By Brenda Starkey
Chronicle correspondent

     Dave Heinen was leading Bruce McAuley in a close race for Republic School District board position No. 3 with 51.24 percent of the counted ballots Tuesday, Nov. 6, by the Ferry County auditor's office.
     Heinen, who mounted a write-in campaign for the position recently vacated by Dave Michel, received 351 votes compared to 334 for McAuley. Five Okanogan County voters gave Heinen the nod while McAuley got two votes from that county.
     In Ferry County's two other contested races, for Inchelium School District positions, Karen Hoffman with 94 votes led William Ryan, who had 72 in the race for school director No. 1. Rena Tinnell had 99 votes for school director No. 2; Cody Desautel had 72.
     In Kettle Falls School District, Scott Nielsen leads Edward D. Johnson with 53.70 percent of the Ferry County ballots with 116 votes to Johnson's 100.
     Ferry County vote counts are combined with Stevens County totals to determine the who will hold the director district No. 4 position. The combined county totals gave Neilsen 51.9 percent of the ballots cast as of election night, according to the Washington Office of the Secretary of State.
     In uncontested races, Angel Glenewinkel received 653 votes for Republic school director No. 2 and Cherie Exner got 615 for school director at large No. 4.
     Julie L. Phillips received 127 votes for Inchelium school director No. 3; Anna Lee Sandvig 160 for school director No. 4, and Richard Whitney got 160 for school director No. 5.
     Ron Chariton received 209 votes for Kettle Falls school director district No. 1 while Karri A. Slater received 203 for director district No. 4.
     In uncontested Republic City Council results, mayor Shirley A. Couse got 160 votes, and for council positions Jim J. Burnside had 203, Linda Hall 189 and Dave Michel 176.
     In uncontested Curlew School District races Janet Stephens got 266 votes for school director No. 2, Jon Newman 230 for school director No. 4 and Gretchen Halbach 234 for school director No. 5. The ballots will be totaled with those from Okanogan County residents who live within the school district.
     In Okanogan County election night returns, Stephens received six votes, Newman five and Halbach four.
     Ferry County voters gave Pennie Lindsey 58 votes, Lorna Dahl 42 and Sarah M. Hills 59 votes in three uncontested races for school director in Orient School District. The ballots will be added to those from Stevens County to determine the final outcome.
     In Keller School District Jasin Wellons, Cheryl M. Richmond and Deborah Caudell won unopposed contests.
     In Ferry County Hospital District No. 1 Joan C. Lake and Joyce Nee took uncontested races for hospital commissioner No. 1 and No. 3, respectively.
     Other unopposed victors include John M. Frederichs, fire commissioner No. 2 and Robert G. Fields, fire commissioner No. 3 in Fire District No. 13 and Chris A. Kroupa, fire commissioner No. 2 in Fire District No. 14.
     Donald R. Longfellow, water commissioner No. 1, took an uncontested position in the Curlew Water District.
     On statewide issues Ferry County voters approved Initiative Measure 960 which would require two-thirds legislative approval or voter approval for tax increases, 1,133 to 761.
     Ferry County voters rejected Referendum 67 concerning insurance fair conduct, 1,042 to 859.
     Proposed amendments to the state Constitution to establish a budget stabilization account and regulate inmate labor were approved in Ferry County while those that would abolish the super-majority required to pass school levies and change the investment of higher education permanent funds were rejected.
     Sixty-five percent, or 1,200 ballots, were for the budget stabilization account as compared to 643 against. On the inmate labor amendment 1,004 Ferry County ballots approved the measure with 835 rejecting it.
     County residents voted against doing away with the super-majority 1,066 to 840 and against the higher education permanent fund investment amendment 1,076 to 715.
     Voters gave 1,212 votes to Debra L. Stephens for the one-year unexpired term for Court of Appeals Division 3 District 1 judge. She was uncontested.
     Ferry County ballots on the state measures will be combined with those from all other Washington counties to determine final results.
     The next ballot count will be at 1 p.m. Nov. 25. Election night voter turnout in Ferry County was 48.54 percent or 1,967 ballots.