Invacare files for bankruptcy

said Geoff Purtill, Invacare’s president and CEO.

The board of elections will certify petitions and give numbers to ballot issues at a meeting on Feb. 9. Amherst Democrats Becky Harmych and Nicole Janik will face off in the May primary for the Ward 2 City Council seat. The winner will go on to face Republican Jerry Gach in November.

Incumbent Ward 2

Councilman Ed Cowger, a Republican, is not seeking reelection.

He said Wednesday that his job is taking up more and more time and he didn’t think it was fair to Amherst citizens for him to run behind for meetings or not show up on time.

“So if I can’t be 100 percent, I don’t want to be a zero percent,” Cowger said. “I want to be able to give my all and if I can’t, I want someone else to.”

Cowger, who served 16 or 17 years total on Amherst City Council in two stints, didn’t rule out a future council run.

“If things change at my full-time job and are back under control, I’m not saying you won’t see my name back on there or not,” he said.

Races set to be de- cided in November are in Ward 1 and Ward 4, with incumbent Councilman Brian Dembinski, D-Ward 1, facing Republican challenger Kevin Delong and incumbent Councilwoman Stephanie Smith Pinskey, D-Ward 4, facing Republican challenger Matthew Nahorn.

The incumbents running unopposed are Mayor