Carney, Henderson win county posts

Republicans Chris Carney and Alan Henderson were elected to the Sussex County Board of County Commissioners in the Nov. 5 election, according to according to unofficial results released by the Sussex County Clerk’s Office

Carney, who won re-election to a second term, received 49,838 votes and Henderson, mayor of Lafayette, had 38,065 compared with 28,251 for Democrat Jason Boehm.

Carney and Henderson defeated three other candidates, including Commissioner Earl Schick, in the Republican primary in June.

Nearly 70 percent of registered voters in the county cast ballots in the Nov. 5 election.

Former President Donald Trump, a Republican, carried the county in the presidential race with 51,371 votes, compared with 30,104 for Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat.

Newton council

Mayor John-Paul Couce and Councilwoman Michelle Teets were re-elected to their second terms, according to the unofficial results. The terms are for four years.

Couce, who is serving as mayor, received 2,098 votes and Teets had 2,084 compared with 1,466 for Dr. Ludmilla Mecaj, who was running for the council for a fourth time.

Branchville council

Russell Bellis Jr., a Republican, won re-election to the Borough Council and Democrat Jeffrey Lewis was elected for the first time, ousting Councilman Troy Orr, according to the unofficial results.

Bellis received 271 votes while Lewis had 245 and Orr had 225.

Bellis and Orr had defeated three other candidates to win the Republican primary in June.

Andover council

Republicans Robert Smith and Melvin Dennison defeated their Democratic rivals for two seats on the Andover Borough Council, according to the unofficial results.

Smith and Dennison received 171 and 150 votes, respectively, compared with 97 for John Giffoniello and 89 for Michael Giffoniello.

Andover school board

Margaret “Peggy” Widgren, Lena Sciroppo and Brian Hertenstein won seats on the Andover Township Board of Education, according to the unofficial results.

Widgren received 1,722 votes, Sciroppo had 1,565 and Hertenstein had 1,465 compared with 1,345 for Jeffrey Neubig.

Frankford school board

Kaitlin Frato, Mandy Jaust and Chelsea Stoll won seats on the Frankford Township Board of Education, according to the unofficial results.

Frato received 2,151 votes, Jaust had 2,046 and Stoll had 1,978 compared with 1,265 for Jason Huhn.

Fredon school board

Laura Ciccolella and Anthony Corcella won seats on the Fredon Township Board of Education, according to the unofficial results.

Ciccolella received 1,145 votes and Corcella had 1,135 while Ali Durino had 714.

Green school board

Ann Marie Cooke, Heather Ellersick and Alyssa Eisner were elected to the Green Township Board of Education, according to the unofficial results.

Cooke received 1,220 votes, Ellersick had 1,011 and Eisner had 992 while Kristin Blodnik-Post had 946.

Cannabis referendum

Stanhope residents voted in favor of a referendum on the Nov. 5 election ballot asking if the Borough Council should adopt an ordinance allowing retail cannabis businesses.

There were 1,042 yes votes, or about 55 percent, and 855 against.

Borough regulations currently ban all types of cannabis licenses.

A resolution to put the issue on the ballot was introduced at the July 9 Borough Council meeting. All council members voted yes except Thomas Romano.

The final vote was 4-0 after a public hearing July 23. At that meeting, Bill Thornton, the council president, and Romano were absent.

No one spoke during the public hearing.

Hopatcong bond vote

Voters approved a referendum to spend about $9.9 million for renovations and improvements at four schools.

About $5.9 million will be used for work at Hopatcong High School, about $2.8 million for Tulsa Trail Elementary School, about $700,000 for Hopatcong Middle School and about $460,000 for Durban Avenue Elementary School.

There were 5,057 votes, or about 68 percent, in favor compared with 2,359 no votes.