New faces in Hannibal leadership after April 2 election

HANNIBAL, Mo. — A few new faces will be found around the tables at Hannibal City Council and Hannibal School Board after Tuesday’s election.

Hannibal City Council 1st Ward member Darrell McCoy and 3rd Ward member Stephan Franke did not seek re-election on the April 2 ballot. Scott Haycraft is running unopposed for the 1st Ward, and Robert Koehn is running unopposed for the 3rd Ward. 

Haycraft, vice president at Hannibal Machine, spoke on Thursday afternoon at the Hannibal Chamber of Commerce Election Luncheon. Haycraft said his experience on the advisory committee at the Hannibal Career and Technical Center and serving on the board of directors for the Hannibal Chamber of Commerce helped fuel his run for Hannibal City Council.

He also expressed his desire to work on economic development in the area.

“As a manufacturer, I’d like to see more graduates stay in our area with more opportunities. If we have more businesses and better jobs that are made up of more manufacturers, I think I can work with the city in that and try to entice more workers,” he said. 

Haycraft also expressed his support of the proposed U.S. 61 bypass project and hopes to evaluate the issue of the old St. Elizabeth’s Hospital.

“My knowledge of problem solving and willingness to work hard for solutions to issues that have been a burden to the city for years would be an asset to the community,” he said.

Koehn posted a video on Facebook on Feb. 3 asking for voter support. The video was filmed in front of the old St. Elizabeth’s Hospital.

“This is one of the major things I want to work out. We have been fighting this for years and years. We either want to get it removed or get someone in here,” he said. “My personal opinion is that we need to tear it down. Let’s face it. It’s getting more and more pricey for our city to keep this. And wouldn’t this be a beautiful park for our neighborhood kids?”

He also spoke about improving conditions on the roads and sidewalks, reducing the number of stoplights on Broadway and making sure center lines are visible on all roads.

Justin Parker and Tysa Coleman’s seats are up for reelection for the Hannibal School Board. Both were elected to the board in April 2021. Parker will not seek reelection.

Coleman is running for one of the two open seats along with Ron Greenwell and Steve Colyar. Greenwell retired last year after more than 20 years of teaching and coaching at Hannibal Middle School. Steve Colyar was a recent candidate in the November election for Hannibal Mayor.