PoolPak bid accepted

The board accepted the low bid of $198,700 from Rend Lake Plumbing and Heating (Bonnie) to replace the PoolPak unit at the Rend Lake College Aquatics Center, pending approval of the RLC Foundation Board of Directors on Feb. 6, 2018. The existing PoolPak is original to the building and has exceeded its operational life expectancy. The RLC Foundation has agreed to fund the project.

Sveda-Webb, Waldman moving on

The board accepted with regret the resignations of two employees Tuesday evening.

• Rachel Sveda-Webb, Financial Aid and Admissions Coordinator, effective Jan. 15, 2018. A former student trustee to the RLC Board, she has been with the college full-time since August 2008. “I cannot express my gratitude enough for the mentors I have had, the friends I have made, and the lessons I have learned,” Sveda-Webb wrote in her resignation letter. “I have lived in this community my entire life, and I will continue to be a fierce advocate for the college and all it does to help students have a better tomorrow than they have today.”
• Whitney Waldman, Coordinator of the RLC MarketPlace in Mt. Vernon, effective Jan. 5, 2018. She had been with the college full-time since September 2013. “The past four years have been very rewarding. I’ve enjoyed working for you and contributing to the best community college in the nation,” Waldman wrote in her resignation letter. “This institution has grown me professionally and personally in ways that I am forever grateful and thankful for.”

Accreditation update

The board heard a report on the college’s reaffirmation of accreditation activities. The college is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is due for an evaluation by the HLC in September 2018. The HLC co-coordinators met last month to review the status of the assurance argument, which is designed to prove the college meets HLC five Criteria of Accreditation, and to prioritize sections for additional writing and research.

In other business, the board …

• Ratified payment of college expenses including travel reimbursements.
• Approved revisions to board procedure concerning stipends.
• Authorized destruction of closed session tapes after having been held for 18 months, in accordance with the Illinois Open Meetings Act. The board also approved not releasing closed session minutes from the January 2016 through June 2016 meetings as provided by IOMA.
• Approved creation of policy and procedure concerning the review and publication of Student Right to Know information, campus security disclosures, student policies and recruitment materials.
• Approved the 2017-2018 Family Handbook for the RLC Foundation Children’s Center.

Mark your calendars …

• Visiting Artist: Erica Burton, Jan. 15-March 2, Theatre lobby.
• Thespian Comedy Improv, 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25, Theatre.
• WYSE 2018 Competition, Wednesday, Feb. 7, Waugh Gymnasium.
• Faculty / Staff In-Service, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, RLC campus.
• RLC Basketball Homecoming Games vs. Lincoln Trail College, women’s game at 5:30 p.m., men’s game at 7:30 p.m.; Waugh Gymnasium.
• Career Fair, Friday, March 2, RLC Campus.
• Spoken Word and Open Mic Night, 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 5, King City Books, Mt. Vernon.
• Kickstart Your Journey, Thursday-Friday, March 22-23, RLC campus.
• Spring Musical: The Addams Family, 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, April 5-7, and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 8, RLC Theatre.
• Higher Learning Commission Annual Conference, Thursday-Monday, April 5-9, Hyatt Regency Chicago.
• Job Search Party, 3-6 p.m. Thursday, April 12, Mt. Vernon Hotel and Event Center.

CARTERVILLE — A Carterville man faces felony charges, after police say he walked around his apartment complex with a loaded rifle.

Around 7 a.m. Sunday morning officers were called to an apartment complex in the 700 block of Laclede Avenue, for a report that a man had a gun.

“The caller said that there was a man walking around the apartment complex wearing body armor and armed with what he believed was an AR-15,” said Carterville Police Chief Heather Reno.

Please click below to read the full story and video from Roni LeForge of WSIL-TV.

http://www.wsiltv.com/story/37219854/carterville-police-arrest-man-with-assault-rifle-body-armor-and-helmet

 

WEST FRANKFORT – Crosswalk Community Action Agency awards over $80,000 in scholarships annually to Franklin, Williamson, Jefferson and Jackson county residents. These funds are provided by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Each student must meet a list of requirements to be eligible to receive a Crosswalk Community Action Agency scholarship.

Because of Crosswalk’s scholarship program, many students have gone on to achieve their goals and have made significant contributions to their community and beyond. The realization is that without scholarships it would not be possible for many of these students to even enroll in college.

Special Weather Statement

WITH FOG AND DRIZZLE LINGERING IN PATCHES ACROSS THE AREA, THIS
IS A POTENTIAL HAZARD FOR DRIVERS OVERNIGHT AS TEMPERATURES COOL
BELOW FREEZING.

ANY WET SPOTS ON ROAD SURFACES MAY BECOME SLICK OR ICY.
TEMPERATURES WILL BE ABOVE FREEZING TODAY, SO THIS WILL BE MAINLY
A NIGHT TIME HAZARD ONLY, WHEN TEMPERATURES COOL TO BELOW
FREEZING AND ICY PATCHES MAY BE HARD TO SEE IN THE DARK OF NIGHT.
WALKWAYS MIGHT ALSO BE SLICK AT TIMES FOR THE EARLY START OF THE
SCHOOL DAY.

TRAVEL CAUTION IS ADVISED TONIGHT AND EARLY TUESDAY MORNING.
TEMPERATURES SHOULD WARM ABOVE FREEZING AGAIN BY MID MORNING
TUESDAY, BUT BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES, AS USUAL, MAY TAKE A LITTLE
LONGER AND SHOULD BE TRAVELED WITH CAUTION.

Hazardous Weather Outlook

.DAY ONE…This Afternoon and Tonight

Low cloud, fog, or drizzle, that occurs tonight, may translate to
a slick patch or two on area roads and walkways, as temperatures
drop to freezing. See the Special Weather Statement for details.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Tuesday through Sunday

The potential exists for accumulating wintry precipitation across
our region late in the week, mainly late Thursday night, Friday, and
Friday night. The track of the storm system will determine exactly
where the swath of heaviest wintry precipitation occurs. The storm
system will be followed by another Arctic air mass this weekend.

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S Representative Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro ) released the list of 21 Southern Illinois students who he has nominated to the United States service academies, including the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the U.S. Military Academy. A congressional nomination is the first step in a process toward the students’ acceptance into a military academy.

“Southern Illinoisans should be proud of each one of these students who represent the best our state has to offer,” said Rep. Bost. “I was honored to personally notify each and every one of these exceptional students this past week. I’m proud that Southern Illinois produces some of the brightest young people in this country to lead a new generation. Because of the commitment they have already shown, I thank them for their patriotism and leadership in the years to come.”

A reception will be hosted by Rep. Bost’s office in the coming weeks in honor of the nominees.

The following students were nominated by Rep. Bost based on their academic performance, extracurricular activity in their communities and personal recommendations:

St. Clair County

Kersten Douglas of O’Fallon has been nominated to the U.S. Military Academy.
Gavin Green of Belleville has been nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy.
Jared Dalanzo of O’Fallon has been nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy.
Samuel Kelly of Mascoutah has been nominated to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Clayton Bonitati of O’Fallon has been nominated to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Connor Gaby of Freeburg has been nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy.
Stephanie Jacobs of Belleville has been nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy.
Ryan Culley of Swansea has been nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy.
Christopher Wu of O’Fallon has been nominated to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Nathan Burton of O’Fallon has been nominated to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
John Leshikar of Shiloh has been nominated to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Grant Engel of Swansea has been nominated to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Grant Appel of O’Fallon has been nominated to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Joel Lindsey of O’Fallon has been nominated to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Madison County

Zachary Kincade of Wood River has been nominated to the U.S. Military Academy.

Jackson County

Joshua Loyd of Carbondale has been nominated to the U.S. Military Academy.
Connor Rogers of Carbondale has been nominated to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Williamson County

Malachi Williams of Marion has been nominated to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Victoria Mueller of Johnston City has been nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy.
Sean Spoerre of Carterville has been nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy.

Jefferson County

Kadin Asbery of Mount Vernon has been nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy.
# # #

HARRISBURG – According to State Senator Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg), the start of the New Year is bringing promising beginnings for development of a river port in Alexander County. Sen. Fowler also began 2018 by preparing for the start of scheduled spring session, coordinating with local mayors throughout the 59th District to meet before lawmakers return to Springfield at the end of January and joining the students of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic School for their first day in their newly constructed school facility.

In an encouraging demonstration of support for the development of a port terminal in Alexander County, Sen. Fowler had the honor of presenting the Alexander-Cairo Port District a $100,000 contribution from the Rauner Family Foundation to begin making headway on the port project. The money will go toward soft costs for the project, which includes marketing costs and identifying companies that will benefit from the development of the river port terminal.

Sen. Fowler has been a vocal advocate of the port’s development, pushing for economic growth throughout the region and encouraging investors and businesses to see the potential of a port authority in Cairo. Sen. Fowler is confident that Cairo’s location – at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio River – is ideally situated for the development of a successful river port and argues that Southern Illinois’ potential is worth the investment.

Underscoring the need for economic development in the region is Illinois’ continued decline in population, which has resulted in the state falling from the fifth most populous state in 2016 to the sixth in 2017, according to recently released data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Sen. Fowler contends that the continued outmigration of Illinois residents highlights the importance of bringing opportunities, jobs and tourism to the state and the region through projects like the river port and the Sahara Woods off-highway vehicle park project announced late last year.

Among other New Year beginnings, Sen. Fowler is gearing up for the start of a new spring legislative session. Preparing for the return to the State House, Sen. Fowler is coordinating meetings with local mayors to get some final feedback on the needs, concerns and developments within the communities of the 59th District.

Also this week, Sen. Fowler was invited to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic School in Herrin for the first day of classes in their new regional Catholic school facility. Sen. Fowler joined the parade of students and administrators as they walked from the old campus to their newly constructed school building to begin their day in the classroom.

In other news, as the cold weather continues to bear down throughout the state, Sen. Fowler is echoing the calls from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) to “resolve to be prepared” in 2018. As part of its initiative, IEMA and local emergency management agencies will be providing information on safety and preparedness topics each month throughout the year, including tips on winter weather readiness.