Residents File To Run For Office

Those hoping to claim a local elected position had until Tuesday, Jan. 21, to throw their names into the ring. Enthusiastic residents have filed for offices in a variety of area school boards, local governments and water districts.

Absentee balloting begins Feb. 25 and must be submitted — via mail, fax, or in-office — by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25. 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 John R. Ashcroft’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.

The following is a list of seats available on area boards of education. 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, Jeff Cooper and Beth Buckingham. Goldstein has filed for reelection, while Bobby Parish, Angie Reece, John Carlin and Dennis Bergen are seeking seats on the board.

• Neosho School Board — Kim Wood, Brett Day and David Steele. Wood and Steele have filed for reelection, while Melissa Wright and Kevin Butler are seeking seats on the board.

• East Newton School Board — Eric Allphin, Terry Clarkson and Matt Frand. All have filed for reelection, while Tracy Gorman-White, Scott Anderson, Roland Severs, Martin Lindstedt and Julie McGill are seeking seats on the board.

• Wheaton School Board — Lewis Royer, Joe Brattin and Tony Ball. Royer and Ball have filed for reelection, while Josh Kinnaman is seeking a seat on the board.

• Seneca School Board — Ron Wallace and Sonya Higginbotham Breugel. Both have filed for reelection while Raliegh Ritter and Phillip Wilson are seeking seats on the board.

• Southwest R-V School Board — Doug Henry, Terry Meek and Ruth Henderson.

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) — Mayor, John Sellers; East Ward Alderman, David Roark; West Ward Alderman, Don Hines. Sellers and Hines have filed for reelection. Rusty Wilson has filed for Mayor; Shawn Buffalo, Jeremiah Brewer and Richard Cable have filed for East Ward Alderman and David Roark has filed for West Ward Alderman.

• Noel (9 a.m. until noon; 1 to 4 p.m. Monday - Friday) — North Ward Alderman, Jim Boston; South Ward Alderman, William Rose; West Ward Alderman, Lonnie Huckabey; Marshal, Randy Wilson; Judge, Robert Barth. Wilson, Barth, and Rose have filed for reelection. Joshua Manning has filed for South Ward Alderman and Faye Davis has filed for West Ward Alderman.

• Lanagan (8 a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday) — All alderman positions are at-large. Tim Wilhite, Teresa Neal and Terry Ellisten. All have filed for reelection.

• Goodman (7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday - Friday) — North Ward Alderman, Calvin Wilson; South Ward Alderman, Beth Hallmark; Judge, Clyde Davidson.

• Pineville (8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday - Friday) — North Ward Alderman, Scott Dennis; South Ward Alderman, Shirley “Sam” Alps; Mayor, Gregg Sweeten; Marshal, Chris Owens; Tax Collector, Kathy Underwood. All have filed for reelection.

• Southwest City (8 a.m. until noon; 1 to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday) — East Ward Alderman, Gloria Armstrong and West Ward Alderman, Karen Wallgren. Shane Scott has filed for West Ward Alderman.

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) — Subdistrict 2, Vernon Keene.

• Rural Water District No. 2 (8 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Mondays, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tuesday - Friday) — Subdistrict 1; Lonnie Nageotte and Sub-district 2, John Freese.

• Rural Water District No. 3 (call 417-762-7167 for times to register) — At the time of publication, officials were not available to provide information on open positions.