WHEELING - Tuesday is municipal Election Day in many local communities in West Virginia.

Voters in Bethany, Bethlehem, Follansbee, Friendly, Hundred, Middlebourne, Pine Grove, Valley Grove, Wellsburg and Smithfield, W.Va., will elect town officials such as mayor, recorder and council members.

Polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m.

Contested elections on the ballots are as follows:

• In Bethany, voters will select a new mayor from between Jay Eisenhauer and John Cole.

There are five council members to be elected, and there are eight candidates seeking the job. They are Linda Chivers, James Forrester, Bill Hicks, Helen Moren, Ted Pauls, Rebecca Rose, Charles "Red" Schwertfeger and Patrick Sutherland.

• In Bethlehem, voters will elect a mayor, a recorder and seven council members - but there are no contested races. Only the current incumbents filed for their offices.

These include Mayor Garrett "Rhett" Daniel, Recorder Donald A. Junkins and council members Robert E. Henry Jr., Kent A. Pascoli, Mark S. Bauer, Steven A. Harasuik, Mark S. Sasseen, Thomas H. Auten Jr. and Stanley M. Wojcik.

• In Follansbee, Mayor Anthony Paesano is being challenged by John A. Casinelli, and Police Chief John William Schwertfeger faces Larry Rea.

Candidates seeking the 3rd Ward council seat are Arthur D. Quattrocchi Jr. and Kathy Santoro.

• In Hundred, candidates for mayor are Charles A. Sine and Erik Melczak.

• In Middlebourne, there are five members of council to be elected, and voters will choose from among nine candidates.

They are Debbie Hartsfield, Steve Seago, Janice Bonner, Steve Shepherd, Doug Doak, Bob Clem, Rodney Miller, Vera Henthorn and Dave Meyers.

• In Pine Grove, David C. Barr and Peggy Lueck are seeking to be mayor.

There are also eight candidates on the ballot in a race for five council seats. The candidates are Bobby G. Adams, Eva A. Adams, Mary Pyles, Thomas E. Dulaney, Roy L. Justice, Buck Leek, John Johnston and David L. Williams.

• In Valley Grove, residents will elect seven council members from among 10 candidates. Those filing for office are Chad D. Kleeh, Patty L. Naumann, Stephanie Brogan, Wilma Ferrell, John Harto Jr., Donna Fonner McCave, Rodney Miller, Darryl Nick, Gerry L. Trager Sr. and A.R. Walker.

• In Wellsburg, candidates for mayor are Sue Simonetti and current Mayor Wayne Campbell.

Candidates for council in the 1st Ward are Raleigh Mason and Bruce Hunter; in the 3rd Ward, William "Bill" Smith and Pamela Ann Mason; and in the 4th Ward, Jerry Adams and Marlene Shook.

No ballot information was available for Friendly or for Smithfield, W.Va.

West Liberty's election is Wednesday.