COAL GROVE - Dawson-Bryant High School teacher Nick Miller will be the new face joining incumbent Phil Roush on the Coal Grove Village Council.

Two council seats were up for election. Miller and Roush beat political newcomers Chuck Brown and Joe Waller. Also, Debbie Fields beat out Patty Markins for the position of village clerk/treasurer by getting 58 percent of the votes.

The top vote getter was Miller with 388, Roush was right behind him with 375, Waller was third with 339 and Chuck Brown had 278 votes.

Because Roush is an incumbent and already in office, Miller will take office on Jan. 1.

Miller, 38, is a Dawson-Bryant graduate who returned to his alma mater to teach physical education and coach football and girls' basketball. He said his strategy of going door to door and meeting the voters must have worked.

"When I knocked on every door and made every phone call, I said 'I won't make you any promises,'" Miller said. "But if you want to call me or come by, I will take your concerns to council."

Miller said his first goal will be to talk with council and the newly-elected mayor to see what direction the village needs to move in.

One of the areas he would like to place an emphasis on is cleaning up parts of the village that have deteriorated in recent years. He said he plans to attend the meetings until he takes office.

"I hope the new council can continue the work started by the previous council and mayor," Miller said. "I would like to see project like Carlyle Tile and the boat ramp continue."

After serving on the council for nearly ten years, Roush, 48, said he is excited about serving for four more years.

"I am looking forward to working with the new mayor and the new council," Roush said. "We need to get the finances in order and improve services with better management and planning."

While he admits that solving the village's financial problems will not be easy, Roush said it is possible with the cooperation between mayor and council.

"If Larry (McDaniel) wants to do it, it can do be done," Roush said. "We should be in recovery mode but it won't be overnight."

Roush said he appreciates all the voter support and vows to "be dependable and fair to all the residents."

Also, Fields, 43, will take the office of clerk/treasurer on April 1. Fields was a 22-year employee of Columbia Gas and is now a temporary field technician with Appraisal Research Corporation. She has political experience after serving as treasurer for the Sexton for Sheriff campaign.