Sharon Lynch missed by just a few votes unseating councilman Dorsey Cheuvront in 2005. In Tuesday's Wood County primary, she easily defeated one of Parkersburg's longest-serving city council members.

"I think, in the last three years, the voters have seen that council needs to work with the mayor if the city is going to move forward," Lynch said Tuesday night after her victory. "We need to work towards economic development."

Steven Whitehair, meantime, defeated first-term Councilman Jim Myers, to win the right to face Republican John Sandy in November.

"I think certain districts were looking for change for a reason", Whitehair said. "I think district 4 was looking for change; they wanted to go down a different road, and I think they gave me the confidence to go down that road."

Local dentist Wayne Dunn is the Democratic nominee for Wood County Commission. Dunn held off a strong challenge from Guy Lowther to win the right to face Commissioner Bob Tebay this fall.

"People recognize that tomorrow is going to be different from today," Dunn said, "and they want us to be ready for tomorrow. "So, I'm pushing change, and the need to move into this century a little more progressively."

And the Mid-Ohio Valley Transit System levy is a "go" for another two years. It got more than 70% support from the cities of Parkersburg and Vienna, on a day when gas prices came close to $4.00 a gallon.

"We're funded now up through 2011," said Transit Board President Bill McClure, "so it's another two years before we have to go back."

"The gas prices undoubtedly have had some effect on the voters," said Transit System Manager Joe Lockhart, "but I think the voters see Easy Rider is a necessary service."