Area residents ready to vote
By WARREN SCOTT, Staff writerFact Box
POLLING?SITES:In Brooke County, the following polling sites have been established:
• Wellsburg District: 1st Precinct, Wellsburg Christian Church, 10th and Charles streets; 4th Precinct, Wellsburg Primary School, Main Street entrance; 5th Precinct, Wellsburg Primary School, Charles Street entrance; 6th Precinct, Wellsburg Community of Christ Church, 84 26th St.; 11th Precinct, Beech Bottom Primary School; 14th Precinct, Bethany Town Building; 15th Precinct, McKinleyville Fire Club; 16th Precinct, Windsor Heights Firemen’s Club; Precinct 21B, Franklin Primary School on state Route 27.
• Follansbee District: 17th Precinct, Franklin Fire Department, 960 Washington Pike, Wellsburg; Precinct 20B, New Day Christian Center at the intersection of Rabbit Hill Road and Pleasant Avenue; Precinct 21A, Board of Education Building, 1201 Pleasant Ave., Wellsburg; Precinct 23A, Hooverson Heights Primary School; Precincts 23B and 23D, Hooverson Heights Fire Department; 28th Precinct Follansbee City Building; 31st Precinct, Jefferson Primary School, Jefferson Street, Follansbee; Precincts 32A and 33, Follansbee Middle School, Mark Avenue and Main Street.
• Weirton District: 23C Precinct, Hooverson Heights Church of Christ, 102 Church Ave.; 24th Precinct, Colliers Primary School; 25th and 26th Precincts, Freedom Place II apartments at 3720 Main St., Weirton; 34th Precinct, Millsop Primary School, Marland Heights, Weirton; Precinct 35A, Open Door Baptist Church on Eldersville Road; Precinct 35B, Goodwill Grange on St. John’s Road, Colliers; 36th Precinct, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Three Springs Drive, Weirton.
Brooke County residents who don’t know where they should vote may call the Brooke County Clerk’s Office at (304) 737-3661 for information.
In Hancock County, the following polling sites have been established:
• Grant District: Precinct 1, Allen T. Allison Elementary; 2, Chester Volunteer Fire Department; 3, Newell Volunteer Fire Department; 4, Wells Center; 5, Lawrenceville Volunteer Fire Department; 6, Hancock County Senior Center; 7, Holiday Inn Express in Newell; 8, New Manchester Elementary; and 9, New Manchester Volunteer Fire Department.
• Clay District: Precinct 10, New Cumberland City Building; 11, Point Pleasant Church; 12, Oakland Fire Department; 13, Get Together Picnic Grounds; 14, County Road Fire Station; 15, Dunbar Center; 16, Weirton Senior Center on Main Street; 17, Marland Heights Lions Club; 18, Marland Heights Fire Department; and 19, Hancock County Sheltered Workshop.
• Butler District: Precinct 20, Weir Middle School; 21, Hancock County Sheltered Workshop; 22, Weirton Heights Elementary; 23, Liberty School; 24, West Virginia Northern Community College; 25, Liberty School; 26, Weirton Heights Fire Department on Gilson Avenue; 27, Broadview School; and 28, United Methodist Church on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Hancock County residents who don’t know where they should vote should call (304) 564-3311, extensions 288 or 282, for information.
Polls will open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m.
Voters will have an opportunity to select representatives to the state Senate and House of Delegates. Competing for two seats representing the House’s 1st District, which includes Hancock County and a portion of Brooke County, are three Democrats: challengers Tamara Pettit of Chester and Benton D. Manypenny of Weirton; and incumbent Randy Swartzmiller of New Cumberland.
The winners will face Republican Pat McGeehan of Chester in the fall.
Democrat Joe DeLong of Weirton, who holds the other 1st District seat, is running for secretary of state and is running against Democrats Billy Wayne Bailey Jr. of Pinesville and Natalie Tennant of Charleston in the primary. The winner will face Republican Charles Minimah of Charleston in the fall.
Competing for two seats representing the House’s 2nd District, which includes Brooke County and part of Ohio County, are three Democrats: incumbent Tim Ennis of Wellsburg and challengers Roy E. Givens of Wellsburg and Calvin C. Heck of Follansbee.
Democrat Jack Yost of Wellsburg, who holds the other seat, and Democrat Shane Mallett of Wheeling are vying for a seat representing Hancock, Brooke and Ohio counties in the state Senate. The winner of the Democratic race will face Republican Chris Wakim of Wheeling in the fall.
Vying for Brooke County commissioner are three Democrats: challengers Joe Adams of Follansbee and George Kondik of Weirton and incumbent Norma Tarr of Weirton.
The election also will decide a Democratic race for county sheriff between incumbent Richard Ferguson of Wellsburg and challenger Roger Garretson of Wellsburg.
Eleven are competing in a non-partisan race for three seats on the Brooke County school board. They are incumbent William C. “Bill” Harvey of Wellsburg and challengers Laura Beckelhimer of Colliers, Brian Lee Ferguson of Wellsburg, James F. Lazear of Wellsburg, JoAnn Mazzone of Follansbee, Ted Pauls of Bethany, James R. Piccirillo of Follansbee, Leonard A. Reynolds of Wellsburg, William “Bill” Schwertfeger of Follansbee, Carol Scurti of Follansbee and Joyce Springborn of Wellsburg.
Six are competing in the non-partisan race for four seats on the Hancock County school board. They are Patsy Brancazio of Weirton, Priscilla “Penny” Dotson of Weirton, Jerry Durante of New Cumberland, incumbent Christina Fair of Weirton, Laura Greathouse of New Cumberland and Mary Alice Jones of New Cumberland.
Brancazio and Durante were appointed to fill vacancies on the board earlier this year.
Competing for a seat on the Hancock County Commission are three Democrats living in Weirton: incumbent Dan Greathouse and challengers Mike Chek and Joe Barnabei.
Hancock County voters also will be asked to consider a three-year levy to raise $100,000 for improvements to the county’s animal shelter, including its expansion.
Other local races include:
¯ Brooke County assessor: Chris Cipriani and Tom Oughton, both are Democrats living in Wellsburg. The position was held by the late Phyllis Sisinni until December, when she resigned due to poor health. Oughton was appointed to the position in January.
¯ Hancock County sheriff: Democrats Bill Daugherty of New Cumberland and Tom Tompos of Weirton. The winner will face Republican incumbent Mike White in the fall.
¯ Hancock County surveyor: incumbent J. Perry Manypenny of New Cumberland and challenger Ray Tompos of Weirton on the Democratic ticket; and on the Republican ticket, challengers Mark Wiersbicki and Warren Wright. The winners of the two races will compete for the position in the fall.
Other high-profile offices up for election include state attorney general, state Supreme Court justice and a seat in the U.S. Senate currently held by Jay Rockefeller, who has been challenged by Democrats Sheirl L. Fletcher of Dellslow and Billy Hendricks Jr. of Whitesville. Republican Jay Wolfe of Salem is vying for the seat.
A local judicial race that will be decided later this year is one for a seat as 1st Judicial District judge sought by Democratic incumbent Martin J. Gaughan of Weirton and Republican challenger Worthy Paul of Wheeling.
(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com)
