Eleven candidates file on opening day

On the first day of the filing period, candidates threw their hats in the ring for the McDowell County Commission, the Board of Education, the N.C. House of Representatives, the clerk of Superior Court, the Sheriff's Office and district attorney.
The first day of the filing period is usually the busiest as candidates come forward to make it official at the McDowell County Board of Elections. The filing started at noon Monday and will continue until noon on Friday, Feb. 26.

County Commission
Larry Miller, 59, is making his first attempt at seeking elected office by running as a Democrat for the McDowell County Board of Commissioners. He filed Monday at the Board of Elections.
Miller said he is running as a "businessman, disabled veteran, statesman and patriot."
"I am a conservative Democrat with values supporting pro-life, pro-family, pro-business, pro-education and pro-recreation," he stated. "I am strongly persuaded that our country, state and nation is in dire need of common sense leadership."
A resident of 1304 Veterans Drive, Miller said he's running because he truly believes he can make a positive impact on McDowell County.
"We need proven leadership from the private sector that understands the concept of 15.1 percent unemployment, taxation, short-term and long-term planning and a budget in the magnitude of $40 million annually," said Miller. "These areas are easy for most everyone to speculate on. However, in these economic challenging times, we need proven experience."
Miller said he's owned and managed more than 10 businesses in McDowell over the years and to date none have failed. He's also a disabled veteran who received the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star and other service medals.
"Elegant speeches and political correctness does not get the job done," he said. "We need to capitalize on the natural resources God has so graciously granted McDowell County. Water and sewer have been an issue for many years here in the county. We need to create a better working relationship with the city to include state agencies and move this process forward.
"Property tax is another area that certainly needs to be addressed," he added. "Our tax base may have been consistent or even declined a small amount over the past few years. However, property tax assessment has doubled or tripled, so do not be fooled by this rhetoric."
Miller has served nine years on the board of trustees for McDowell Technical Community College. He is a former member of the Marion Lions Club, the Marion Chapter of the Jaycees and is a co-founder of the American Legion Baseball program. He and his wife, Betty, attend Zion Hill Baptist Church. They have a son, a daughter and four grandchildren.
In addition to Miller, Carroll Hemphill filed Monday as a Democratic candidate for county commissioner. Hemphill, 68, lives at 6644 U.S. 221 South.

Board of Education
Marion attorney H. Russell Neighbors Jr. will make his first attempt at seeking elected office by running for the Pleasant Gardens seat on the Board of Education. Priscilla Owenby currently holds this seat. The School Board races are non-partisan.
The 51-year-old Neighbors lives at 468 Clear Creek Road.
When asked why he is running, Neighbors said he questions some of the decisions made by the board during the past few years, including the one to build a second high school.
"I realize I would be only one vote of nine," he said. "I think it was a waste of resources to pay $40,000 for architectural plans for a school the county said they wouldn't build. I think I would not have been in favor of the Chinese program nor the funds spent to go to China."
Neighbors said he thinks School Board members should not travel outside the state, at the school system's and taxpayers' expenses, when teachers have to buy their own supplies.
Neighbors said he is a firm believer in term limits and thinks all elected officials should not serve more than two terms. He said that would apply to him as well.
"I think I can bring a different perspective," he said. "I have one son who just graduated in 2009 and I have another son who is a junior at McDowell High."
Neighbors is a 1977 graduate of McDowell High and was the valedictorian of his class. He earned an associate degree from Wingate College and a bachelor's degree from Wake Forest University. He is a graduate of the Cumberland School of Law at Sanford University in Birmingham, Ala.
He is a member of the Marion Lions Club and attends Bible Baptist Church. He is married to Patty Rumfelt Neighbors and they have two sons.
In addition, Wayne Miller filed Monday as candidate for re-election to the Nebo seat on the Board of Education. The 57-year-old Miller will seek his fifth term and he is the board's vice chairman. He is a resident of 43 Randolph Road.
Miller said his biggest concern is the school system's budget and the tough decisions that lie ahead.
"The biggest thing we are facing is the budget," said Miller. "And it is just not going to be this year. Things are not good and won't be good for a while. We have got excellent teachers and I don't want to lose them. It is going to be very difficult to find the money. We have got great teachers and I would like to keep them."
He added the school system has great buildings and equipment and those must be maintained as well.
Miller is retired from working for 31 years with the N.C. Department of Transportation. He was the DOT's bridge maintenance supervisor in Buncombe County.
Miller is a retired member of the Nebo Volunteer Fire Department. He's been a member of the Ruritan Club for 17 years.
He attends Fairview Free Will Baptist Church and is the vice president of the board for McDowell County Farm Bureau.
Miller and his wife, Betty Freeman Miller, have three children and one grandchild.
Also on Monday, Dewey L. Rayburn Jr. filed to run for a second term as a member of the Board of Education. A resident of 90 Devonwood Drive, he holds the Glenwood seat.
"I just feel like we have got a lot that we need to accomplish," said Rayburn, who is 62. "We have had to make a lot of decisions about how to spend money. We had to send back close to a $1 million to the state because the state needed the money to help balance their budget.
"This is a real crucial time," he continued. "I want to do the best job I can to further the education of our children. It is also my responsibility to be aware of the situation of our taxpayers. Every dollar that we spend is important concerning education. There's still a lot of work to do. I think our board and our administration have done an excellent job under the circumstances."
Rayburn received his master's degree from Western Carolina University. He is a retired educator with the school system, spending 16 years in the classroom and 16 years as a high school counselor. Rayburn now works one day a week at the McLeod Center, a private drug-counseling program at the McDowell Medical Park.
A Vietnam War veteran, Rayburn and his wife, Sharon, have a daughter, a son and two grandchildren.
Lynn Greene also filed Monday as a candidate for re-election to the School Board. A resident of 5705 Sugar Hill Road, Greene, 52, is seeking re-election to one of the Marion seats. Greene could not be reached for comment at deadline.

N.C. House of Representatives
This year, the 85th District seat in the N.C. House will be up for election. The district covers all of McDowell County and portions of Burke.
Republican Mitch Gillespie, 50, of 185 Cross Creek North Ridge Drive filed Monday as a candidate for re-election. He will seek a seventh term in the N.C. House.
On the same day, Democrat Beth Ostgaard, 52, filed as a candidate for the N.C. House. A resident of 461 Hidden Springs, she will make her first attempt at seeking elected office.

Clerk of Superior Court
Don Ramsey will seek a fourth term as clerk of Superior Court for McDowell County. He filed Monday as a candidate for re-election. A resident of 188 Hillcrest Drive, he is a Democrat.
"First off, it's a privilege to serve for the past 12 years," said Ramsey, who is 58. "We've come a long way in reducing the caseload in the court system."
Ramsey said his office has worked with judges and local law enforcement alike to cut down on the caseload.
"We've essentially done away with the backlog of court cases," he said.
In addition, the local court started video conferencing for first appearances. This makes it easier for court officials and relieves some of security concerns by law officers.
"That works well in speeding up the court system," said Ramsey.
Furthermore, a full-time magistrate is now in place at the county's law enforcement center, which includes the Sheriff's Office and the jail. Ramsey said he's also worked to cut down on the amount of time that people spend at the courthouse for jury duty.
"I've worked really hard over the years to have a professional staff," said Ramsey. "It's the people's courthouse. I would like to continue that process for the next four years."
Ramsey and his wife, Jan, have one daughter. He is a member of the Kiwanis Club and served in the military. He is a member of the First Baptist Church of Marion.

Sheriff
The office of sheriff of McDowell County is up for grabs this year. Republican Dudley Greene is the incumbent.
On Monday, two candidates filed for to run for the office. Mike Thompson, 61, of 355 Arrowhead Trail, filed as a Democratic candidate for sheriff. Mark Stewart, 44, of 29 Cloud Crest Drive, filed as a Republican candidate.

District Attorney
District Attorney Brad Greenway filed Monday for re-election in Judicial District 29A. Greenway first won election in 2006, when the state General Assembly formed the new district consisting of Rutherford and McDowell counties. A resident of Rutherfordton, Greenway is a Democrat and is 57 years old.
In his 2006 campaign, Greenway said, "The district attorney should regularly appear in the courtroom. It is difficult to supervise a staff if you are not aware of what they do from day to day."
During his first three years in office, Greenway said he's maintained an active presence in the courtroom. In addition to personally prosecuting seven of the eight homicide cases tried in the district, he's also tried serious felonies from home invasions to robberies and regularly handled traffic court. He supervises a staff of seven prosecutors and eight administrative assistants, according to a prepared statement.
Greenway said the scheduling and disposition of cases improved considerably during his time as D.A. In his first term, the time between filing a charge and its disposition was among the lowest in the state.
Greenway earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1974 and is a 1983 graduate of the Campbell University School of Law. He clerked for Woodrow Jones, chief United States district judge for the western district of North Carolina. He later worked as an attorney with the law firm of Hamrick, Bowen, Mebane, Greenway & Lloyd, L.L.P. While in private practice, he was the lawyer for child protective services of the Rutherford County Department of Social Services from 1986 to 2006.