By Pat Culverhouse

Runoffs will be held for three Webster Parish School Board seats after voters went to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots in eight district races, including five where incumbents fell victim to term limits.

In Dist. 5, Yolanda Shaw Palmer will face “Mike” Wilkes in December. Palmer received 393 votes (43 percent) and Wilkes pulled in 263 votes (29 percent). Ricky Thomas ran third with 249 votes. Ronald Rhymes was term limited in this district.

Incumbent Glenda Sherill Broughton was forced into a runoff by “Miss Chris” Broussard in Dist. 8. Broughton picked up 355 votes (36 percent) to Broussard’s 339 (34 percent). Heather Feeback placed third with 295 votes.

And in Dist. 9,  Lloyd Davis, Jr. will meet Belinda Neloms Evans in the runoff. Davis led with 350 votes (44 percent) and Evans followed with 238 (30 percent). Coming in third was Patricia Williams with 215. Incumbent Jerri Lee did not seek reelection.

District 3 will be represented by Elizabeth Simmons who easily defeated Patricia McMurray by a 799 to 181 vote margin. Charles Strong was term limited in the district.

In the closest race of the evening, Terry Combs slipped past Tina Douglas in Dist. 7 by a margin of 450 votes to 429. Combs will replace the term-limited Linda Kinsey.

Danielle Phenix swept into the Dist. 10 seat past two challengers, gaining 365 votes (68 percent) to avoid a runoff. Jeanine Major Franklin had 319 votes and Robert Louis Stewart, Jr. collected 113. School Board President Johnnye Kennon was term limited.

Gary Cooper will take over the Dist. 11 seat held by former Superintendent of Schools Jerry Lott who was term limited. Cooper swept past Tamara Tanner by a margin of 687 votes to 256 to take the win.

Incumbent Susan Addington easily dispatched challenger “Jackie” Lockett to hold onto her Dist. 12 spot. Addington had 751 votes (81 percent) to Lockett’s 173 (19 percent).

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