Three vie for Auxvasse mayor

Aldermen seats are uncontested

Incumbent Mayor Kevin Phares will face off against two challengers - Keith Clow and Charles Blue - on the April 7 ballot.

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Tammy Johnson of Rogers stands outside the Kum & Go store in Lowell on Monday where she bought a $500,000 grand prize lottery ticket. Johnson bought the ticket on New Year’s Day.

Phares was first sworn in as mayor in April 2010 when he took over mid-term for former mayor Shawn Baita. Prior to that, Phares had served as North Ward alderman. As the end of his first elected term nears, Phares said he wants to run for another term because he feels like he still has unfinished business.

"I know what's going on for the city and have a real concern for the city and its continued growth," Phares said. "The biggest thing right now is the water project ... I'd like to see that through."

An Auxvasse resident for almost 15 years, Phares has accounting and retail management experience and is the store manager for a FastLane convenience store.

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Springdale Har-Ber senior Chris Bayles, right, shoots over Conway’s Everett Reed during the first half of the third-place game of the Har-Ber Holiday Basketball Tournament in Springdale last week. Har-Ber will host Fort Smith Southside on Friday in the 7A-West Conference opener.

Keith Clow has lived in Auxvasse since 2009 and said he decided to run for mayor because he wants to be involved in "helping our community grow and prosper."

"I've always been interested in how government works and thought I might like to throw my name in," Clow said.

Clow, who previously worked in parks and recreation development for tribal government in Arizona, is now the pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in rural Wellsville and helps at St. John's Lutheran Church in Vandalia. He is also a volunteer at Fulton Reception and Diagnostic Center and at the Missouri Veterans Home in Mexico and is a member of the Auxvasse Neighborhood Watch.

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Marty Townsend, with the city of Rogers, pours a bag of rock salt Monday to use in de-icing Rogers roads.

Charles Blue has lived in Auxvasse for almost three years. He said he decided to run for mayor because he wanted to "see if I can change some stuff," noting he feels Phares is "kind of stuck in the past."

"I want to do some improvements - apply for grants and try to get stuff for the city," Blue said.

Blue is a maintenance supervisor in Columbia.

He previously served as the mayor of Clark, Missouri for a year and a half before he moved and had to give up the office.

Both North Ward Alderman Mike Bickel and South Ward Alderman Terry Walker are running unopposed for re-election.