SIKESTON - With the new Charter form of government now fully in place, Sikeston voters will pick their mayor and their first two ward representatives April 8, expanding the council by two to a total of seven members.
The race to be Sikeston's first mayor elected at large under the city's Charter form of government has two candidates: Mike Marshall and Harry Sharp. Mayors were previously selected by council members.
Candidates to be Ward 2's first councilman are James A. "Jim" Terrell and Shad B. Old and Sikeston's first Ward 3 candidates are Bart A. Grant and David H. Teachout.
In other municipal elections in Scott County:
* Phyllis Hepler is running unopposed for a four-year term as Miner's city collector.
Two candidates, Deloris Smith and incumbent Donna L. Thomas, are running for the Ward 1 alderperson seat in Miner. The Ward 2 alderperson candidates are Roberta M. Wills and incumbent Tom Brock. The terms run for two years.
* In Benton, incumbents running unopposed for another term in office are: Joe Stuckey for a four-year term as mayor, Beverly Riley for two years as collector, Howard Bollinger for a two-year Ward 1 alderman term, and David Mack for two years as Ward 2's alderman.
* Incumbent Bill Cannon will compete with Hope Huey in the race to be Chaffee's mayor.
Unopposed incumbents seeking re-election for council seats in Chaffee are Ronald E. Davis in Ward 1, Wayne Held in Ward 3, and Tom Cunningham in Ward 4.
Debra Eichhorn is unopposed in her bid for the Ward 2 seat. The position is presently vacant due to the resignation of Wade Sanders.
* Blodgett has three two-year Board of Trustee terms to fill and three candidates: Mike Riley, Ruby Ann Hurst and Jamie Wagoner.
* In Commerce, Lois Lee Huck Ramsey and Dwayne Vetter are running for the two available two-year Board of Trustee terms.
* There are no candidates listed for Diehlstadt's two Board of Trustee seats.
* Haywood City has no candidates listed for its two Board of Trustees positions.
* Voters in the Village of Kelso have three candidates listed for the three Board of Trustee seats: Walter Seyer, Mary Ann Lumsden and Donald Reinagel. The terms run for two years.
* Sammy Slipis and Kevin Bridges are the candidates listed for Morley's Ward 1 and Earl Woods Jr. appears alone on the ballot for the Ward 2 seat.
* Oran has two candidates running for the Ward 1 seat: Jimmy Robinson and incumbent Ed Evans. Incumbent Gil Roslen is running unopposed for another term as Ward 2's alderman. Incumbent Jimmy Westrich will run against challenger Bill Anderson in Ward 3 and incumbent Barb Canady will face Lori Todt for the Ward 4 seat.
Oran voters will also decide whether the Oran Fire Protection District Board of Directors shall be authorized to levy an additional tax of not more than 10 cents per $100 assessed valuation to fund the district.
* In Scott City, Jeff Curnell is unopposed on the ballot for the open Ward 1 seat, incumbent Cindy Uhrhan is unopposed in Ward 2 and incumbent Robert E. Tyler is the sole candidate listed for Ward 3.
Norman Brant and incumbent Ronald W. (Ronnie) Gray are running for the Ward 4 seat.
* Vanduser voters have no candidates to pick from for the three two-year Board of Trustees seats.
* Running for director of the Northern Scott County Ambulance District's Subdistrict 4 are Ivan LaGrand and Erv Arnzen Jr.
* For the six-year Scott County Rural Fire Protection District Board term, there are two candidates running: O'Neal (Pete) Wimberley Jr. and Joel P. Evans.
SIKESTON - Along with deciding municipal elections, Scott County voters will select school board members during the April 8 election.
Voters will select two of the following candidates for three-year terms on the Sikeston R-6 Board of Education: Ann W. Jones, Mary L. White-Ross, Julie Crader Dolan and Harvey L. Cooper.
In other school board races within Scott County:
* The Scott City R-1 School District has two director seats open on its Board of Education and four candidates for the three-year terms: Nancy J. Caldwell, Scott C. Amick, Randy Modglin and Roger R. Buckner.
* Voters in the Chaffee R-2 school district have two candidates running for the two three-year Board of Education director seats: Donna Cannon and Jon Townsend. A one-year term on the board has no candidates listed.
* The Oran R-3 Board of Education has three candidates for its two three-year terms: Tom Urhahn, Marvin Glueck and Carla Graviett.
* The two Kelly R-4 Board of Education seats are being sought by Mitchell Sander, Jim Simmons, Tony Powell and Joe Stuckey.
* The Kelso Consolidated No. 7 School District has no candidates running for its two open three-year terms.
* Scott County Central School District Board of Education director candidates are: Randy W. Grant, Lynn Holman Hubbert, Steve Pobst and Mark Stokes. Voters will select two to serve three-year terms.