PARKIN -- Diane Patterson defeated six other candidates in a special election Tuesday and will become the mayor of Parkin, replacing her husband who died in December.
Patterson, 61, avoided a runoff by earning more than 40 percent of the votes cast in the election, Cross County Clerk Melanie Winkler said.
Complete but unofficial results are:
Diane Patterson 142
Carolyn Slaughter 53
Prongue Shen Griffin 46
Michael Watson 27
Brian C. Hopkins 15
Nathaniel Jack McGraw 9
Carl A. Davis 2
Patterson's husband, Willie Patterson, took office in January 2015. His brother, Charles Patterson, had served as the previous mayor of the Cross County town of 1,100. Within four months of taking office, Willie Patterson sued the City Council, challenging its right to hire and fire employees without the mayor's approval.
In April 2016, Patterson laid off the Parkin Police Department's 10 officers and dispatcher because of financial problems. The Cross County sheriff's office took over patrols of the town.
Willie Patterson died Dec. 17. He was 68.
The City Council appointed Alderman Faye Futch as interim mayor until Diane Patterson was elected Tuesday. Patterson could not be reached for comment.
A person answering the telephone Wednesday at Parkin City Hall said Patterson would take over the office Monday and did not know how to contact Patterson until then.
State Desk on 04/13/2017