Today’s News Headlines from Alabama 810 News 

• Primary Election Results
• Gadsden man dies in cycle accident
• Alexandria man faces rape charges
• Anniston man beaten by his drug dealer

Primary Election Results 
*** For Complete Unofficial Results CLICK HERE***

Probate Judge

In the race for Calhoun County Probate Judge, Democrat Alice Martin won with 61 percent of the vote over principal rival Sam Stewart and Edward Eugene Meadows. The Republican race for probate Judge was not clear cut. Because none of the candidates won more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two  vote getters– George Edward Salmon and Joseph Forrest Dobbins – will be on the ballot in the primary runoff election on July 18.

Coroner

Patrick Brown won the Democratic nomination for Calhoun County Coroner on Tuesday, edging out  Lynn Forbus with 51.5 percent of the vote. In November, Brown will face Marvin Southard, who was unopposed for the Republican nomination. Coroner Bill Partridge, who has served five years in office, did not seek reelection.

Calhoun County Commission

Calhoun County Commission incumbents in Districts 3 and 4 were given votes of confidence Tuesday  as Democratic incumbent Eli Henderson easily outdistanced George Teague in the District 3 Democratic primary ,  Republican J.D. Hess handily defeated Kevin Steward on the District 4 Republican side. Neither Henderson nor Hess face opposition in November’s general election, meaning Tuesdays results will send both men to fourth terms on the commission. Both commissioners are in their 12th year as commissioners

Calhoun & Cleburne County Sheriff

Incumbent Calhoun County Sheriff Larry Amerson defeated challenger Steve Frank Wilson handily in Tuesday's Democratic primary and now turns his attention to Republican challenger Jason Campbell, who edged out Allen Mayfield in Tuesdays republican primary.  In nearby Cleburne County   Joe Jacks, the incumbent Democratic sheriff, pulled ahead Tuesday to win re-election Jacks received 1,638 votes (62.9 percent). His Democratic opponent, Rick Searcy, had 966 votes.

Calhoun County School Board

First-time candidates for the Calhoun County School Board Tom Young, Phil Murphy, June Evans and Janet Brittain will be among the seven Republicans who will compete against Democrats in November for seven seats on the Calhoun County Board of Education. Incumbent candidates Larry Stewart and Dale Harbin also were nominated, with former board member David Gilmore winning nomination.

Dial loses re-election bid in Senate race

In a surprising upset, Kim Benefield unseated long-time incumbent Gerald Dial in the Senate District 13 Democratic Primary.  The race proved to be a close one with Benefield taking about 1,100 more votes than Dial Benefield captured about 9,300 votes in her six-county district, which includes Chambers, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne and Randolph counties. Dial is a 32-year veteran in the Legislature. He served two terms in the House and six terms in the Senate.

Preuitt wins primary battle to retain Senate seat

After weeks of negative campaign ads for the District 11 Senate seat, the incumbent Sen. Jim Preuitt, pulled out a win over former Talladega Mayor Larry Barton in the Democratic primary. The 16-year Senate veteran pulled out a 2-to-1 victory over Barton in Talladega County, and the results across the district are close to the same.

In Calhoun County, Preuitt received 1,153 votes to Barton’s 860. In Elmore County, the incumbent garnered 60 percent, or 399, of the votes cast for Democrats, while Barton only managed 39 percent, or 264 of the votes. Preuitt gathered the largest percentage of votes in Coosa County, where he won with 71 percent of the votes.

With a win in the primary, Preuitt will face John Hethcox of Anniston in the Nov. 7 general election. Hethcox beat Ralph Bradford Sr., also of Anniston, with 52 percent of the votes cast for Republicans in the primary.

New Sheriff elected in Cherokee County

Former Alabama state trooper Jeff Shaver topped Sheriff Larry Wilson and Danny Smith to win the Democratic race for the top law enforcement job in Cherokee County. Wilson has served one term as sheriff. With 25 of 26 precincts reporting, Shaver had 3,009 votes, compared with 1,533 for Wilson and 1,067 for Smith. Shaver was a state trooper for 25 years before retiring earlier this year. In another strong challenge to a Democratic incumbent, retired teacher Dewandee Neyman, with 2,757 votes, held a narrow lead over Tommy McDaniel, chairman of the Board of Education. McDaniel had 2,629 votes with 25 precincts reporting. The Democratic nominee for circuit clerk was expected to be Dwayne Amos, an Alabama trooper agent who began his criminal justice career after serving in the Persian Gulf War. Amos, with 3,538 votes, topped Kevin Green, with 1,992 votes. Longtime Circuit Clerk Carolyn Smith is retiring at the end of this term. Republican and Democratic candidates who were running unopposed in the Cherokee County primary will not be on the ballot until the general election in November. The Independent Party has qualified a slate of candidates for county offices in the general election.

Gadsden man dies in cycle accident 

A 46 year old Gadsden man was killed Tuesday afternoon when his motorcycle collided with a car on Alabama 144 five miles east of Ohatchee.  According to State Troopers, Marshall Clarence McDonald of Southside was riding his motorcycle at the intersection of Lankford Lane near 3 Tuesday afternoon when he attempted to brake for a car in front of him and lost control of the bike skidding into the opposite lane striking a Ford Explorer.  Troopers said that McDonald was pronounced dead at the scene from blunt force head trauma.  The driver of the Explorer, Gloria Foster of Ohatchee was not injured.

Alexandria man faces rape charges 

Calhoun County Sheriffs Deputies have arrested  27 year old Matthew Cecil Jenkins of Alexandria on charges of second degree rape and probation violation in connection with the rape of a young girl.  Police said the girl was between the ages of 12 and 16 and the rapes are alleged to have occurred on several occasions between February and May of this year.  Jenkins, a native of California, remained in jail Tuesday night without bond. 

Anniston man beaten by his drug dealer 

A 51 year old Anniston man told police that someone entered his home early last Friday morning and began beating him with his walking cane.  The man’s 45 year old girlfriend attempted to intervene and was also struck with the cane.  After police arrived the victim told officers that he recognized his assailant as his drug dealer.  The victim stated that he had purchased drugs from the man on credit and had come up a hundred dollars short on the money he owed.  Neither victim was seriously injured and police said that the suspect will face charges of felony assault, felony burglary and harassment.
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