Polls will be open tomorrow from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time for the 2018 Primary Elections. One of the items to watch in Starke County will be the Oregon-Davis school referendum. If approved, the measure would add a property tax of up to 29 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for an eight-year period. It would replace a 19-cent tax that’s currently in place.
The proposed tax would bring in an estimated $600,000 per year for educational and operational expenses, like teacher salaries. It would also reduce the need for Oregon-Davis to borrow money, which Superintendent Dr. Don Harman says could lead to even higher tax rates.
Starke County also has a few hotly-contested county races, including clerk, prosecutor, and certain county council seats. Pulaski County’s contested races include coroner, circuit court judge, District 3 county commissioner, and District 2 and 3 county council members.
Once the polls close, tune into K99.3 for live election results, as we follow all the contested races from the Marshall, Starke, and Pulaski county clerk’s offices. WKVI’s live election coverage is sponsored by Bass Lake Pub & Ristorante and Financial Partners.
Candidate Filings As of February 9 Filing Deadline:
Starke County
Assessor: Michelle Snowdon (D)
Auditor: Kasey Bula Clark (D), Rachel Milner Oesterreich (D)
Clerk: Katherine (Kay) Dolezal Chaffins (D), Vicki Cooley (D), Bernadette Welter-Manuel (R)
Coroner: Dannie Ray Hoffer Jr. (D), Jack E. Rosa (R)
Prosecutor: Leslie A. Baker (R), Richard (Dick) Ballard (D), Nicholas Allen Bourff (D)
Recorder: Rebekah Sponaugle Wagner (D)
Sheriff: Thomas Decola (R), Bill Dulin (D)
Commissioner District 2: Don Binkley (D), Bryan Harold Cavender (R)
County Council District 1: Bradley J. Hazelton (D), Karl Swihart (D)
County Council District 2: Howard A. Bailey Jr. (R), Dale Conley (D), Chuck Estok (D)
County Council District 3: David Pearman (R)
County Council District 4: Karen Tibbs (D)
California Township Trustee: Judy Ahlenius (D), Evelyn Trusty (D)
California Township Board Member: Michele Albon (R), Richard Anderson (R), Matthew McGowen Sr. (R)
Center Township Trustee: Julie Manns (D)
Center Township Board Member: Steve A. Berndt (D), Ben Warren (D)
Davis Township Trustee: Robin Latimer (D)
Davis Township Board Member: Rebecca Ferch (D), Robert Ferch (R), Rebecca (Becky) Pflugshaupt-Davis (R)
Jackson Township Trustee: Robert Schmidt (D)
Jackson Township Board Member: Michelle R. Hounshell (R), Perry Thompson Jr (R)
North Bend Township Trustee: Rutherford Byron Walters (R)
North Bend Township Board Member: Sam Bailey (R), 1. Richard Wieczorek Sr. (D)
Oregon Township Trustee: Mark Allen (D)
Oregon Township Board Member: Corey Louzon (D), Carole Noble (D), Joseph I Reed Jr. (R)
Railroad Township Trustee: Roger Chaffins Sr. (D), Mandy Thomason (R), Debra Wappel (R)
Railroad Township Board Member: Bart D. Egolf (R), Joe Krzyzanowski (D), Mike Lawecki (R), Deborah (Debbie) Pavloff (R), Clayton (Clay) Redlin (D), John Scott Roy (D), Steven Watson (D)
Washington Township Trustee: Cathy Ewing Benko (D)
Washington Township Board Member: Kimberly Temple (R)
Wayne Township Trustee: Shirley A. Kots (D)
Wayne Township Board Member: Joe Griffo (D)
California 2 Democrat Precinct Committeeman: Shirley Fields
Center 1 Democrat Precinct Committeeman and State Convention Delegate: Jeffery J. Houston
Center 1 Democrat Precinct Committeeman: Rick Chambers
Center 1 Convention Delegate “At-Large”: Michaelene J. Houston (D)
Center 2 Democrat Precinct Committeeman: Linda D. Berndt
Center 3 Democrat Precinct Committeeman and State Convention Delegate: Jeff V. Berg
Center 5 Democrat Precinct Committeeman and State Convention Delegate: Kenneth Wallace
Railroad Township Democrat Precinct Committeeman: August (Gus) Eckert II
Washington 1 Democrat Precinct Committeeman: Robert Olejniczac Jr.
Washington 2 Convention Delegate “At-Large”: Bernadette Welter-Manuel (R)
Wayne 1 Democrat Precinct Committeeman: Isaiah Collins
Wayne 2 Convention Delegate “At Large”: Brenda Stanojevic
Wayne 4 Convention Delegate “At Large”: Christopher Lee (R)
Wayne 4 Democrat Precinct Committeeman: Bill Crase Jr.
Pulaski County
Assessor: Lorena H. (Holly) VanDerAa (R)
Clerk: Christina L. Hoffa (R)
Coroner: John Behny (R), Alan S. Mitchell (R)
Prosecutor: Daniel P. Murphy (R)
Sheriff: Jeffery K. Richwine (R)
Surveyor: Jenny Weaver-Keller (D)
Circuit Court Judge: Timothy J. Murray (R), Mary C. Welker (R)
Superior Court Judge: Crystal A. Brucker Kocher (R)
Commissioner District 3: Tyler Campbell (R), John Michael “Mike” McClure (R)
County Council District 2: Ronald “Rudy” Desabatine (R), Douglas Roth (R)
County Council District 3: Jessye Gilley (D), Linda Powers (D), Brian Young (R)
Francesville Town Clerk: Cathy Lynn Elston (R)
Francesville Town Council: Pamela G. Antrim (R), Lynn Johns (R), Rosa M. Wuethrich (R)
Winamac Town Council: Alvin R. Parish (R), Dave Schambers (D), Dan Vanaman (R)
Cass Township Trustee: Christopher Hudson (D)
Harrison Township Trustee: Betty Stinemetz (R)
Harrison Township Board: Christopher A. Graves (R), Alice L. Gudas (R)
Indian Creek Township Board: David Weaver (D)
Jefferson Township Trustee: Betty L. Kruger (R)
Jefferson Township Board: Roscoe “Bud” Cummins (R), Carl G. Kopka (D), Steven Sommers (D)
Monroe Township Trustee: Michelle Schmicker (R)
Monroe Township Board: Jeremy L. Beckner (R), Timothy F. Hoffa Jr. (R), Marcia Link (D)
Rich Grove Township Trustee: Deloris Locke (R)
Salem Township Trustee: Kay Beasey (R)
Salem Township Board: Maurice Kopka (D), Gregory C. Stone (R), Charles R. Yeoman (R)
Tippecanoe Township Trustee: Martie White (D)
Tippecanoe Township Board: Tedmund R. Bauer (R), William E. Bauer (Bill) (D), Kelli Denton (D)
VanBuren Township Trustee: Lenora K. Hoover (R)
VanBuren Township Board: David W. Bailey (R), Kathleen (Kathi) Thompson (D), Tom Wallace (R)
White Post Township Trustee: Karen S. Wagner (R)
White Post Township Board: Richard Lee Brick (R), Patricia L. Tiede (R),
State Convention Delegate: Doug Gutwein (R), Emily Hizer (R), Daniel P. Murphy (R), Brian Young (R)
