ST. FRANCOIS COUNTY CITIZENS MERGE TOWNS

FARMINGTON - Voters in St. Francois County went to the polls in record numbers Tuesday.

There were two upsets in the county races, and voters in the Lead Belt communities of Esther, Elvins and Rivermines agreed to consolidate with Flat River to become a new city of over 8,000 population. In Farmington, voters approved a one-cent sales tax to fund industrial park improvements.

The consolidation issue passed easily in Flat River, Rivermines, Esther and Elvins. It failed in Desloge and Leadington, which will remain separate municipalities for now.

In the first district county commissioner's race, Republican challenger, Ronald E. Var Vera, upset the incumbent Democrat, Billing H. Miller. Var Vera received 4,905 votes to Miller's 4,400 votes.

The other upset was in the sheriff's race, where the Democratic challenger, Dan Bullock, defeated the Republican incumbent sheriff, Jack Cade, 9,981 to 8,896.

In the race for state representative from the 107th district, incumbent Democrat Bob Ward defeated Republican Wayne Weber, 6,884 to 4,558.

In the race for state representative from the 152nd district, incumbent Democrat Wayne Crump defeated Republican Al Green, 366 to 151.

Democratic Second District Commissioner Bill Bradley defeated Republican Ronald Cole, 6,539 to 2,681.

The incumbent Democratic county assessor, Damon Black, won reelection to another term, defeating Republican Raymond Wishon, 11,723 to 6,975.

The incumbent Democratic county treasurer, Kerry Gore, defeated the Republican challenger, Donna Jo King, 12,935 to 5,617.

The sales tax issue in Farmington was approved by a vote of 2,174 to 1,635.

A record 7l.9 percent of the 27,000 registered voters in St. Francois County cast their ballots in Tuesday's election.