Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News
Newspaper covering Franklin County, Illinois
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner blamed Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Thursday for the city’s gun violence, saying the mayor has “failed horribly” on public safety after gunfire last weekend injured more than 70 people and killed at least 11.
Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Sports broadcaster and inspirational speaker Rachel Baribeau returned to the Southern Illinois campus on Wednesday night at the invitation of the Saluki Football program.
Her initial meeting with the team last spring was so well-received by players that head coach Nick Hill scheduled a follow-up session with Baribeau, the founder of Changing The Narrative — a non-profit organization she created to show student-athletes “that they have the power to change the narrative and to find their purpose in life outside of their sport.”
“The most important thing we do is equip these guys for life after football,” Hill explained. “Some programs, some people say that, because they feel like they have to say it. I feel like the guys in our program know that’s at the forefront of our program. Changing The Narrative is about men stepping up and treating women the way they should be treated.”
Baribeau spoke to the players about domestic violence in a relatable way, teaching them how to be “kings” and encouraging them to be better citizens and find ways to contribute to a better society.
“She did an awesome job in the spring and it was good for our 40 or so new guys to hear it for the first time,” Hill said. “Our team was excited that she was coming back. She stayed around afterward and our guys talked to her about things that they might not talk to anybody else about. She’s been a great resource for us.”
At the end of our her presentation, Baribeau presented senior linebacker Withney Simon with a Changing The Narrative award, which was voted on by the players. She said he’d have an opportunity to apply for a grant to start his own non-profit organization.
“We sat around as coaches thinking that’s who we would pick and then his teammates voted for him,” Hill said. “Withney is a perfect example of what that award is really about. He came over from Haiti with his parents when he was nine years old, didn’t know a word of English. He’s going to make a difference in people’s lives the rest of his life. We’ve always known that. He’s always talked about starting a not-for-profit and it just was perfect that this will give him that opportunity and jump-start it for him.”
Heavy downpours swept through Saluki Stadium during Practice No. 8 today, to the delight of Hill and the coaching staff, who saw it as an opportunity to prepare the team for adverse weather conditions.
“During the season I guarantee we’ll play in some type of rain game,” Hill said. “We have to have ball security, the quarterback has to know to have a wet-ball drill. As a coach, I’m glad it started pouring down rain. You can create some things that are off the script.”
SIU’s starting offensive line is beginning to take shape, except for the left guard position, where Aaron Harris, ZeVeyon Furcron, Calvin Francis Jr. and Matt Chmielewski are all battling for the same spot. Today, Harris worked with the first team. He also doubles as Southern’s backup center behind Jacob Marnin.
“Aaron is smart enough to do them both,” said offensive line coach Trevor Olson. “I always tell them — make it hard on me, don’t make it easy. I’d rather have about 10 guys that I can roll out there than be searching for a fifth. I feel like I’m in good shape with how they’ve come along.”
Practice started out dry and the first-team offense won the challenge series during what’s called “Winning Time.” The offense started near midfield with 25 seconds left on the game clock and needed a field goal to “win”. QB Sam Straub rifled a pair of sideline completions to WR Matt Quarells and WR Raphael Leonard to move the offense into field goal range, where K Nico Gualdoni split the uprights from 35 yards away.
The foundation of billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s son plans to invest $30 million in a central Illinois campus of facilities to help people with drug addiction and bring together social services.
Here’s a link to the story in the Southern Illinoisan.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner said Thursday that he is preparing to personally give millions of dollars to his fellow GOP candidates for office, saying “everything’s on the line” ahead of the November election in which Democrats are hoping to take total control of Illinois government.
Here’s a link to the story in the Chicago Tribune.
The first freshly dead body I ever saw lay in the back of a police vehicle, an African-American teenager who had tried to shoot an off-duty cop. He missed, and got shot by the cop instead.
Here’s a link to the editorial at Chicago Tribune.
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner blamed Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Thursday for the city’s gun violence, saying the mayor has “failed horribly” on public safety after gunfire last weekend injured more than 70 people and killed at least 11.
Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.
INA, Ill. – Beginning this fall, Rend Lake College students enrolled in four popular programs will have a new opportunity to receive paid on-the-job training while completing their desired degree or certificate.
These apprenticeships, offered through the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) Office of Apprenticeship, are geared toward students enrolled in the Industrial Maintenance Technology, Basic Machining Technology, Truck Driver Training, or Welding Technology programs, with additional program options in the works. Each apprentice will have the chance to team up with local industry businesses and mentors for the trainings.
Bruce A.L. Hallam, USDOL Apprenticeship & Training Representative, FOURTH FROM LEFT, visited RLC this week to meet with program faculty and administrators to discuss the new partnership between the college and USDOL. Also pictured is, FROM LEFT, Pete Wilce, RLC Welding Associate Professor; Joy Fitts, RLC Applied Science & Technology Administrative Assistant; Lori Ragland, RLC Vice President of Instruction; Hallam; Terry Wilkerson, RLC President; Gabriele Farner, RLC Dean of Applied Science & Technology Division; David Nordin, RLC Truck Driver Training Instructor; Mike Meinert, RLC Welding Instructor; and Chris Sink, RLC Computer Networking / Wireless Professor.
(ReAnne Palmer / RLC Public Information)
The goal of the new apprenticeships is to meet student and industry needs for continuous training in high level skill jobs. Together with the USDOL, RLC has adopted apprenticeship standards for each of the four programs.
“It’s important to our business partners that our students and graduates are skilled professionals, but are also familiar with the everyday aspects of their job that may not be taught in the classroom, such as company and customer orientation and specific workplace safety,” said Gabriele Farner, RLC Dean of Applied Science & Technology.
Some other work processes covered in the apprenticeships include planning and organizing work, maintaining operating equipment, operability of technical systems, and quality control.
During the apprenticeship, RLC students will complete approximately 2,000 hours, depending on industry standards, of hands-on training while receiving related training instruction (RTI) at RLC. Apprentices are paid wages that will increase throughout the apprenticeship.
Farner said RLC students should look at the apprenticeships as opportunities to get a leg up in the local work force.
“The apprenticeship is a practical, cost-effective way to expose our students to the industries where they are interested in working,” said Farner. “It’s a win for everyone involved. Students receive hands-on training from skilled mentors while earning incomes above minimum wage, local businesses get to work directly with new professionals, and RLC continues to lead students and graduates down a path they desire to walk.”
Students successfully completing the required RTI and on-the-job learning will receive the national occupational credential in their related field from the USDOL. According to the USDOL, receipt of this credential indicates the employer is certifying the apprentice to be fully skilled in their respective occupation.
To learn more about these apprenticeship programs, contact RLC’s Applied Science & Technology Division at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1261 or AppliedScience@rlc.edu.
Governor signs House Bill 4295, refocuses state workforce near capital city
SPRINGFIELD — Today Gov. Bruce Rauner followed through with his promise to bring state jobs back to the capital city with the signing of House Bill 4295. The legislation moves hundreds of state jobs to Springfield.
“It is a matter of state pride,” Rauner said. “This bill preserves the heritage of Springfield as Illinois’ capital city while boosting our local economy. It promotes Lincoln’s hometown and his vision as one of the original lawmakers who advocated for making Springfield the capital of Illinois.”
The bill codifies into law that Sangamon County is the default location for most state jobs, unless there is a specific reason the job needs to be in a different location.
“For all of my time as state representative, I have made it a priority to push state agencies to identify positions within state government that can and should be located in Sangamon County,” said Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez, R-Leland Grove, the legislation’s chief sponsor. “A recent report identified nearly 400 jobs that could potentially be relocated to the capital city. By making Sangamon County the default location for state jobs in state law, it sends a clear signal that state jobs should be in the capital city, unless they need to be located somewhere else in the state to best serve our residents.”
The bill requires the director of Central Management Services (CMS) to work with other agency directors to relocate all state positions under the Personnel Code to Sangamon County — with some exceptions. It also requires that all new positions be in the Springfield unless there is a valid, constituent-based reason for the position to be elsewhere. The director of CMS will specify the geographic location for each job and, when a job is located outside of Sangamon County, the CMS director will provide the reason for the exception.
“I want to thank Gov. Rauner for signing this important measure, and I want to commend Rep. Sara Jimenez for her steadfast leadership in bringing this measure forward and for shepherding it through the General Assembly,” said Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady of Bloomington, who sponsored HB 4295 in the Senate.
“Returning state positions to the state capital is not only about jobs here in Sangamon County, but also about improving efficiency and generating cost savings for taxpayers statewide,” said Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield. “It’s a common-sense change, and I was proud to sponsor it in the House.”
Abraham Lincoln, along with eight other lawmakers from the Sangamon area, originally promoted Springfield to be the new state capital city after Vandalia. The state capitol was moved to Springfield in 1837.
The new law is consistent with the plan to sell the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago, which houses many current state employees.
The bill, effective immediately, applies to newly created or newly filled positions, and specifies that collective bargaining rights shall not be affected.
A Mount Vernon man has been accused this week of sexually assaulting a relative younger than 13 in May.
Here’s a link to the story at Belleville News-Democrat.
You return from a great vacation and POW — reality hits like a punch in the nose. And that’s not counting the hassle of New York airports and traffic.
Here’s a link to the editorial at FOX News.
