Nominees selected to vye for Higdon's seat

Local News

Related Photos

January 5, 2010

By BILL MARDIS, Ediroe Emeritus The Commonwealth Journal Tue Jan 05, 2010, 08:52 PM EST

Somerset — State employee Leo Johnson, Republican nominee, and retired Social Security Administration employee Terry Mills, Democratic nominee, are candidates in the special election February 2 to fill the unexpired term of Jimmy Higdon in the 24th House District. Higdon was elected to the state Senate in December to succeed Dan Kelly who was appointed to a judgeship by Gov. Steve Beshear.

The 24th District is made up of Marion and Casey counties and five precincts –– Eubank, Buncombe, Mt. Zion, Ansel and Fall Branch –– in Pulaski County.

The nominees –– Johnson, 31, of Windsor, and Mills, 57, of Lebanon, were chosen by Republican and Democratic executive committees. Action by the parties apparently was taken during the past weekend. A spokeswoman for the Kentucky Secretary of State’s office said confirmation of Johnson’s selection had been received but she said that office had no information on Mills’ selection as of early Tuesday morning, the final day for both parties to choose nominees.

Mills, contacted by telephone, confirmed his nomination. Mills already has filed as a Democratic candidate for the 24th House seat subject to regular elections in 2010.

The term of the winner of the special election will end at the first Monday in January 2011. To be a candidate for a full two-year term the winner of the special election will have to file as a candidate during the 2010 regular election cycle.

Only the five aforementioned precincts in northern Pulaski County and voters in Marion and Casey counties will participate in the special election. Eubank has 1,167 registered voters; Ansel has 461; Buncombe has 965; Mt. Zion has 714; and Fall Branch has 651. Pulaski countians who live outside the 24th District can’t vote in the special election.

Pulaski County Clerk Ralph Troxtell said the special election will provide a good opportunity to test the county’s new voting equipment –– paper ballots and optical scanners –– that will be used in 2010 local elections.

•••

Mills’ photograph courtesy The Lebanon Enterprise. Johnson’s photograph courtest Casey County News.

Text Only

Local News

Fast-moving blaze guts mobile home off Slate Branch Road
February 2, 2012 1 Photo
Refinery to re-open in early summer
February 3, 2012 1 Photo
Downtown road work running ahead of schedule
February 3, 2012
Board upholds principal’s demotion
February 3, 2012 1 Photo
Big Bang Theory
Pulaski County is not at war. The booming you may hear at dusk is mock cannon fire to scare away birds.
Stuart Spillman, environmental director for the Lake Cumberland Health Department, said at least three cannons are on loan from the department to residents who want to scare away swarms of starlings and blackbirds settling in to roost.
He said a cannon is being used by a resident on Laura Lane off Ky. 39; another is in the Oak Hill Road area and a third is on Ashurst Street in the eastern part of Somerset.
Spillman said a timer on each cannon allows it to “fire” at whatever frequency is desired. The cannons must be used as the birds circle before going to roost. “After they settle in, nothing will chase them out,” Spillman said.
The Health Department doesn’t operate the cannons unless there is a specific complaint in an area where there are lots of birds, Spillman noted. He said so far this year the birds are not as bad as in the past.

February 2, 2012
Boil water advisory is lifted countywide
The water controversy that Pulaski County has been boiling over — so to speak — for the last week is finally over.
At 10 minutes after noon Wednesday, the “boil water” advisory for the Western Pulaski Water District was lifted — almost a full week after the problems began around 1 p.m. last Thursday.
Prior to that, the Somerset Water Service — along with the other water providers in its system, including Science Hill Water, Southeastern Water, and Eubank Water — lifted their advisories, with Somerset on Saturday afternoon and the last, Southeastern, by Monday morning. Western Pulaski was the last in the system to complete sample testing for potential contaminants, due to not being able to access its Pikeville-based testing lab until Monday.
Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler thanked the public for its patience and understanding during the duration of the boil water advisory — put in place to keep citizens from drinking water that could have been contaminated after an accident last Thursday at the water plant site — and also thanked all the city employees for their hard work during this time.
“The boil water advisory went about as well as would be expected,” said Girdler.

February 2, 2012
SCS to host Medal of Honor recipient
The message is clear: There are heroes. Even here in our own hometowns.
That’s the idea organizers hope to get across Saturday night at Somerset Christian School, when Congressional Medal of Honor winner Sgt. Dakota Meter speaks to all who choose to attend.
For further questions, ticket purchases, and sponsorship opportunities please contact Susan Adams at (606) 875-0255.

February 2, 2012 1 Photo
Newspaper veteran name Publisher of Commonwealth Journal
SOMERSET — A fourth generation newspaperman has been named publisher of the Commonwealth Journal.
Rob McCullough, 50, who started working in a newspaper mailroom when he was 15, officially assumes his duties today. He succeeds Jack McNeely who has accepted a position with the Daily Mountain Eagle in Jasper, Alabama.

February 2, 2012 1 Photo
Blakley receives worldwide honor
February 1, 2012 1 Photo
Bill would allow Somerset to collect restaurant tax
February 1, 2012
More Local News Headlines

Local News

Search Results

Related Photos

Nominees selected to vye for Higdon's seat

Site Map