Retired Police Chief Mike Ward to run for city council

Du Quoin Board of Education president and retired Du Quoin Chief of Police Mike Ward, 54, today announced that he will be a candidate for the Du Quoin City Council.

The announcement comes following commissioner Kathy West's decision not to seek re-election to another term on the council. West retires from her role as finance commissioner.

Ward is the only announced candidate for commissioner at this time. Other sitting members include street commissioner Don Kunkel, water commissioner Yvonne Morris and police and fire commissioner Josh Downs.

Candidates can take out petitions on September 23, 2014 and filing dates are Dec. 15-22, 2014. The general election is April 7, 2015.

At this writing, there are two candidates for mayor, incumbent Rex Duncan and opponent Guy Alongi.

Ward brings to this election a huge sense of community. He is a lifetime member of the community and a Class of 1977 graduate of the Du Quoin High School. He graduated from SIU-Carbondale in 1981 and was a member of the Saluki track team while there.

He served 30 years as a law enforcement officer in the City of Du Quoin, the last six as Chief of Police. He retired from the department in September 2013 and his successor is chief Jamie Ellermeyer.

He is serving his second term on the Du Quoin Community Unit District 300 Board of Education and is its president.

He is a member of the Du Quoin Baseball, Inc. board and the Du Quoin Youth Club board.

He is a protestant and married to wife Judy for 25 years.

They have two daughters, Micah and Ashley, both college graduates and two one-year-old granddaughters.