Mayor who saw Washington through tornado seeks final term

WASHINGTON, Ill. (AP) - The mayor who led the central Illinois town of Washington when a powerful tornado struck in 2013 says he will seek one final term in office.

Gary Manier is in his fourth term as the mayor of the town of 14,700. He is the city's longest-serving mayor and was first elected in 2001.

Manier told the Journal Star in nearby Peoria (http://bit.ly/2c9tgQl ) that he has unfinished business as mayor in part because of the EF-4 tornado. He says that put everything in town on hold for two years because so much had to be rebuilt.

Manier says he wants to attract new businesses to town and help develop a large section of land the city added in 2013.

He is so far unopposed in the April election.

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Information from: Journal Star, http://pjstar.com