Coleman wins seat, incumbents re-elected to school board

CAIRO, Ill. -- Retired school district employee Mary Coleman won election to the Cairo school board Tuesday and voters re-elected incumbents Vernon Stubblefield and board president Arnold Burris Sr.

Burris was re-elected to a fifth four-year term thanks to absentee-ballot votes. Burris trailed Bobby Mayberry by 14 votes in the eight-candidate race late Tuesday night before the absentee ballots were counted.

The results weren't known when the Southeast Missourian went to press Tuesday night.

Final unofficial results showed Coleman collected 591 votes, followed by Stubblefield with 493 and Burris with 457. Mayberry finished with 429 votes, losing to Burris by 28 votes for the third and final school board seat.

Totals for the other four candidates include Torey Purchase with 334, followed by Cairo city clerk Erica Wells finished with 329 votes, Delbert Irish, 228; and Owen Terry Jr. with 158.

For more details, log on to www.semissourian.com or check out Thursday's Southeast Missourian.