TWO OF THREE INCUMBENTS RETURN TO SHAWNEE BOARD

WOLF LAKE, Ill. -- Shawnee Unit School District 84 voters returned incumbents Brenda M. Webb, of McClure, and Steve Ellis, of Grand Tower, to the board Tuesday, but a third incumbent, Rollie B. Matlock, of McClure, lost by a narrow margin.

Newcomer Randy Colyer of McClure led the balloting by collecting 360 votes to join another newcomer, Gary Collins, of Grand Tower, on the board.

Each of the winners had more than 300 votes in an election that attracted big interest in the McClure area, where more than 35 percent of the 909 registered voters went to the polls.

The Shawnee School Board involves voters from three counties Alexander (McClure area) to the south of the Wolf Lake-based high school, Jackson County to the North and Union County to the West.

Colyer led the balloting in Alexander County, with 208 votes. He received 54 in Union County and 98 in Jackson County.

Colyer was followed by Webb and Ellis, each with 321. Webb garnered 202 votes in Alexander County and 71 in Union County. She collected 48 in Jackson. Ellis picked up 140 votes in Alexander County, and added 122 from Jackson and 59 in Union.

Collins led the balloting in Jackson County with 134, and finished with 309 for the fourth position.

Matlock collected 197 votes in McClure, and finished with 299 total. Robert Popejoy, of Grand Tower, finished with 101 votes.

Three Egyptian candidates unopposed

Lamar Houston led the balloting for the Egyptian Community Unit School District 5 Board of Education, with 327.

Three candidates, one of them a write-in candidate, were unopposed.

Terry Shafer collected 290 votes, and write-in candidate Sherry Honey collected 28 votes.

All three were elected to full terms.