Lulubelle (Tucker) Paxton – Christopher, IL

July 14, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Lulubelle (Tucker) Paxton, 81, of Christopher, IL passed away July 11, 2015 at her home.

Lulubelle was born Nov. 8, 1933 in Sesser, IL the daughter of Lawrence Tucker and Freda (Merkel) Tucker.

She served in the U.S. Army and later worked as a licensed practical nurse in medical equipment sterilization.

She attended Immanuel Baptist Church in Benton, IL.

She is survived by her children, Dennis (Thelma) Paxton, of Benton, David Paxton, Hilton Head, South Carolina and Teresa Hallahan, Christopher; eight grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, one son John Milton Paxton and two sisters, Geneva Baney and Imogene Frank.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, July 16, 2015 at Gilbert Funeral Home, in Christopher, with the Rev. Naomi Edmonds officiating. Visitation will be at the funeral home from 11 a.m. until the time of the service at 1 p.m.

Burial will be at Maple Hill Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Gilbert Funeral Home in Christopher is is charge of arrangements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Obituaries

Muir’s Morning Motivational Minute

July 14, 2015 By Leave a Comment

‘Failure is not the opposite of success. It is a PART of success.’

If you spend any time reading and studying people who are successful you’ll find that the common denominator on their road to success is failure. Every person that trudges through life experiences failure, but it’s what you do with those failures (yes, that’s ‘failures’ which means more than one) that makes the difference. Failure is a temporary condition – giving up is what makes it permanent. Don’t be afraid to fail … be afraid not to try!

God’s blessings to you on this day! Have a great Tuesday and a blessed day!

 

Filed Under: Faith Matters

Obituary – Charlene Natalie Marlo – Sesser, IL

July 11, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Charlene Natalie Marlo, 90, of Sesser, IL, passed away July 10, 2015 at Helia Healthcare, in Benton, IL.

Charlene was born May 20, 1925, in Sesser, the daughter of Charles LeVault and Audrey (Cockrum) Levault.

She was a business owner.

Charlene was married to Ceasar Marlo and he preceded her in death on January 3, 1967.

She is survived by one son, Joe and wife Nancy Marlo, of Sesser, and one daughter, Shelley and husband Danny Page, of Sesser; grandchildren Brook and Tom Williams, Justin and Michelle Marlo, Camron Marlo, Brian and Natalie Page and Heather and Ben Rice; great grandchildren Bria Williams, Cale Williams, Max Marlo, Alex Marlo, Addison Page, Carlie Page and Ryker “Sweet Pea” Rice; brothers Jack LeVault, of Newport Richie, FL and Joe LeVault, of Thomasville, IL.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, four brothers Percy LeVault, Melvin LeVault, Carlos LeVault, and Robert LeVault.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, July 14, 2015 at 1 p.m. at Brayfield-Gilbert Funeral Home, in Sesser, with Brother Bryant Harris officiating. Visitation will be held at the funeral home on Tuesday from 11 a.m. until the time of the service at 1 p.m.

Burial will be at Maple Hill Cemetery, in Sesser.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made the Alzheimer’s Association and will be accepted at the funeral home.

Brayfield-Gilbert Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.  For more information go to www.gilbertfuneralhomes.com.

 

 

Filed Under: Obituaries

Obituary – Halle Young – Benton

July 10, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Halle Young, age 7, of Benton; died on Sunday, June 21, 2015 in Atlanta, GA, as a result of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident.

halle 2A memorial was held on July 1, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. at the Christ’s View Christian Church in Christopher.

Arrangements were through the Gilbert Funeral Home of Christopher.

Halle was born on October 30, 2007 in Carbondale the daughter of Kimberly Marie Ingoldsby and Benjamin Everett Young.

Halle had just completed first grade at Benton Grade School.

She was baptized at Christ’s View Christian Church in Christopher on May 17, 2015. Halle was very artistic, had a beautiful singing voice and loved to whistle. She also enjoyed drawing and making pictures. She loved going to church and was full of life and love for God.

Halle is survived by her parents Kimberly Marie Ingoldsby of Tampa, FL and Benjamin Everett Young of Coello; paternal grandparents: Olen and Sandy Young of Coello, and Dianne Mitchell of Buckner; maternal grandparents Bob and Melissa Ingoldsby of Christopher, IL, Christine and Billy Carpenter of Christopher, IL; siblings: Clayton Flood, Sophia Brower, Lyleigh Young, and Hatti Ingoldsby; paternal great-grandparents: Constance Young of Coello, Gil Newton of Ava, IL; maternal great-grandparents: Dale and Ann Leffler, of Christopher, IL, Paul and Marianne Fowler, Wendell and Karen Smith; great-great-grandmother Marie Heckman; two very special uncles: Braden and Kameron Ingoldsby; also the Furlow and Osborne families.

Halle was preceded in death by her paternal great-grandpa Otho Young, and a brother Kaybrin James Osborne.

Memorial contributions may be made In Memory of Halle, to Christ’s View Christian Church, 4266 Pyramid Road, Christopher, IL 62822.

 

 

Filed Under: Obituaries

Obituary – Kaybrin James “KJ” Osborne

July 10, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Benton, IL – Kaybrin James “KJ” Osborne, age 8, of Benton; died on Sunday, June 21, 2015 in Atlanta, GA, as a result of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident.

Kaybrin James Osborne picA memorial service for “KJ” will be held on Tuesday, July 14, 2015 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Benton Elks Lodge.

Arrangements are through the Leffler – Poulson Funeral Home of Benton.

“KJ” was born on July 1, 2006 in Carbondale, IL the son of Justin Osborne and Kimberly Ingoldsby.

He had just completed the third grade at Benton Grade School.

He enjoyed many activities which included playing little league baseball, wrestling, Cub Scouts, Junior Ranger Football, skating, golfing, camping, fishing, video games, and riding four wheelers.

“KJ” especially loved spending time with his Pa Pa. Together they shared a love for 80’s to the present Heavy Metal Music.

“KJ” is survived by his parents Justin Osborne of Benton; Kimberly Ingoldsby of Tampa, FL; paternal grandparents: Mike and Anna Osborne of Benton; maternal grandparents Bob and Melissa Ingoldsby of Christopher, IL, Christine and Billy Carpenter of Christopher, IL; siblings: Karter Osborne, Clayton Flood and Hatti Ingoldsby; paternal great-grandparents: George and Helen Davis, Leona Osborne; maternal great-grandparents: Dale and Ann Leffler, Paul and Marianne Fowler, Wendell and Karen Smith; great-great-grandmother Marie Heckman; special aunts and uncles: Braden and Kameron Ingoldsby, John and Cindy Osborne, Kerrianne Hertleb; and his special cousins and friends Ethan and Lillian Osborne; also the Furlow and Young families.

“KJ” was preceded in death by his paternal great-grandpa Meredith Osborne, maternal grandpa Mark Hargis, and a sister Halle Young.

Memorial contributions may be made In Memory of “KJ”, to Mike and Anna Osborne, who plan to donate the proceeds to some of “KJ’s” favorite organizations.

To leave online condolences to the family, or to share memories of “KJ”, visit www.lpfuneralhome.com

Filed Under: Obituaries

High school students find $812k value in RLC’s dual credit program

July 10, 2015 By Leave a Comment

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INA, Ill. – Rend Lake College’s dual credit program just wrapped up its 14th year of helping local high school students save in both money and time. This year, a total of 2,845 students (duplicated) saved approximately $812,820 in tuition by enrolling in the program.

RLC’s dual credit program offers tuition-free courses with a reduced rate for textbook rental for in-district high school students. Each credit hour at RLC costs $95, so for the 2,845 (duplicated) students who earned a total of 8,556 credit hours in the Fall 2014 and Spring 2015 semesters, the savings in tuition alone adds up to approximately $812,820. Students who enroll in both semesters are counted twice for official reports.

Through this program, juniors and seniors take general education courses during the day at their high school, meeting graduation requirements at both the high school and RLC. The courses are taught by both college and high school instructors.

Lisa Price, RLC Vice President of Student Services, said students who take advantage of the dual credit program have many benefits to look forward to.

“Dual credit courses can give high school students a very unique opportunity to see first-hand what college-level classes are like, while helping them figure out what they want to focus their studies on,” said Price. “On top of that, the savings for each family really adds up over the semesters. This year, our local students saved over $800,000 in tuition – that’s something to be very proud of.”

This was especially true for Christopher High School graduate Courtney Young of Buckner who graduated from RLC before receiving her high school diploma in May. Young joined the ranks of those dedicated students who used RLC’s dual credit and dual enrollment programs to help knock two years off their collegiate careers.

In May, Young said, “Reaching this achievement has been very surreal for me. Graduating from Rend Lake College before I graduate from high school has been a goal of mine since the summer after my sophomore year… I first heard about dual credit and dual enrollment courses through my high school. When I first began taking classes, they were fairly easy, only there was a little more work involved. In my last two semesters, however, I found the classes to be a bit difficult, but not unmanageable. Overall, I really enjoyed the challenges that came with taking courses at Rend Lake. I feel they helped enhance my knowledge and furthered my education while I was still enrolled at Christopher.”

In total, 88 (duplicated) Christopher High School students enrolled in RLC’s dual credit program this year, earning 370 credit hours and saving approximately $35,150.

Mt. Vernon Township, Benton Consolidated, and Pinckneyville Community high schools had the most participants in the dual credit program this year at 888, 526, and 376 (all duplicated) respectively. Mt. Vernon Township students earned a total of 2,415 credit hours in two semesters, saving approximately $229,425 in tuition.

Benton Consolidated followed with 1,677 credit hours earned and savings of approximately $159,315. Pinckneyville Community students earned 1,304 credit hours, saving their families approximately $123,880 in tuition.

The biggest jump in participants and savings this year was from Webber Township High School. Last year, Webber only had 56 (duplicated) participants, which increased to 235 (duplicated) this year. The difference in tuition savings between the years is $43,225.

  HIGH SCHOOL
 STUDENTS ENROLLED 
(Duplicated)		   TOTAL CREDIT HOURS
 SAVINGS TO STUDENTS   
($95 per credit hour)
Benton 526 1,677 $159,315
Christopher 88 370 $35,150
Hamilton Co. 155 482 $45,790
Mt. Vernon 888 2,415 $229,425
Pinckneyville 376 1,304 $123,880
Sesser-Valier 50 98 $9,310
Thompsonville 66 204 $19,380
Waltonville 135 380 $36,100
Wayne City 133 370 $35,150
Webber 235 639 $60,705
Woodlawn 113 336 $34,770
Zeigler-Royalton 80 251 $23,845
TOTAL 2,845 8,556 $812,820

All 13 public high schools in RLC’s district are registered with the program, and 12 participated last year including Benton Consolidated High School, Christopher High School, Hamilton County High School, Mt. Vernon Township High School, Pinckneyville Community High School, Sesser-Valier Community High School, Thompsonville High School, Waltonville High School, Wayne City Community High School, Webber Township High School, Woodlawn High School, and Zeigler-Royalton Community High School.

Students must meet placement requirements and prerequisites prior to enrolling in the courses. Approval for students to participate in dual enrollment must be obtained by a high school official. Students also must adhere to the RLC drop policy. The grade will become a part of the college transcript.

Tuition is waived for eight hours per semester. For those wanting to take additional classes, approval from the Vice President of Student Services is required.

For more information on dual credit, contact the Student Services Department at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1266.

Filed Under: Breaking News

Budget fights affecting groups serving the poor

July 10, 2015 By Leave a Comment

SPRINGFIELD — The largest poverty-fighting network in Illinois is turning away thousands of vulnerable residents and laying off an estimated 1,500 workers in response to the state’s lingering budget standoff.

 

Here’s a link to the story.

Filed Under: Featured

Battle continues between Rauner and Madigan

July 10, 2015 By Leave a Comment

The developments Thursday are the latest amid an ongoing stalemate that has left state government without full spending authority since July 1. The impasse is the result of the deep partisan divide.

Here’s the link to the story in the Chicago Tribune.

Filed Under: Featured

Madigan: Rauner’s ‘divide and conquer’ strategy won’t work

July 10, 2015 By Leave a Comment

House Democrats on Thursday stood united in advancing a temporary, one-month budget to keep core services of government operating amid the threat of a partial government shutdown, but the move was largely symbolic as Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner already warned he would not sign the measure.

 

Here’s the link to the story in the Chicago Tribune.

 

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Filed Under: Slider

‘I can kill you on the front page one day … and bring you back to life the next’

July 10, 2015 By Leave a Comment

(Editor’s Note: This is a column I wrote 11 years ago about the most glaring mistake I made in nearly 25 years in the the newspaper business. I had a friend contact me this morning about this story and I dug this out of the archives. It’s good for a chuckle and there is also a great lesson about the joy of forgiveness and a sense of humor. Hope you enjoy.  JM)

———————————-

Lewis Cushman died last week and even though I read the obituary in the newspaper I still attended the wake just to make sure.

muir-mug-ihsa-150x150I’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 another newspaper 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 had a brief conversation with others in the newsroom and it was 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 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, 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 and the warm memories and the many smiles we shared.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Columns, Opinion
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