Voters will also select Board of Education and County Commission representatives on May 8.
Cathy Hebb filed to fill the vacancy that will be left by Judy Fairbanks who is not seeking reelection as the Shavers Fork seat on the Tucker County Board of Education. Hebb has 39 years of teaching experience, 36 of which were in Tucker County. “When I look at the current Board of Education members, and I think I would bring a wealth of experience to that position,” Hebb said.
“Not that I have all the right answers, I just have a lot of experience,” she said. “I’ve seen things that do work and things that don’t work in the classroom and sometimes experience is the best teacher.”
This is Hebb’s first time running for public office after she retired in 2013. “I think I can help positively affect the education of the students in this county,” Hebb said. If elected to the board, one of Hebb’s main objectives is to raise test scores. “Our students can do better,” she said. “I think our students want to learn.”
She believes class size is a manageable fix in the county schools. “Our students have to have a very good start. Teachers are working hard, there are just too many kids, and the children are all on different levels, which makes it very difficult to meet all of their needs,” Hebb said.
Hebb is running as a Republican. “I’m up for this. I’ve talked to many people, I know what I’m in for,” she said.
Alan Kidwell is running against incumbent Diane Hinkle as the County Commissioner for the Blackwater District. He and his family run the two Kidwell Auto Parts stores in Tucker County.
“Where I work, I’m like a bartender, I get all kinds of people in here, and they spill their problems,” Kidwell said. “When they spill their problems, I listen to them, and there are sometimes I just wish I could do something to help them. This is something I can do to make a change,” he said.
If elected, Kidwell plans to make a change by repealing the EMS fee and revamping the EMS system. Before implementing any changes to the EMS system, Kidwell wants to receive public input. “I want to actually put it out there to the people that have been in it in the past and gather ideas from everyone,” he said.
He believes that the county emergency services should operate as a freestanding business that does not receive subsidies.
He is running as a Democrat. “I’ve been a democrat all my life, the biggest reason is that’s where my roots originally come from,” he said. “About a year ago, after the presidential race, I didn’t like what the Democrats or Republicans were doing on the national scale, so changed to an independent.” When running for County Commission, candidates must choose between Democrat or Republican.
Diane Hinkle is seeking to serve a second six-year term on the Commission. She registered as a Democrat; although, “I think the role of a County Commissioner should be non-partisan,” she said.
After retiring from the Tucker Community Foundation, Hinkle wanted to spend more time on her role as a Commissioner. “There’s so much activity in the county right now that needs dedicated attention,” she said.
Her priorities are continuing work on the Leadmine stream bank project, securing the county a parcel outside of the ball field in Davis for a second EMS station, updating ordinances, addressing housing needs, working with Department of Highways to widen the road between Davis and Thomas, rail trail access between Davis and Thomas, Blackwater Canyon rail trail access, and job creation.
Hinkle said the Commission is currently trying to find other revenue streams so that they can revisit the EMS ordinance. Hiring additional medics to have around the clock EMS coverage is important to her as well. “It’s difficult to hire additional medics, when we can’t compete with wages in our surrounding counties,” she said.
Hinkle said she recognizes that many are upset that the EMS ordinance was not put to a vote and felt unaware of the possibility of an ordinance. “The lack of communication is a challenge, but we made every effort to keep everybody in the loop,” she said.
She is proud of the accomplishments the Commission achieved over the last six years. She reported that in the last six years, the Commission reduced the levy rate, paid off the Courthouse Annex ahead of schedule, maintained a balanced budget, provided support for PEIA for county employees, increased allocations to four fire departments and EMS, and completed Parsons dike project.
“My asset development work with Tucker Community Foundation had a direct positive impact on Tucker County. I saw it rise from $300,000 to over $23 million in 22 years,” she said. “I’m proud of the team that helped manage and develop those assets, because that in turn, helped give out a lot of small business loans and millions of dollars in grants.”
