[WARNING: Local politics again, although maybe the last for a while.]

The elections for the Beloit board of education took place yesterday, and we had mixed results. While Amy Oselio (for whose campaign I served as treasurer) lost, Missy Henderson (who I also helped out a lot) won!

It’s clear that the community wanted some new blood on the board, all three challengers were voted in, while both incumbents were removed. Most of the anti-incumbent sentiment seemed targeted against Pam Charles, whom the Beloit Education Association targeted in an attack ad last week. Sadly, because Pam had championed Amy’s appointment to the board to fill a vacant position last August, the two became linked in the minds of many, and that fatally harmed Amy’s chances to retain her seat. Amy, of course, was always very much her own woman on the board, but she was too kind to put the sort of distance between herself and Pam that would have been necessary to snap any possible links between them.

While I’m sad that Amy will no longer be on the board, I’m thrilled that Missy topped all other candidates with her vote totals, and I’m happy to have Tia Johnson and Jessica Everson ready to serve with her.

In fantastic, related, but entirely expected news, my father, Ken Forbeck, won his first election to his current position as Rock County circuit court judge. Governor Doyle appointed him early last year, so this was the first time he actually had to run. Since he was unopposed, he had bagged the seat months ago, but it’s great to have it all officially settled. Go, Dad!