Local voter turnout was much better than election officials anticipated for the Tuesday, November 5 general election.

Wayne County Clerk Heather Piercey said that 38 percent of registered voters in the county went to the polls on election day where the majority of races on the ballot were statewide offices.

Election officials had predicted about a 30 percent turnout, while locally that number was expected to be around 20 to 25 percent.

Piercey said that by Tuesday afternoon the numbers going to local polls were up significantly, despite the fact there was only one local race on the ballot.

City voters cast ballots in a special election to determine who would complete the unexpired term of former Monticello City Councilman Scott Flynn. Flynn resigned earlier in 2019, and Scott Gehring was appointed to the seat at that time.

Gehring was on the ballot and won the race to complete Flynn’s term, which is through the end of 2020. He received 935 votes to defeat Lana Hoskins, who received 270 votes.

The Republican party vote was a strong one in Wayne County for the general election, with 2,313 local voters opting to go with the straight Republican party ballot.

Six hundred and forty five Democratic voters cast straight Democratic ballots, and 21 opted to vote straight Libertarian party.

At the top of the ballot was the race for Kentucky governor.

Republican incumbent Matt Bevin did very well in Wayne County, outdistancing Democratic opponent Andy Beshear by a significant margin.

Bevin received 62 percent of the local vote–a total of 3,472 votes.

—————————

Two local residents were arrested and charged with drug related offenses, following two separate incidents investigated by the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.

According to Sheriff Tim Catron, Heather East of Monticello, was arrested early Saturday, November 9. She was charged with trafficking in a controlled substance first degree and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Catron stated that Deputy Derek Dennis and Deputy Brent Rose were conducting a drug investigation when they learned information that allowed them to obtain a search warrant at a residence on Lincoln Avenue.

At 12:02 a.m. Saturday, Dennis and Rose, along with Monticello police officers John Hurd and Jeremy Thompson, executed the search warrant. Approximately 6.5 grams of methamphetamine and digital scales were recovered.

Catron stated that this investigation is part of his office’s continued commitment to fight the drug epidemic in Wayne County.

The sheriff’s department arrested Eric McGuire on Saturday, November 9 and charged him with trafficking in marijuana (eight ounces to less than five pounds), trafficking in a controlled substance first degree and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Catron stated that deputy Joe Horn and deputy Derek Dennis met a vehicle on Stokes Street that did not have a front windshield. The deputies conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle on Hillrise Drive.

Once the vehicle stopped, Catron stated the driver allegedly changed positions inside the vehicle with the passenger. When the deputies approached the vehicle, they noticed a baggie of marijuana hanging out of the occupant’s pocket.

This led deputies to search the vehicle, and they located and seized 17 baggies of marijuana weighing approximately 11 ounces, a small baggie of methamphetamine, two tablets of a controlled substance, $110 in cash and numerous new plastic baggies consistent with drug trafficking.

A passenger in the vehicle, Timothy Scarborough, of Monticello, was charged with possession of marijuana.

Dennis and Horne were assisted at the scene by Kentucky State Police Trooper Matt Parmley.