Happy Campers!

Summer camps and happy campers are taking center stage at Rend Lake College this week.

Here’s the link to the story.

Marion Cultural & Civic Center charts post-COVID reopening

Driving around the Marion Tower Square during the COVID-19 pandemic was especially depressing for a music fan.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

Benton police make arrests

On June 21st, 2021 Benton Police arrested Kendra Fox, age 30, of Benton on an active Franklin County warrant for failure to appear. Fox was transported to the Franklin County Jail for further processing.

On June 21st, 2021 Benton Police were dispatched to the 800 block of South McLeansboro Street in reference to a domestic disturbance. Upon investigation, police arrested Gavin Wyant, age 18, of Benton for domestic battery. Wyant was charged and transported to the Franklin County Jail for further processing.

RLC announces Honor’s List for Spring 2021 Semester

INA, IL – Rend Lake College is proud to present its President’s and Vice President’s Lists for the Spring 2021 semester.

The lists include 173 individuals named to the President’s List. Those students earned a 4.0 grade point average (GPA) during the semester with 12 credit hours or more. Another 207 students were named to the Vice Presidents’ List, and these students earned a 3.50 – 3.99 GPA during the semester as a full-time student status.

“We’re excited to see such a big number of hardworking students named to the President’s and Vice Presidents’ lists, and those students should be proud of the work they put in to reach this honor,” said RLC President Terry Wilkerson. “I speak for our faculty and staff when I commend them for their success and encourage them to continue working hard to reach their educational goals.”

RLC students receiving academic honors for Spring 2021, listed by communities, are:

President’s List

BELLE RIVE – Wendy Beaty, Hayden Pilson, Elizabeth Pittman

BENTON – Emily Clark, Mady Darr, Reid Donaldson, Olivia Drew, Jayla Eubanks, Autumn Filkins, Josie Fryar, Megan Hallemann, Madelin Hayes, Trevor Key, Madison Kreiner, Evie Krieger, Samantha Licka, Kaitlyn Matzker, Madeleine Miller, Megann Nelson, Trinity Price, Demi Ren, Christina Rodriguez, Owen Sanders, Daniel Stowers, Sesley Tedeschi, Peyton Tieffel, Kortney Wilcox

BLUFORD – Abigail Hulbert, Gavin Johnson, Samantha Schrum

BONNIE – Evan Bicanich, Reagan Newell

BUCKNER – Michaela Eubanks

CARBONDALE – Octavia Marshall

CARTERVILLE – Liliana Caamal, Jacob Jablonski, Jozlin Ziegler

CHRISTOPHER – Kyle Docherty, Kimberly Docherty, Daniella Hewitt, Dakota Noel

CISNE – Jayden Bailey

COULTERVILLE – Sarah Birchler, Tyler Yehling

DAHLGREN – Taylor Jonas, Katelyn Morris

DIX – Alex Bronson

DU QUOIN – William Neal, Emily Stanhouse

ELDORADO – Delaney Oglesby

EWING – Ragan Carter, Gage Harmon, Emeline Kerley, Ma’kayla Marshall

FAIRFIELD – Maverick Conrad

GOREVILLE – Whitney Bryan

HARRISBURG – Whitley Woolard

HINESVILLE, GA – Brittany Patterson

INA – Frank Barrett, Mitchell Gilman, Christopher Gory, Kyle Hetherington, Juhle Prange, Brandon Tucker

JOHNSTON CITY – Jaci Page

MACEDONIA – Kennedy Kimmel, Adrianna Maxwell

MAITLAND, Ontario, Canada – Evan Wilcox

MARION – Delani Graves-Napier, Ryan Grayson

MCLEANSBORO – Aimee Birkner, Emily Cox, Kolby Darnell, Matthew Gage, Trevor Gray, Clayton Keener, Camryn Parker, Michaela Rexing, Roger Scroggins, Brad Smith, Alyssa Vanzant, Courtney Wellen

MOUNT VERNON – Sunni Belmont, Joshua Bourland, Lukas Cooper, Jackson Creel, Briar Curd, Alivia Dillman, Rhett Ellis, Dominick Finney, Haleigh Harpole, Shane Hiatt, Reece Johnson, Coby Marquez, Madisyn Mcculley, Ashton Mcpherson, Briana Meyer, Brianna Morgan, Kyleigh Odle, Denise Oneal, Mikayla Robbers, Paige Saupe, Gracie Stover, Braden Young, Gary Johnson, Aaron Mccoy, Maryna Strickland

MULKEYTOWN – Luke Burkitt, Hannah Flatt, Bryce Leeper, Kaitlyn Mays, Trinitti Noto, Ofelia Perez, Amber Webb

NEW ATHENS – Cassidy Dickerson

NORRIS CITY – Tori Karnes, Bailey Richerson, Brooke Sell, Baylee Sutton

OPDYKE – Weston Brockhouse

PINCKNEYVILLE – Alexandra Eisenhauer, Megan Engelhardt, Amber Hagene, Sarah Issler, Dalton Kitchen, Kenzie Rushing

PITTSBURG – Justin Clark

RICHVIEW – Cydni Wrobel

SCHELLER – Dillon Banach, Samantha Mccowen

SESSER – Madison Hollis, Carlie Page

SPARTA – Lyndsey Stevens

STEELEVILLE – Charles Austin, Jesse Fedderke

TAMAROA – Taylor Bizaillion, Debra Compton, Paige Epplin, Kassity Lee, Megan Restoff, Jami Roznowski, Kayla Valentine

TEXICO – Emma Pemberton

THOMPSONVILLE – Olivia Barclay, Alexis Mcfarland, Kolton Mcfarland, Reed Raubach, Mallory Rone

VALIER – William Heard

WALNUT HILL – Erica Schmidt

WALTONVILLE – Raeghan Fitzjerrells, Destiny Holtz, Jaice Mccowen, Braelyn Walker
WATSEKA – Justin Bunting

WAYNE CITY – Madelyn Caudle, Caitlyn Dickey, Jeremy Meritt

WEST FRANKFORT – Madelyn Britton, Grace Engler, Nathaniel Jones, Abigail Mitchell, Kelly Murphy

WHITTINGTON – Dara Macdonald, Alexandra Sadler, Crystal Strauch, Rylee White

WOODLAWN – Sarah Chesnek, Payton Groennert, Katelynn Knox, Timothy Plemons, Haleigh Rynski, Roger Wright

Vice Presidents’ List

ASHLEY – Race Rynski

BELLE RIVE – Jayden Harrison, Tyler Henry, Jayme Piercy, Madison Scrivner, Hallie Sledge

BENTON – Kelcie Bayless, Kady Bone, Jade Bozovich, Bailee Cairel, Tyler Chamness, Robert Collins, Megan Diuguid, Kaelynn Dunford, Cailyn Fowlkes, Molly Goostree, Chloe Hill, Bailey Hopson, Isabella Jerrells, Emily Kovarik, Brendan Luster, Braxton Lutz, Mariela Martinez, Lucas Prior, Savannah Pulliam, Lauryn Roach, Heather Short, Mitchell Supancic, Morgan Swigonski, Allison Toms, Carson Webb, Jaxon Williams, Lindsay Willis

BLUFORD – Adelina Caronongan, Miranda Cross, Rylee Greenwalt, Cord Hails, Tylar Hanson, Samantha Hill, Richard Lumpkins, Brandon Shelton

BONNIE – Leslie Dent, Pierce Payne, Brooke Wilderman

CAMBRIDGE – Caden Bowers

CARLYLE – Karly Kampwerth

CARMI – Curtlyn Hayes

CARTERVILLE – Macie Blythe, Johnjie Samar

CHESTER – Edward Kerkhover

CHRISTOPHER – Tyler Hasenfang, Noah Hervey, Whitney Young

COMMERCE, Ga. – John Simmons III

COULTERVILLE – Paige Hand, Steven Hirte

DAHLGREN – Ezekiel Scott

DIX – Jaid Burkett, Alyssa Duncan

DU QUOIN – Yvonne Mcdonnough, Avery Waller

EWING – Faith Allendorf, Adam Carter, Logen Erthall, Angel Helm, Rachel Jennings

GOREVILLE – Esmeralda Hawkins

HARRISBURG – Keely Reed, Morgan Saar

HOYLETON – Abby Wesselmann

INA – Danielle Bieber, Korey Bunselmeyer, Arlon Butts, Nicholas Compton, Ashley Jarrett, Makenzie Martin, Brooke Stepter, Nicholas Wimber

JOHNSONVILLE – Chasidy Greenwalt

MACEDONIA – Logan Sink, Leigh Thomas, Amanda Weber

MARION – Jarrett Fitch, Cooper Smith

MCLEANSBORO – Samuel Benbrook, Breanna Bowers, Tyler Branch, Kolby Darnell, Kaitlynn Elizondo, Derrick Epperson, Kaylee Ingram, Erica Mccormick, Leah Ragan, Evan Shelton, Jevin Shreve, Garrett Webb

MILL SHOALS – Alexis Wheeler

MOUNT VERNON – Austin Ballard, Gabriel Blumeyer, Chapel Davis, Cervion Davis, Kaylee Dycus, Amber Eaton, Brandon Hall, Lolani Hall, Elleyese Halper, Seth Hamerski, Annibelle Harrison, Drake Hess, Summer Hobson, Cheyenne Ilbery, Brian Jeffries, Kaleb Jones, Kylee Keele, Halle Klockenga, Jillian Launay, Hayden Locke, Jessica Lockeby, Carson Long, Jaleese Mcwilliams, Samantha Moore, Krissa Morris, Latesha Nesbitt, Jessica Oliver, Denise Oneal, Kadi Petersen, Devin Pigg, Saige Price, Kristyn Reiman, Jay Reiss, Pacey Reynolds, Wyatt Schrader, Austin Ullery, Terron Williams, Cyndel Mckiness, Taurean Miller

MULKEYTOWN – Emily Bullock, Grant Gordon, Ember Milby

MURPHYSBORO – Rachel Finders

NEWTON – Ailyssa Lewis

NORRIS CITY – Shelby Vance-Orrick

OPDYKE – Erica Marlow, Emma Moser, Bailey Schuette, Jerri Shepard, Thaddeus Zedalis

PINCKNEYVILLE – Railyn Bardle, Cassandra Brown, Kelly Buschschulte, Jacelyn Catron, Jacob Crews, Morgan Epplin, Hattie Fisher, Abby Heine, Dakota Hinkle, Reid Keene, Hannah Kocian, Tristyn Morgenstern, Jessica Ramsey, David Wagner, Hayley Winter

SALEM – Blake Deitz, Wyatt Garren

SCHELLER – Hannah Miller, Caleb Miller, Martina Skorch

SESSER – Reid Basso, Destiny Boswell, Kassedy Cloe, Madyson Edwards, Mazie Eubanks, Haden Harmon, Jamie Thompson, Carrie Williams

SPARTA – Jose Zavala

TAMAROA – Madelyn Bearden, Grace Collins, David Iffert, Sara Waggoner

THOMPSONVILLE – Holly Cunningham, Leah Davis, Corbin Fitch, Tyler Jones, Alethia Kimble, Baily Lampley, Teresa Nolen, Kenlee Smith

VALIER – Clayton Woodland

WALNUT HILL – Matthew Walton

WAYNE CITY – Lillian Borah, Zachary Maxey, Kaylee Seymour

WEST FRANKFORT – Stella Furlow, Marylynn Manning, Jordan Scoville

WHITTINGTON – Toni Frayser, Annie Gates, Nicolas Roberts

WOODLAWN – Shaylin Arnold, Hayden England, Hunter England, Blake Mckay, Macy Williams

ZEIGLER – Blake Karas, Jacob Perry, Jacob Wawczak

Benton police make arrests

On June 10th, 2021 at approximately 12:21 a.m. Benton Police observed a suspicious male suspect in the 1100 block of North Main Street.

Upon investigation, police arrested Grey Abbott, age 43, of Benton for unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, unlawful possession of methamphetamine, and resisting a peace officer. Abbott also had an active White County warrant for domestic battery. Abbott was charged and transported to the Franklin County Jail for further processing.

On June 11th, 2021 at approximately 6p.m., Benton Police arrested Joshua L. Watkins, age 37, of Benton on an active Franklin County warrant for failure to appear for driving while license suspended. Watkins was transported to the Franklin County Jail for further processing.

Search underway for Southern Illinois man accused of sexual assault of a child

Local authorities are seeking the public’s help in locating a 36-year-old accused of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

Missing Marion man identified as body found at Motel Marion demolition site

MARION – Marion Police have confirmed the identity of the the man found dead Tuesday at the demolition site of Motel Marion as Russell W. Bozarth, of Marion.

Here’s a link to the story in the Southern Illinoisan.

IHSA Sports Open Up Further As State Moves To Phase 5

The state of Illinois moved to Phase 5 as a part of the Restore Illinois pandemic relief plan on June 11, 2021. As a result of the move to Phase 5, many IHSA sports and activities have greater autonomy in scheduling, as well as in hosting fans. Some highlights of the move to Phase 5 include…

All IHSA sports can now schedule contests/meets with and against any other high school in the state, as well as with out-of-state opponents.
There are no longer any spectator limitations. All IHSA host venues, indoor and outdoor, may host fans at 100% capacity.
Masks are no longer required for student-athletes, coaches, and officials in low- and medium-risk outdoor sports.

In order to help with social distancing and limit gatherings, the IHSA is utilizing digital ticketing at all remaining Super-Sectional and State Final venues for the remainder of the 2021 school year. GoFan is the official digital ticketing partner of the IHSA. Fans can purchase Super-Sectional and State Final tickets via the GoFan app or at GoFan.co/IHSA

The IHSA Girls and Boys Track & Field State Finals will employ Eastern Illinois University’s internal digital ticketing platform. State track & field tickets are available for purchase by clicking here.

More information can be found on the IHSA’s COVID-19 resource page.

RLC Board meets, takes action on numerous items

The Rend Lake College Board of Trustees will seek bids for a Communications Tower.

During its monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 8, the board learned that the current communications signal is not adequate enough to reach the entire campus, which could pose a security threat. The purchase and installation of this new system will improve internal communications for the Security and Physical Plant Departments.

Range Hood System purchased for RL Café
The board ratified the award for the purchase and installation of the Range Hood System for the RL Café. The winning bid was Heartland Mechanical Contractors in Murphysboro for $64,978.

Odum named Coordinator of Industry & Apprenticeships
Permission was granted to ratify the transfer of Academic Advisor Tonya Odum to Coordinator of Industry Training & Apprenticeships, effective June 1. In light of the recent transfer of Angelina Mabrey, who served as the Apprenticeship Coordinator, the transfer is in the best interest of the college, according to administrative rationale.

Fitts promoted to Director of Apprenticeships & CTE Support
Permission was granted to expand the duties and revise the job description of Joy Fitts from CTE Support Specialist to Director of Apprenticeships & CTE Support, effective June 1. To better fit the needs of the college, this position is being created to build upon current duties and to efficiently use college resources, according to administrative rationale.

Confer promoted to Director of RLCF Children’s Center
Permission was granted to transfer Chrissy Confer from Lead Childcare Provider to Director of RLC Foundation Children’s Center, effective June 16. In light of the recent resignation of Brooke May, the transfer is in the best interest of the college, according to administrative rationale.

Braden promoted to Assistant Director of Student Records
Permission was granted to expand the duties and revise the job description of Summer Braden from Student Records Specialist to Assistant Director of Student Records, effective July 1. To better fit the needs of the college, this position is being created to build upon current duties and to efficiently use college resources, according to administrative rationale.

Phillips moves to Director of Auxiliary Services
Permission was granted to expand the duties and revise the job description of Corey Phillips from Director of Rend Lake College MarketPlace to Director of Auxiliary Services, effective July 1. To better fit the needs of the college, this position is being created to build upon current duties and to efficiently use college resources, according to administrative rationale.

New Curriculum coming
The college will add five new online courses — Restaurant Management, Principles of Cost Control, Principles of Effective Speaking, Accelerated Learning Program and Stress Management.

Fund transfers
The board approved the transfer of $2,481,000 from the Education Fund to the Working Cash fund. The transfer makes whole an earlier transfer that the college had made previously and was to have been repaid within the fiscal year.

The board also agreed to transfer up to $3.4 million from the Working Cash Fund to the Education Fund. The transaction is necessary due to the timing of receipts expected from the State of Illinois for various grant payments that may be delayed. The amount will be transferred back to the Working Cash Fund upon receipt of the expected state monies.

In other business, the board
· Approved a second reading revising policies in regards to background checks for potential and current employees.
· Approved an engagement letter for Kemper CPA Group, LLP, to provide audit and tax return preparation for the 2021 fiscal year, effective July 1.
· Approved the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement for the Mary and George Slankard Learning Resource Center, effective June 8.
· Approved revisions to increase hourly pay for some part-time positions, effective July 1.
· Created stipend positions for a College Bowl Coach and a Debate & Speech Team Coach and increased other stipends, effective July 1.
· Accepted the resignation of Brooke May, director of the RLC Foundation Children’s Center, effective May 20.
· Accepted the resignation of Jamie Cambron, lead childcare provider at the RLCF Children’s Center, effective June 30.
· Approved the Resource Allocation Management Plan for fiscal year 2023. The RAMP will soon be available online at rlc.edu/achieves.
· Approved the salaries for fiscal year 2022.

Mark Your Calendars
Mental Health 101 with Lindsey Adams, Tuesday, June 15, virtual, TBD.
RLC Sponsored Family Night, Wednesday, June 30, Aquatic Zoo, Mt. Vernon, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Paramedic Program Accreditation Site Visit, Thursday through Friday, July 8-9, virtual.
Warrior Days Workshop, Wednesday, July 28, Rend Lake College campus, 9:30 a.m. to noon.
Warrior Days Workshop, Wednesday, August 4, Rend Lake College campus, 9:30 a.m. to noon.
RLC Sponsored Back-to-School Night for High School Students, Wednesday, August 4, Aquatic Zoo, Mt. Vernon, TBD.
Warrior Days Workshop, Saturday, August 14, Rend Lake College campus, 9:30 a.m. to noon.
Annual RLC Foundation Golf Outing, Thursday, September 9, Rend Lake Golf Course, noon shotgun start.
Fun Fest, Wednesday, September 15, Rend Lake College Ina campus, noon to 3 p.m.
Auto Show, Rend Lake College Ina campus.
RLCF Annual Scholarship Dinner, Thursday, October 21, Benton Civic Center, 6 to 8 p.m.

11-year-old girl among 60 shot over weekend in Chicago

An 11-year-old girl was shot in the lower back Sunday night in the West Pullman neighborhood on Chicago’s Far South Side, police said, among at least 60 people shot over the weekend in Chicago, six of them fatally.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.

Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News