Four retain seats on NRD board of directors

CURTIS, Nebraska -- Four board members of the Middle Republican Natural Resources District maintained their seats on the board in the Nov. 6 election.

The top four vote-getters were the four incumbents: Rick McConville of Indianola, 4,805 votes, 16.77 percent of the vote; Joe Anderjaska of Hayes Center, 4,234 votes, 14.78 percent; James Uerling, Indianola, 4,162 votes, 14.52 percent; and Buck Haag, 3,680 votes, 12.84 percent.

Benjie Loomis of Maywood, a challenger -- and a former board member; he lost a seat on the board in the 2010 election -- will fill the fifth position that will be vacated at the end of the year by Rick Spencer of rural Culbertson, who declined to run for another four-year term.

Loomis garnered 3,652 votes, or 12.74 percent of the vote.

Other challengers were Dan Nelsen of Moorefield (another former board member), 3,361 votes, 11.73 percent; Dick Hasenauer of Wellfleet, 2,497 votes, 8.71 percent; and Clint Sheets of Wallace, 2,264 votes, 7.90 percent.

All MRNRD directors are elected at-large.

Dan Smith, MRNRD manager, said at a board meeting Tuesday evening in Curtis that the board will be reorganized in January.