KINGSLAND - Kenneth Smith, a civilian employee at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, has been elected as the first black mayor in the history of the small coastal town of Kingsland. <br>
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The veteran Kingsland city councilman got 421 votes, or 54 percent of the total, in the special election Tuesday to replace Mayor Keith Dixon, who resigned in June to run for the state House. <br>
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He defeated Jimmy Johnson, another veteran councilman, who got 359 votes. <br>
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Smith will complete Dixon's term, which expires December 31, 2003. <br>
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Among the biggest challenges facing Kingsland is the loss of 900 jobs at the Durango-Georgia Paper Company, which announced last week that it will close in November. <br>
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The paper mill, which had been operating since 1941, was the third largest employer in Camden County and its largest taxpayer.
