DONGOLLA SCHOOL VOTERS OK CLASSROOM IMPROVEMENTS

ANNA, Ill. -- Voters in Dongola Unit School District approved funds of $285,000 for classroom additions and improvements but turned down a bond issue for $850,000 to construct a school gymnasium.

The school bond issues at Dongola were two of three on the Union County ballot Tuesday. Voters approved a $1.7 million bond issue for a new school at Cobden. The Cobden school received a 74 percent approval vote, 863 to 312.

The school construction issue passed in Dongola District 66 by a 62 percent margin, 446 to 272. But voters nixed bonds for a new gymnasium in a close vote, 373 to 351, a margin of 51.5 to 48.5 percent.

Only five contested races were on the local ballot Tuesday.

With 17 of 20 ballots reported late Tuesday night, Democratic Coroner Darryl W. Rendleman advanced to the November general election by more than a 2-to-1 margin. Rendleman had 2,484 votes to challenger Everett S. Morgan's 1,037.

With three precincts left, the state's attorney's race was a close one, as challenger John Bigler had 1,849 votes to the incumbent, Christopher K. Wells' 1,685. The only other contested race on the democratic side were candidates for Union County commissioner. In that race Jack Eddleman was the leader with 1,117 votes. John D. Garner had 1,002 votes; LeRoy Rendleman, 839, and Kevin D. Cox, 509.

Larry A. Wheaton led three candidates for Republican county commissioner, with three precincts left, with 476 votes. Homer Fosky had 358 votes and Tom Bailey 371

Wesley Wilkins, a former Union County state's attorney, led a list of three candidates for judge of the circuit court, with 1,743 votes. Charles Cavaness had 877 and William B. Ballard 787.

In the vote for the 59th State Senate District, Larry D. Woolard led incumbent Ned Mitchell, 414 to 321. Mark Donham had 40 votes.

With 17 precincts in, Lorraine Moreland had 3,171 votes for circuit clerk on the Democratic ballot. She was unopposed.

Meanwhile, all precincts were counted in Pulaski County, where there were no local races on the ballot.

The Democrats had only one candidate in the county incumbent state's attorney Patrick S. Duffy, who received 389 votes. On the Republican side, all three incumbents were also unopposed. Jerry P.Thurston received 590 votes for county commissioner, Lisa Doctorman had 495 ballots for coroner and Cindy Kennedy led the local ballot with 532 votes for circuit clerk.

Doctorman had been appointed two years ago to fill in a vacancy as county coroner, and Kennedy had been appointed earlier to fill the vacancy for circuit clerk. None of the candidates face opponents for the general election in November.

In one state race in Pulaski County, Larry D. Woolard led the balloting on the Democratic side of the ballot for state senator in the 59th District, with 318 votes. Incumbent Ned Mitchell had 149 votes and Mark Donham had 16 votes.

Alexander County votes were slow coming in, and at almost midnight Tuesday not enough ballots had been counted to establish a trend. With four precincts in and only one from Cairo, Democrat Sharon McGinness was an early leader over incumbent Susan C. Hileman for circuit clerk, and Lewis F. McCroy Jr. was the early leader for Democratic county commissioner over incumbent Charles Bonifield. Other commissioner candidates were Robert L. Houston Sr. and Jesse White.