Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News
Newspaper covering Franklin County, Illinois
On Tuesday Illinois lost out on a share of up to 50,000 new, high-paying jobs. After considering 20 finalist cities, Amazon skipped past Chicago and chose two other locations, in New York City and northern Virginia, for a major expansion. Amazon also announced plans to open an operations center with up to 5,000 jobs in Nashville, another finalist city.
Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., had the best line when it comes to the latest Florida election in which contests for governor and the U.S. Senate are still undecided.
Here’s a link to the editorial at Fox News.
College organization chart, personnel moves approved
The board approved an organizational restructuring / transition of the college’s administration, staff and support staff. The action includes changes to the organization chart, promotion of staff, changes to titles and accompanying job descriptions, and respective salaries effective Jan. 1, 2019.
According to administrative rationale, the college administration and staff have absorbed several high-level positions over the last four years, especially the past two years during the budget impasse in Illinois. As the college moves to the future and extends its efforts to use institutional data for decision making, it is necessary to realign the administrative structure. The college is placing more emphasis on student success, completion / retention rates, demographics and programmatic development, rather than just credit hours generated.
CTE Success Center Coordinator position gets green light
The board granted permission to create the position, approve the accompanying job description, advertise for and ratify the appointment of a Career Technical Education Success Center Coordinator. As the college places more emphasis on student success and institutionalizes the Health Studies Student Success Center from the Title III grant, this position will help expand efforts into the rest of the CTE programs to provide specialized tutoring specific to program needs.
Palmer moves to RLC Foundation
The board appointed ReAnne Palmer as Assistant Director of the Rend Lake College Foundation, effective Nov. 16, pending concurrence of the RLC Foundation Board of Directors. Palmer currently serves as a Public Information Specialist in the college’s Marketing and Public Information Department, where she has been full-time since July 2013. Palmer holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and English Literature from Northern Illinois University, as well as Associate in Arts and Associate in Science Degrees from Rend Lake College.
Burk to join IT as Computer Tech
Andrew Burk was appointed as a computer technician effective Nov. 19. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Technology from Western Governors University, and has served as a network administrator for Clifton Salvage and most recently as a store manager for Hucks Travel Center.
Cosmetology’s Butler moving on
The board accepted with regret the resignation of Erin Butler, Cosmetology Professor, effective Jan. 4, 2019. She has been with RLC full-time since March 2005. “I am grateful to have had the opportunity of working for Rend Lake College for 14 years,” Butler said in her resignation letter.
Accreditation update
The board heard a report on the college’s reaffirmation of accreditation activities. After the visit from HLC’s peer review team, the college is awaiting official word from the Higher Learning Commission’s Institutional Actions Council.
In other business, the board …
Mark your calendars …
By Rick Warren
“Crowds of people were coming and going so that Jesus and his followers did not even have time to eat. He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves, and we will go to a lonely place to get some rest’” (Mark 6:31 NCV).
That’s too bad because it’s one of the reasons Jesus was able to live stress-free despite all the demands upon his life.
Over the last few days, I’ve been sharing with you principles of how Jesus managed stress. The first six were:
The seventh and final one is the Principle of Recreation.
Even though Jesus had more important work to do than we do, he still took time to relax, go to parties, and just have fun.
The Bible says, “Crowds of people were coming and going so that Jesus and his followers did not even have time to eat. He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves, and we will go to a lonely place to get some rest’” (Mark 6:31 NCV).
In Mark 6, Jesus and the disciples didn’t even have time to eat because they were so busy. But Jesus looks at his small group and says, “Guys, you deserve a break today. So let’s get away.”
If Jesus can rest and relax, so can we.
In fact, God thought rest and relaxation was so important he put it in the Ten Commandments. Right along with commands to not murder, commit adultery, or steal, God tells us to take one out of every seven days to worship and rest.
If you’re too busy to take time off, you’re simply too busy—and likely too stressed.
A Prayer for When You Don’t Understand Your Circumstances
By Dr. James MacDonald
“His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him” (John 12:16, ESV).
We can all attest to the 20/20 nature of hindsight; that moment of looking back on a complicated, confusing situation and realizing exactly what we should have done or been aware of at the time.
But can we somehow turn this expectation into an advantage in the moment, as it’s playing out? Can we live in light of the reality that a time is coming when we’ll see God’s hand in all of this?
Have you ever been in a situation like that—where you didn’t understand what was happening? Where you couldn’t seem to feel anything but disappointment or confusion? Where you seemed to be more questions than answers?
Knowing why is not part of the skillset God expects from us as His followers. Answers to all the usual questions—Why is this happening? What on earth is God doing?—are not required, most likely not even available, during the heat of life’s most mystifying moments.
All you need to know in times like these is the confident assurance that afterward, when you look back, you will see His hand at work in it. And knowing you’ll see it from a distance means it’s already here in the present—perhaps not to be recognized immediately, but to be trusted implicitly.
Even when it’s difficult now, remember that one day you’ll see with clarity what God has been doing. And that it was always, only, for your good and His glory.
Pray:
Lord God, I know You are here. I trust in Your presence, Your power, Your goodness, and Your complete control over everything I’m facing. Help me walk through the questions, assured of Your answers, even though they’re still unclear to me. I know one day King Jesus will appear as the “Faithful and True” (Revelation 19:11), riding a powerful horse and fully revealing His authority. And I know that even now, when I don’t understand all the answers, I have You with me, and that is all that matters. Please give me increasing eyes of faith to trust what You are doing, even—and especially—when I don’t understand. I love You and I trust You, and I pray these things in Jesus’ Worthy Name, Amen.
The Poshard Foundation usually makes the news giving away money. Today, they are receiving money.
Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.
Small businesses in Illinois and across the country can’t find enough workers to fill open positions.
Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.
Despite offering over $1 billion in tax incentives and other perks to lure online retail giant Amazon, Illinois won’t get the company’s $5 billion investment or thousands of high-paying jobs.
Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.
Donnie Bennett, 75, of Sesser passed away on November 12, 2018.
He was born on December 8, 1942 in Benton, IL to Wathie and Loney (Mocaby) Bennett. He married Diane (Erwin) Bennett on October 29, 1963 and she survives of Sesser.
He is also survived by his children Donna (Mark) Mays of Sesser, Sherry Arro of Sesser, Cathy (David) Marlo of Sesser and Steve Bennett of Herrin; nine grandchildren Elijah Mays, Caleb Mays, Silas Mays, Emery Arro, Riley Arro, Joseph Marlo, Rachel Marlo, Nicholas Marlo, and Paolina Marlo; three sisters Sharon Reichert of Herrin, Yvonne Drew of Tamms, and Myrl Conner of Sesser; one brother Dale Bennett of Ringold, GA.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters Bernice Skurat and Mildred Wisnewski, and two brothers James “Cotton” Bennett and Wathie “Preach” Bennett.
He was a coal miner and a member of the UMWA and also had worked for the City of Sesser. He was also a member of the Sesser Church of God and had served his country in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.
Funeral services will be on Friday November 16, 2018 at 1:00 PM at the Brayfield-Gilbert Funeral Home in Sesser with Brother Tim Melvin officiating. Visitation will be on Friday from 11:00 AM until the time of the service at 1:00 PM. Burial will be at Maple Hill Cemetery in Sesser.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Illinois Veteran’s Home in Anna. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.
For more information got to our website at www.gilbertfuneralhomes.com
CARTERVILLE — Cynde Bunch, founder and CEO of Walker’s Bluff, and advocates of The Resort at Walker’s Bluff are in Springfield once again. The group is lobbying to keep The Resort at Walker’s Bluff in Senate Bill 7, giving Bunch the one thing she needs to proceed with the project — a gaming license.
Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.
