Liz Beavers
KEYSER, W.Va. - Voters in three Mineral County municipalities and the county seat of Grant County will go to the polls today to choose their civic leaders for the next term.
The election with the highest degree of interest and uncertainty will be in Ridgeley, where Mayor Mitchell Reeves is running for re-election despite remaining in the Potomac Highlands Regional Jail in Augusta after being arrested Friday on charges of fraud.
He is being challenged for the mayoral position by Councilman Richard A. Lechliter.
Eight others are vying for the five seats on the town council: Tom Hedrick, Tanya M. Ryan, Don Buckbee, Jonathan C. Kinsman, Aaron Leatherman, Robert Shipley, Jim Twigg and Faye D. Lemley.
In addition, Melinda "Mindy" Liller, who was fired from her municipal clerk job by Reeves on Sunday, is on the ballot for town recorder and is being challenged by Diana Bennett and Dawna Twigg.
Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Ridgeley Town Hall.
In Keyser, where things have been decidedly more quiet in recent days, voters will choose between incumbent Councilman George Chidester and challenger David Sowers, and also will vote for Mayor Glen "Bunk" Shumaker, who is running unopposed.
Things were not always peaceful at Keyser City Hall, however. When Chidester was first appointed to fill a vacancy on the council, he was apparently the second choice of sitting council members Sally Burnside and Marq Rice, who previously could not agree on who should fill the third seat.
During one of their disagreements over a replacement, Burnside and Shumaker both walked out, only to be told later by the city attorney that their resignations were invalid.
Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Keyser City Hall.
In the mountaintop community of Elk Garden, there is no one running for the position of mayor, with present Mayor Bob Swink choosing not to run for re-election.
In addition, seven people are running for the five positions on the council. Dave Tichnell and Tom Braithwaite are actually on the ballot. The remaining five will be write-in candidates. They are Ralph Warnick and Ronald Shillenburg, both incumbents, and Buddy Stonebreaker, Michael Burdock and Dwayne Welsh.
Recorder Barb Clemons is running unopposed for her position. Swink said it is his understanding that in the absence of a mayor, the recorder becomes acting mayor until a mayor is appointed by the elected officials.
Polls in that town will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Elk Garden Town Hall.
In nearby Grant County, voters in Petersburg will choose two people to serve on their five-member council. Incumbents Paige Alexander and Alvin Rumor are being challenged by Gordon Riggleman.
In the race for town recorder, Sarah Moomau is running unopposed.
Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Petersburg Town Hall.
Liz Beavers can be reached at lbeavers@times-news.com.
