An Insight into the Illinois State Police Meth Response Team

March 4, 2018 By Leave a Comment

From The Illinois State Police – District 13

DU QUOIN – As we continue our special series examining the positions a Trooper can hold in the Illinois State Police, we are taking a look at these jobs for a twofold purpose:

  • To make the ISP more transparent as an agency. It gives the public a view into what we do to make their communities safer.
  • As a recruiting tool. If you’re thinking about a career in law enforcement the ISP has a ton of opportunity for you in positions you may not have even considered. So if you are pondering the job of a police officer, or know someone who is, check out the last 5 Saturday’s posts and stay tuned each Saturday

As with all specialty positions in the ISP, this group of individuals have received specialized training making them subject experts. Their training includes DEA certifications on safely dismantling labs, rolling or stationary, with yearly recertification to remain active.

The MRT provides the ISP, County Sheriff’s Departments and City Police Departments with the resources to handle these dangerous criminal activities. MRT also serves as it own Crime Scene Investigator due to the hazardous nature of the substances they work with.

They document for prosecution, photograph, weigh and dispose of the precursors typically found in meth labs. They provide expert testimony in court regarding meth related activity and serve the community through their contributions of locking drug abusers and manufacturers behind bars. They are also subject to 24/7/365 call out to handle these duties. They also provide resources to educators in the community concerning drug abuse trends and detection.

Filed Under: Featured, Franklin Co. News, State News

Valliant comeback by Sesser-Valier falls short in Sectional Final game against Goreville

March 3, 2018 By Leave a Comment

 

The Goreville Blackcats became the Southern Illinois Blackcats last night as the cut down the nets in Oxford Gym last night in the win over Sesser-Valier. (Goreville Community Unit 1 photo) 

ELIZABETHTOWN –  The Sesser-Valier Red Devils fall short to the Goreville Blackcats, 48-44 in the sectional final game at Hardin County last night.

Preston Launius led the Devils with 17 points last night, Tyler Winchester added 13, and Lukas Gunter added seven.

Braden Webb led the way for the Blackcats with 13 points, Tanner Dunn added 11, and, Cole Tosh added nine.

Goreville is in uncharted territory for their program.  They advance to the Elite Eight facing Mowequa Central A & M in the Class 1A Super Sectional at the SIU arena. They were 69-56 winners over Nokoms last night, on A & M’s home floor.

Two teams in the Sweet 16 (it will never be Super 16 in my book) shows the strength of the BDC West.  Christopher and Chester playing in regional championship games, speaks volumes how tough this conference is night in and night out.

Link from Jack Bullock of A Baseline View

http://abaselineview.com/abvsvgoreville.html

Link from Les Winkeler of the Southern Illinoisan

http://thesouthern.com/sports/high-school/basketball/boys/boys-basketball-goreville-gets-past-sesser-valier-to-win-sectional/article_9f129a59-5cd2-5507-ab28-95304ff7a7ba.html

Filed Under: Featured, Sesser News, Valier News

Saluki Men’s Basketball holds off Missouri State, 67-63, in MVC Quarterfinals

March 3, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Madison Case, SIU Salukis photo

By Tom Weber – siusalukis.com

ST LOUIS, Mo. — Southern Illinois held off a furious late-game rally by Missouri State to win, 67-63, in the quarterfinal round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Scottrade Center on Friday night.

The Salukis (20-12) appeared comfortably ahead, 63-49, after Sean Lloyd made a 3-pointer with 6:18 remaining in the game, before the Bears (18-15) reeled off 12 unanswered points to make it 63-61 with 1:30 to go.

“We were up 14, and somebody said, well, what happened?” said SIU head coach Barry Hinson. “What happened is they’re a good basketball team. Forrest Gump, stuff happens.”

Southern stopped the bleeding and ended a five-minute dry spell when Aaron Cook drove the lane and finished with his left hand to make it 65-61 with under a minute to play.

“I said, ‘I’m going to put you back in, and I’m going to put the ball in your hands,'” Hinson said of his sophomore point guard. “And I just said, ‘I just want you to make good decisions. That’s it. Do what you’ve done all year long.'”

The Bears countered with two free throws by Jarred Dixon to trim the deficit to 65-63 with 47 seconds. After Cook missed a jumper with 19 seconds remaining, Missouri State had a chance to tie or take the lead, but Ryan Kreklow was stripped of the ball in the left corner, which led to a breakaway layup for Lloyd to seal the victory.

“At the end you’ve got to get the ball to the rim and you’ve got a chance,” said Missouri State head coach Paul Lusk, whose team was out of timeouts and was unable to get the ball to one of its top scorers on the final possession. “Obviously, we coughed it up. That’s the way it goes, but give Southern a lot of credit.”

Both teams got off to slow starts offensively. With six minutes to go in the first half, the score was deadlocked at just 14-14. Southern got a huge lift off the bench from center Rudy Stradnieks, however. He scored all seven of his points in the final four minutes of the first half to give SIU a 29-28 halftime advantage. His final bucket was a 3-pointer from the top of the key, just his third trey of the season.

“We called the play for Rudy,” Hinson explained. “That’s why the bench was so excited because we asked Rudy — I said, ‘Rudy, we’re going to run this play for you.’ Rudy has not shot a three or made a three in the second half of the year, and he’s a good three-point shooter.”

SIU’s offense finally hit its stride midway through the second half. Leading, 48-47, the Salukis used a 15-2 run that featured a pair of post-up buckets by Kavion Pippen, back-to-back 3-pointers by Tyler Smithpetersand Cook, before Lloyd put the exclamation point on the burst with his second trey of the game.

Southern had a balanced attack with five players in double figures — Lloyd (13), Pippen (11) and Cook, Smithpeters and Armon Fletcher with 10 apiece.

The Salukis also held Missouri State’s best player — Alize Johnson — to just six points on 3-of-6 shooting.

“At halftime, we challenged Sean defensively because we switched, we put Armon on (Jarrid) Rhodes for his length, and we put Sean Lloyd on Alize,” Hinson said. “And then we challenged Kavion to go score, that we were going to get him the basketball. And we did. And he produced.”

The Salukis beat MSU for the eighth-straight time. They have won 20 games for the second time in the last three seasons and advanced to the semis for the third time in the last five years.

Box Score

Missouri State vs Southern Illinois
3/2/18 6:08 PM CT at Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO

Missouri State 63

Total 3-point Rebounds
## Player p fgm-fga fgm-fga ftm-fta off-def tot pf tp a to blk stl min
05  Obediah Church  f  3-4  0-0  0-0  4-2  6  1  6  0  3  0  2  33 
15  Jarrid Rhodes  f  6-13  3-7  6-6  1-2  3  1  21  1  0  0  1  38 
24  Alize Johnson  f  3-6  0-2  0-0  2-9  11  2  6  4  4  1  0  37 
01  Mustafa Lawrence  g  1-4  0-1  1-3  0-1  1  1  3  1  1  0  1  14 
11  Jarred Dixon  g  6-12  2-5  2-2  1-1  2  3  16  0  0  0  0  32 
14  Ronnie Rousseau III  –  0-1  0-1  0-0  0-0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0  5 
20  Ryan Kreklow  –  3-7  2-5  1-2  0-4  4  1  9  3  2  1  1  26 
23  J.T. Miller  –  0-1  0-1  0-0  0-1  1  0  0  1  0  0  0  8 
34  Tanveer Bhullar  –  1-3  0-0  0-0  0-1  1  0  2  1  0  0  0  7 
TM  TEAM  –  –  –  –  1-0  1  –  –  –  –  –  –  – 
  Totals…………..  –  23-51  7-22  10-13  9-21  30  9  63  12  10  2  5  200 
45.1%  31.8%  76.9% 
Team summary: FG 3FG FT
1st Half:  10-26  4-11  4-7 
38.5%  36.4%  57.1% 
2nd Half:  13-25  3-11  6-6 
52.0%  27.3%  100 % 

Southern Illinois 67

Total 3-point Rebounds
## Player p fgm-fga fgm-fga ftm-fta off-def tot pf tp a to blk stl min
33  Pippen,Kavion  c  5-11  0-0  1-1  2-4  6  1  11  0  1  3  0  30 
03  Bartley,Marcus  g  2-8  0-4  0-0  0-3  3  1  4  2  2  0  0  28 
10  Cook,Aaron  g  4-9  2-4  0-0  0-2  2  3  10  7  2  1  2  33 
13  Lloyd,Sean  g  5-10  2-4  1-2  2-3  5  1  13  2  1  0  2  36 
22  Fletcher,Armon  g  4-7  2-2  0-0  2-2  4  3  10  1  1  0  1  21 
00  Wiley,Jonathan  –  1-2  0-0  0-0  1-2  3  0  2  1  0  0  0  13 
11  Smithpeters,Tyler  –  4-9  2-6  0-0  2-3  5  2  10  3  0  0  1  29 
24  Stradnieks,Rudy  –  3-4  1-1  0-0  1-0  1  0  7  2  0  0  0  10 
TM  TEAM  –  –  –  –  1-1  2  –  –  –  –  –  –  – 
  Totals…………..  –  28-60  9-21  2-3  11-20  31  11  67  18  7  4  6  200 
46.7%  42.9%  66.7% 
Team summary: FG 3FG FT
1st Half:  12-31  5-14  0-0 
38.7%  35.7%  0.0% 
2nd Half:  16-29  4-7  2-3 
55.2%  57.1%  66.7% 
Score by Periods  1st   2nd   Total   
Missouri State   28  35  63  Record: (18-15; 7-11 MVC) 
Southern Illinois   29  38  67  Record: (20-12; 11-7 MVC) 
Points in the paint-MSU 24,SIU 34. Points off turnovers-MSU 10,SIU 15.
2nd chance points-MSU 13,SIU 6. Fast break points-MSU 8,SIU 6.
Bench points-MSU 11,SIU 19. Score tied-6 times. Lead changed-5 times.
Last FG-MSU 2nd-01:30, SIU 2nd-00:06.
Largest lead-MSU by 6 1st-14:27, SIU by 14 2nd-06:18.
MSU led for 12:35. SIU led for 22:14. Game was tied for 04:24.
Officials: John Higgins, Ed Crenshaw, Brad Ferrie
Technical fouls: Missouri State-None. Southern Illinois-Fletcher,Armon.
Attendance:

 

Filed Under: Featured, Slider

Saluki legend Darren Brooks inducted into MVC Hall of Fame

March 2, 2018 By Leave a Comment

From Tom Weber siusalukis.com 

 

ST. LOUIS, MO. — Southern Illinois men’s basketball legend Darren Brooks was formally inducted into the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame on Friday morning during a ceremony at the Peabody Opera House.

A native of St. Louis, Brooks is the only player in Valley history to win both the Larry Bird Trophy, awarded to the league’s top men’s basketball student-athlete, and the league’s Defensive Player of the Year honor two times, sweeping the awards in 2004 and 2005.

“My parents dropped me off at SIU when I was 17 years old,” he recalled. “I was a little nervous, I didn’t know what the future would hold for me, but the fans and the Carbondale community really embraced me and showed me a lot of love, and I really appreciate that.”

While he was at Southern Illinois (2001-05), the Salukis won four-straight regular-season Conference titles, made four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances and won three NCAA Tournament games, including a Sweet 16 run in 2002 (defeating Texas Tech and Georgia as an 11 seed).

“I remember after we played Georgia in the NCAA Tournament, we got to the airport in Marion and we see all these people,” Brooks remembered. “We go inside and see almost the whole town of Carbondale there at 1 in the morning, celebrating with us, high-fiving, taking pictures, that newspaper print ‘Sweet 16.’ It was incredible. The fans were always there for us and for me.”

Brooks finished his career ranked fifth in all-time scoring at SIU with 1,761 points; he remains the school’s career steals leader with 258, and he ranks fourth in career assists with 410, eighth in career 3-pointers made with 156 and 12th in career rebounds with 673.

He was a two-time AP Honorable Mention All-American (2004, 2005), a three-time member of MVC All-Defense team (2003-05) and a two-time member of MVC All-Tournament team (2004, 2005).

Brooks is a member of both the SIU All-Century Team, announced in 2013, and the Missouri Valley Conference All-Centennial Team, announced in 2007.   He is a member, too, of the Saluki Hall of Fame.

He currently is an athletics director and K-12 teacher in the Dallas area where he lives with his wife Danielle and daughters Darionne, Nevaeh, Niah and Nadiah.  In addition to his duties as athletics director, Brooks coaches the boys and girls basketball teams, and he also operates the Brooks Basketball Academy.

Filed Under: Featured

Rend Lake College Foundation welcomes Sesser native Rodney Cabaness to Board

March 2, 2018 By Leave a Comment

By Reece Rutland – Rend Lake College Public Information 

INA, Ill. – The Rend Lake College Foundation’s mission is to represent a partnership between public and private interests for the benefit of Rend Lake College students. Newest among those guiding that mission is Rodney Cabaness co-owner of two local Harley-Davidson dealerships and 2016 RLCF Alumnus of the Year.

Comprised of community members, business leaders and philanthropists, the Board of Directors has helped guide the RLCF in providing unparalleled student success though their scholarship endeavors and provided the college with vital resources for maintaining the national-recognized service its students have come to expect.

“Rodney’s business acumen, coupled with his deep connections to Rend Lake College and his passion for helping others will be a tremendous asset to the Foundation Board of Directors.  We have entered a new time where private support is becoming crucial to the sustainability of community colleges,” said RLCF Chief Executive Officer Kay Zibby-Damron.

“The RLC Foundation is very fortunate to have such a dynamic group of prominent business leaders and professionals on our Board of Directors to help us ensure Rend Lake College and our students have the resources they need today and into the future. I am grateful for Rodney’s commitment to serve on our board and very much look forward to working with him.”

Cabaness, a Sesser native, started Black Diamond in 2007 with his business partner, co-owner and fellow RLC alum Shad Zimbro. Together, the pair built a company devoted to their community, stocking food pantries, fillings children’s backpacks and providing numerous scholarships.

Given the good works that Cabaness was already known for and the ties to his alma mater, he made a natural fit for the RLCF Board of Directors.

Every year 12 area youth are able to attend Rend Lake College because of Black Diamond’s generosity.

Cabaness is excited to bring Black Diamond trademark care for the community to Mt. Vernon with the recent acquisition of Roadhouse Harley Davidson.

“When attending and graduating from Rend Lake College in 1990, I didn’t realize how crucial that time in my life was going to be to my success,” Cabaness expressed.

“Now that I can fully appreciate how much RLC impacted my life, it is truly a great privilege to be able to give back by serving as a member on its foundation board. The Rend Lake College Foundation does so much to help so many people and I’m very proud to be a part of it.”

To date, Black Diamond Harley-Davidson has sold almost 12,000 motorcycles and regularly ranks near the top of all 700 Harley-Davidson dealerships in the nation. They have sold a motorcycle in almost all 50 states and have received numerous awards and recognitions for their community-first approach.

“We are just constantly trying to share our appreciation of what the community has done for us. We just received so much support. We have a commodity. We sell a lot of different things. But, I really feel like we offer a lifestyle. So, we try to create those relationships with people. We never had any idea how much support we would receive. We knew the area would be good to us, but we never dreamed it would be the meteoric rise that ended up happening. We were basically flying by the seat of our pants for the first few years just trying to figure it out as we went. We never expected the growth. We just set out to make it always about the people that walked through our door,” Cabaness said in his Alumnus of the Year speech.

For their part, the RLCF is always seeking dedicated individuals willing to invest in the individual growth of the many students who attend the college by investing in campus and community growth and economic development.

Last year alone, the RLCF handed out 255 scholarships worth $200,000 to help students see their dreams turn into reality.

Anyone interested in giving to the RLCF to assist in student success or students seeking scholarship opportunities to Rend Lake College can visit https://www.rlc.edu/foundation or call (618) 437-5321 Ext. 1214 for more information.

Filed Under: Featured, Franklin Co. News, Sesser News, Slider, Valier News

Rend Lake College Foundation awards grants, recognizes faculty and staff

March 2, 2018 By Leave a Comment

ReAnne Palmer – RLC Public Information 

INA, Ill.  – The Rend Lake College Foundation spent part of last week celebrating faculty and staff by awarding new We Are Warriors grants and recognizing those who go above and beyond with giving back to the college and RLC students. RLCF Board of Directors Chariman Brad Gesell and Director Mary Ellen Aiken, a former part-time RLC instructor, were on hand to personally congratulate and thank each faculty and staff member.

In total, the RLC Foundation gave away 10 grants totaling $10,550, which was solely generated by RLC employee donations and the Foundation. Each grant will go toward upgrading or purchasing new equipment, or professional development expenses.

WE ARE WARRIORS GRANT: The We Are Warriors grant recipients are, SECOND FROM LEFT, Chris Sink, Computer Networking / Wireless Professor; Margo Wagner, Director of Community and Corporate Education; Chris Edwards, Computer Networking Instructor; Barb Hampton, Associate Professor of Developmental Reading / English; Greg Hollmann, Associate Professor of Physical Sciences; Cindy Caldwell, Mathematics Professor; Tyler O’Daniel, Director of the Rec; Tracey Webb, Theatre Professor; Pete Wilce, Welding Associate Professor; and Mike Meinert, Welding Instructor. Also pictured is Brad Gesell, RLCF Board of Directors Chairman, LEFT, and Mary Ellen Aiken, RLCF Board of Directors Member, RIGHT.
(ReAnne Palmer / RLC Public Information)


Division / Program Grant Amount Grant Purchase / Upgrade
Advanced Technology $1,000 PLC Lab Stations
Culinary Arts $900 Mixer Stand
Information Technology $800 Wi-Fi Routers
Liberal Arts $450 Professional Development
Math & Sceince $700 Telescope
Math $1,100 Short-throw Projector
The Rec $500 Exercise Equipment
Theatre $500 Panel Truck
Unmanned Aircraft Sytems $2,100 Drone Equipment
Welding $2,500 Watts Bevel Machine

 

The RLC Foundation also spent some time thanking individual faculty and staff for continuously giving back to the college and its students. Forty-one people were recognized for donating for 10 to 20 years. Another five were honored for more than 20 years of giving.

“It’s wonderful that we have so many employees who give back – not only of their expertise and time, but also their financial gifts. I think it sends a very powerful message to our constituents and our community that our faculty and staff know Rend Lake College better than anyone, and they believe so strongly in our mission that they too are generously making personal investments in our institution” said Kay Zibby-Damron, RLC Foundation CEO. “Our employees are already giving 100 percent in the classroom and in their departments, but to turn around and give back with charitable donations is a testament to me that RLC is much more than just their workplace.”

She continued, “When we talk about giving for 10 and over 20 years – that kind of longevity shows a dedication and commitment like none other. We often say the words, ‘above and beyond,’ but that doesn’t come close to describing it. It speaks to their passion for education and for our students.”

Zibby-Damron said there are over 100 RLC faculty and staff who are making annual donations to the RLC Foundation – further evidence that the college is more than just a workplace.

“The culture of Rend Lake College is very much about pride. People are very proud of what they do. It’s also a culture of generosity and philanthropy,” said Zibby-Damron. “Our employees don’t have to do any of this. They have a choice when it comes to their charitable dollars, but they believe in our mission and they value how the Foundation benefits the college, particularly through the number of students we’re able to help through scholarships. The Foundation is so appreciative for their level of commitment. They are truly our rock stars.”

 

OVER 20 YEARS OF GIVING:  Five faculty and staff were honored for making regular donations to the RLC Foundation for over 20 years each. They are Lynda Lanningham, THIRD FROM LEFT, Mathematics Professor with 25 years of giving; Tim Wills, CENTER, Health and Physical Education Professor with 24 years of giving; Jean Huie, THIRD FROM RIGHT, Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Academic Instruction with 25 years of giving; and Angie Kistner, SECOND FROM RIGHT, Vice President of Finance and Administration with 26 years of giving. Not pictured is Cathi Jackson, CCR&R Subsidized Child Care Specialist with 22 years of giving. They are all pictured with Gesell, LEFT; Kay Zibby-Damron, RLC Foundation CEO, SECOND FROM LEFT; and Aiken, RIGHT.  (ReAnne Palmer / RLC Public Information)

 

 

10 TO 20 YEARS OF GIVING
Forty-one individuals were honored for giving between 10 and 20 years to the RLC Foundation. They are listed below in alphabetical order.
(ReAnne Palmer / RLC Public Information)

 

  • Elizabeth Bailey-Smith, Speech Associate Professor with 14 years
  • Heather Bauersachs, Murphy-Wall Campus Coordinator with 13 years
  • Sarah Bilderbeck, Office Systems Technology Associate Professor with 13 years
  • Summer Braden, Records Specialist with 14 years
  • Tranae Brockhouse, CCR&R Director with 13 years
  • Kathryn Byars, CCR&R Subsidized Child Care Specialist with 13 years
  • Cindy Caldwell, Mathematics Professor with 19 years
  • Shari Carpenter, Computer Science Professor with 13 years
  • Chad Copple, Dean of Communications & Marketing with 14 years
  • Kathy Craig, Agriculture Associate Professor with 13 years
  • Susan Cunninham, Title III Activity Director with 12 years
  • Peggy Davis, English Literature Professor with 13 years
  • Kelly Downes, Director of Student Records with 13 years
  • Joe Ervin, English Associate Professor with 11 years
  • Kelly Eubanks, Custodian with 13 years
  • Trinda Heitmeyer, CCR&R Data and Technology Specialist with 13 years
  • Greg Hollmann, Physical Sciences Associate Professor with 11 years
  • Cary Hottes, CCR&R Professional Development Specialist with 18 years
  • Jena Jensik, Director of Academic Advisement with 15 years
  • Beth Mandrell, Reference Librarian with 19 years
  • Stephanie McKinney, former CCR&R Subsidized Child Care Specialist with 19 years
  • Daphne Mitchell, Cosmetology Associate Professor with 17 years
  • Julie Oxford, Administrative Assistant with 13 years
  • Shannon Perkins, Automotive Technology Professor with 12 years
  • Lisa Price, Vice President of Student Services with 18 years
  • Carrie Ragan, Biology and Anatomy & Physiology Associate Professor with 13 years
  • Lori Ragland, Vice President of Instruction with 19 years
  • Cheri Rushing, Director of Financial Aid with 13 years
  • Vickie Schulte, Director of Enrollment Services with 12 years
  • Kristina Shelton, Perkins Coordinator with 11 years
  • Roy Simpkins, Custodian with 13 years
  • Beth Stevens, Testing and Placement Specialist with 13 years
  • Rodney Summers, Maintenance Technician with 16 years
  • Nigel Thompson, Automotive Technology Professor with 12 years
  • Deidra Traylor, TRIO / Upward Bound Student Advisor with 12 years
  • Arvella Waugh, Administrative Assistant with 12 years
  • Tracey Webb, Theatre Professor with 12 years
  • Sandra West, Technical Services & Collection Coordinator with 13 years
  • Kevin Weston, retired Architectural Technology Professor with 12 years
  • Marcia Whitehead, TRIO Program Specialist with 14 years
  • Terry Wilkerson, RLC President with 11 years

 

Filed Under: Featured, Franklin Co. News

Stride Pro Wrestling coming to Christopher Saturday Night

March 1, 2018 By Leave a Comment

 

The old Christopher Grade School gym is the place to be Saturday as Saturday night as two former CCHS graduates, Jay Spade and Tony Flood duke it out for the Stride Pro Heavy Weight Championship.

Proceeds will go toward helping students take a trip to New York.

You might see some familiar faces down the card before the main event of the night.

Here is a link below from WSIL morning news man, and pro wrestling enthusiast Kevin Hunsperger of an assembly at Christopher Grade school yesterday with Flood and Heath Hatton. -Steve

http://www.wsiltv.com/story/37620474/pro-wrestling-benefit-coming-to-christopher-school?platform=hootsuite

Filed Under: Christopher News, Coello News, Featured, Franklin Co. News

Former Zeigler Treasurer pleads guilty on five federal counts

March 1, 2018 By Leave a Comment

BENTON-  Former Zeigler City Treasurer Ryan Thorpe pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and two counts of embezzlement of a local government today in US District court in Benton.

Thorpe’s home was raided by the FBI on August 24, 2017, after an audit discovered over $300k missing in the city treasury.  Vehicles, guns and jewelry were some of the confiscated items.

Sentencing will be June 1st.

Please click on the link for the full story from Isaac Smith of The Southern Illinoisan.

http://thesouthern.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/former-zeigler-treasurer-pleads-guilty-to-fraud-embezzlement-charges-he/article_421b09f0-ca88-5501-9fcd-15c82ebbfafc.html#utm_source=thesouthern.com&utm_campaign=%2Femail-updates%2Fbreaking%2F&utm_medium=email&utm_content=6F5267A66E1D41B35C742AC5D40C592A956E3E78

Filed Under: Featured, Franklin Co. News, Slider

Special Olympics Illinois Polar Plungers Jump into the Frigid Waters of Rend Lake on Saturday, March 3

March 1, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Benton, Ill. – Be a fan of brrr-avery! Support the Special Olympics athletes of Illinois by jumping into the waters of Rend Lake on Saturday, March 3 for the 2018 Rend Lake Polar Plunge. The funds raised from the Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge® will benefit the athletes of Special Olympics Illinois. Check-in for the plunge begins at 10:00 a.m. located at 12220 Rend City Road Benton, IL.

All Polar Plungers are required to collect a minimum of $100 in donations. People are encouraged to come in costume and to form teams. A team must consist of a minimum of five plungers.  Each team member must also raise the minimum of $100 in donations; all team members’ individual fundraising totals will be merged to form a combined team total.

Plungers will receive incentive prizes based on the amount of money they raise. By raising the minimum of $100, you will receive an official Plunge hooded sweatshirt. Sweatshirts will be available on a first come, first serve basis the day of the plunge. All individuals who do not receive a sweatshirt the day of the event will have one mailed to them in April. Other prizes are awarded at the $250, $500 and $1,000 levels and will be mailed to participants in April.

Plungers can register for the Plunge at www.plungeillinois.com or by contacting Rhonda Knight at 618-383- 4400. Plungers are invited to join the conversation and share who they will #PlungeWith on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This is the 19th year of the LETR Polar Plunge. In 19 years, more than 66,000 plungers have raised more than $18.4 million. GEICO, RIU Hotels & Resorts, and Apple Vacations are proud to be the Statewide Presenting Polar Plunge Sponsors. This year’s Gold-Level Sponsors are WIthers Broadcasting/Dana Communications, WISH, WMIX, WDML WQRL, Southern Illinoisan, and WSIL TV3. This year’s Silver-Level Sponsors are Heartland Coca-Cola and Litton Ambulance. Thank you to all our 2018 Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge Sponsors.

About Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics

The Law Enforcement Torch Run® is the single largest year-round fundraising vehicle benefiting Special Olympics Illinois. The annual intrastate relay and its various fundraising projects have two goals: to raise money and to gain awareness for the athletes who participate in Special Olympics Illinois.

About Special Olympics Illinois

Special Olympics Illinois is a not-for-profit organization offering year-round training and competition in 18 sports for more than 23,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities and nearly 20,000 Young Athletes ages 2-7 with and without intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics transforms the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, allowing them to realize their full potential in sports and in life. Special Olympics programs enhance physical fitness, motor skills, self-confidence, social skills and encourage family and community support. If you are interested in learning more about Special Olympics Illinois, volunteering or providing financial support to help make Special Olympics programs possible, contact your local Special Olympics agency, call 800-394-0562 or visit our website at www.soill.org. Follow Special Olympics Illinois on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Filed Under: Featured, Franklin Co. News

Simon Poll shows Rauner, Pritzker lead in primary elections

February 28, 2018 By Leave a Comment

From Southern Illinois University News Service

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute has released its first poll for 2018. The most recent version of the Simon Poll™ shows Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrat businessman JB Pritzker leading their respective party’s primaries.

Rauner leads challenger Jeanne Ives, a state representative from Wheaton, by 20 points, 51 percent to 31 percent. Pritzker leads State Sen. Daniel Biss of Evanston in the crowded Democratic primary by 10 points, 31 percent to 21 percent. Former University of Illinois Board of Trustees Chairman Chris Kennedy trails in third place at 17 percent.

Rauner trails both Democrats in general election

Peoria Public Radio image

In hypothetical general election matchups, Rauner trails both leading Democratic candidates by similar margins: Pritzker leads Rauner 50 percent to 35 percent; Biss leads Rauner 48 percent to 34 percent.

“It’s interesting that Pritzker’s and Biss’s margins over Rauner are essentially the same in The Simon Poll,” Charlie Leonard, an institute visiting professor involved in the polling, said. “One explanation may be that in the minds of voters — who may know little about either Biss or Pritzker — the decision may come down to ‘Rauner versus not-Rauner.’ If the election were held today, I’d rather be ‘not-Rauner.’”

Rauner has slight lead among downstate voters

Both Pritzker and Biss lead the governor by wide margins in the City of Chicago and the Chicago suburbs (see Table 9), while downstate, Rauner leads Pritzer by three points and leads Biss by eight points — keeping in mind the smaller sample sizes and wider margins for error in the geographic subgroups.

“It is three weeks to go until the March 20 primary and major events could still move these numbers,” said John S. Jackson, another designer of this poll. “However, for all the money and attention these two races have garnered, the results so far fairly faithfully reflect the bedrock strength of these two parties in the state of Illinois, and this advantages the Democrats.”

Harold, Raoul lead in Illinois Attorney General primaries

In the Republican primary for attorney general, Harvard Law graduate and Champaign-Urbana attorney Erika Harold, who is well known in Republican political circles, leads the lesser-known Gary Grasso, a DuPage County board member, 18 percent to 14 percent, with almost two-thirds undecided.

Eight candidates are vying for the Democratic party nomination for attorney general. State Sen. Kwame Raoul of Chicago leads the pack with 22 percent of those responding, with former Gov. Pat Quinn with 18 percent. None of the other candidates register double-digit support and 39 percent are undecided.

Detailed poll results are available online. 

Sample size and margin of error

The margin of error for the entire sample of 1,001 voters is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. This means that if we conducted the survey 100 times, in 95 of those instances, the population proportion would be within plus or minus the reported margin of error for each subsample.

For subsamples, the margin of error increases as the sample size goes down. The margin of error was not adjusted for design effects. Among self-identified primary election voters, the margin is plus or minus 6 percentage points in the 259-voter sample of Republicans, and 4.5 percentage points in the sample of 472 Democrats.

Polling methodology

Live telephone interviews were conducted by Customer Research International of San Marcos, Texas using the random digit dialing method. The telephone sample was provided to Customer Research International by Scientific Telephone Samples.

Potential interviewees were screened based on whether they were registered voters and with quotas based on area code and sex (< 60 percent female). The sample obtained 51 percent male and 49 percent female respondents.

Interviewers asked to speak to the youngest registered voter at home at the time of the call. Cellphone interviews accounted for 60 percent of the sample. A Spanish language version of the questionnaire and a Spanish-speaking interviewer were made available.

Fieldwork was from Feb. 19 through Feb. 25. No auto-dial or “robo” polling is included. Customer Research International reports no Illinois political clients. The survey was paid for with non-tax dollars from the institute’s endowment fund.

The data was not weighted in any way. Crosstabs for the referenced questions will be on the institute’s polling website, simonpoll.org.

Polling data available for use by scholars and the public

The institute is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research’s (AAPOR) Transparency Initiative. AAPOR works to encourage objective survey standards for practice and disclosure. Membership in the Transparency Initiative reflects a pledge to practice transparency in reporting survey-based findings.

The Institute’s polling data are also archived by four academic institutions for use by scholars and the public. The four open source data repositories are:

 

Filed Under: Featured, Franklin Co. News, State News
« Previous Page
Next Page »
Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News