Votes tallied for school elections

Less than 50% of Sanders County voters returned ballots for local school and special district elections this week. Ballots were tallied at the Sanders County Courthouse on Tuesday evening. Of the more than 9,800 registered voters in the county, 4,171 voted in this week's election.

Three school districts had asked voters to approve levies, with the Noxon High School technology fund being the only one to pass on Tuesday. The high school levy for $15,000 yearly for five years was renewed, with 430 votes for and 382 against. The Noxon elementary technology levy failed with 234 votes against and 203 for it.

The Plains School District had asked for $100,000 for maintenance and operations. The levy failed with 708 votes against and 499 for.

The general fund levy in Hot Springs also failed, with 228 votes against and 169 for. The Hot Springs ballot issue had proposed an increase of $150,000 for maintenance and operations.

The Heron Park District was the only special district on the ballot this May. One four-year term was open this year, and Deborah Lyman will fill that seat. Lyman received 103 votes and Jodee Goetz 81 votes.

Voters in the Hot Springs school district selected two board members, with Ricky Depoe and Lynette Ek winning three-year terms. Ek received the most votes with 236, Depoe 231, Colton Stephens 125 votes and there were four write-in votes.

In the Trout Creek school district, Marian Stonehocker was elected to the open one-year position on the board, receiving 224 votes to Bryant Eaton's 157. Trout Creek voters also filled two three-year board positions. Michael Linderman and Zachary Hannum received 198 and 914 votes, respectively, to win the election. Other candidates were Robert Purdy with 164 votes, Donald Ekstedt with 64, Teena Molitor with 58 votes, and there were seven write-in votes for the election.

In Thompson Falls, Ryan Frields and Jacob Helvey were re-elected to their school board seats, with Helvey receiving 808 votes and Frields 572. Matthew Toyias also filed for a spot on the school board, receiving 386 votes.

Plains voters selected two people to serve on the school board for three-year terms, with Lana Dicken and Steve Spurr winning among the four candidates. Dicken received 581 votes, Spurr 546, Erika Lawyer 529 and Amy Carey 431. There were 14 write-in votes in Plains.

Finally, in the Dixon School District, Jennifer Hammond and Birrell White will fill the two open three-year positions, with Hammond receiving 54 votes and White 31. Tyler Roragen received 14 votes in the Dixon election.