Voters make the calls

MOSES LAKE — With the first results in from Tuesday’s off-year general election, voters in the Moses Lake School District were barely showing their support for the district, with the yes votes narrowly ahead for the proposed three-year, $7 million replacement levy.

According to preliminary results posted Tuesday night by the Washington Secretary of State’s office, the vote for the levy was at 51%, or 3,122 ballots. The levy, which was rejected by voters on the August primary ballot, needs 50% plus one vote to pass, and is intended to pay for extracurricular programs not covered by state funding, such as athletics and music.

Also in the MLSD, in the contest between Moses Lake Police Chief Kevin Fuhr and Rachel Roylance Gallacci to fill the seat being vacated by board member Elliott Goodrich, Fuhr was in the lead with 56%, or 3,281-2,594 votes.

In the race between incumbent board member and board president Vickey Melcher and challenger Paul Hill, Hill led with 53%, or 3,121-2,704 votes.

Voters in the city of Moses Lake cast ballots for four city council seats.

In the race for Council Position 1 between Deanna Martinez and Mike Riggs, Martinez led with 51%, or 1,347 versus 1,294 votes.

In the contest for Council Position 2 between Karen Liebrecht and Dustin Swartz, Swartz led with 53%, or 1,377 to 1,202 votes.

In the race for Council Position 4 between Mark Fancher and Plasido Lindsey Jr., Fancher led with 83% or 2,201 to 438 votes.

Finally, in the contest for Council Position 5 between David Curnel and Judy Madewell, Madewell led with 55% or 1,467-1,204 votes.

Voters living within Grant County Port District 10 — the Port of Moses Lake — got to choose one of three port commissioners this fall. In the race between incumbent commissioner David “Kent” Jones and challenger Kris Dexter, Jones led with 65%, or 3,500 votes versus 1,847.

Two commissioners overseeing Grant County Hospital District 1, which encompasses Moses Lake and Samaritan Hospital, were on the ballot. In the contested race for the at-large commissioner position between Susan Carbon and Brian McGowan, Carbon led with 67% or 3,637 votes versus 1,762 votes.

The second commissioner, Alan White, ran unopposed.

In the race for mayor of Ephrata between incumbent Bruce Reim and challenger Mohammad Hassan Said, Reim led with 91% or 852-74 votes. In the contest for Council Position 2 between Ben Addink and Kathleen Harris, Harris led with 66% or 582-296 votes, while Sarah McDonnell went unchallenged as she sought election to Council Position 1 and long-time council member Matt Moore ran unopposed for re-election to Council Position 3.

In Soap Lake, three city council seats were up for election this year. In the contest for Council Position 3 between incumbent Dave Tweedy and challenger Karen Woodhouse, Woodhouse led with 63% or 116-63 votes. Running unopposed this fall were Leslie Taylor for Council Position 1 and Kayleen Bryson for Council Position 4.

In Wilson Creek, while four council seats and the mayor were on the ballot, only the race for Council Position 3 between Roy Hancock and Jerrod Johnson was a contest, with Johnson leading with 61% or 43 versus 26 votes. Mayor Kevin Newland and city council members Karl Hinze, Scott mortimer and Ramyond Kelby all ran unopposed this fall.

Turnout was only 25% of the 47,552 registered voters in Grant County.

The next ballot count will be at 5 p.m. Thursday and the results will be finalized on Nov. 23.

The following ran unopposed unless accompanied by numbers.

Coulee City

Mayor — ShirleyRae Maes

Position 1 — Chelsi McDonald

Position 3 — Ronna Beal

Position 4 — Bailee Grindy

Position 5 — David J. Huber

Coulee Dam

Mayor — Bob Poch

Position 2 — Merv Schmidt

Position 4 — Larry Hall

Electric City

Mayor — Diane Kohout

Position 1 — Birdie Hensley, 29%; Donald Redfield, 70%

Position 2 — Bob Rupe

Grand Coulee

Position 1 — Ben Hughes, 52%; Tracy Justice Wright, 27%

Position 2 — Tom Poplawski, 72%; Cameron Whitney, 25%

Grant County Fire District 5

Position 1 — Harold Schwab

Grant County Fire District 6

Position 3 — Charlie Erickson

Grant County Fire District 7

Position 2 — Lynne Nelson

Position 3 — Kyle Duffey

Grant County Fire District 12

Position 1 — Bill James

Grant County Fire District 13

Position 1 — Allen Sieverkropp

Position 3 — Kevin Danby

Grant County Fire District 14

Position 1 — Deborah Nelson

Grant County Fire District 15

Position 3 — Mike Laplant

Wilson Creek Cemetery District 2

Position 2 — Kathy Bohnen

Position 3 — Howard Pfeifer

Special one-year M&O levy 0.2388956903 per $1,000 to raise $11,500 — 70% yes

Hartline Cemetery District 4

Position 2 — Terry Poe

Port District 4 Coulee City

District 1 — Howard Mcdonald

Port District 5 Hartline

Position 1 — Chris Edwards

Port District 7 Grand Coulee

Position 1 — James Keene

Post District 8 Warden

Position 3 — Karen Joan Moore

Hospital District 4 Soap Lake/McKay Rehabilitation Center

Position 1 — Steve Wellen

Hospital District 6 Coulee Medical Center

Position 2 — Clea Prior

Almira School District

Director 3 — Todd Monson

Director 5 at large — Lyndsey Mitchell

Odessa School District

Director 1 — Janie Steward

Director 5 at large — Heather Valverde

Warden School District

Director 1 — Doug Skone

Director 4 — Brandi Arredondo, 18%; Bryce Cox, 81%

Coulee Hartline School District

Director 1 — Ryan Poe

Director 3 — Liz Molitor

Director 5 — Dawn Baergen

Soap Lake School District

Director 2 — Donald Clark

Director 5 — Dwight Deines

Ephrata School District

Director 3 — Anita Waller

Director 4 — Jim Adams

Director 5 — Alan Key

Wilson Creek School District

Director 3 — Andy Powell

Director 5 at large — Kaci Anderson, 40%; Lane W. Ribail, 59%

Grand Coulee School District

Position 1 — Shannon Clair Nicholson

District 2 — Buffy Nicholson, 37%; Kenneth Stanger, 59%

Position 5 — Richard Black