TWO NEWCOMERS ELECTED TO SCOTT CITY SCHOOL BOARD

SCOTT CITY -- Two incumbents and two newcomers were elected to the Scott City Board of Education Tuesday.

Incumbents Gale Peetz Dale and Cathy Raines and challenger William Wilthong each were re-elected to three-year terms on the Scott City Board of Education.

Incumbent Ray C. Smith was defeated by only four votes. He could not be reached to comment Tuesday night.

Dale, who serves as board president, was elected by 675 votes. She was re-elected to her fourth term on the board.

Raines received 666 votes in her bid for a second three-year term.

Wilthong, a former football coach in the district, earned 634 votes. He was the only candidate who waited for results at the Scott County clerk's office in Benton.

In the race for a two-year, unexpired term, Debbi Miller defeated challenger Scott Raines by a 41-vote margin. Miller earned 512 votes to Raines' 471.

Both had not held office before. However, Miller ran against incumbent Tom Anderson last year and was defeated by a small margin.

Anderson later resigned, leaving the open seat.

Winning the election made Miller feel like she had accomplished something, she said.

"I was nervous because I didn't know; you never know," she said. "I'm just proud to be on it."

Raines could not be reached to comment.

The new members will be sworn in Thursday at a re-organizational meeting. It begins at 6:30 p.m. at the school.