Councilman among city's youngest

One of the youngest people ever elected to the McCook City Council will begin serving his four year term beginning Dec. 6.

Aaron Kircher, 23, received 25 percent of the vote for McCook City Council four-year term during Tuesday's general election. Following the final tally of votes Tuesday night, Kircher told the Gazette he was ready for the challenge. He said he plans to keep studying the issues and would like the council to begin looking at new ideas.

He also reiterated his strong support of economic development, "because that's where we'll find the solution to a lot of our revenue problems."

Bill Longnecker received 36 percent of the votes. He said he, too, plans to study the issues before the council. "I'll take every two weeks as they come, read the packets and make the decisions that need to be made."

Dennis Berry received 56 percent of the votes for the McCook City Council two-year term.

According to the final, unofficial tally reported by the Red Willow County Clerk's office, in the four-year race, Kircher received 1,479 votes, Longnecker received 2,117, Deborah Lundberg Cole received 861 and Brenda McMurtrey received 1,397.

In the McCook City Council two-year race, Berry received 1,825 votes, Ben Gonzales received 463 and Harry Sughroue received 942.

County Commissioner

Red Willow County District 2 Commissioner Steve Downer will retain his office and, after Tuesday's election, will begin a second four-year term.

Downer, of rural Bartley, defeated challenger Bernie Wood of McCook. Voters cast 1,265 for Downer and 288 for Wood.

Downer amassed 81 percent of the votes cast for the position.

School Board

Following Tuesday's election, Michael Gonzales will retain his seat on the McCook Public Schools board of education, However, fellow incumbent Ron Soden was defeated in his run for a second term.

Declared winners of two of the three available seats on the board were Tom Bredvick and Diane Lyons.

All three candidates agree that the school must address the issue of state funding cuts and the reorganization required when the state cut funding.

"I'd like to see the school system, especially the high school, returned to the high standards of the past," Lyons said.

Bredvick was the top vote-getter, with 2,023 votes, followed by 1,938 for Gonzales and 1,834 for Lyons.

MRNRD

Four of the five seats on the Middle Republican Natural Resources District will remain the same. Stan Moore, Joe Anderjaska, Gayle Haag and Del Harsh will retain their seats. Rick D. Spencer is the new member on the board.

District-wide, Gayle Haag received 3,816 votes, Rick Spencer won 3,715, Joe Anderjaska received 3,713, Stan Moore received 3,457 and Del Harsh received 3,237.

Mid Plains

In the race for the Mid Plains Community College Area Board of Governors at -large seat, Ted Klug Jr. appears to have won over Duane Tappe.

With counts from 13 of the 17 counties in the area, Klug had 11,712 of the votes while Tappe received 9,951.

In the race for the District 1 seat on the MPCCA Board of Governors, Elizabeth Benjamin received 3,486 of the votes compared to 3,036 for opponent Randal Datus.

Service Commission

McCook resident Jerry Vap took a 68 percent lead over his opponent Anna B. Rosburg. Vap won 77,312 in District 5 for Public Service Commissioner. Rosburg had 36,542 votes.