Mayor Shafer and three Council incumbents win elections

Summersville voters overwhelmingly re-elected Mayor Robert Shafer to a fifth four-year term and re-elected three of four City Council incumbents involved in contested races in the Tuesday, June 13, Municipal Election.

Four-term Ward III City Council member Mike Steadham was defeated in his bid for re-election after 16 years in office.

In the mayor's race, incumbent mayor and insurance agency owner Robert Shafer received 438 votes and challenger and local restaurant owner Matt Fitzwater received 118 votes for a margin of 79 percent to 21 percent.

Incumbent Recorder Gary Withee, a local retail store manager, ran unopposed for Recorder and was reelected to a four-year term with 462 votes.

Ward I incumbent City Council members Wayne Halstead and Stevie LeRose were re-elected to four-year terms running unopposed. Halstead received 82 votes and LeRose 81.

Also running unopposed for re-election to a four-year term was incumbent Ward II Council member Jim Epling who received 44 votes.

In Ward III, challenger B.J. Smith, an employee of Monongahela Power Co., was the leading vote-getter among three candidates vying for two Council seats. Smith received 143 votes to edge incumbent Council member Brandon Waters who was re-elected to a four-year term with 130 votes. Mike Steadham, who had been on City Council for 16 years, was third with 107 votes.

The closest race was in Ward IV for one of the two Council seats. Incumbent Councilman Eugene Underwood led the way with 100 votes to win re-election to a four-year term. For election to the other Council seat, the unofficial vote totals show incumbent Council member Chuck Shaw with 84 votes and challenger Bruce Deitz with 80 votes.

Council will canvass the vote on Monday evening, June 19, and certify the election on Thursday evening, June 22. The newly and reelected officeholders will be sworn into office on June 30, at 11 a.m. at the Nicholas County Courthouse.

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Nettie woman wins truck in vaccination sweepstakes

Grace Fowler, of Nettie, knew she was meeting someone at the Summersville Wendy’s on Wednesday, July 14, 2021, at 12:30 p.m.

What she didn’t know was the meeting was with West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and his English bulldog, Babydog.

Jill Nettles Butcher photo

Babydog bearing gifts: Gov. Jim Justice and his English bulldog, Babydog, left, meet with vaccination sweepstakes prize winner, Grace Fowler.

Justice and Babydog were in town to present Fowler a custom outfitted truck — a black Dodge RAM with leather interior.

Fowler won the truck in the Covid-19 vaccination “Do it for Babydog: Save a life, Change your life” sweepstakes.

To the surprise of the lunchtime crowd, Justice, along with Babydog, sat down with Fowler at her table.

She told him that she received her vaccines in December and January.

She also urged people to get vaccinated to help save lives.

Fowler, a dietary clerk at WVU Medicine/Summersville Regional Medical Center, said she was “overwhelmed and nervous” at the surprise.

She had dreamed of owning a new truck and her boyfriend, Dennis Akers, who brought her to the meeting, said she’d been talking about trading her vehicle.

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Commission contributes to airport

The Nicholas County Commission on Wednesday, July 14, voted to provide financial support to the Summersville Airport and the Nicholas County Child Advocacy Center.

The commission also contributed funds to a non-profit substance abuse center in the county, awarded a bid for the demolition of a piece of county-owned property in Summersville, heard financial requests from the Richwood Heritage Center and the newly-formed Richwood Community Center and gave an update on the county’s regional jail costs.

Present for the meeting were Commission President Garrett Cole, Commissioner Dr. Lloyd Adkins and Commissioner Craig Chapman.

Funding for Summersville Airport

Nicholas County Airport Authority member Rodney LeRose came before the commission to discuss funding for the Summersville Airport. He noted that the City of Summersville has already given the airport $50,000 and is considering additional funding.

President Cole said part of the original agreement was that the commission would give $100,000.

Commissioner Adkins, who is also chairman of the Airport Authority, agreed that the airport is going to need more money and felt that the commission should hold off on making any contributions until after discussions at the Airport Authority meeting this week. The meeting was to include meeting with officials of Yeager Airport of Charleston who have agreed to help the Airport Authority turn their situation around financially.

The commission voted unanimously to give the Summersville Airport $100,000 with no more funding until at least the 2022-23 fiscal year.

The $100,000 will come from the county’s economic development funds. Commissioner Cole noted that the county normally only receives about $37,000 in economic development funds but there was a recent surge in which the county received $114,000 in economic development funds.

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Richwood council gains new member

Mayor Gary Johnson, left, swears in Jourdan Deitz.

After a brief executive session to discuss the vacant ward 3 seat, Richwood council voted to confirm Jourdan Deitz for the position.

Mayor Gary Johnson administered the oath of office and swore Deitz in at the regular council meeting on Thursday, July 15, 2021, at city hall.

Former ward 3 representative Britt Nicholas resigned to take a position with the city.

Additionally, council also voted to authorize Johnson to apply for a grant for water leak detection and to use $25,000 in rescue act funds to match the state grant.

Region 4 will do the application.

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