Yeager wins Dunbar mayor's office, most incumbents voted out

Jack Yeager won't be Dunbar's interim mayor for long.

He will keep the job for at least the next four years, afterwinning 72 percent of the votes in Tuesday's general election.

Yeager was appointed interim mayor late last year after formermayor Roger Wolfe was removed from the post.

After his first campaign for office, Yeager finished the raceTuesday with 784 votes, compared to Republican candidate Rev. LannyCoberly Sr.'s 290 votes.

Coberly congratulated Yeager on his way out of the county'svoter's registration office, where the votes were counted Tuesdaynight.

"It was a good, clean race," Coberly said. "There was nonegativity on either side. I stand ready to help if I'm needed."

Coberly, a minister at a Dunbar church, said he would considerrunning for office again in the future.

Yeager, a professor-emeritus at Marshall University's GraduateCollege and retired brigadier general of the West Virginia AirNational Guard, has lived in Dunbar for 41 years.

"It's a new day in the city," Yeager said. "We lost some goodcouncil members but we've also gained a few good council members."

Only two incumbents on council kept their seats.

One lost by just two votes.

In the Ward 3 race for two spots on council, incumbent EvelynColeman, a Democrat, lost her bid. She came in third with 51 votes.

Claiming the seats were newcomer Connie Thompson, a Republican,who won 85 votes, and incumbent Democrat Tom Bailey, who captured 53votes.

Coleman had served on city council since she was appointed inOctober 2004 after her husband, Councilman John Coleman, died.

This is the first time Thompson, 46, has dabbled in politics.

"I've never done anything like this before," said Thompson, whosaid she gained experience dealing with the public while working inthe food service industry. "I just want Dunbar to shine and to be agood community again."

In Ward 1, two new councilmen will take office next month.

Republican Mike Scipio, who came out ahead with 285 votes, hadserved on council until he lost his seat in the previous generalelection.

Democrat Rick "R.J." Fields grabbed the second seat in the wardwith 199 votes. Incumbent Janet Nelson, Democrat, was ousted by a 17-vote margin. She gathered 182 votes.

Councilman Fred Chiles lost his seat in that ward during theprimary election.

Ward 2 Councilman Fred Slaymaker, a Democrat, also lost his seatTuesday by a narrow margin. Slaymaker got 186 votes, but lost by 10votes to Republican Ross "Pepper" Harrison, who took 196 votes.Newcomer Bill Dunlap, a Democrat, won the most votes in that wardwith 210.

"I'm okay," Slaymaker said. "They've got Pepper now, and he's agood man. As long as the people who won serve the city well I'll behappy."

Slaymaker served on city council for four years and said hisbiggest accomplishment would be the new police bicycle unit startingin the city in the coming weeks.

Slaymaker and several officers displayed one of the department'stwo new Cannondale police bicycles at Monday evening's councilmeeting.

There were no surprises in Ward 4 where Councilman EveretteSullivan, a Democrat, was unopposed, along with newcomer DemocratGail L. Harper. Councilwoman Connie Boardman gave up her seat inthat ward to make an unsuccessful run for city clerk. She lost inthe primary.

Carroll Dunlap took the position of city clerk Tuesday afterreceiving 799 votes. Dunlap, a Democrat, was unopposed in thegeneral election.

Dunlap, the father of Bill Dunlap, is a Verizon retiree and has20 years of experience in city government, including several yearsas a city councilman.

"I want to see Dunbar move forward," the elder Dunlap said."We've got big plans for the city."

Of the 5,452 registered voters in Dunbar, 1,108 - a little morethan 20 percent - turned out to vote Tuesday.

New council members will be sworn in later this month andofficially take office July 1.