Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
Four incumbents and one challenger have filed to run for the Sweet Home City Council in November.
They include challenger Laure A. Fowler and incumbents Jim Bean, Jim Gourley, Rich Rowley and Eric Markell.
The deadline to file to run for the council was Friday. Four positions are open.
Fowler is a homemaker who has done secretarial and home health work. She has no prior governmental experience, she said, except for volunteer work. She attended Searcy High School and holds a general equivalency diploma.
Gourley works for Cascade Pacific Pulp in Halsey, after previously working for Pope and Talbot.
He has served on the council for 14 years and was mayor for two years. He served eight years with the Cascades West Council of Governments and four years on the governor’s Hazardous Communication Council.
He is a graduate of Sweet Home High School. He attended Linn-Benton Community College to become a journeyman millwright.
Rowley is a computer programmer with Fiserv/Summit Information System.
He was appointed to the City Council on Jan. 24, 2006. He served on the city’s Planning Commission from Oct. 25, 1994 to Oct. 24, 2006. This is his first council election.
He earned his bachelor of science degree in computer science from University of Utah. He graduated from Bountiful High School.
Bean works for Weyerhaeuser Santiam Mill east of Lebanon. He has been a police officer in Sweet Home, and he has worked in private security in investigations and as a process server. He also has worked at Triple T Studs.
He has served on the City Council for more than 12 years.
He earned an associate of arts degree from Portland Community College in criminal justice. He graduated from Police Academy.
Markell is a police officer with Coburg Police Department.
He was elected to a two-year term on the City Council in 2006.
He earned a bachelor of arts degree in administration of justice at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.
He earned a two-year degree in criminal justice from Clackamas Community College.