  Photometric VRI and spectroscopic (6000-9500 A) observations of high proper
motion stars discovered during the first phase of the SuperCOSMOS RECONS (SCR)
search are used to estimate accurate distances to eight new nearby red dwarfs,
including probable 10 pc sample members SCR 1845-6357 (M8.5V at 4.6 pc), the
binary SCR 0630-7643AB (M6.0VJ at 7.0 pc), and SCR 1138-7721 (M5.0V at 9.4 pc).
Distance estimates are determined using a suite of new photometric color-Mk
relations defined using a robust set of nearby stars with accurate VRIJHK
photometry and trigonometric parallaxes.
  These relations are utilized, with optical and infrared photometry, to
estimate distances on a uniform system (generally good to 15%) for two
additional samples of red nearby star candidates: several recently discovered
members of the solar neighborhood, and known faint stars with proper motions in
excess of 1.0"/yr south of DEC = -57.5. Of those without accurate trigonometric
parallax measurements, there are five stars in the first sample and three in
the second that are likely to be within 10 pc. The two nearest are SO 0253+1652
(M7.0V at 3.7 pc) and DEN 1048-3956 (M8.5V at 4.5 pc). When combined with SCR
1845-6357, these three stars together represent the largest increase in the 5
pc sample in several decades.
  Red spectra are presented for the red dwarfs and types are given on the
RECONS standard spectral system. Red spectra are also given for two new nearby
white dwarfs for which we estimate distances from the photometry of less than
20 pc -- WD 0141-675 (LHS 145, 9.3 pc) and SCR 2012-5956 (17.4 pc). WD 0141-675
brings the total number of systems nearer than 10 pc discussed in this paper to
12.
