DONGOLA ELECTS NEW MAYOR IN UNION COUNTY ELECTION RETURNS

DONGOLA, Ill. -- Dongola has a new mayor.

Teddy Earnhart, a former village board member, collected 132 votes to defeat incumbent mayor Alan Tarpley and a former mayor, Jim Etherton, in Union County elections Tuesday.

Tarpley finished second in the mayoral balloting with 97 votes. Etherton drew 36.

In other Dongola balloting, incumbents Barr George and Gordon Holderfield were elected to the Board of Trustees, along with Larry George. All were unopposed. Vote totals were: Barr George, 198; Holderfield, 224, and Larry George, 226.

Mayoral and aldermen elections were held throughout Southern Illinois Tuesday.

John Gardner received 304 votes to defeat challenger David Isom for mayor at Jonesboro. Isom received 155 votes.

In other Jonesboro races, Irma Kelley defeated Rebecca Hunter, 329 to 128, for city clerk and incumbent William Bowen Jr., defeated challenger Michael Hepburn, 135 to 39 for alderman inWard 2.

Incumbent Melvin Harvel was unopposed in Ward 1, and received 159 ballots, and incumbent Ken Blandford, unopposed in Ward 3, had 86 votes. Incumbent and unopposed treasurer Judy Lyera led the Jonesboro balloting with 411.