SICILY ISLAND, La. – Former Ferriday police chief Eddie Newman will serve as Sicily Island’s new police chief starting Monday, thanks to a unanimous vote taken Thursday by the Sicily Island Board of Aldermen.

In late August, the board accepted the resignation of Police Chief Guy King who, according to town officials, resigned for personal reasons.

The board voted 2-1 in late September to hire a Kentucky resident, William Eugene Coley, to fill the post after only a telephone interview, but he resigned due to health problems.

&uot;Sicily Island strikes me as an attractive place to live and is a place where I&160;already know a lot of people,&uot;&160;Newman said.

Newman was Ferriday’s police chief for four years prior to July 1, when Mayor Glen McGlothin and Ferriday’s Town Council took office and former Vidalia Police Department investigator Bobby Sheppard took over the police chief’s post.

Aldermen Tim Ford said Wycoff, who recommended Newman’s appointment, told the board Thursday that Coley resigned due to &uot;physical impairments that would make it difficult to do the job&uot; but did not elaborate.

Neither Coley, a Natchez native, nor Wycoff could be reached for comment later Thursday. Ford said he would have rather seen the deadline for taking applications extended to attract more job candidates.

&uot;And I entered an objection to that effect during Thursday’s meeting,&uot; Ford said, adding the town accepted applications for five days.

&uot;But despite that, I voted for Newman because I think he’s qualified.&uot;

Meanwhile, Newman, who has remained unemployed since being replaced as Ferriday’s police chief, seems eager to start his new job.

&uot;I’m excited,&uot;&160;he said. &uot;I’m ready to have something to do.&uot;