gerald Whitlow of Gilman and Rod Copas of Onarga.
> Three newcomers will join the county board to represent District 2. Tuesday’s winners were Kyle Anderson, David Hubert and Osborne Storm.
> Iroquois County’s Public Safety Sales Tax was defeated by nine votes, 3,730 to 3,721. But election officials report 65 absentee ballots are still un-accounted for. County Clerk Lisa Fancher says if any of them are returned with a postmark no later than 11:59 pm Monday, they will be counted. There’s a February 16th deadline to wait for–to see if the ballots are returned.
The failed public safety tax vote means four sheriff deputies and a correctional officer are being laid off. Four additional lay-offs are possible.
> Incumbent Ford County Sheriff Mark Doran won re-election Tuesday, defeating two other opponents in the Republican primary.
Results showed Doran with 1,456 votes, followed by Robert J. Yates with 630 votes and Christopher L. White with 235. The elections office reported about 200 absentee ballots had not been counted, but would not have affected the outcome.
> Kankakee County needs a new County Board vice-chairman. Steve Lair lost to Glenn Nixon in the District 28 primary Tuesday. The margin was 43 – 29%.
In the 11th Congressional District primary, Adam Kinzinger won over 60% of Tuesday’s vote. Kinzinger will face incumbent Debbie Halvorson in November.
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