by JoBeth Wampler
Staff Reporter 
  Republicans chose a slate of candidates during the party's mass meeting on Saturday at Riverview Elementary-Middle School.
  Three constitutional office candidates (Ray Foster, sheriff; Tamara Neo, commonwealth's attorney; and Josephine Blankenship, commissioner of revenue) were nominated during the meeting, as were three candidates for the board of supervisors.
  Incumbent South Grundy Supervisor Roger Rife was nominated by the party to seek re-election during the meeting. He was the only candidate in attendance that had not pre-filed for a nomination. He joins supervisor hopefuls Terry Hall (Knox) and Steve Hamro, III (Garden), who also received the party nods at Saturday's meeting.
  After briefly describing his own political history in Buchanan County and accepting the GOP nomination, Rife said he would continue to promote the county to the best of his ability if elected.
  Hall, who has been in business selling supplies and equipment to local mining companies for the last 23 years,  previously served two terms on the Buchanan County School Board, representing the Knox District.
  He told Republicans on Saturday that his dedication to his community would again come first.
  "I will work hard for Buchanan County, but to me the Knox Creek's first."
  One initiative he said he hopes to start in his district would be the planning of public meetings, which would benefit the community two-fold by helping to inform and hear the opinions of county residents.
  Hamro is currently the Garden District representative on the Buchanan County School Board.
  In his past three years as a school board member, Hamro has served as both vice chairman and chairman of that board. And now, Hamro said he's asking for four more years to serve the community.
  "I do it because public service is what I love and public service is my life," he said on Saturday in response to those who ask why he's chosen to run for another public office.
  One of the sentiments shared by many candidates revolved around the idea of voting for the person, not the party.
  "This election can't be about party or politics," Hamro stressed. "It has to be about people ... It's about electing people who will take us somewhere."

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