CAIRO HOPEFUL WINS DRAW

By the luck of the draw, a Cairo man has become a candidate for Cairo City Council member-at-large.

Charles J. Koen survived a six-person field to emerge as one of the top three candidates in balloting during the February primary. Koen and Donald E. Rushing tied for the second position on the ballot, with 215 votes each.

Koen then survived a draw of cards to break the tie and will be on the general election ballot against primary leader Joseph Thurston, who was the top vote-getter in the primary.

Koen and Thurston, who received 595 votes in the February primary, will square off in the April 13 general election.

The runner-up deadlock was broken by a card lottery, as set forth in Illinois State Board of Election rules.

A local canvassing board made up of Cairo Mayor James Wilson, Cairo City Clerk Brenda Miller and Cairo City Attorney Jim Flummer used cards to break the tie. Cards 2 through 10 of hearts were placed in a box. Robbie Koen, representing her brother, Charles, drew the 9 of hearts. Rushing drew the 4. Incumbent Steve R. Wiesenmayer, with 132 votes, was eliminated in the primary.

A mayor and six council members will be selected in the April 13 election.

Wilson has no opposition. The incumbent was the only candidate filing for the mayor's seat. Wilson has served two terms as mayor.

Incumbents are included in five ward races:

-- Ward 1: Incumbent Elbert "Bo" Purchase led the primary ballot with 185 votes and will oppose Fred H. Shelton, who finished second in a three-person field with 54 votes.

-- Ward 2: Incumbent Bobby Whitaker led a five-person field of primary candidates with 102 votes and will face Berlene Jones, who received 93 votes.

-- Ward 3: Incumbent Cordell McGoy led five candidates in primary balloting, with 107 votes, and will face Danny Brown, who collected 50 votes.

-- Ward 4: Incumbent Nancy Wright, who received 266 primary votes, will face K.R. Duke Jones, who had 132 votes. They were the only two candidates in the ward.

-- Ward 5: Incumbent Carolyn Ponting led the primary balloting with 168 votes and will face James R. Wissinger, who finished with 71 in a four-person race.

Elsewhere in Southern Illinois, four candidates are in the running for three seats on the East Cape Giardeau Village Board. Candidates include William M. "Witz" Colyer, David W. Pearce, Rex G. Barker and James R. Lingle.

School board elections will be held at Cairo, Egyptian near Tamms, Meridian near Mounds and Shawnee near Wolf Lake. Two board members will be elected at Shawnee Community College near Ullin.

Only three candidates -- Marlene Schultz, Julian L. Howard and Arnold Burris Sr. -- filed at Cairo for three positions.

Four board members will be elected at Egyptian between Tamms and Olive Branch.

Two of the members will be elected from Township 15S Range 2W, where three candiates, Mike McCrite, Lowell Mendenhall and Donna Lee Bigham filed. Only one candidate filed in each of Township 14 S Range 1 -- Diane Blaney -- and Township 15S Range 3W -- John D. Sutton.

Four candidates are listed at Shawnee District 84 -- Paul E. Pinnon and Randy Lambdin in Township 12S Range 3W; Rodney D. Brown in Township 4S Range W and Steve Ellis, Township 10S Range 4W.

Candidates at Meridian include David Britton and George A. Floyd in Township 15S Range 1W and Carolyn Dumas and Paul Helman in Township 15S Range 1W.

Only two candidates are listed for two positions in the Shawnee Community College District: Don E. Patton and Manuel Goins.

Eleven precincts have been determined for the Cairo-Alexander County elections. They include precincts 1 through 5 in Cairo, with other precincts at McClure (East Cape Fire Department); Tamms Community Center; Cache (Cairo Airport); Olive Branch Chamber of Commerce; Thebes City Hall and Sandusky Community Building.