Published: 8:48 AM, 11/03/2009

Last updated: 12:52 PM, 11/17/2009

By: Melanie Marshall

The polls are open in Watauga County as of 6:30 a.m. this morning for the towns of Beech Mountain, Blowing Rock, Boone and Seven Devils.

The Watauga Democrat will be posting election results online as they are announced throughout the evening and after the polls close at 7:30 p.m.

There are three candidates for the Boone mayoral seat. Incumbent Loretta Clawson is running against John Mena and Tim Wilson. There are three open seats on town council. Incumbent Rennie Brantz, recently appointed Jamie Leigh, Andrew Ball, Matthew C. Long, Grant N. Holder, Thomas Benjamin White and Harold Frazier have filed.

In Blowing Rock, incumbent mayor J.B. Lawrence is running unopposed. Current council member Tommy Klutz, George Sudderth, Jim Steele, Pat Fountain, Doug Matheson, Mike Kebelback, Jerry Starnes and Gary Lee Smith are vying for the three open council seats.

Beech Mountain incumbents mayor Gil Adams, council members Randy Corn and Pete Chamberlain have filed for reelection in addition to Paul Piquet, Barry Schorr, David Conrad, Cindy Keller and E. "Rick" Miller. There are three open positions.

Seven Devils incumbents Bob Dodson, council members Kay Ehlinger and Bill Wilkinson are on the ballot for three open positions. David A. Ehmig also filed.

In both Beech Mountain and Seven Devils, the mayor is appointed from within the elected town council.  

For more in-depth coverage, see the latest print edition of the Watauga Democrat, available at hundreds of locations across the High Country.

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