Beth Rumsey
Staff Writer

The November 2010 election proved to be a landslide win for the Ripley County Republican party. Several candidates and supporters gathered at the courthouse in Versailles after polls closed to await the final count of votes that will have many continuing to serve their county as they had in the previous years and some beginning a new era after ousting their opponents.

There are 20,103 registered voters in the county’s 27 precincts. Of those registered voters, nearly 43% cast their vote for this election. Several of the candidates were unopposed, but there were some races that were carefully watched by many.

Tom Grills was re-elected as Ripley County Sheriff with a vote of 5,263 against Bill Dramann, who received 3,181 votes.

Ripley County Council District 1 continues to be served by Juanita Kaiser who received 1,592 votes. Her opponent, Jerry Taul, received 762 votes.

Incumbent Amy Copeland received 378 votes for Brown Township Trustee against Janice Wittich with 178 votes. William M. Kissell ousted current trustee Gary Sapp in Franklin Township with 583 votes to Sapp’s 372 vote count. Paul A. Hardy was unopposed for the Delaware Township Trustee seat.

It was a close race for Jackson and Johnson township trustees. Challenger Annette Pindell took the position of Jackson Township Trustee with 189 votes over incumbent Joan Menchhofer who received 166 votes. Toni Gray garnered 571 votes to take the Johnson Township Trustee seat over Joyce Samples who received 480 votes.

Those local candidates running unopposed included: Prosecuting Attorney Ric Hertel, Auditor Bill Wagner; Surveyor Jeff French and Assessor Shawna Bushhorn.

Also unopposed were District 1 Commissioner Robert Reiners; District 2 County Council member Patricia (Dephane) Smith; District 3 County Council William McDonald and District 4 County Council Edward Armbrecht.

Trustee candidates running unopposed included Saundra Nobbe, Laughery Township; Brenda Warren, Center Township; Cynthia Melton, Otter Creek Township; Stacey Schmaltz, Shelby Township; and Ronald Denton, Washington Township.

The Osgood Town Council will continue to be served by current board president Linda Krinop who received 221 votes over opponent Jeff Volz who received 207 votes and Norman Kappes garnered 261 votes.

Those winning seats on the South Ripley School Board were: Becky Turner and Robert Garcia who ran unopposed; Tim Taylor who received 1100 votes over challenger Denise Fields with 771 votes; and James Miller retained his seat with 1155 votes over David Forwalt, who had 581 votes.

Batesville School Board candidates on this year’s ballot were Wanita Linkel and Steven Stein, both running unopposed.

Michael Norman, Glenn Scholl, Jeff Lyness and Joyce Huffman received the majority votes to serve on the Sunman-Dearborn School Board.

The Republican trend continued to the state level with many Republican candidates garnering the majority vote.

Two races that were very closely watched by Ripley County voters were that of District 68 State Representative and US Representative for District 9. Both races were hotly contested with Republicans emerging the victors.

Republican Jud McMillan unseated Bob Bischoff, who has a history of nearly 30 years as District 68 State Representative on the Democrat ticket.

Republican Todd Young took the lead to unseat incumbent Democrat Baron Hill for US Representative District 9.

Other state offices also went to Republicans including Dan Coats for US Senator; Charlie White for Secretary of State; Tim Berry for Auditor of State; and Richard Mourdock for State Treasurer.
State Senator Johnny Nugent was unopposed as was State Representative District 67 Randy Frye. Ricky Warren won over David Cheatham for the District 69 State Representative race.
According to the Secretary of State website, election results will be final after the November 15 deadline for counties to report voting information.

The last question on the ballot regarding the constitutional amendment concerning property tax caps received approval with Ripley County voters casting 4351 yes votes and 2769 no votes.

Statewide it passed with 390,115 yes votes and 152,409 no votes.

Township board members also on the ballot include winners:

• Adams Township: Douglas Smith, E. George Ammerman, and W. Paul Voss

• Brown Township: Scott Stutler, Kenneth Demaree, and Janice Linkmeyer

• Center Township: Carolyn Carpenter, Ruth Hughes and Donna Linville

• Delaware Township: Harold Turner, Robert Workman, and James Grigsby

• Franklin Township: Marie Eisert, Norma Newton and Mark Riehle

• Jackson Township: Larry Abplanalp, Jane Ann Vankirk, and Jack Schuerman

• Johnson Township: Carol Holzer, Marilyn Hunt and Raymond Sanders Jr.

• Laughery Township: Helen Ellinghausen, Mary Mays and Douglas Amberger

• Otter Creek Township: Matthew McNew, Janine Stratton, and Ray Tucker

• Shelby Township: John Meisberger, Phillip Morgan and Bert Samples

• Washington Township: Michael Alloway, Kimberly Johnson, and Emily Voss

“I think that it is great that the Republican party stuck together and worked really hard for this success in the election,” noted Ginger Bradford, Ripley County Republican Chairman. “If those we elected tonight will do as they say during the next two years, it will make a difference on the national level,” she concluded.

BETH RUMSEY PHOTOS ABOVE: Republican incumbent Sheriff Tom Grills is pictured among supporters at the courthouse at Versailles Tuesday evening as the results rolled in to show him the winner of the race for sheriff of Ripley County. BELOW: Cynthia Melton ran unopposed on the Democrat Ticket for Otter Creek Township Trustee. She watched the numbers closely on the monitor for other races at the courthouse Tuesday evening.