Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News
Newspaper covering Franklin County, Illinois
The workers were laid off from the Illinois Department of Transportation, The State Journal-Register reported.
The governor’s administration last year said the layoffs were partly a case of “cleaning up past hiring mistakes and personnel practices.” Rauner said the employees were illegally hired patronage workers under previous Democratic governors.
The former employees are seeking their jobs back, as well as lost wages and benefits.
MURPHYSBORO — A man charged with criminal sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl will appear in Jackson County court Thursday.
Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.
Jeff Jones seated as new Trustee
The board accepted the appointment of Jeff Jones of Whittington as the new Trustee, replacing Eric Black of Mt. Vernon who resigned last month to concentrate on his family and business. Jones is the owner and operator of Burton’s Café in Whittington.
“Rend Lake College is a very important asset for our community and I wanted to be a part of that,” Jones said of his appointment. “I want to make sure it’s going to be around for a long time, and I want to be a part of that. I’m excited and I feel very honored.”
Joint Agreement with SIC approved for Massage Therapy
The board approved a Joint Agreement for Educational Cooperation between RLC and Southeastern Illinois College for Massage Therapy, effective Aug. 7, 2018. The agreement allows for course offerings that normally might not be offered due to low enrollment or lack of instructor qualifications.
FY 2019 Budget approved, hearing set for September
The board approved the tentative FY 2019 budget as presented. As required by law, the proposed budget will be available for public inspection for 30 days and a public hearing on the budget will be held at 6 p.m. prior to the regular board meeting, which is to be held Sept. 11, 2018.
Three Instructor positions filled
The board approved three instructor positions for the Fall 2018 semester:
Upward Bound Advisor appointment ratified
The board ratified the appointment of J. Lynanne Page as TRIO / Upward Bound Student Advisor, effective July 30, 2018. Page has experience with working with students from a similar background as RLC Upward Bound students. She has a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Pickford resigns as Nursing Instructor
The board accepted with regret the resignation of Juliana Pickford, Nursing Instructor, effective Aug. 3, 2018. Pickford was hired full-time on July 1, 2017.
She stated in her resignation letter, “I appreciate the learning opportunities I received thru teaching the ADN program this past year… I appreciate the guidance of my Director of Nursing, Nancy Buttry, and all of my fellow Nurse Instructors, and wish the RLC program the best.”
Accreditation update
The board heard a report on the college’s reaffirmation of accreditation activities. The college is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is due for a comprehensive evaluation visit by the HLC Sept. 24-25, 2018. The assurance argument will be submitted to HLC later this month. This is the document which lays out the college’s evidence that it meets HLC’s five criteria for accreditation.
In other business, the board …
Mark your calendars …
Thankfully, a heroic citizen with a permit to legally carry a concealed handgun was able to save countless lives in Florida Saturday when he shot a gunman who opened fire on a back-to-school event attended by over 150 students at a park in Titusville, Florida.
Here’s a link to the story at FOX News.
People often complain about the increased security measures necessary in today’s world. Lines at airports are too long. Two forms of identification are required to get money out of the bank. Log-in names and passwords are needed to access sensitive information online. But people want to feel secure on many levels, especially in their interpersonal relationships—and, more importantly, in their relationship with God.
“I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges My name. He will call on Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him” (Psalm 91:14–15).
Ultimate security, of course, can be found only in God. He is our source of help in times of trouble. Nothing that happens to us is a surprise to Him. He loves us and promises to be with us through everything.
Challenge for Today: Remember that the most important security available is in Christ Jesus.
By Rick Warren
“Start with GOD — the first step in learning is bowing down to GOD; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning” (Proverbs 1:7 The Message).
The Bible tells us that Noah listened to God. And what did he hear? He heard God’s warning that the world was going to be destroyed. He believed what he had not yet seen. That’s what faith is — being certain of something we don’t see.
Noah didn’t turn away from the vision God had given him. Instead, he built the ark.
God is going to give you a goal for your life, and some people may think it’s pretty crazy. But you have to stay focused on what you know God has said through his Word, the Bible. Then, you have to go build your ark!
David Bote’s ascent as a major-league-caliber player started to evolve last season at Triple-A Iowa and continued in the Arizona Fall League and into spring training.
Now in the majors, he has helped the Cubs regain the art of opposite-field hitting.
Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.
Tyson Ross wore a Cardinals uniform for the first time Tuesday night after arriving on a waiver claim from San Diego but he already is well acquainted with a St. Louis doctor.
Here’s a link to the story at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Matt Carpenter doesn’t fit the traditional profile of a 30-30 hitter in baseball because the latter number refers to stolen bases. He has only one of those this year.
Here’s a link to the story at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
CARBONDALE — With 25 contact days allowed football teams by the Illinois High School Association prior to Monday, the first official day of practice isn’t quite as big a deal to some as it used to be.
Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.
