Jan. 17 Last Day To File For Municipal Positions

A number of brave people have submitted their name for the 2017 General Municipal Election ballot since filing began on Dec. 13. The last day to file for the coming April 4 election is Tuesday, Jan. 17.

Available are offices from a variety of area school boards, local governments and water districts.

Filing can be completed at the main office for the entity of the seat, during regular business hours. All establishments are required to remain open until 5 p.m. on the final day of filing.

Absentee balloting begins Feb. 21 and must be submitted -- via mail, fax, or in office -- by 5 p.m. April 3. Voters can apply to receive an absentee ballot from the county clerk's office either in person or by fax. After application forms are completed, they are to be returned to the county clerk's office for processing, after which an absentee ballot can be secured. For more information call 417-223-7512.

Voters casting an absentee ballot must provide a legitimate reason for doing so. Secretary of State Jason Kander's website lists the following as valid reasons for voting absentee.

• Absence on election day from the jurisdiction of the election authority in which such voter is registered to vote;

• Incapacity or confinement due to illness or physical disability, including a person who is primarily responsible for the physical care of a person who is incapacitated or confined due to illness or disability;

• Employment as an election authority, as a member of an election authority, or by an election authority at a location other than such voter's polling place; and

• Incarceration, provided all qualifications for voting are retained.

School Board

The following is a list of seats available on area boards of education in addition to the Crowder College Board of Trustees. Names of the current incumbents are listed. All school board positions are for three-year terms unless otherwise noted.

McDonald County School Board

Scott Goldstein, David Bunch, and Jeff Cooper are the incumbents. Goldstein and Cooper have filed for re-election while Kenneth Harp is seeking a position on the board.

Neosho School Board

Brett Day, Kim Wood, and Keri Collingsworth are the incumbents. All have filed for re-election while Robert Burr is seeking a position on the board.

East Newton School Board

Eric Allphin, Bobbi Sherwood, and Terry Clarkson are the incumbents.

Wheaton School Board - Tony Ball, Joe Brattin, and Louis Royer are the incumbents. All have filed for re-election.

Seneca School Board

Ron Wallace, Will Cook, and Paula Morehead are the incumbents. Wallace and Cook have filed for re-election.

Southwest R-V School Board

Ruth Henderson, Pete Rose, and Albert Pendergraft are the incumbents. Henderson has filed for re-election while Terry Meeks and Doug Henry are seeking positions on the board.

All board of trustee positions are for six years unless otherwise noted.

Crowder College Board of Trustees

McDonald County representative Larry Vancuren and Newton County representative Rick Butler are the incumbents. Both have filed for re-election while Jeffrey L. Jones has filed for Newton County representative.

Municipal Office

Municipal openings with incumbent names are listed. All are for two year terms unless otherwise noted:

Anderson

(8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday - Friday) - East Ward Alderman, Gene Cantrell and West Ward Alderman, Chester Neel are the incumbents. Both have filed for re-election.

Noel

(9 a.m. until noon; 1 to 4 p.m. Monday - Friday) - Mayor, John Lafley; Collector, Nancy Irish; North Ward Alderman, Linda Glendenning; South Ward Alderman, Tammy White; West Ward Alderman, Faye Davis; and Marshal, Paul Gardner (four year term) are in the incumbents. Irish and Glendenning have filed for re-election while Louis Davis has filed for Mayor.

Lanagan

(8 a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday) - All alderman positions are at-large. At the time of publication, city officials were not available to provide information on open positions or filings.

Goodman

(7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday - Friday) - Mayor, Greg Richmond; Collector, Megan Sexson; North Ward Alderman, Alice Kezar; and South Ward Alderman, Roger Coe are the incumbents. Richmond, Sexson, and Kezar have filed for re-election while Cecil Fisher Jr. has filed for Mayor.

Pineville

(8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday - Friday) - North Ward Alderman, Jess Slish; South Ward Alderman, Anne Crowder-Sanders; and Collector, Kathy Underwood (one year term) are the incumbents. Crowder-Sanders has filed for re-election

Southwest City

(8 a.m. until noon; 1 to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday) - Mayor, Joe Carpenter; Collector, Judith Pendergraft; East Ward Alderman, Cheryl Howe; and West Ward Alderman, Steve Reece are the incumbents. None have filed for re-election at this time.

Rural Water Districts

Rural water district positions are all for three year terms, set up by sub-districts:

Rural Water District No. 1

(7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday - Friday) - Sub-district 2, Vernon Keene is the incumbent. Keene has filed for re-election.

• Rural Water District No. 2

(9 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Mondays, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tuesday - Friday) - Sub-district 1, Doug Merriman* and Sub-district 2, John Freese are the incumbents. Neither have filed for re-election at this point.

*Merriman was appointed to the position despite living in another district. As a result, he is not eligible to file for re-election.

Rural Water District No. 3

(call 417-762-7167 for times to register) - Sub-district 4, Darlene Mitchell.

General News on 01/05/2017