Coin toss to determine next leader of Illinois village

COLP, Ill. – The next village president in a southern Illinois community will be decided by a coin toss.

The Southern Illinoisan in Carbondale says (http://bit.ly/2nN6zWp ) Tammy O’Daniell-Howell and Bryan Riekena each received 11 votes last Tuesday in Colp.

Williamson County Clerk Amanda Barnes says the tie will be broken on April 20. Illinois law calls for such ties to be settled by a coin flip.

O’Daniell-Howell is a lifelong resident of Colp and has been the village clerk since 2009.

Riekena describes his occupation as “geek.” He attended Southern Illinois University on a swimming scholarship. He stayed in the area after earning a bachelor’s degree in chemistry.

Only 29 of the 250 registered voters in Colp participated in the election last Tuesday.

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Information from: Southern Illinoisan, http://www.southernillinoisan.com