CAIRO: AUTHORITIES SILENT ON ELECTION PROBE

CAIRO, Ill. -- Federal officials remained silent Wednesday regarding the FBI's seizure of absentee ballots in the Cairo election Tuesday night.

Clifford J. Proud, first assistant for the U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Illinois, said Wednesday that his office had no comment concerning the confiscation of absentee ballots.

Alexander County Clerk Sue Harrington said about 30 FBI agents and some agents with the Illinois Department of Criminal Investigation were on hand while the absentee ballots were counted. Once tallied, the agents seized the ballots.

A spokesman at the clerk's office said Wednesday that no word had been received concerning the ballots.

"We're familiar with what happened at Cairo," said Proud, of the East St. Louis U.S. Attorney's office. "We're aware of what is happening. But, at this time there is no comment from this office."

James Wilson won election as mayor, defeating Carolyn Mayberry by a 2-1 margin, 1,317 to 658.

When asked about the controversy over the vote here Tuesday, Wilson said he was surprised at the actions.

"You could toss out the absentee ballots, and I would still have a good winning margin," he said. "The voting went about the way I expected it would. It wasn't a lot different from the primary."

Looking ahead, Wilson said: "There are some things I want to get started on. I am going to be an active mayor and I like to get things done fast.

"I'm anxious to get started," said Wilson Wednesday. "I'm interested in seeing how the city council stacks up and how active they will be."

Wilson said he was pleased with the makeup of the council. "I had a couple of preferences who were not elected," he said. "But, all the candidates were good, and I think we'll be able to work together."

Wilson said one of the first things he wanted to do was get a reading from the council concerning the riverboat gambling issue, and on city annexations.

"This riverboat gambling issue is far from dead here," said Wilson, who has been leading efforts to secure riverboat gambling in Cairo.

"Metropolis (Ill.) has not been approved for a boat yet, and that means that Cairo still has a shot. I have some plans, which I think will work concerning our chances of obtaining a riverboat."

Wilson said he would schedule a news conference in the near future.

"I'll probably do this before I assume office," he said. "As mayor-elect, there are a few things I want to speak out on."

Mayberry, who quit her job at the Cairo Chamber of Commerce to seek the mayoral post, said she would continue to work with various tourism and development groups.

"I'll continue to do volunteer work with the Heart of Mississippi River Group Committee," she said. "That tourism and development group was founded as a result of the Lower Mississippi Delta Commission, and includes four states Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee."

She said that she would also work with the Southern Illinois Tourism Council.