EDITORIAL: Election 2009

Nov. 1, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Candidates for contested city elections in south-central Idaho Tuesday:

Twin Falls

City Council

--First-term Twin Falls City Councilman Greg Lanting, 57, is being challenged by former Mayor and council member Chris Talkington, 62; contractor Jim Schouten, 46, and downtown business owner Steve Garner, 62. Lanting is a retired middle school principal; Talkington is a retired juvenile justice center director.

--Incumbent Don Hall, 48, who is also serving his first term on the council, is facing write-in candidate Tony Ash, 70, a semiretired salesman. Hall is the project manager at the College of Southern Idaho.

Jerome

Mayor

Jerome Mayor Charles Correll is retiring, and three men are vying to take his place.

They are Jerome City Councilman John Shine, 64, a computer service business owner; Mike Dahmer, 59, owner of Systems Associates Inc., a computer services company, and John Andoe, 44, a driver for Transsystems LLC.

City Council

There are five candidates for two seats on the Jerome City Council, including incumbents Chris Barber, 40, a real estate agent, and Bob Culver, 60, Jerome's retired public works director. The three challengers are Senate Eskridge, 29, a self-employed logistics broker; Larry Webb, 62, owner of the Northside Club, and Dale Ross, 45, master cheesemaker at Jerome Cheese Co.

Burley

Mayor

Incumbent Burley Mayor Jon Anderson, 64, is being challenged by business owner Robert Greenman, 65. Anderson is a credit union manager.

City Council

Seven candidates are running for three seats on the Burley City Council, including incumbents Dennis Dexter, 55; Gordon Hansen, 43, and Steve McGill, 46. The challengers are Don Dean, 71, an electric utility accounts manager; Randy Golay, 54, a contractor; Casey Andersen, 54, a self-employed auto restorer, and Brian Tibbets, 33. Dexter is the social services director for a long-term care facility, Hansen is a business owner and McGill is a self-employed home inspector.

Buhl

Mayor

Incumbent Mayor Charles Sheridan, 66, is being challenged by Tom McCauley, 56, a hydroelectric plant manager. Sheridan is the pastor of the Buhl Church of the Nazarene.

City Council

Three candidates are vying for two seats on the Buhl City Council, including incumbents Dick Van Zante, 71, a retired state tax commission employee, and Regie Finney, 46, who owns a siding installation company. They're being challenged by Tecopa Gleason, 18, who works in a Buhl antiques store.

Gooding

City Council

Six candidates are running for two seats on the Gooding City Council, including incumbent Mel Magnelli, 66. The challengers are Diane Houser, 58, the chief deputy clerk of Gooding County; Terry Platts, 67, a retired construction manager; Mike Leitch, 54, a cheese plant packager; Henry J. Robinson, 74, a retired dentist, and Deanna Lenker, 36, Gooding County deputy clerk. Magnelli is a semi-retired real estate development specialist.

Ketchum

Mayor

Incumbent Randy Hall, 50, is being challenged by Mickey Garcia, 66, a retired Forest Service employee, and Phyllis Shafran, 72, a money manager. Hall is an emergency room paramedic at St. Luke's Wood River.

City Council

Two seats are at stake, with incumbent Baird Gourlay, 52, facing a challenge from former Mayor and City Councilman Ed Simon, 62; Nina Jonas, 37, who owns the Rickshaw Restaurant; Lee Chubb, 56, a systems analyst; Peter Lewis, 43, owner of the Clarion Inn; Jan Hegewald, 30, who works with the non-profit Ketchum Community Development Association, and Carter Ramsey, 31, a contractor. Gourlay owns PK's Sports and Simon is an attorney.

Kimberly

City Council

Incumbent Councilmen George Plew, 51, an outside sales representative for Columbia Electric, and Warren Wade, 70, a retired hotel manager, are being challenged for their seats by Burke Richman, 52, a financial adviser; Jesse Harrell, 63, a retired Amalgamated Sugar employee; and Brandon Hoobler, 28, a case manager for Aflac insurance.

Hailey

City Council

Four-term incumbent Councilwoman Martha Burke, 62, a retired teacher, is being challenged by Anthony St. George, 33, a real state agent.

Heyburn

City Council

Two City Council seats are at stake as incumbents Dee Ray Bailey, 66, and Leann Smith, 59, are facing Dusty Galliher, 57, an environmental specialist for McCain Foods, and Joanne Justesen, 47, a para-educator at Heyburn Elementary School. Bailey owns Bailey Oil Co. and Smith is secretary of the Minidoka County Fair Board.

Bellevue

Common Council

For three seats on the council, Aldermen Gene Ramsey, 60, and Brett Gelskey, 50, are being challenged by Dave Hattula, 45, a painting contractor, and Tom Perry, 63, an electrical contractor. Ramsey is a Blaine County sheriff's deputy and Gelskey manages a recycling center.

Wendell

Mayor

Incumbent Rick Cowen, 44, is being challenged by Brad Christopherson, 46, a towing company owner, and Melody Finley, 53, owner of R&M Specialities, an engine parts manufacturer. Cowen is a Jerome County sheriff's deputy.

City Council

Incumbents Jason Houser, 34, and Jon Irace, 52, are being challenged for their City Council seats by Louie Bay, 67, a retired Clear Springs Foods employee; Herb Allred, 53, who owns a lawn-mowing service; Kent Bates, 49, who works for Quality Truss and Lumber in Filer, and Michael Winmill, 38, a foreman at Lafferty Construction, Drilling and Blasting. Houser works for Dell Computers in Twin Falls and Irace is a contractor.

Filer

City Council

* 4-year term: Incumbents Don Barkley, 74, and Bob Parent, 54, are both seeking their fourth terms on the council, challenged by Tara Wiggins, 27, a real estate agent. Barkley is a retired police chief and building inspector; Parent is a teacher.

* 2-year term: Incumbent Rick Dunn, 55, will defend his seat against David Gaither, 57, a retired project manager, and Jenine Coehlo, a 46, a real estate agent and administrative assistant at College of Southern Idaho Foundation. Dunn is the planning and zoning administrator for Twin Falls County.

Shoshone

City Council

Two council seats will be at stake as incumbents Dan Pierson, 44, and Jann Thomsen, 57, face David Wendell, 42, a bookkeeper. Piersen manages a financial unit for the Idaho Transportation Department and Thomsen is a special-education teacher in the Shoshone schools.

Sun Valley

City Council

Five candidates are seeking two seats on the council, including incumbent Nils Ribi, 54, a venture capitalist; Bob Youngman, 53, a retired scientist; Stephen Poindexter, 31, a desk clerk at the Sun Valley Lodge; Milt Adam, 74, a retired engineer; and David Barovetto, 68, an architect.

Glenns Ferry

Mayor

Incumbent Joanne Lanham, 74, is being challenged by Glenn Thompson, 65, a retired business owner. Lanham is the retired secretary of the King Hill Irrigation District.

City Council

Four candidates are seeing two seats, including incumbent Chris Bryant, 40, and challengers Ralph Jones, 62, a retired business owner; Billie Dillon, 73, retired, and Earl Gardner, 77, retired.

Hansen

City Council

Two incumbents are facing a pair of challengers for seats. Councilmen Anthony Bohrn, 57, and Sarha Berry, 34, will run against former Councilman Tom Kennedy, 70, and Joseph Ratto, 32, a contractor. Bohrn is a carpenter and siding installer and Berry is secretary for the Hansen School District Booster Club.

Hagerman

City Council

Two seats are at stake in the Hagerman elections, with incumbents Michael Winther, 64, and Carl Jeffries, 71, running against challengers Krista Merrill, 53, a clinical assistant for South Central Community Health, and Cary Shaffer, 54. Winther is acting mayor of Hagerman and Jeffries is a retired claims manager for the Automobile Club of Southern California.

Hazelton

Mayor

Retired Marine Eugene D. Brown, 50, is running against write-in candidate Roy McDowell, 49, a hydroelectric plant operator.

City Council

--4-year-term: Five candidates are seeking two seats on the council, including incumbent Sandy Griffiths, 47. She'll face ViAnn Aristizabel, 40, a homemaker; Howard Dye, 68, a retired Amalgamated Sugar employee; Ralph Andoe, 67, a semi-retired farmer and rancher, and Tavis Steen, 41. Griffiths is a retired banker.

--2-year-term: Incumbent LuAnn Gergen, 53, is being challenged by Roma Studer, 71, a retired factory worker. Gergen is an apartment complex manager.

Fairfield

City Council

--4-year term: Councilmen Scott Marolf, 47, and Jeff Kreyssig are being challenged by W.W. Knox II, 65, retired military. Marolf owns a wrecker service and Kreyssig an auto body shop.

--2-year term: Councilman Bob Mullenberg, 54, is being challenged by Kellie Fox, 32.

Malta

City Council

Two seats are at stake as incumbents Gary Bake, 33, and Kim Thornton, 53, face Darlene Henrie, 62, a teacher. Bake is a small business owner.

Minidoka

Mayor

Incumbent Maxine Homer, 78, is being challenged by Becky Ziebach, 64, a business owner.

City Council

For two seats on the council, incumbent Glen Bidwell is being challenged by Martin Merrill, 63, a retired business owner, and Jim Cook, 61,

Albion

Mayor

Incumbent Don Bowden, 56, is being challenged by Heather Mortensen, 36, owner of Campus Grove. Bowden is an environmental protection special with the Bureau of Reclamation.

Hollister

Mayor

Two-term Incumbent Dixie Choate, 68, faces challenger Tom C. Ginder, 61. He works for Overhead Door Co. in Twin Falls; Choate is an administrative clerk for Jackpot.

City Council

Incumbent Betty Morris, 67, and challengers Rebecca Farrell, 42, manager of the Hollister Twin Stop, and Norman Schnitker, 66, a retired rancher, are vying to fill two seats.

Castleford

Mayor

Jeremy Reeves, 31, and Cliff Lockhart, 47, are running to succeed Mayor Richard Schlund.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0206-39347494