Seven candidates file for vacant UG seat

Primary to be required in UG 1st District, at large; UG 4th District; and BPU 3rd District, at large

Seven candidates for Unified Government Commission, 1st District at large, filed by the noon deadline today, according to a list from the Wyandotte County Election Commissioner’s office.

The candidates for that office, which has been vacant almost two years, include Melissa Bynum, LaVert A. Murray, Tamika Pledger, Janice (Grant) Witt, Christal Watson, Nathan Barnes and Mark Gilstrap.

In the UG Commission, 4th District, Scott C. Murray and Harold Johnson are challenging incumbent Commissioner Tarence Maddox in the primary.

In the Board of Public Utilities, 3rd District, at large, four candidates will face each other in the primary election March 3. Long-time BPU 3rd District at large incumbent Terry Eidson died Jan. 10.

The BPU 3rd District at large candidates in the primary are Norman D. Scott, Murray D. Anderson Sr., Thomas H. Gordon, and Chris McCord.

The other candidates running in the spring elections are in races that did not require a primary, according to the election commissioner’s list.

Those candidates will run in the general election on April 7.

The candidates to run in the general election include:

For UG Commissioner, 2nd District: Brian McKiernan, incumbent.

For UG Commissioner, 3rd District: Ann Murguia, incumbent.

For UG Commissioner, 6th District: Angela Markley, 6th District.

For Register of Deeds: Nancy Burns, incumbent.

For Board of Public Utilities, 1st District: Robert “Bob” Milan, incumbent, Freddy Wilson Jr.

For Board of Public Utilities, 3rd District: Jeff Bryant, incumbent.

For Kansas City Kansas Community College Board of Trustees: Ray Daniels, incumbent; Mary Ann Flunder, incumbent; Clyde A. Townsend, incumbent, Don Ash, incumbent, Victor B. Trammell.

For Turner Board of Education: Jeff Davidson, incumbent; Sherrie Watkins-Alvey, incumbent; Douglas Lockwood, incumbent, Becky Billigmeier, incumbent; Theresa Tillery, incumbent.

For Piper Board of Education: Tom Beebe, incumbent; Ashley Biondi, Steve Buff, Neal Palmer, incumbent; Lisa K. Sullivan, incumbent; Jeb Vader; Cory Appl; and Desiree Fergus.

For Bonner Springs Board of Education: Timothy G. McGinnis, incumbent; David J. Pierce, incumbent; Patricia E. Welicky, incumbent, Olliea Jarrett, incumbent.

For Kansas City, Kan., Board of Education: George Breidenthal, incumbent; Maria Cecilia Ysaac, Irene Caudillo, Korri Hall-Thompson, Janey M. Humphries, Brenda C. Jones, incumbent; Gloria A. Willis, incumbent; and Valdenia C. Winn.

For Bonner Springs city: Jeff Harrington, mayor, incumbent; Jack Knight, Bonner Springs City Council, Ward 1, incumbent; Mike Thompson, Bonner Springs City Council, Ward 1; Dani Gurley, Bonner Springs City Council, Ward 2; Racheal Haas, Bonner Springs City Council, Ward 2, incumbent; Jordan M. Mackey, Bonner Springs City Council, Ward 3; Robert W. Reeves, Bonner Springs City Council, Ward 3, incumbent; Eric Freeman, Bonner Springs City Council, Ward 4, incumbent; and Mark Kipp, Bonner Springs City Council, Ward 4.

For Edwardsville city: Chuck Stites, Edwardsville City Council, at large; Chuck Adams, Edwardsville City Council, at large, incumbent; Craig Crider, Edwardsville City Council, at large, incumbent; Terence P. Dunn, Edwardsville City Council, at large; Garrett Mellott, Edwardsville City Council, at large, incumbent.

Fairfax Drainage District: Martin L. Quinn, director, incumbent, George Breidenthal, director; Kevin S. Brown, director, incumbent; Philip A. Kostelac, director, incumbent.

Kaw Valley Drainage District: James “Bundy” Jenkins, director, incumbent; David R. Morales, director, incumbent; Anthony Talavera Jr., director, incumbent; Javier Buddy Marron.

Student from Bonner Springs named University Scholar at KU

Chad Uhl, Bonner Springs, has been named a University Scholar at the University of Kansas, Lawrence.

He is one of 20 KU sophomores named University Scholars. The scholars were recognized at a banquet Jan. 25 at the Kansas Union. The featured speaker at the banquet was E.J. Reedy, director in research and policy with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, Mo., and a past University Scholar.

The students will participate in a seminar led by Philip Baringer, associate chair and professor of physics and astronomy.

University Scholars are selected on the basis of academic credentials, commitment to their education, intellectual promise and evaluations by instructors, advisers and other faculty members. Students in their second year at KU with a 3.8 cumulative grade-point average are invited to apply.

Uhl is majoring in computer science and classical antiquity. Uhl is a graduate of Bonner Springs High School. He is being mentored by Perry Alexander in electrical engineering and computer science.