By Jim Muir
Christmas traditionally is a time for wide-eyed children, exchanging gifts and festive family get-togethers. For many, though, it also is a time that serves as a grim reminder of the worst tragedy in the history of Franklin County.

On Friday, Dec. 21, 1951, at about 7:35 p.m. a violent explosion ripped through Orient 2 Mine, located near West Frankfort, claiming the lives of 119 coal miners. The tragedy occurred on the last shift prior to a scheduled Christmas shutdown.  News of the tragedy spread quickly from town to town and hundreds of people converged on the mine to check on loved ones and friends.

A basketball game was under way at Central Junior High School in West Frankfort, when the public address announcer asked that Dr. Barnett report to Orient 2 Mine, No. 4 Portal, because “there had been a catastrophe.”  There were about 2,000 people at the game, and nearly half of them left with Dr. Barnett.  News of the tragedy and massive loss of life drew nationwide attention. Both Time Magazine and Life Magazine featured accounts of the explosion and newspapers from throughout the country sent reporters to Franklin County to cover the holiday tragedy. Gov. Adlai Stevenson was at the mine the following day along with volunteers from the Red Cross and Salvation Army.  Those who arrived at the Orient 2 Mine immediately after reports of the explosion surfaced had no way of knowing that they would be a part of history and folklore that would be handed down from family to family for decades to come.

A Christmas  Miracle 

Rescue workers began entering the mine within hours of the explosion, clearing gas and searching for survivors.   What they met, however, was the grim reminder about the perils of mining coal and the force of methane-fed coal mine explosions. Locomotives weighing 10 tons were tossed about, timbers a foot thick were snapped like twigs and railroad ties were torn from beneath the rails. Rescue workers began recovering bodies of the 120 missing men shortly after midnight on Dec. 22.   As the hours passed, and body after body was recovered from the mine, it became apparent that it would take a miracle for anybody to survive the explosion and the gas and smoke that resulted.  In the early morning hours of Christmas Eve — 56 hours after the explosion — that miracle happened.

Benton resident Cecil Sanders was found on top of a “fall” barely clinging to life. Authorities theorized that Sanders, by climbing on top of the rock fall, miraculously found a pocket of air that sustained him until rescue workers arrived.  Sanders told authorities later that he was with a group of five men (the other four died) when they actually heard the explosion. He said the men tried to get out of the mine but were driven back by smoke and gas. Sander said later he had resigned himself to the fact that he was going to die, even scribbling a note to his wife and children on the back of a cough drop box. “May the good Lord bless and keep you, Dear wife and kids,” Sanders wrote. “Meet me in Heaven.”

Sanders, who died only a few years ago, reported in a book, “Our Christmas Disaster,” that rescue workers were amazed that he survived.

“My God, there’s a man alive,” Sanders later recalled were the first words he heard as he slipped in and out of consciousness. “They didn’t seem to think it was true. When they got to me I couldn’t tell who they were because they all had on gas masks. Rescue workers came back in a few minutes with a stretcher, gave me oxygen and carried me out of the mine. There’s no question it was a miracle.”

A Christmas  Never Forgotten  

Rescue workers and funeral directors were faced with a grim task during the 1951 Christmas holiday season.  Something had to be done with the scores of bodies that were brought up from the mine. And funeral homes throughout Franklin County — where 99 of the 119 fatally injured miners lived — would have to conduct multiple funerals; in some instances, six or eight per day.  A temporary morgue was set up at Central Junior High School where row after row of bodies lined the gymnasium floor. Brattice cloth, normally used to direct the flow of air in coal mine entries, covered the bodies.  The usual joyous Christmas season turned into a bleak pilgrimage for families from throughout Southern Illinois as they faced the task of identifying the charred remains of the miners. The last body was removed from the mine on Christmas night, completing the work of the rescue and recovery. In all, 252 men were underground at Orient 2 when the explosion took place — 119 died and 133 miners in unaffected areas escaped unhurt.

‘Christmas ended  that night …’     

Nearly every person in Franklin County was affected, either directly or indirectly, by the disaster. For some of those who lost loved ones in the Orient 2 explosion, the events of that Christmas are just as vivid in 2001 as they were in 1951.   Perhaps no story evolved from the tragedy that was more poignant than that of Geneva (Hines) Smith, the 26-year-old mother of two small children, who lost her husband, Robert “Rink” Hines in the explosion.  Smith, who later remarried, still brushes away a tear when she recalls the last words of her young husband before he left for work on that fateful Friday afternoon.

“He held our daughter Joann, she was 3 months old, and he put his face against hers and he said, ‘she looks just like me … doesn’t she?” Smith recalled. “Only a few hours later his sister came to the door and said there had been an explosion … and then we learned later that he’d been killed. The last thing I remember was how happy he was holding his daughter.”

Smith said a cruel irony involving the funeral also played out after her husband’s death.

“There was so many funerals that they had them early in the morning and all day until in the evening,” Smith remembered. “The only time we could have his funeral was at 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve. That was our fifth wedding anniversary and we got married at 8 p.m. … I’ll never forget that.”

Lyle Eubanks, of Mulkeytown, remembers distinctly his last conversation with his father Clarence, prior to the elder Eubank’s departure for work.

“He walked into the kitchen and got his bucket and then walked back into the living room and sat down on the couch,” Eubanks said. “He talked about it being the last shift prior to the Christmas shutdown and said if he didn’t need the money so bad he wouldn’t go to work that night — that’s the last time I talked to him.”

Eubanks said he identified his father’s body at the morgue.

“There was just row after row of bodies and they were covered with brattice cloth,” he recalled. “You just can’t imagine how horrible of a scene it was. I’ll never, ever forget what that looked like.”

Eubanks said the holiday season for his family and all of Franklin County came to an abrupt halt on Dec. 21, 1951.

“People took down their Christmas trees and outside ornaments after the explosion. It was almost like they didn’t want to be reminded that it was Christmas. Someone came to our house and took the tree, ornaments and all, and put it out behind a building in back of our house,” Eubanks said. ” Christmas in 1951, well, … Christmas ended that night.”

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‘It affected everybody …’

By Jim Muir
WEST FRANKFORT — Fifty years ago, Jim Stewart was a 25-year-old coal miner working at the Orient 1 Mine near Orient. His father, Silas, was working in the nearby Orient 2 Mine.  On Dec. 21, 1951, just past 7:30 in the evening, while both were at work, an explosion of methane gas tore through Orient 2 Mine and took the lives of 119 coal miners. Silas Stewart was among the victims.

The elder Stewart was working on the last shift before a scheduled Christmas shutdown.

“I didn’t know about it until I had finished my shift,” Stewart said. “It didn’t matter who you talked to, they had either lost a relative, a neighbor or a friend. It affected everybody.”

In the wake of the tragedy, Stewart remembers the generosity of total strangers.

“Funds were established for the victims and their families and contributions poured in from across the United States. Those were pretty hard times anyway and there was just a great outpouring of help,” he said.

And Stewart remembers the despair of that Christmas.

“It was just a terrible, terrible time,” he said. “I remember that some of the funerals couldn’t be held because there wasn’t enough caskets for all the victims.

“My father was buried on Christmas Day, so there’s never been a Christmas go by that you don’t relive that.”

Jack Bigham of West City was just completing his first year of employment at Orient 2 and was underground when the explosion occurred.

“I was in the 15th East section of the mine working with Roland Black. We hadn’t been in there very long and the power went off, so I called out to see what was wrong,” Bigham said. “They wouldn’t tell us exactly what was wrong, they just told us to walk to the old bottom. I remember when we got to the bottom the power was still off and we had to walk the stairs out. We didn’t find out what was wrong until we got on top.”

Bigham, who is now retired after a 38-year career as a coal miner, went back to work at Orient 2 after it reopened and worked an additional eight years at the mine. He said it was difficult to go back.

“I think about it quite often — of course, even more at this time of the year when it’s near the anniversary,” Bigham said. “I know that I was just very lucky to be in another section of the mine that night.”

Curt Gunter, 57, of Benton, a 25-year veteran of the Southern Illinois coal industry, was 7 years old when his father, Harry “Tater” Gunter, was killed.

“There are things about it that are hazy, like I don’t remember my dad’s funeral at all,” Gunter said. “But the thing that stands out in my mind the most is that, looking back through the eyes of a boy, it seemed like there was a big, black cloud just hanging over everything because so many people were involved. When you grow up with a memory like that at Christmas, well, you don’t ever forget it.”
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By Jim Muir

UMWA President John L. Lewis was on the scene at Orient 2 the day after the explosion and the legendary union boss went underground at the ill- fated mine while rescue operations were still under way.

Lewis, known for his no-nonsense approach with coal operators and his untiring devotion to improve conditions for union miners, was visibly shaken when he left the mine. He wasted little time leveling an attack on mining laws that he said needed to be revised.

UMWA president John L. Lewis is pictured leaving the Orient 2 Mine the day after a massive explosion killed 119 miners.” width=”300″ height=”432″ /> UMWA president John L. Lewis is pictured leaving the Orient 2 Mine the day after a massive explosion killed 119 miners.[/caption]

“Necessary legislative steps would prevent these recurring horrors,” Lewis said. “They are totally unnecessary and can be prevented. Unless all mines are forced to comply with the safety codes of the Federal Bureau of Mines, the mining industry will continue to be a mortician’s paradise.”

Exactly two months later, on Feb. 21, 1952, Lewis testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Mine Safety, and once again used the Orient 2 explosion as an example that mining laws must be improved.

Lewis said in part: “On Dec. 21, 1951, at the Orient 2 Mine, 119 men were killed. Their average age was 40.9 years old, the youngest was 19 and the oldest was 64. Aside from the human values that were destroyed in this explosion, the community and the state suffered a monetary loss in the contribution that those men would have made had they been permitted to live; or if their lives had been safeguarded; or if one coal company had carried out the provisions of the existing federal code of safety, promulgated by the U.S. Bureau of Mines. That is all, in the judgment of experienced mining men, that would have been necessary to have saved the lives of those 119 men and avoided the disruption of the lives of 175 children growing up to manhood and womanhood.”

Lewis didn’t mince words when he spoke before Congress offering a stinging rebuke about mining laws and practices.

“The Orient explosion was preventable, preventable in the judgment of the U.S. Bureau of Mines, as testified here by its able director. The Orient explosion was preventable in the judgment of every man in the industry that has knowledge of sound mining practices. So, the record runs on, explosion after explosion through the years. Management was at fault in the West Frankfort explosion. It failed to take proper precautions in the face of abnormal conditions that intensified the hazard. Management didn’t take those steps. As a matter of fact, I think it is conceded by those qualified to speak on the subject that every mine explosion and disaster we’ve had in our country since 1940 would have been prevented if the existing code of safety had been enforced.”

The legendary union boss concluded his comments with a powerful and graphic description of what took place in Franklin County in the aftermath of the explosion.

“And the mining industry continues to be a mortician’s paradise. I just watched 119 funerals in two days in Franklin County – 119 funerals in two days! Can you imagine anything more heart-rendering, more soul- stirring? 119 funerals in that little county in two days!  They went to work, the last shift before Christmas … and many of them were brought home to their loved ones in rubber sacks – rubber sacks! Because they were mangled, and shattered and blown apart and cooked with methane gas, until they no longer resembled human beings. And the best the mortician could do was put them in rubber sacks with a zipper. And then, for a Christmas present in Franklin County, 119 families could look at rubber sacks in lieu of their loved ones.”
                            
     

 

 

 

By Jim Muir

The upcoming holiday season and an unseasonably warm and sunny December week has done nothing to lessen the sadness and grief gripping the small, tight-knit communities of Sesser and Valier as friends and students try to come to grips with the tragic death of 14-year-old Luke Thery.

Thery, a popular freshman at Sesser-Valier High School, died Wednesday afternoon from injuries sustained in a truck-four-wheeler crash at the intersection of East Center Road and Peach Orchard Road, located south of Sesser.

Thery was traveling south on East Center Road and struck a pickup truck that was traveling east on Peach Orchard Road. Thery was pronounced dead at the scene.

Jerry Travelstead, a Sesser native and S-V graduate who now serves as superintendent at Pinckneyville No. 204 Grade School, is youth leader at Valier First Baptist Church where Thery attended.

Travelstead said he has known Thery all his life – literally.

“I really can say that I’ve known him all his life, because I remember when he was born,” said Travelstead. “Luke came from a great family and his parents are outstanding people.”

Travelstead said Thery was a three-sport athlete, playing football, baseball and running track at S-V. He added that Thery “had never met a stranger” and was “friends with everybody.”

“He was a red-head and I always thought that his red hair matched his outgoing personality,” said Travelstead. “He had this great big personality and he liked to share it with people. Luke liked to talk and he talked to everybody. He was just a fun kid to be around, he loved riding four-wheelers, he liked to act goofy and have fun and he was 100 percent all-boy. Luke was just a joy to be around and he was certainly a leader and not a follower. This is a real tragedy for the community and the S-V school.”

S-V District Superintendent Jason Henry issued a statement Friday morning concerning the impact on the school.

“We are hurting,” said Henry. “Luke was a fantastic young man. He was high-spirited, energetic, and a fierce competitor with a relentless work ethic. Underneath his mental toughness was a caring, gentle soul. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Thery family at this time.”

Henry said Thery’s death is doubly-hard for school personnel, as his mother, Jennifer, is a veteran math teacher in the District.

“Our students and staff have been shaken, but we’re strong,” said Henry. “We realize that, although we don’t understand why these things happen, we must stay positive and focus on supporting and encouraging Luke’s family. We’re trusting that this untimely accident will somehow strengthen our school, families, and community for years to come. That’s what Luke’s family would want us to do, and we’re going to honor that to the best of our ability.”

Henry said the school will have extra counseling personnel available for students and staff members as needed through its partnerships with Franklin-Jefferson Special Education District, the Sesser-Valier Ministerial Alliance, and Centerstone.

Sesser Mayor Jason Ashmore called the fatal accident “just a terrible tragedy.” Ashmore said much of the community revolves around what happens with students and school activities, noting the impact and sadness that Thery’s death has had on the entire community.

“Certainly, it impacts the S-V students and the school family, but it also has a big impact on the community as a whole,” Ashmore said. “Luke was friendly and outgoing and well-loved by everyone. At a time like this I want to encourage everyone to lift up this family in prayer during their time of need. I am proud to be a part of a community that comes together to help, like the residents of Sesser and Valier always do.”

The Rev. Kevin Bradley is pastor of the Valier First Baptist Church, where Thery has attended since he was born.

“Luke was just a fine young man and he didn’t just attend church, he was active in the church,” said Rev. Bradley. “I will always remember how much he loved our youth group and our annual Christmas pageant.”

Rev. Bradley said his main focus will be to encourage those grieving to not focus on “why this accident happened.”

“There are no words that we can say that will ease the pain of this family, but we just have to hold them up in prayer,” Rev. Bradley said. “We know that Luke is with the Lord and we have to hang on to the promises that the Bible gives us that our hope is in Jesus Christ.”

Travelstead said Thery and his son, Landon, were good friends, adding another layer of grief to the situation for him. Travelstead recalled another December death nearly 26 years ago involving a Sesser teenager that will forever be seared in his memory. Travelstead was best friends and neighbors with Brandon Dame, who was critically injured in a two-car crash south of Sesser on December 27, 1994. The 16-year-old Dame died the following day at a Cape Girardeau hospital.

“I am not a trained pastor or a grief counselor, but the best words I can offer to the hundreds of young people that are hurting right now comes from personal experience,” said Travelstead. “I lost my best friend, Brandon, in a car wreck when I was 15 years old, and I can tell these young people that they are never going to get over this completely. It will affect them the rest of their lives. I know that firsthand.”

Travelstead was choked with emotion when talking about the way he will approach Thery’s death with young people.

“My advice will be to make your life count and do things and accomplish things that would make Luke proud,” said Travelstead. “If there is a lesson to be learned in this, it’s to tell your family and friends how important they are to you. Why wait … before it’s too late. I learned that lesson the hard way at age 15, and I decided right then I wasn’t going to waste any opportunity to tell people I love and appreciate them. I will miss Luke dearly and so will hundreds of his friends and family.”

Graveside services for Luke will be on Sunday December 13, 2020 at 2 p.m. at the Union Primative Baptist Cemetery located north of Sesser by the old Inland Steel Mine with Brother Kevin Bradley officiating. Visitation will be on Saturday from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Brayfield-Gilbert Funeral Home in Sesser and on Sunday from 9 a.m. until 1:45 p.m. at the funeral home.

Editor’s Note: (This column appeared in the Southern Illinoisan on February 10, 2004 and it remains to this day one of my all-time favorites.)
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Lewis Cushman died last week and even though I read the obituary in the newspaper I still attended the wake just to make sure.

I’m certainly not making light of the matter, but I have every reason to be a little bit apprehensive about the death of Lewis Cushman. Medically speaking Cushman has only expired once, but journalistically speaking he’s died twice and the first time I was responsible.

The 84-year-old Cushman and his wife Angie ran Benton Baking Company for more than three decades, an old fashioned bakery that made great homemade bread and an assortment of other fine pastries.

Several years ago when I was working at the Benton Evening News I wrote a story about the Cushman’s daughter Connie (Peterson) who is married and lives in central Illinois. The story revolved around a prestigious award that Peterson and her husband had won on their farm/ranch and a news article that had appeared in a national magazine.

I conducted the interview over the phone and still recall that it was a story that was easy to write, a feel-good feature that are frequently in newspapers about a small town girl making good. The only problem I experienced with the story was that I forgot to ask Connie Peterson if both her parents were still alive.

After several unsuccessful attempts to reach the Petersons and the Cushmans and with a deadline bearing down on me I conferred with Danny Malkovich, managing editor, and we decided that Angie was alive but that Lewis had passed away a couple of years earlier. So, the story ended by saying: “Connie Peterson is the daughter of Angie and the late Lewis Cushman.”

The day the story ran I was out of the office in the early afternoon and returned around 3 p.m., about an hour after the paper hit the street. The first thing I noticed was a note on my desk written in bold letters that were underlined: ‘CALL LEWIS CUSHMAN!” The phone number was listed, also in large print.

I can still recall the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and the cold sweat on my forehead as I dialed Cushman’s number to take the scolding and the heat that I knew was forthcoming.

To my amazement though, Lewis and Angie Cushman proved to be good-natured and took my mistake quite well, even making a few jokes about it. They did ask me to correct the mistake the next day, though.

Using a lead I’m certain has been used many times by other harried newspaper writers the following day’s paper had a front page correction that began: “Much like Mark Twain, news of the death of Lewis Cushman is greatly exaggerated…”

Perhaps one of the funniest lines I’ve ever heard came a few days later when Angie Cushman called to tell me about the reception Lewis received from the elderly gentlemen that he drank coffee with every morning at a local restaurant.

She said the second Lewis walked in one gentleman commented about the speed at which he’d returned to life after his demise was reported a day earlier in the local newspaper.

“You know Lewis, it took Jesus three days to resurrect,” he said. “But you made it back for coffee the next morning.”

Since that forgettable day 10 years ago I’ve seen the Cushmans on countless occasions and we always shared a laugh about the glaring mistake that I made. And in the event that I would see Angie without Lewis I would always inquire, with somewhat of an exaggerated worried tone, how her husband was feeling.

“Lewis is ALIVE and doing quite well,” Angie would always reply with a wide smile.

While I’ll readily admit that I’ve made an occasional mistake with dates, places, and times during my tenure as a writer, reporting the erroneous death and subsequent resurrection of Lewis Cushman remains my biggest blunder.

And while it might be a small token, I hope it’s some source of comfort to readers to know that in the event that I mistakenly kill you on the front page one day … I can bring you back to life within 24 hours.

I stood at Lewis Cushman’s casket last week only a few minutes before the start of his funeral and talked with Angie and her children and we once again recalled and shared a laugh about that infamous day more than a decade ago when I reported his very premature death.

After I exited the church that day the thought crossed my mind that all those laughs and smiles through the years that I enjoyed with the Cushmans happened solely because they had a forgiving nature and a keen sense of humor. If they had blasted me and held a grudge, all those smiles and friendly greetings and even this column would never have happened. We should all be so fortunate when we pass on that people would remember us for those two qualities.

As an epitaph to this story I feel that I should say thanks, Lewis, for taking it easy on me after I erroneously reported your death on the front page of the local newspaper. But more importantly thanks for a classic story for the ages and the warm memories and the many smiles we shared.

INA, IL — Months of fundraising have paid off for the Rend Lake College Foundation as the college broke ground on a major addition and renovation project for the Learning Resource Center.

The construction phase of the Hub campaign is underway as RLC officials turned over dirt with the ceremonial shovels Thursday morning on the Ina campus. The expansion will help tie the LRC to the center of campus, making it a “Hub” of learning for all students attending the college.

“Today we celebrate the culmination of years of dreams and plans to improve our Learning Resource Center. Because of the incredibly generous support of our alumni and community friends, our vision to expand and enhance the services provided to our students is becoming a reality,” said RLC Foundation Chief Executive Officer Kay Zibby-Damron.

Zibby-Damron spoke before a socially-distanced and masked audience in front of the LRC surrounded by signs showing the details of the project. RLC President Terry Wilkerson and Reference Librarian Beth Mandrell also spoke, thanking the audience and the community for the tremendous support the Hub campaign has received. Wilkerson also commended the RLC’s library staff for their initiative the past few years to plan some fundraising activities to help with the library’s updates. He said they ultimately were able to raise $15,000 through their efforts.

Rend Lake College officials and supporters break ground in front of the Learning Resource Center Thursday on the Ina Campus. The ceremony commemorated the start of a major addition and renovation to the LRC called the Hub project. Pictured (left to right) are RLC Foundation CEO Kay Zibby-Damron, RLC Trustee Randall Crocker, RLC President Terry Wilkerson, RLC Reference Librarian Beth Mandrell, RLC Foundation Board Directors & campaign committee members Tony Wielt, Jim Leuty, Pat Kern, Amanda Basso, and former RLC Foundation Board Director and supporters Brad and Susan Gesell. [/caption]

The project was first announced last December at the RLCF Annual Dinner by project co-chair and former RLC Foundation CEO Pat Kern. Kern said the Foundation took on the project after RLC President Terry Wilkerson shared some of the college’s needs with the Foundation Board of Directors.

“This project is long overdue. With the new entrance facing the clocktower, it makes the (LRC) more welcoming than ever before,” Kern said at Thursday’s ceremony. “We will be above the norm and that is where Rend Lake College has always been.”

Foundation Emeritus member George Slankard, along with his wife Mary, contributed a generous lead gift to get the project started in December. Unfortunately, Mr. Slankard passed away in March just as the college began seeking bids for the project. Zibby-Damron noted George and Mary, who also could not attend the ceremony, were with them in spirit during the groundbreaking.

At the August meeting, the RLC Board of Trustees approved Hunter Construction of Belleville to complete the work at a cost of $746,583. The contractor will construct a 1,935-square-foot addition on the south side of the LRC along with building a new façade to serve as the main entryway. The plans also include expanding floor space to create six collaborative learning/study rooms across the front of the library for both individual and group study. Outside, more study space will be available with the installation of solar charging tables to be placed along the new decorative walkways. The Career and Technical Education Success Center and CTE Computer Lab located within the LRC are getting upgrades as well. The Success Center and Computer Lab will be transformed into a more modern learning space to provide contextualized tutoring and other resources for the college’s technical programs. The Children’s Library area will be enhanced to provide a more robust space for future Rend Lake College Warriors to read and learn. And finally, a new Wellness Room will also be included in the project to provide a quiet and therapeutic space designed to improve the quality of student’s emotional, mental and physical health.

Construction will officially start next week. Zibby-Damron said the tentative completion date would be by the end of the calendar year.

While the physical work is about to be in full swing, there is still time for anyone looking to contribute to this monumental project.

“We are continuing to raise private support to ensure completion of the project, and are very grateful the response from our donors has been overwhelmingly positive. Our newly renovated Learning Resource Center will greatly benefit all Rend Lake College students and our community, today and well into the future,” Zibby-Damron said.

The goal is to raise all the money for construction through private charitable support. Zibby-Damron said the Foundation is very close but has not quite reached the target goal yet. Anyone in the local community is invited to contribute to this project that benefits Rend Lake College. All donors will be recognized, and donors of $5,000 or more will be listed on a special permanent tribute inside the LRC. The Rend Lake College Foundation is a nonprofit 501c3. For more information about giving opportunities please contact the Rend Lake College Foundation at 618-437-5321 Ext. 1214 or email foundation@rlc.edu. Donations may also be made online at rlc.edu/give-now.

Staff Report

During action at its regular monthly meeting Tuesday night, the Franklin County Board hired a local contractor to build a new 46,000-square feet courthouse that will be located on the Benton Public Square and heard positive financial reports concerning the cost of the project.

In a unanimous vote the board accepted the low bid of Fager McGee, a well-known Murphysboro-based commercial contractor, to proceed with work on the new three-story structure. Fager McGee submitted the low bid of $12,634,000 – which is more than $1.2 million under the budgeted amount for the much-anticipated project. As part of the bid package Fager McGee estimated that it would take 510 calendar days, approximately 17 months, to build the new courthouse. Construction is expected to begin in early September.

The board also heard an upbeat report from Katie Aholt, project manager with Navigate Building Solutions, of St. Louis. Navigate was hired early in the process to help guide the county through the lengthy building plan.

Aholt said the total cost of the project, that includes Campbell Building construction, asbestos abatement, demolition, special construction, furniture and fixtures, professional services, technology, financing and miscellaneous costs came in at $18,492,297, which is $2.3 million below the projected budget cost of $20.8 million that the county board set in March of this year. The lower budget numbers include a 10 percent savings in demolition and asbestos abatement, 10 percent under the general construction cost schedule and 5 percent decrease in construction contingency from $1,384,977 to $631,700.

In her presentation to the board, Aholt stressed that Fager McGee is local and has familiarity with sub-contractors in the region and has also worked on several successful projects with White & Borgononi Architects, located in Carbondale, who drew up plans for the new structure.

Aholt said with the board’s action approving a contractor, Fager McGee will be receive “notice to proceed” which essentially starts the clock ticking on the 510 days to completion. She also noted that “liquidated damages” is built into the construction contract which could levy fines against the contractor if that time frame is not met.

Based on the new decreased budget numbers submitted by Aholt, Franklin County Treasurer Steve Vercellino presented more good news with a detailed report to the board regarding projected sales tax for the courthouse construction. In April 2019 Franklin County voters overwhelmingly approved a one-cent sales tax increase to provide funding for the new courthouse.

Vercellino said that based on projected sales tax revenue the debt for the new courthouse could be paid off as early as December 2029 – slightly more than nine years from the start of construction. The projected December 2029 is also a far shorter time period than was first anticipated. In the initial stages of planning it was projected that the payback time would be 12 to 15 years.

Franklin County Board Chairman Randall Crocker said he is “very pleased” with the cost projections, the shorter payoff period and with the progress that has taken place.

“The entire process has really gone well up to this point,” said Crocker. “We are way under budget and I can speak for the entire board in saying that we are proud and happy with where we currently are and what we’ve accomplished to date.”

Crocker gave high marks to both project manager Navigate and also White & Borgononi Architects, for the guidance they have provided to the board through the different aspects of the process.

“I think both have provided us with really good advice,” said Crocker. “We are on schedule and I am really pleased with where we are at right now.”

Board member Larry Miller also voice his approval of the decreased budget amount.

“What we are doing is good for Franklin County,” said Miller. “What we have accomplished at the Campbell Building will always be there and can be used for other county offices in the future. When the new courthouse is completed it will be a great day for Franklin County.”

In other action the board confirmed that a lease agreement has been reached for the use of a parking lot on East Church Street for use by construction workers. By utilizing the East Church Street property, the board hopes to alleviate parking on the public square and adjacent parking lots by construction workers. The property formerly house Benton Grade School District 47 offices. It’s estimated that at the height of construction 50-70 workers will be involved in the courthouse construction project. The county will pay $900 per month to Rend Investments, LLC to use the lot.

The board also hired Holcomb Foundation Engineering for material testing at the new courthouse.

Pate Funeral Home, of Benton, was recently recognized by the Illinois Funeral Directors Association as a recipient of its first Illinois Award of Funeral Service Distinction. There were ten funeral homes that achieved this prestigious honor for their efforts during 2019-2020.

“Congratulations to all of the recipients of the 2020 Illinois Award of Funeral Service Distinction,” said 2020-2021 IFDA President Robert J. Smith, Jr. “You are an example of what is best in funeral service. We encourage every IFDA member to strive for and receive this award, and to enhance their service to the community.”

This is the third year that the association has established the awards program as a way to recognize the exemplary and enduring contributions that its members make to the communities they serve, as well as to the funeral profession. The Illinois Award of Funeral Service Distinction has been instituted to recognize IFDA members for their outstanding achievements in select areas and to promote initiatives in social and educational areas. These firms inspire future generations of leaders to higher levels of achievement.

Entries and the accompanying criteria were carefully reviewed by the IFDA Illinois Award of Funeral Service Distinction Committee. Pate Funeral Home completed stringent funeral service criteria related to Community Outreach, Family Outreach, and Professional Development.

IFDA represents 478 funeral homes and more than 1,100 individual licensed Illinois Funeral Directors and Embalmers who adhere to the IFDA Constitution and Code of Professional Conduct in addition to the Funeral Directors and Embalmers Licensing Code.