On July 21, 2018 at approximately 4:00 a.m. Benton Police conducted a traffic stop in the 1500 block of North Main Street after observing a vehicle swerving while travelling on N. Main St.  Upon investigating, police arrested Aron J. Kays, age 28, of Benton for driving under the influence.  Kays was also cited for improper lane usage.  Kays was charged and transported to the Franklin County Jail for further processing.

On July 22, 2018 at approximately 1:40 a.m. Benton Police were dispatched to the 700 block of East Burkitt Street in reference to a domestic disturbance.

Upon investigating, police arrested Matthew J. Hartman, age 34, of Benton for two counts of domestic battery.

Hartman was charged and transported to the Franklin County Jail for further processing.

INA, Ill. – Over the course of July, Rend Lake College held a pair of baseball summer camps under the tutelage of RLC Head Baseball Coach Tyler O’Daniel. Thirty youth sluggers came to Ina to take part in the camps where they worked on the fundamentals hitting, fielding, pitching, throwing, base running, and mental aspects of the game.

RLC Head Coach Tyler O’Daniel, far left, taught campers from grades 3-5 in the first baseball camp of the summer. He was assisted by RLC freshman Steven Anderson, second to left, RLC Assistant Coach Brandon Hardin, second from right and RLC sophomore Dalton Banach, far right.Participants in alphabetical order were Hayden Burton (Johnson City), Cole Copple (Benton), Luke Himelick (Flora), Cyrus Joy (Dix), Trevor Millenbine (Dahlgren), Charlie Shupe (Mt. Vernon), Kyle Williams (McLeansboro) and Carson Woolsey (Sesser). 

RLC Head Coach Tyler O’Daniel, far left, taught campers from grades 6-8 in the second baseball camp of the summer. He was assisted by RLC sophomore Dalton Banach, far right. Participants in alphabetical order were Logan Atwood (Flora), Colton Berk (Woodlawn), Tyler Conrad (Flora), Xander Fuqua (Marion), Eric Healy (Norris City), Trevor Johnson (Flora), Cyrus Joy (Dix), Alex Kiefer (Mt. Vernon), Will Kiefer (Mt. Vernon), Jake Kinsman (Benton), Hunter Kluck (Mt. Vernon), Leighton Malcolm (Woodlawn), Gavin McCann (Benton), Shandon Prather (Flora), Chase Rubenaker (Benton), Trey Severin (Benton), Drew Wheeler (Mt.Vernon) and Neil Young (Flora). Not pictured: Ollie Collins (Flora), Garrett Patridge (Flora), Camden Strom (Edwardsville).

INA, Ill. – Whether you’ve visited campus as a student or parent, attended trainings on our satellite campuses in Mt. Vernon or Pinckneyville, or participated in any number of our community events, chances are you have a connection to Rend Lake College. Now, we want to hear from you.

RLC is asking community members to submit third-party comments on our activities and services as part of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) accreditation process. Comments from current and prospective students, interested parents, and in-district taxpayers are welcomed.

These third-party comments can be submitted online to HLC at www.hlcommission.org/comment or can be mailed to HLC at the address below. Comments are due Monday, Aug. 27, and HLC cannot guarantee that comments after the due date will be considered.

Third-Party Comment on Rend Lake College
Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604-1411

This fall, RLC will receive a visit from HLC as part of the Open Pathway to accreditation. As part of the Federal Compliance process, one piece of the accreditation puzzle, HLC requires institutions to undergo a comprehensive evaluation, which includes an invitation to the public to provide written comments. Three weeks before the visit to campus on September 24-25, HLC will review and forward the third-party comments to the evaluation team members and the institution.

RLC has been accredited by HLC since 1969 and it is vital to what we do. Accreditation serves as a measure of quality, allows us to access and distribute federal student aid, facilitates the transfer of classes between institutions, and much more. HLC is one of six regional accreditors in the country and is recognized by the U. S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

More information about the Higher Learning Commission can be obtained through its website at www.hlcommission.org. To learn more about RLC’s road to accreditation, visit www.rlc.edu/hlc.

INA, Ill. – Three specialized trainings for surface and underground miners have been scheduled to meet 13 times this fall at Rend Lake College. All training courses will meet on the RLC Ina campus in the Coal Mining Training Center, and will be taught by RLC Mining Technology Instructor Don McBride.

Annual Surface and Underground Refresher trainings are set for 8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. on the following Fridays: Aug. 24, Oct. 19, Nov. 16, or Dec. 14. Each course costs $50.

New Miner Surface and Underground trainings are also on the schedule. Miners will meet from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 13 through Friday, Aug. 17; Monday, Oct. 1 through Friday, Oct. 5; Monday, Oct. 29 through Friday, Nov. 2; or Monday, Dec. 17 through Friday, Dec. 21. The cost of the class is $165, and attendees must pre-pay and pre-register.

New miners needing the surface-only trainings will meet from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 15 through Friday, Aug. 17; Wednesday, Oct. 3 through Friday, Oct. 5; Wednesday, Oct. 31 through Friday, Nov. 2; or Wednesday, Dec. 19 through Friday, Dec. 21. The cost of the training is $120.

An Annual Refresher for Surface-only miners is set for 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21. This training costs $50.

For more information, contact McBride at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1217 or mcbrided@rlc.edu. To register for any of the trainings, contact Joy Fitts at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1261 or fittsj@rlc.edu.

BENTON, IL – Join the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Rend Lake on Saturday, July 28th, as they host Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation Center for a special late night program.

This program, titled “Night Owls”, will give the audience a chance to get up close and personal with live, rehabilitated owls. Presented by Bev Shofstall of the Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, this entertaining program will introduce the audience to these nocturnal birds of prey as they learn their stories, their unique characteristics, and their importance in Illinois ecosystems. Free Again Wildlife is a rehabilitation center focused on conservation and education efforts based out of Carterville, IL. Don’t miss this chance to see and meet these wonderful creatures in this nighttime program.

“Night Owls” will be presented on July 28th, 2018 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at the Rend Lake Visitor Center and Project Office. Programs featuring live animals tend to fill up very quickly, so please plan accordingly as seating is limited. As always, Environmental Science Series programs are free, open to the public, and appropriate for all ages.

The 2018 Environmental Science Series at Rend Lake will continue next week with the “Babaloo Music and Fun Show”. Enjoy this one-man musical comedy act with fun songs to entertain children, adults, and families. This program will take place on Saturday, August 4th, 2018 from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Rend Lake Visitor Center and Project Office.

MARION — Registration and planning are underway for the 2018 Veterans on Parade, which will begin at 10 a.m. Sept. 8 at Marion Junior High School. The parade travels east to Marion Town Square, where a short memorial service will take place, then continue east to Washington School.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.