Jackson School Board incumbents will see challenge in April election

Interest in serving on municipal government and school boards in area cities varied widely Tuesday, the first day of filing for April's municipal elections.

In Jackson, only incumbents filed for mayor and the board of aldermen. Mayor Barbara Lohr will seek a third term with no opposition so far, while board members Tom Kimbel, Wanda Young, David Hitt and Mark Dambach will seek re-election. One seat is available in each of the city's four wards.

A race has set up for two seats on the Jackson School Board.

Four people, including two incumbents -- Gerald Adams and Dan Stover -- filed Tuesday along with Brad Noel and Alaina Hinze. Two seats also are available on the Cape Girardeau School Board, but only one candidate, incumbent Philip Moore, filed Tuesday. Paul Nenninger holds the other seat. There are no term limits on the three-year terms for school board members.

In Scott City, five filed for the city council. Norman Brant will challenge incumbent Randy Morse in Ward 4. Rodney Urhahn filed to fill a one-year unexpired term in Ward 2. Incumbents Ron Cummings and Pat Brazel filed in Ward 3 and Ward 2, respectively.

Perryville saw two incumbents file for city council. Larry Riney will run in Ward 1, while Randy Leible will run in Ward 2, where he will face Douglas K. Martin.

Seats on Cape Girardeau County boards also drew some interest Tuesday.

John R. Janssen and Patricia L. Ray are seeking seats on the health department board. F.R. Rock Wilferth filed for the Cape Special Road District Board.

In Cape Girardeau, a special election April 2 will determine a replacement for Ward 6 Councilwoman Kathy Swan, who is resigning to join the Missouri House of Representatives. Wayne Bowen, chair of the history department at Southeast Missouri State University and Southeast Missourian columnist, is the only potential candidate who has been collecting signatures needed from at least 50 registered voters in the ward. Filing for the special election starts Dec. 18, and petitions are available now at the city clerk's office. Cape Girardeau voters also will decide in April whether bow hunting for deer will be allowed within the city limits.

In Bollinger County, voters will decide on a $5 million to $6 million bond issue to build a new archive, library and office building.

Filing for all other municipal elections remains open until 5 p.m. on Jan. 15, and can be done by visiting the clerk's office of the municipality in which the seat is available, or the school board district office.

eragan@semissourian.com

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