By Dennis Brown

Lewis County voters chose a judge executive last week while voters in Vanceburg put some new faces in city hall.

Forty-one percent of Lewis Countians eligible to vote in last week’s General Election cast ballots for candidates ranging from US Senator to several candidates who were unopposed in their bid for office. Statewide, 49 percent of voters participated in the election.

Among the contested races on the ballot was the one for Lewis County Judge Executive. Thomas Massie defeated incumbent Steve Applegate in the Primary Election and faced Anita Gilbert last week. Massie received 74 percent of the vote and will assume the county’s highest elected office on January 3.

District Three Magistrate Paul Bruce Swearingen, who won in the primary by one vote, will retain his seat after garnering 34 more votes than challenger Danny McCane in the General Election.

Chris Elam, Jerry Bloomfield and Bill Bertram were selected as Soil and Water Conservation Supervisors from a field of five candidates.

Todd Ruckel won as Mayor of Vanceburg over Angie Patton. Ruckel received 71 percent of the nearly 500 votes cast in that race.

Voters in Vanceburg also chose to replace three members of Vanceburg City Council. Karen Fraley, Charles Hall and Shane Hull were elected to council seats and will serve with returning members Denver Moore, Matt Jarrells and Joni Pugh.

Lovell Polley was unopposed in his bid as Mayor of Concord while the four Concord Commission seats went to Sheila Walker, Lynda Polley, Jerry Walker and Carol Campbell.

Voters in Lewis County gave Tea Party candidate Rand Paul 69 percent of the vote over Jack Conway. Paul won statewide with 56 percent.

Fourth District US Representative Geoff Davis retained his seat with 69 percent of the vote in the district. Seventy-eight percent of Lewis County’s voters chose Davis over challenger John Waltz.

State Senate candidate Jack Ditty carried Lewis County with 53 percent of the vote. Incumbent Robin Webb, however, received 53 percent of the vote of the six county total to retain her seat.

State Representative Jill York carried both Lewis and Carter counties. York received 76 percent of the vote in Lewis County and won the combined vote with 58 percent.

A recap of the Lewis County election results appears this week on page 10.

Several local races were decided in the May Primary with candidates running unopposed in the General Election. They included Anthony Silvey for PVA, Thomas M. Bertram for County Attorney, Glenda Himes for County Clerk, Johnny Bivens for Sheriff, Chris McCane for Jailer, Tony Gaydos for Coroner, Michael Ruggles for County Surveyor, Milt Stanfield for District One Magistrate, David Lancaster for District One Constable, Aaron Gilbert for District Two Constable, Joe Bentley for District Three Magistrate, Larry Colley for District Three Constable, Brian McCloud for District Judge, Larry Kegley for District One Board of Education, Robert Kennard for District Two Board of Education and Sarah Willis for District Three Board of Education.

Two new members of the Renaissance on Main Committee were sworn in last week during a regular session of Vanceburg City Council.

City Attorney John Holder read the oath of office to George M. Plummer and Ben Harrison. The two were introduced by Renaissance on Main Coordinator Patty Kennard.

After the brief ceremony, Kennard addressed council concerning conditions in the city.

Kennard said she had heard that city workers haven’t kept the city’s public areas in as good of condition as did previously.

Kennard said a few years ago there were 10 to 12 state class D inmates working five days a week for the city. She said the inmates, who are released from jail to work for non-profit and government agencies, helped to mow rights-of-way in the city limits and helped to maintain the streets and buildings as well as the city’s three parks.

“As of today, November 1, the county houses 49 county inmates and only five of those are state inmates,” she told council members.

Kennard explained that the number of county inmates has increased, leaving less room for the county detention center to house state inmates. With fewer state inmates to assist there is less manpower available to assist city workers.

“The city has not been able to have state inmates all summer and it is almost impossible for three city employees to mow, pick up trash and keep the green areas clean of rubbish,” Kennard stated.

“We don’t have the help and we don’t have the revenue to hire anyone,” she said.

Kennard said in most cities it is the responsibility of property owners to keep the areas around their homes and lots free to trash and junk, and to keep sidewalks adjoining their properties cleaned.

“We have some property owners that do just that and make their property a showplace,” she said.

“However, we have a few property owners that do not care and it devalues the property of those who do care,” she added.

Kennard said citations have been given to the offending property owners and the problem is straightened out . . . for a while.

“I believe that we all have the right to peace and tranquility on our own property. However, what you do to your property on the outside, good or bad, affects your neighbors’ property,” she told council.

Kennard cited instances of people in the city limits who have chickens, move them out of the city for a while after receiving a citation, then moving them back. She also mentioned a property that has evolved into a “junk yard”.

Kennard credited Mayor Angie Patton, Judge Executive Steve Applegate and Buffalo Trace ADD for working over the past two-and-a-half years to acquire funding to tear down and clean up the old shoe factory building.

She also displayed a copy of Vanceburg’s nuisance ordinance and said many of the problems are addressed in the ordinance. She added that taking the offenders to court is only a short term solution to the problem and any fines levied go to state coffers and do not benefit the city.

Patton agreed that money is tight and noted a recent repair bill of $3,500 for the aging trash packer trucks. Both of the trucks were broken down at the same time, she said.

“More people need to come to council meetings and help to clean up this town,” Kennard said.

Vanceburg resident Charles Stapleton addressed council concerning medical waste he has found along city streets during his walks.

Stapleton said he has found discarded I.V. kits, sterile swabs, catheterization kits and more all around the city.

Vanceburg Police Chief Joe Billman said that unless the discarded items have identification of some sort printed on them, it would be hard to catch the people throwing these items out.

Patton said anyone finding discarded medical waste should contact the police department and officers will pick the items up and properly dispose of them.

Stapleton also asked if any more had been found out concerning a request he had made to council earlier to assist in mowing at Woodlawn Cemetery.

Patton said she had spoken with officials at the Kentucky League of Cities and was told that expending money on maintaining the cemetery could be a misuse of public funds. She added she would be in favor of helping out in maintaining the historic cemetery in any way legally possible.

In other business, council adopted a resolution to accept Ky. Rt. 2525 as a city street. The state route runs from the intersection of Ky. Rt. 8 down Main Street then east on Second Street to the railroad tracks.

Patton said the city will accept the roadway after a sewer upgrade project is completed and the road surface has been replaced by the state. She said four catch basins will also be replaced by the state before the road is turned over to the city for maintenance.

Council approved submitting a pre-application for a Rural Development Grant to pay 75 percent of the cost of purchasing two new police cruisers for the city.

Patton said the cost of the new, completely outfitted cruisers is $26,000 each. The grant, if approved, would pay $39,000 of the $52,000 total cost. She said for $13,000 the city could have two new cruisers to replace older high-mileage cruisers.

Billman said the older cruisers, a 2002 model and a 2005 model, are breaking down frequently and require extensive repair bills.

He said he would like to replace one with a standard cruiser and the other with a four-wheel-drive Ford Explorer. The Explorer, he said, is priced the same as the standard cruiser.

Patton updated council members on the recent replacement of dumpsters at several businesses.

She said the older dumpsters had rusted out on the bottoms and had become unusable. Six dumpsters, ranging in size from two cubic yards to six cubic yards, were replaced at a cost of $3,750.

Council adopted 2010 property tax rates and approved the minutes of the previous meeting.

Council entered closed session to discuss an employee matter and the possible sale of property. No action was taken when returning to open session.