Write-in votes settle township clerk race

Jim Gabriel will be the next Eudora Township clerk, finishing first among write-in candidates for the job that had no candidate on the ballot during Tuesday’s general election.

Gabriel, a Republican, received 24 votes in the township east of Lawrence.

Two write-in candidates for other clerk jobs fell short in election results revealed Wednesday.

Republican Alvin Fishburn received 63 write-in votes for Clinton Township clerk, falling short of the 161 received by winner Jim Baldwin, also a Republican.

Democrat Jim McAtee garnered 109 write-in votes for Palmyra Township clerk. Winner Jan Ballinger, a Republican, had 1,612 votes.

County votes to retain district court judges

Douglas County voters Tuesday overwhelmingly voted to keep two district court judges on the bench.

Chief Judge Robert Fairchild received 20,380 votes for retainment, while 4,881 voted to have him removed.

Judge Jean Shepherd received 21,237 votes in her favor and 4,774 votes against her.

They were the only Lawrence-area judges on the ballot.

Opening celebration set for Ottawa visitors center

Ottawa The Franklin County Convention & Visitors Bureau on Friday will celebrate the opening of its new Visitors Information Center near Ottawa.

The center opened in late October near the junction of Interstate 35 and Kansas Highway 68. The building covers 5,000 square feet and was designed to resemble a two-story Victorian home, reflecting architecture of Ottawa and surrounding communities.

An opening ceremony is set for 9 a.m. Friday at the center.

Franklin County firefighters battle house, business blazes

Ottawa Rural Franklin County firefighters were kept busy Tuesday night with separate fires at a business and a residence. Both blazes are under investigation.

Fire damaged three dump trucks at Penny’s Concrete Inc., along U.S. Highway 59 just south of Ottawa, Franklin County Undersheriff Kevin Kimball said.

A passerby reported the fire at 9:30 p.m., he said. Total damage was listed at $80,000. A sheriff’s deputy is investigating the fire, but Kimball declined to say if arson was suspected.

Shortly before 11 p.m. a fire was reported at 3727 Ellis Road near Richmond, Kimball said. The smoke awakened a 17-year-old girl who was alone in the house, owned by Rex Wilson.

The cause of the house fire is under investigation but is not considered suspicious, Kimball said.