Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News
Newspaper covering Franklin County, Illinois
Three weeks before Election Day, staffers who have worked for J.B. Pritzker’s campaign have filed a federal lawsuit alleging racial discrimination in their months on the job, accusations the Democratic governor candidate quickly called “just not true.
Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.
James “Jim” A. Smith, 70, of Benton, IL, passed away at 9:20 a.m., on Monday, October 15, 2018, at Deaconess Midtown Hospital, Evansville, IN.
He was born on September 25, 1948, to John and Wilma (Summers) Smith in Christopher, IL.
Jim was a United States Army Veteran serving in the Vietnam Conflict.
He was a member and supporter of the Disabled American Veterans. Jim enjoyed reading, traveling, and tinkering with his cars.
Jim is survived by his son, Jason Smith and wife Narissa; three grandchildren, Jacob Smith, Maddie Smith, and Jonah Smith; two brothers, John K. Smith and wife Kathy and Don Weston and wife Kathy; and one sister, Patricia Wheeler and husband Roger.
He was preceded in death by parents, John and Wilma Smith; and two brothers, David Weston and Bobby Smith.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Pate Funeral Home, 301 S. Main St., Benton, IL.
Visitation will be held on Friday, October 19, 2018, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at Pate Funeral Home.
Funeral procession will leave Pate Funeral Home at 11:30 a.m., for a graveside service at Masonic and Oddfellows Cemetery with Pastor Sammy Simmons, officiating.
Burial will take place in the Masonic and Odd Fellows Cemetery.
Memorials contributions may be made to the Disabled American Veterans, and will be accepted at the funeral home.
Online condolences can be given at www.patefh.com.
Illinois high school students posted the highest average ACT score in at least nearly three decades, but that achievement is tempered by the tremendous drop in the number of students who took the test.
Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.
Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker’s record $146 million in self-funding of his campaign has been documented in real time, but campaign finance reports filed late Monday show just how much he and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner are spending.
Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois officials have a message for voters this election season: Your vote is safe.
Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.
BELLEVILLE — The two challengers in Illinois’ 12th District contest had the conversation all to themselves Tuesday during the first of two public debates — incumbent Mike Bost had other plans.
Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.
Board adopts 2018 tax levy
The board adopted the 2018 tax levy (payable 2019). The corporate and special purposes levy went from $3,547,797 in 2017 to $3,692,953 in 2018, an increase of 4.09 percent. The debt service levy went from $3,117,676 in 2017 to $3,180,426 in 2018, an increase of 2.01 percent. Because the corporate and special purposes levy is not greater than 105 percent of last year’s levy, no Truth in Taxation hearing is required.
Metzger retires from Math Division
The board accepted with regret the retirement resignation of Diane Metzger, Math Professor, effective November 1, 2018. Metzger was hired full-time in August of 1984 after working for the college part-time for four years. At the time of her retirement, Metzger sits on the top of the RLC unofficial seniority list. In her resignation letter, Metzger wrote, “I feel very fortunate to have had a career I love for over 34 years at Rend Lake College. I am grateful to my students for giving me the opportunity to learn as much from them as they learned from me. I am also grateful to my colleagues and co-workers for this cooperation and support, and to the administration and Board for allowing me to have my dream job.”
Two resignations approved
The board approved the resignation of two staff members with regret:
Accreditation update
The board heard an update on the college’s accreditation activities. The college had its comprehensive evaluation by a Higher Learning Commission peer review team last month. The team was on campus Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 24 & 25, and met with several groups of employees as well as students, community members and the Board of Trustees. Prior to their arrival, they had read the Assurance Argument and received feedback on our federal compliance filing from another reviewer. The reviewers will finalize their report, and in the coming weeks, should respond with a draft of their review. The final report will lead to an HLC action regarding the college’s accreditation.
In other business, the board …
Mark your calendars …
BENTON, ILLINOIS — Following “National Preparedness Month” in September, individuals and communities throughout Franklin County will participate in the Great Central US ShakeOut earthquake drill.
Held annually on the third Thursday of October, the International ShakeOut Day is set for Thursday, October 18, 2018. During the self-led drill, participants practice how to “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” at exactly 10:18 AM.
Endorsed by emergency management officials and first responders, the safe response to an earthquake is to:
DROP where you are, onto your hands and knees. This position protects you from being knocked down and also allows you to stay low and crawl to shelter if nearby.
COVER your head and neck with one arm and hand
HOLD ON until shaking stops
The April 2015 M7.8 Nepal earthquake and M8.3 September 16, 2015 earthquake near Illapel, Chile serve as reminders that large earthquakes can occur with little to no warning. Citizens in Southern Illinois are not immune to earthquakes—the region is home to several active seismic zones capable of producing damaging earthquakes, including the New Madrid and Wabash Valley Seismic Zones.
According to Director of Emergency Management Ryan M. Buckingham, “Damaging earthquakes can occur at any time with no warning, and it is vital that you Drop, Cover, and Hold to protect yourself when the shaking starts”. Buckingham also suggests taking steps in your home or business to mitigate the risk of damage and injury from an earthquake. “Taking time to perform earthquake mitigation steps such as securing heavy furniture that can overturn, or strapping down your hot water heater can prevent injuries and damage during a large earthquake” added the Director.
The ShakeOut Earthquake Drill is free and open-to-the-public, and participants include individuals, schools, businesses, local and state government agencies, and many other groups. To take part in the ShakeOut, individuals and organizations are asked to join the drill by registering to participate www.shakeout.org. Once registered, participants receive regular information on how to plan their drill and become better prepared for earthquakes and other disasters.
To date, 2.4 million people are registered to participate in this regional event, however Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills will also occur throughout the nation and in several countries worldwide. More than 35 million people around the globe are expected to participate; and in addition to safety drills, many participants take extra steps to become more prepared for earthquakes or other disasters.
Donald Trump may be remembered as the most honest president in modern American history. Don’t get me wrong, Trump lies all the time. He said that he “enacted the biggest tax cuts and reforms in American history” (actually they are the eighth-largest) and that “our economy is the strongest it’s ever been in the history of our country” (which may one day be true, but not yet). In part, it’s a New York thing — everything is the biggest and the best.
Here’s a link to the editorial at the Chicago Tribune.
At some point in life, we all have to decide whether we want to be victims or victors. Do we want to be defined by slights and wrongs, ones that are perceived or real? That we suffer at the hands of others. Two hundred and forty-two years ago, our forefathers made the decision that kind of sitting around bemoaning our fate under British rule wasn’t going to get us anywhere. They decided to do something about it.
Here’s a link to the editorial at Fox News.
