THREE NEW COUNCILMEN BEGIN AT SCOTT CITY

SCOTT CITY -- Three new faces joined the Scott City Council Monday night.

Richard Freed, Rodney Holloway and Bill Barnett all won council seats unopposed after three members decided not to file for re-election. They were sworn in Monday night at the conclusion of the council's regular meeting.

Freed, 48, took Fred Lange's Ward 3 seat. He has lived in Scott City for 26 years, moving to the area from Sikeston. He works in quality control for Hardware Wholesalers Inc.

He and his wife, Norma, have raised a daughter, Misty Hamm, and a son, Paul.

Freed said he hopes to help turn around some of the bad publicity the council has been getting lately.

"I'm just one of those people who always manages to speak his mind. I was basically told to put my actions where my mouth was," Freed said.

Holloway, 40, is the owner of K&R Estates and has lived in Scott City for 12 years. He was sworn into a Ward 1 seat vacated when Brenda Moyers declined to run again.

Holloway and his wife, Karen, have two boys, Stephen and Daniel, and a girl, Michelle.

He said he ran because he is interested in city government but doesn't see any immediate issues that need to be addressed.

Barnett, 63, replaced Norman Brant in Ward 4. Barnett is a retired truck driver and has lived in Scott City for 32 years. He is married to Joyce and together they've raised three children, Diane, Billy Jr. and Alan.

Barnett said he is interested in getting some streets paved.

"We need a lot of street repairs made down here. I also thought we needed some new blood on the council," he said.

Barnett said he has heard there were problems with clashing personalities on the council but doesn't know the details.

Ward 2 council member Cindy Uhrhan, who was elected unopposed to her second term last week, said she was disappointed in this year's election -- both in voter turnout and the lack of opponents.

Out of the five seats on the ballot in the April election only one was contested.

"We get people who come and sit out here and complain, yet they don't want to do anything about it. That really bothers me," Uhrhan said.

She said she's hoping the council will be able to put some of its problems behind it this year and deal productively with the city's needs.

Teresa Crump, the only council member who had to fight for her seat in April, said her first campaign was scary. Crump was appointed to her Ward 2 seat when John Rogers resigned last year. She said her victory gives her confidence in the job she has done.

"It makes me feel like I've done something right," she said.