Robert DeWitt — Zeigler, IL

March 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Robert  DeWitt, 47, of Zeigler, IL., passed away at 12:50 a.m., on Sunday, March 18, 2018, at the Franklin Hospital ER. 

He was born on May 30, 1970, to James William DeWitt and Linda Rae (Wiles) DeWitt.
Robert is survived by his loving fiancée, Dianna Bloom, two sons, Bobby A. DeWitt and Christian DeWitt; and one daughter, Jamie M. DeWitt.
He was preceded in death by his parents, James W. DeWitt and Linda R. DeWitt, one brother, James M. DeWitt, and one sister, Tammy DeWitt.
Services have been entrusted to Pate Funeral Home, 301 S. Main Street, Benton, IL.
As per Robert’s wishes, cremation will take place.
Services will be held privately by the family at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to Pate Funeral Home to help assist with funeral expenses.

Online condolences can be given at www.patefh.com.
 

Filed Under: Obituaries

Rend Lake Dam Road Closed for Improvements April 3 and 4

March 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment

 

 

Rend Lake – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Rend Lake is announcing that the Rend Lake dam road from the intersection with the Rend City Road on the west to the end of the Spillway bridge on the east, including the spillway bridge, will be closed to all through traffic during the period of April 3 & 4, 2018.

This closure is necessary for routine, scheduled maintenance to take place. During the maintenance, contractors will be utilizing a crane, positioned in the roadway, to replace structures within the outlet works. The main purpose of the outlet works is to maintain a constant, regulated flow of water down the Big Muddy river during times of low lake levels.  Access to the South Marcum Boat Ramp, Spillway Recreation Area, Spillway Dedication Lot, and the Rend Lake Bike Trail will remain open during this time frame. Watch for closure signs at Sugar Creek parking lot and the west entrance to the Rend Lake dam road. The staff of the Corps of Engineers at Rend Lake reminds you to exercise caution when near these areas as construction will be taking place.

Updated information on this project will be posted on the Rend Lake Project Office/Visitor Center Facebook page. For further information, contact the Rend Lake Project Office and Visitor Center at 618-724-2493.

Filed Under: Breaking News

Salukis baseball welcomes UC Irvine to Itchy Jones Stadium

March 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment

UC IRVINE (11-8) at SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (10-11) // March 23-25, 2018 // Carbondale, Ill. (Weather) // Itchy Jones Stadium (2,000 | Turf) // SIU Game Notes PDF

Southern Illinois hosts UC Irvine for a three-game series on March 23-25. SIU is hosting a California school in baseball for the first time in program history, and UC Irvine is making its first trip to the state of Illinois as a Division I program. 

Schedule Note » Friday’s game has been changed to 1 p.m. CT. (It was originally scheduled for 5 p.m.) Rain is forecasted this weekend, so follow @SIU_Baseball on Twitter for schedule changes and updates, as well as in-game updates, news and notes.

GAME 1 – Friday, March 23 // 1 p.m. CT // Listen | Live Stats

SIU RHP Michael Baird (1-2, 4.26 ERA, 31.2 IP)
UCI RHP Andre Pallante (3-0, 0.81 ERA, 33.1 IP)

Game 2 – Saturday, March 24 // Listen | Live Stats

SIU LHP Jamison Steege (2-1, 3.77 ERA, 31.0 IP)
UCI RHP Louis Raymond (1-2, 3.46 ERA, 26.0 IP)

Game 3 – Sunday, March 25 // Listen | Live Stats

SIU LHP Brad Harrison (3-1, 2.27 ERA, 31.2 IP)
UCI RHP Trenton Denholm (1-2, 4.68 ERA, 25.0 IP)


AROUND THE HORN

  • Southern Illinois hosts UC Irvine for a three-game series at Itchy Jones Stadium from March 23-25, 2018.
  • This is the first time in SIU history a California team has traveled to Carbondale, Ill., to play baseball.
  • SIU leads the all-time series, 1-0. The Salukis won 4-1 in Los Angeles in 1971. SIU was the College World Series runner-up that season, and UC Irvine was a Division II program.
  • UC Irvine is making its third-ever trip to the state of Illinois and first-ever trip as a Division I program. The Anteaters played in Springfield, Ill., in 1973 and 1974 during the Division II College World Series.
  • Bryson and Bradyn Reed will throw out the first pitch on Sunday. Bryson and Bradyn are members of the 2018 Saluki Baseball team through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation.
  • Connor Kopach has 67 career stolen bases, which leads all active players in NCAA Division I. In 2018, Koapch leads the nation with 16 stolen bases.
  • SIU ranks second in the nation in sacrifice flies (16) and third in stolen bases (57).
  • Brad Harrison leads the MVC and ranks 11th nationally in WHIP (0.69).
  • Harrison has retired at least 10 consecutive batters on four separate occasions this season.
    • 17, Feb. 27 at Belmont
    • 13, March 6 at SEMO
    • 11, March 6 also at SEMO (after player reached on dropped third strike)
    • 10, March 18 vs. No. 24 Illinois
  • Southern Illinois is 7-3 in its last 10 games. The Salukis have outscored opponents 78-49 in that span.


FREE-BASE RATE

  • Southern’s offense is taking 5.57 free passes per game (walks or HBP).
  • SIU has only taken more than 5.0 free passes per game seven times in program history, most recently 1997.
  • SIU’s current free-base rate (5.57) is second in program history, behind only 1980 (7.16 free-base rate).
  • UC Irvine’s Friday and Saturday starters have only walked a combined 14 batters in 59.1 innings (2.1 per nine innings).


RUN WITH US

  • SIU has stolen 57 bases through 21 games, which ranks third nationally.
  • Since the start of the 2017 season, SIU has 157 stolen bases. Missouri State is second in the MVC during that span with 80.
  • In the last 11 games, SIU is 36-for-42 stealing bases (85.7 percent).
  • Connor Kopach leads the nation with 16 stolen bases.
  • Three of the top four base stealers in the MVC are Salukis: Kopach (16) is first, Alex Lyon (11) is second, and Nikola Vasic (9) is tied for third.
  • Last year, SIU stole 100 bases, which led the MVC by 42 and ranked 14th nationally. This year, SIU is on pace (2.71 stolen bases per game) to eclipse 150 stolen bases.
  • The school record for stolen bases is 139 by the 1971 College World Series runners-up, coached by Itchy Jones.


MVC LEADERS (Through March 20 games)

  • Connor Kopach in hits (35) and runs (26)
  • Kopach in doubles (9)
  • Kopach in total bases (54)
  • Kopach in stolen bases (16)
  • Nikola Vasic and Alex Lyon in sac flies (3)
  • Logan Blackfan in home runs (5)
  • Brad Harrison in opposing batting average (.142)
  • Allen Montgomery and Trey McDaniel in appearances (10)
  • Michael Baird in runners picked off (2)
  • Team in runs scored (141)
  • Team in triples (5)
  • Team in walks drawn (101)
  • Team in sac flies (16)
  • Team in stolen bases (57)
  • Team in double plays (15)
Filed Under: Sports

Weber and K-State one step from Final Four

March 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment

ATLANTA — Kansas State’s dream of its first Final Four since 1964 is alive.

 

Here’s the link at the Southern Illinoisan.

Filed Under: Sports

MVC coaching carousel continues

March 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Dana Ford took Tennessee State’s men’s basketball team from a five-win team in 2015 to the postseason a year later. Now the Tamms native will try to resurrect a Missouri State squad that underachieved at historic levels.

Here’s the link to the story in the Southern Illinoisan.

Filed Under: Sports

Missing Benton youth found

March 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment

On March 21, 2018 at approximately 4:30 p.m. the Benton Police Department received a report of a missing 15 year old female juvenile.  Concerns for the child’s health at the time of her disappearance were expressed to the police.  The juvenile was safely located the following day at approximately 9:45 a.m.

Filed Under: Breaking News

Pastor Rick Warren: God knows everything, and that’s good news

March 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment
God Knows Everything, and That’s Good News
By Rick Warren — Mar 23, 2018
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Devotional image from Rick Warren

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13 NIV).

Ever gotten out of bed to make a midnight refrigerator raid, even though you were on a diet? I’ve stood there before with the refrigerator door open, thinking, “Just one bite . . .”

We get into a debate with ourselves: “Go ahead. It won’t hurt this one time.” “No! I’m on a diet!”

It’s in moments like these that Satan feeds us a devilish excuse: “No one will ever know.”

You may not be standing in front of the refrigerator. You may be sitting at work or filling out your taxes or hanging out someplace your parents wouldn’t want you to be. But you go ahead and do something questionable, because you believe the lie that “no one will ever know.”

But God already knows!

Hebrews 4:13 says, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight” (NIV). God is never surprised. He knows everything!

The fact that God knows everything about you is good news, not bad. Here’s why:

God knows your faults and failures. I find it uncomfortable to realize I don’t have any secrets from God, because there are things about me I’d rather God not know. But the Bible says, “My sins, O God, are not hidden from you; you know how foolish I have been” (Psalm 69:5 GNT).

You’re not fooling God when you keep your sin hidden (see 1 John 1:8). He’s not shocked by your sin, and when you admit it to him, it will never change the way he feels about you. He loves you unconditionally, and that means you don’t have to fake it. You don’t have to pretend.

God knows your feelings and frustrations. You may think, “Nobody knows what I’m going through. Nobody feels the pain I’m experiencing.” God knows. He’s seen the crisis in your soul. No hurt goes unnoticed by God. Psalm 56:8 says, “You know how troubled I am; you have kept a record of my tears” (GNT).

Because God knows your frustrations and despair, you can give those feelings to him: “Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 GNT). Cast them all permanently on God, once and for all. Don’t take them back.
Filed Under: Columns

Election season in the land of the shrinkin’

March 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Now that the bells and whistles of primary season have subsided, it’s time Illinoisans return to careful consideration of the state’s most pressing issue: there are fewer and fewer of us left.

 

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.

Filed Under: Columns

Loyola is “Elite” with 69-68 win over Nevada

March 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Even Sister Jean’s bracket originally had Loyola bowing out in the Sweet 16. The Ramblers continue to prove every doubter wrong. Loyola’s 69-68 victory Thursday night over Nevada propelled them to their first Elite Eight appearance since the team won the national championship 55 years ago.

 

Here’s the link at the Chicago Tribune.

Filed Under: Sports

Will Ives supporters back Rauner in November?

March 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment

After Gov. Bruce Rauner narrowly defeated challenger Jeanne Ives in the primary for Illinois’ Republican candidate for governor, the question is now whether the first-term governor can persuade frustrated conservatives to vote for him this fall.

Here’s the link to the story at Illinois News Network.

Filed Under: Featured
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