DUNBAR, W.Va. - Jack E. Yeager, a retired Marshall University professor and former Army National Guard commander, took over as Dunbar's interim mayor Monday night.

Yeager's unanimous appointment follows a Nov. 5 decision where state Supreme Court justices ruled 4-1 to not delay the removal of former Dunbar Mayor Roger Wolfe.

"There's been a lot of hurt in this town and I want to create healing," Yeager said.

He pledged open communication with Dunbar City Council and residents. "Everybody that wants to speak will have the time to speak," he said.

Yeager, 71, topped 28 other candidates, according to Dunbar City Council President Evelyn Coleman. She believes council members were impressed with Yeager's interview and all eight were comfortable with the decision to name him interim mayor.

"I think so, cause they all voted for him," she said.

Yeager's term lasts until June, when he would have to run for re-election. Wolfe has already filed for the election.

Yeager is married to Barbara Yeager and is the father of Kanawha County Magistrate Julie Yeager and four others.

Kanawha Circuit Judge Tod Kaufman administered the oath of office to Yeager, a 41-year resident of Dunbar. City Council members discussed the new appointment in a 25-minute closed session.

"I believe that I owe this city something and I was ready to give back," Yeager said.

DUNBAR, W.Va. - Jack E. Yeager, a retired Marshall University professor and former Army National Guard commander, took over as Dunbar's interim mayor Monday night.

Yeager's unanimous appointment follows a Nov. 5 decision where state Supreme Court justices ruled 4-1 to not delay the removal of former Dunbar Mayor Roger Wolfe.

"There's been a lot of hurt in this town and I want to create healing," Yeager said.

He pledged open communication with Dunbar City Council and residents. "Everybody that wants to speak will have the time to speak," he said.

Yeager, 71, topped 28 other candidates, according to Dunbar City Council President Evelyn Coleman. She believes council members were impressed with Yeager's interview and all eight were comfortable with the decision to name him interim mayor.

"I think so, cause they all voted for him," she said.

Yeager's term lasts until June, when he would have to run for re-election. Wolfe has already filed for the election.

Yeager is married to Barbara Yeager and is the father of Kanawha County Magistrate Julie Yeager and four others.

Kanawha Circuit Judge Tod Kaufman administered the oath of office to Yeager, a 41-year resident of Dunbar. City Council members discussed the new appointment in a 25-minute closed session.

"I believe that I owe this city something and I was ready to give back," Yeager said.

After two years of feuding with council, a specially appointed three-judge panel ordered Wolfe removed from office late last month, finding that the mayor consistently and willfully spent money and conducted city business without the approval of City Council. The judges ruled that Wolfe's actions were in violation of state law and the Dunbar city charter.

The panel ordered Wolfe to vacate his office immediately, but Wolfe's attorney filed a request with the Supreme Court to stay the order and allow Wolfe to remain mayor pending an appeal of the ruling.

Justices turned down the stay last week in a one-page ruling.

In 2006, Wolfe tried unsuccessfully to get pay raises for four city department heads against council members' wishes. Wolfe eventually changed the status of the department heads from salaried workers to hourly employees with overtime in an attempt to pay them more money.

Council members took Wolfe to Kanawha Circuit Court over the pay issue. Early this year, Circuit Judge Paul Zakaib ruled that council controlled city business and finances. He ordered Wolfe to stop spending money without permission from the other council members.

Wolfe ignored the order and appealed Zakaib's ruling to the state Supreme Court. Six council members filed papers to have Wolfe removed from office in February.

Wolfe has lost every legal action he has attempted in trying to fight the council. His supporters plan a rally from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Dunbar City Park.

Reach Davin White

at davinwh...@wvgazette.com

 or 348-1254.