TALLYING SLOW IN CAIRO RACES; PURCHASE WINS IN WARD 1

CAIRO, Ill. -- Alexander County voters decided a number of municipal and school board races during elections Tuesday.

In the city of Cairo, mayor James Wilson was the only candidate to file for the mayor's seat and was re-elected to a third term. Six council members also were among those elected to office in Cairo.

Results were not available late Tuesday night for council wards 2, 3 and 4 or in the at-large race between candidates Joseph Thurston and Charles J. Koen. With two of five precincts counted, Thurston was leading Koen 349 to 279.

Voters re-elected incumbent Carolyn Ponting, who was not challenged for her seat as the Ward 5 City Council member.

In Ward 1, incumbent Elbert "Bo" Purchase also was re-elected over challenger Fred. H. Shelton in a 230-to-64 decision.

In other municipal elections, Tamms voters elected Lamar L. Houston Jr., Donn S. Miller and June C. (Teen) Smith to three positions on the trustee board. Houston, Miller and Smith received 183, 101 and 119 votes, respectively. Losing the race was Dennis Long, who received 94 votes.

There were two separate races for Thebes board of trustees. Five candidates competed for three, four-year terms. Winners were: John Butcher, 104; James L. Sutton, 106; and Terry Shafer, 118. Rounding out the totals were Mary Katherine Petzoldt, 26, and Ford Bevens III, 23.

Voters in Thebes also selected two candidates to fill two-year terms on the trustee board. Winners in that election were Clifford Adams and Paul Waring, who received 109 and 99 votes, respectively. Tina Hale Sisson received 35 votes in a losing effort.

In a four-way race for the East Cape Girardeau trustee board, David W. Pearce was the top vote-getter with 49 votes. Also elected were William M. (With) Colyer, 47 votes, and Rex. G. Barker, 36 votes. James R. Lingle received 33 votes in his unsuccessful bid.

Voters throughout the county also considered candidates in various school board races. Only two school districts had contested races.

In Egyptian District 51, five candidates competed for four positions on the school board. Lowell Mendenhall, Diane Blaney and John Sutton were elected with 95, 97 and 112 votes, respectively. Other competitors were Mike McCrite, who had 65 votes, and Donna Lee Bigham, who received 59 votes.

In Shawnee 84, a field of four candidates competed for three school board seats. Candidates and their vote totals: Rodney D. Brown, 164; Paul E. Pinnon, 78; Randy Lambdin, 73; and Steve Ellis, 54.

There were four uncontested school board races in the county. Only three candidates -- Marlene Schultz, Julian L. Howard and Arnold Burris Sr. -- filed for three positions on the Cairo Board of Education. Jonesboro District 43, Anna-Jonesboro High School District 81, and Meridian District 101 also had just enough candidates to fill positions.

New Jonesboro board members are: Richard L. Cunningham, William A. Eaker Jr. and Tom Sherrill.

Elected to the Anna-Jonesboro board were Brandon K. Wright, Janet E. Mixer and Randy Schaefer.

New Meridian school board members are David Button, George A. Floyd, Carolyn Dumas and Paul Helman.

Elsewhere in the county, Don E. Patton and Maul Goins were elected to the Shawnee District 531 Board of Trustees.

William F. Cain and Thomas Nix were elected to fill two positions on the Dodge Memorial Public Library District trustee board, while two positions on the Educational Service Region were filled by candidates D.H. Ferguson and Dorothy Gragg.

Geneva Elaine Bonifield was the only candidate to file for a seat on the Regional Board of School Trustees.