Here’s some political news you just don’t hear everyday– and this time, it doesn’t involve a journalist getting beat up.

The city of Laurel, according to its charter, now has a mayor after neither the mayor-elect, nor the man selected by the council to take the position, attended their Tuesday meeting.

Laurel’s clerk announced Wednesday that Tom Nelson, a former councilman who lost the mayor’s race to Dave Waggoner in November, was sworn in and appointed Interim Mayor. The term will end Dec. 31, 2019. Nelson will need to run for re-election if he chooses to remain in the post. He lost in November to Waggoner, a city employee. Nelson was chosen as the top alternate should Waggoner choose to keep his job at the city. The city’s charter prevents him from doing both, and Waggoner kept his job.

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