INA, Ill.  – The Sept. 13 Basic Handgun Training course has been rescheduled for next Saturday, Sept. 20. The class will still meet from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. in the Applied Science Center (ASC), Room 101, on the Ina campus.

For more information, contact the RLC Community and Corporate Education Division at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1714 or morrise@rlc.edu.

The board adopted the final Fiscal Year 2015 budget, which was provided in tentative form at the August board meeting. A public hearing on the budget was held at 6 p.m., prior to the regular board meeting. There were no comments from the public.

In a related action, the board accepted the 2014 tax levy (payable 2015). The levy represents a slight increase – 1.39 percent – over last year. The Corporate and Special Purpose levy went from $3,003,038 last year to $3,083,318 this year, a increase of 2.67 percent. The Debt Service levy dropped from $1,820,902 last year to $1,807,794 this year, a decrease of 0.72 percent. The total of the two levies rose slightly, from $4,823,940 last year to $4,891,112, an increase of 1.39 percent.

Because the total of the proposed Corporate and Special Purpose and Debt Service levies is not greater than 105 percent of last year’s levy, no Truth in Taxation hearing is required.

Bevis Construction to replace campus sidewalks

The low bid of $24,300 from Bevis Construction Inc. of Mt. Vernon was accepted for replacement of concrete sidewalks throughout campus.

Two PHS projects submitted to ICCB

The board granted permission to submit Protection, Health and Safety project applications to the Illinois Community College Board for HVAC replacement in the North Oasis and roof replacement of the Theatre and art building.

New courses approved, sent to ICCB

The board approved five new courses and authorized their submission to the Illinois Community College Board for action. Among the new courses are Basic Handgun Training, Advanced Handgun Training and Low-Light Handgun Training. Also approved were Principles of Taxidermy and Selected Topics in Automotive Technology.

O’Daniel to take reins of Recreational Center

The board appointed Tyler O’Daniel as Director of the Recreational Center effective Sept. 16. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Exercise Science from the University of Indianapolis as well as Associate in Science and Associate in Arts degrees from Rend Lake College. He most recently was the event coordinator for Dugout Media / Baseball Youth in Morehead, Ky. Last month, the facility was renamed with the intent to repurpose it to maximize the athletic offerings provided by the college, including individualized lessons, athletic camps, intramural sports and the Wayne Arnold Fitness Center. O’Daniel possesses the necessary knowledge in athletic training, exercise science and marketing along with the strong background in event and camp coordination desired for this position. He has coordinated athletic scouting combines, individualized training programs for youth athletes, and baseball camps throughout the Midwest.

Anselment appointed to CCR&R staff

Appointed Jacquelyn Anselment as Provider Recruitment / Quality Specialist for Project CHILD, the Child Care Resource and Referral program housed at the RLC MarketPlace. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education from Southern Illinois University Carbondale as well as Associate in Science and Associate in Arts degrees from Rend Lake College. She most recently served as Assistant Director at Bumblebee Child Care Center in Mt. Vernon.

Children’s Center’s Rancuret moving on, Gatimu joins staff

The board accepted with regret the resignation of Emily Rancuret, Lead Child Care Provider at the RLC Foundation Children’s Center, effective Aug. 13. “I have formed lasting friendships at Rend Lake College and feel honored to be a part of this family,” Rancuret wrote in her resignation letter.

In a related action, the board ratified the appointment of Kaitlyn Gatimu as a Lead Child Care Provider effective Sept. 15 to fill the vacancy left by Rancuret. Gatimu holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and most recently worked at Logan Street Day Care and Preschool in Mt. Vernon. She previously worked at the Children’s Center as a part-time Assistant Child Care Provider.

CNA’s Hudgens retiring

The retirement resignation of Aurelia Hudgens, Certified Nurse Assistant Associate Professor, was accepted with regret effective Feb. 28. “I have enjoyed my tenure at Rend Lake College immensely and have had great satisfaction in taking on the challenges given to me and teaching the hundreds of CNA students in my classes,” Hudgens wrote in her retirement letter.

In other business, the board …

Adopted a resolution appointing Terry Wilkerson, RLC President, and Angie Kistner, Vice President of Finance and Administration, as representatives of the RLC Board Secretary for the purpose of accepting candidate nominating petitions.

Approved revisions to board policy and procedure concerning Internet, laptops / laptop data encryption, and information security policy framework and guidelines (all second readings).

Approved revisions to salaries for three employees.

Approved the Jeanne Clery Act Compliance Policy Manual effective Sept. 16.

Mark your calendars …

Visiting Artist Series: Hillary Remm, works on display in Theatre Lobby through Oct. 10.

RLC Foundation Golf Outing, Thursday, Sept. 18, 12 p.m. shotgun start, Rend Lake Golf Course.

Fun Fest, 12-3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, RLC campus.

Rend Lake College Open House, 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, RLC Campus.

RLC Foundation Scholarship Dinner, 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13, Rend Lake Resort.

Poetry Reader: Matt Rotman, 12 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, Pat Kern Private Dining Area.

Warrior Fest, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014, RLC campus.

Halloween Concert and Party, Thursday, Oct. 30, Theatre and Student Center; 6 p.m concert, 7 p.m. party.

Gay Bowlin, Manager

Harvest season is one of the busiest times of year for farmers – carrying with it long days and tight deadlines. It can be tempting to bypass basic safety procedures.

Gay Bowlin

It’s also important for motorists to “share the road” with farmers. Drivers should reduce speed when encountering farm equipment or when an SMV emblem is visible, keep a safe distance, be prepared to yield, and pass wide, large farm equipment only if conditions are safe.

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture has recommended to Congress that the Section 179 tax deduction level in the Internal Revenue Service code remain consistent with the 2010-2013 limit for small businesses.

Currently under Section 179 of the tax code, a business taxpayer can currently deduct, or “expense,” qualified assets placed in service during the year, up to a specified amount. After a series of extensions (with some modifications), a maximum deduction of $500,000 was allowed for 2013, subject to a phaseout for assets costing more than $2 million. However, when this provision expired after 2013, the limit for 2014 reverted to a paltry $25,000 with just a $200,000 phaseout threshold.

The Stone Seed Group is offering a $1,000 scholarship to Illinois High School Seniors. Write a 250-word essay and telling “Why agriculture is so important to Illinois and your life”. Submit your application and essay to www.StoneSeed.com/EssayContest  beginning October 1. The deadline for submission is November 30 and winners will be announced on or about January 1, 2015.

I would like to encourage farmers right now to on line to www.growcommunities.com “America’s Farmers Grow Communities – Monsanto Fund” and enter the Franklin County Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom Foundation for a chance to be awarded $2,500.  This will help to ensure the agricultural education of our Franklin County children.

Entrants must live or farm in Franklin County, be 21 years or older and actively engaged in farming a minimum of 250 acres of corn, soybeans and/or cucumbers. One entry per qualified person. Actively engaged means he or she performs the work, or hires and actively manages others who do so.

Franklin County Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom Foundation is a 501©(3) and falls in the guidelines of qualifying to receive this grant.

Entries must be received by November 30, 2014 to qualify.  We could use your help – our Ag in the Classroom program is completely funded by grants and donations and is well respected in the community. If you have any questions please call the office at 435-3616.

Visit us at www/fcfbil.org.

Remember we are farmers working together. If we can help let us know.

By Matt Hampton
SIUSalukis.com

Opening Statement
“We’re in the process right now of getting ready for that next challenge, and we’ve come off a good three week stretch where I think we’re making progress as a football team. There’s still a pretty good level of improvement that needs to occur. We definitely need to step forward in several facets of our game, and playing a team like Purdue is going to really force us to be at the highest level that we can possibly be, so I think the timing of this matchup is good for us. The challenge is huge, and that’s what we need right now, and that’s what we’re looking forward to.”

“You mentioned the areas of improvement. What specifically would you like to see your guys do better?”
“There’s just a lot of little things that you know as a coach that sometimes may not even be all that obvious to the fans, but there’s things that we need to be sharper on with communication, with the finer points of the offense and the defense. Tackling was an area that I wasn’t real happy with this past week. There’s just enough there so that you come out of that game where you’re happy with the results, but when you watch the film you kind of scratch your head and say `I thought it was better than that,’ so we need to get better.”

“How do you feel like you guys have handled the early season success so far?”
“Well I think we’ve handled it well. It’s one of those things where we kind of expected to be in this position. I think everyone realizes we can be better and we need to be better. That was the message to the team yesterday. We play in a league that’s very unforgiving, and to be competitive in our league, you have to have your game at a very high level, and if you don’t, you’ll come up short. That’s what we’re trying to prepare for, is to be at that level.”

“With a game like this where the bullseye is more on their back and they’re expected to win as an FBS team, how do you use that to your advantage?”
“We’re not going to make a big deal of that. That’s just the nature of the game. I think nowadays the FCS playing the FBS just isn’t that uncommon of a matchup. You’ve seen FCS programs have success and play close games and get victories, so for us we’re just trying to prepare our game so that we can put the best game possible out on the field and give a good representation of who we are.”

“Every year is different, but you’ve had some FBS games where you haven’t started very well in the first quarter. With the way this team has started three games in a row, are you pretty confident you can do that again?”
“I’d say there was only one game where we didn’t start well, and that was Ole Miss when we were down 21 points in the first six minutes. The other ones we actually had leads going into the second quarter. You get ready for the entire game. You get ready for the complete package and what needs to happen to give yourself a chance to be competitive; and if you put too much emphasis on the start, then are you going to have enough at the end? We’ve played three games. We know what adversity feels like right now. We’ve been through some of that, and now we’re really going to be challenged to a point where we find out if we’re ready to handle the next level.”

“What impressed you about the way Purdue played Notre Dame this past weekend?”
“They’re a team that’s getting better, from watching their film from Week 1 to Week 2 to Week 3, the team that you’re watching this past week is a different team than the first week or the second week. They played with a lot of passion. They played with a lot of heart. This was a huge game for them with the rivalry feel to it, plus playing in Indianapolis was a big deal, so I know this game was important to them.”

“Do you see their size presenting a lot of matchup problems for you?”
“I think we see that size every week. Our offensive line averages about 315 or 320, so that size factor just isn’t as big as what it might have been 10 or 15 years ago. We want fast, agile defensive linemen that move around well, so that’s by design. I think that once you start getting linemen that are in that 280-plus range you lose a lot of your mobility. We are who we are, and that’s by design.

“How much will their new quarterback, who’s a new starter this year and isn’t very experienced, play into the game plan in terms of how much pressure you guys bring?”
“We have to do what they’ll allow us to do. He did start five games for them last year, so he’s fairly experienced coming into the season. You see improvement in his game week after week which is normal with any quarterback in his development, so naturally if we can bring pressure, that is something we like to do, but we have to see whether or not they will give us the formations or the presentation that will allow us to do that. A lot of time, what dictates the pressure is where you’re at in the game.”

“Finishing games was an issue last year for the team. What so you see as the biggest thing that’s changed between last year’s team and this year?”
“Well I disagree with you there. We won a lot of close games last year, so I don’t think you can say we didn’t know how to finish games last year. We beat Northern Iowa in Northern Iowa in overtime; we just lost a couple of close games that were heartbreakers. That’s what you learn from it is that if we just find a way to make one more play, you’re not looking at a completely different gameplan, you’re just trying to find that extra play. Last year’s team, I thought was a very good, solid football team, the chemistry was strong, and now we’re just trying to build on that just to find that extra play.”

“Their running back is one of the fastest guys in college football. How do you keep him in between that tackles?”
“That’s up to them to a degree. They’re going to have their gameplan. We just have try to keep him running east and west more than he’s running north and south. When he starts going north and south, he’s pretty fast. When you’re the Big Ten champion in all the sprinting events, that’s very impressive.”

“How do they use him? Do they move him around?”
“Actually their running backs have a lot of catches. Their top receiver is their tight end, and then the next two are the two running backs, so they do a lot with the backs out of the backfield. They have a nice package, they’re very diverse in the formations that they give you, so they’re not going to sit in any one formation and just let you play against them.”

“Special teams wise, how good do you feel about your kickoff return coverage unit right now?”
“Our coverage unit will be tested just because both backs are also their two return guys who are  #2 and #3 in the history of Purdue football with kickoff returns, so I’m more hopeful that our kicker’s leg is feeling good that day to not give them a chance to return any, but I think our coverage teams are good, but we’re going to have to be very good this week to contain them.”

“One play in the first half where the SEMO receiver was wide open and he overthrew him, was that a miscommunication?”
“The coverage we’re playing is a Cover 3, and it was more about being out of position than a miscommunication, so we just needed to have our safety over. As a coach, there are three things that you always look at when you watch film on a play. You look at their alignment, their assignment, and their technique. If you have poor alignment, many times you can put yourself at risk of giving up a big play. Just being a couple yards off where you need to be is not good. Then you look at it to see if it was a physical mismatch. But as a coach when you see if it was assignment, alignment, or technique, now you just have to coach it up better.”

“One thing that has changed over the first three games is that you’re scoring more points. Is that a different philosophy or were we just lucky?”
“Again, fans have a way of looking at things a little differently. It’s a team effort. We’re scoring points because we’re giving our offense good field position by creating turnovers. Saturday’s game, they got the ball on the 1-yard line once and got it on the 3-yard line another time. Against Eastern Illinois we returned a couple punts that that took them way down. It’s a team effort to score points. It’s not just about offense. That’s where I think fans really miss the boat. They just think it’s a one-dimensional show, where the reality is if your defense, offense and special teams aren’t all coexisting well together, it’s going to be tough to score points.”

“Are you encouraged, though, by your offensive line right now with what they’ve been able to do creating holes for the run game?”
“I’ve been encouraged with the fact that we came in wanting to establish the run game and we’re establishing the run game, especially in the third and fourth quarter where it’s critical to have a potent run game, we’ve been able to do that. Again, we’re going to be tested at a higher level, and that’s exactly what we need to see where we’re at as a football team. Can you expect everything to work the same way it did against Southeast Missouri or Eastern Illinois, we have to find that out. Naturally, you’re going to have other options that we can go to so we’re not going to put all our eggs in one basket here and think we can just go do what we want to do.”

“Can you talk about Mark Iannotti’s confidence, how much it’s grown out of these three games you’ve seen?
“It’s not unexpected from my perspective. I’ve seen him through the spring, I saw his leadership skills in the summer, and now through pre-fall and the first three games, this is what I was hoping to see. This is what I thought that we had. He can still take another step forward, there’s still some ceiling left for him to achieve. I think with each game he gets that much more comfortable and confident, and with that he should continue to improve.”

“McRoberts caught a lot of passes under pretty good coverage. How do you feel about the play of the secondary?”
“That McRoberts, he’s pretty good. You should’ve seen the catches he made against Kansas. He had seven receptions for 88 yards, his longest was a 26-yarder. Going into the game if you would tell me that we could hold him to those type of numbers I would’ve taken it in a second. He is a big time receiver that would make any secondary in the country look like they were having some difficulty. Some of the catches he made were what you see on Sunday, so he is a talented individual.”

“Have you been happy how you have defended the big play?”
“Yeah, and that was the message to the team. We weren’t as sound with our reads defensively so we were giving up some runs there in that 8, 9, 10 yard range and you just hate seeing it but you’re not giving up the big play and when you don’t give up the big play, you keep points off the board. I think the key factor is that you need to remember, anytime you make a team settle for a field goal, you’re keeping points off the board. If you look at the scoring opportunities Southeast Missouri had, they settled for three field goals and we had a goal line stand. That could’ve been an additional 28 points. You do have that bend but don’t break mentality from time to time, but that’s defense. You just can’t give up easy scores, and we have to make them earn everything they get. If you’re doing that to the team, at least you’re giving your players a chance.

“What kind of matchup problems does their tight end, Justin Simms, give you?”
“Well the other one is actually on the John Mackey watch list, number 86, he’s big and physical. Simms is kind of their number two guy. The way I look at their two tight ends is kind of similar to the way we do it with Pruitt and Fuehne. They use them a lot in their formations. You’ll see them wide from time to time, you’ll see them in tight. They have a very tight end friendly offense. That’s kinda how they manage it.”

“Do they use them in the red zone like you use your two guys?”
“Well seldom do they leave the field. One of them is always on the field. They’re not always going to give you your traditional tight end formations so unless you’re looking for them specifically, you might not even realize that they’re in the game, but a lot of times they’re at different points in their offensive attack.”

“I was pretty impressed with Solomon how he’s playing after that knee injury. Is he at 100% yet?”
“Right now he just needs to get in shape. That doesn’t happen overnight, so he should be getting more and more comfortable with what we’re asking him to do with each practice, but he’ll be available.”

“Do you consider them a pass first team?”
“It’s depending on what they want to work on. They have a 50-50 approach, they have a nice scheme as far as how they’re doing it. They’ll do a lot of high-percentage type passes where it’s really not that different than doing an extended pitch or something along those lines. It’s just trying to get their skill players out in open space and let them make plays. It’s a good mix, They’re not going to let you just tee off and get after them. They’re going to constantly be changing it up and having a lot of  variety with their offense.”

“Would you say they play a more multiple defense or just a straight 4-3?”
“It depends on who they’re playing and what the situation is. Defensively I think the improvement I’ve seen from their first game to this past week against Notre Dame, they have done a much better job with the package. They have the capabilities to bring pressure when they want to bring pressure. It just kind of depends on who they’re playing and what they feel they need to defend as far as what concept they’ll be using.”

“How do you continue to get Malcolm Agnew into space and get him opportunities this weekend?”
“Well with Malcolm, it’s the running back position, so naturally we have our bread and butter plays. You continue to run those and then you just find other concepts that get him in the open. Screens have been good for us with him, so that’s always an element. Anytime you have teams looking for screens that might take a little edge off of them too. Sometimes with a guy not even getting the ball, he may help you just as a diversion type thing. We want to be creative with Malcolm but at the same time we have enough weapons around him that we don’t have to completely be one-dimensional.”

“Could you talk about recruiting MyCole Pruitt? Was is a heavy battle with some of the FBS schools?”
“He was under the radar. We were excited about him and we were surprised that more schools weren’t actively recruiting him. Sometimes in recruiting it’s the program that you come from where if you’ve got a good football reputation then all the colleges go there but if the program that you’re in is one that’s under the radar then sometimes that’s where you find that diamond in the rough, and that’s what we did.”

“Could he play defense?”
“He could play any position. He’d be a great defensive lineman I believe, with his athleticism. His strength is very good, but he’s at the perfect position for him, which is the tight end spot. His hands are as good as anybody on the team.”

“How do you think him going through his injury last year helped him mature, especially in a leadership role?”
“With an injury, until you go through one, you never know how tough you are. I think there MyCole found an inner strength that allowed him to play through the season and through some pain, and that will be something that will help him down the road. Football is a game where after that first practice you’re never at 100% so you’re always dealing with something.”