2 incumbents, fire chief seek mayoral seats

By Dispatch staff report

August 04, 2022 at 6:35 PM

BRAINERD — Two local incumbent mayors will seek reelection this fall while the chief of the Cuyuna Fire Department filed to run for a mayoral seat.

Nisswa Mayor John Ryan filed Thursday, Aug. 4, to retain the seat he first earned in 2020. Also seeking to continue as mayor is Walker Mayor Annie McMurrin, elected in 2020.

In Ironton, Louis Dirkes, fire chief of the volunteer department in the city of Cuyuna, submitted his name for mayor.

A number of other incumbent members of area school boards, city councils and township boards appeared on the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website Thursday, alongside others not currently serving in those roles.

Contested races emerged for two township board seats in Cass County. Nicholas Daigle and Tony Peterson will face off for Seat 3 on the Birch Lake Township Board, while Brian Palkovich and Vernon Williams both filed for Seat 5 in Crooked Lake Township.

Filings on Aug. 4

School districts

Pine River-Backus School District No. 2174

School Board member (elect four) — Wanda Carlson (incumbent), Ryan Trumble (incumbent).

Walker-Hackensack-Akeley School District No. 113

School Board member (elect three) — Keane Johnson.
Special election for School Board member — Tristan Ehlenfeldt.

Cities

Backus

Council member (elect two) — Barb Sherlock.

Crosby

Council member (elect two) — Jim Traylor (incumbent).

East Gull Lake

Council member (elect two) — James Ritter.

Garrison

Council member — Aaron Eckhout (incumbent).

Ironton

Mayor — Louis Dirkes.

Lake Shore

Council member (elect two) — John Terwilliger (incumbent).

Nisswa

Mayor — John Ryan (incumbent).

Pequot Lakes

Council member (elect two) — Dan Ronning (incumbent).

Remer

Council member (elect two) — Diane Ammerman (incumbent), David Anderson (incumbent).

Walker

Mayor — Annie McMurrin (incumbent).
Council member (elect two) — MaryBeth Hansen (incumbent).

Townships

Birch Lake Township

Township supervisor, seat 2 — John Freeman (incumbent).
Township supervisor, seat 3 — Nicholas Daigle, Tony Peterson.

Crooked Lake Township

Township supervisor, seat 1 — David Thompson.
Township supervisor, seat 5 — Brian Palkovich, Vernon Williams.

Sylvan Township

Township supervisor, seat 3 — Keith Card (incumbent).
Township supervisor, seat 5 — Ronnie “Swede” Arneson.

Turtle Lake Township

Township supervisor, seat 1 — Reno Wells (incumbent).
Special election for township supervisor, seat 3 — George Ernster.

By Dispatch staff report

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of "staff." Often, the "staff" byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

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