Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News
Newspaper covering Franklin County, Illinois
Cameron Bowby – Marissa-Coulterville
Matt Campbell – Johnston City
Tanner Dunn – Goreville
Blake Fewkes – Woodlawn
Lukas Gunter – Sesser-Valier
Gage Hawkins – Christopher
Tyson Kessler – Thompsonville
Keith Kiener III – Chester
Preston Launius – Sesser-Valier
Peyton Massey – Goreville
Blake McKay – Woodlawn
Chase Selby – Johnston City
Braden Webb – Goreville
Tyler Winchester – Sesser-Valier
Bradley Young – Christopher
Thompsonville 43 Marissa Coulterville 42 (Consolation Championship)
Chester 66 Johnston City 60 (5th Place)
Christopher 56 Woodlawn 55 (3rd. Place)
Goreville 65 Sesser Valier 63 (Championship)
Union County, KY 48 Mt. Vernon 27
Herrin 51 Chirstopher 46
Marion 56 Vienna 54
Benton 42 Meridian 48
Hamilton County 62 Pinckneyville 48
Harrisburg 65 Carrier Mills 54
Edwards County 54 Carrier Mills 29
Herrin 74 Fairfield 63
NCOE 68 Vienna 65
Harrisburg 53 Massac County 46
Anna-Jonesboro 69 Union County Ky. 62
West Frankfort 53 Carmi -White County 36
Eldorado 70 Gallatin County 43
Herrin 81 NCOE 48
Trenton Wesclin 68 Trico 43
Cissna Park 68 Greenville 49
Pinckneyville 61 Roxanna 14
Jerseyville 82 Elverado 42
Benton 39 Cissna Park 38
DuQuoin 49 Jerseyville 42
Saxony Lutheran 57 Meridan 54
Memphis Central 43 Carbondale 42
Marion 55 Memphis U High 52
Meridian 48 Murphysboro 45 (Upset Special)
Carbondale 48 Memphis U High 45
Marion 68 Memphis Central 52 (AA Championship)
Mt. Vernon 50 Germantown Tn. 43
Alton 64 Mundelin Carmel 61
Belleville West 65 St. Louis Confluence 63
O’ Fallon 59 Lausuanne 54
For the rest of the scores, please click on the following links:
Leslie O. Trone, 75, of Benton passed away Thursday, December 28, 2017 at his home surrounded by his family.
Mr. Trone was born on July 26, 1942 in Schuyler County, Illinois the son of Orville E. & Freida (Settles) Trone. He married Janice Trone on February 7, 1997 in Benton, IL and she survives.
Mr. Trone retired from GTE. He was also an Army Vietnam Veteran.
He is survived by his wife Janice Trone, hias, children; Mark Trone, Randy Trone and wife Shanna, Brad Trone, Pamela Gagnon and husband Erik, Richard Kulich & wife Kortena.
He is also survived by nine grandchildren, three sisters, Marilyn O’Malley, Sharon Layne, and Joyce Booton, two brothers, David Bryant, and Gary Trone.
He was preceded in death by his Parents and by a Brother-Larry Bryant.
Funeral services will be held on 1:30 P.M. Sunday, December 31st at the Morton & Johnston Funeral Home in Benton with Pastor Steve Shotts officiating. Burial with Military Rites conducted by the Benton American Legion & VFW Posts and the National Guard Honor Squad will be in the Shiloh Cemetery in Whittington. Visitation will be after 11:30 A.M. Sunday at the funeral home.
For more information or to sign the online guest register please visit www.mortonjohnstonfuneralhome.com
The Benton Rangers open up play in the Duster Thomas Hoops Classic in Pinckneyville today, facing Cissna Park at 3:30 in the auxiliary gym, and Greenville at 8:30 in Duster Thomas Gym.
Cissna Park (Enrollment 99) is between Champaign and Kankakee. They have a record of 5-3 They have a “will play anyone” attitude. They just came out the St. Joseph Odgen invitational, 4-1, which is made up of 2A and 3A schools.
Benton Coach Ron Winemiller had this to say about Cissna Park. “There are two different styles of teams we play tomorrow. Cissna part is very big and relies on pounding the ball into their 6’7 Sophomores.We will have our hands full keeping them away from the basket and also not getting crushed on the offensive back board.”
Greenville plays in the South Central Conference. They have a record of 5-5. They faced a couple of teams from this area in the Carlyle Kaskaskian Classic. They were defeated by Pinckneyville 64-43, and Woodlawn 43-40. Coach Winemiller had a few comments about Greenville coming into tonight’s game,”Greenville is a little more like us. They don’t have great team size but they are very aggressive at the defensive and offensive end. They will try to create offense with their defense.”
“Coach Cantrell and Coach Long are 2 guys I have known for a long time and we look forward to competing against them in Pinckenyville.”
The pairings for the championship round will not be available until all the pool play games are completed. I will share them as soon as possible.
Helen Alfoldy, 95, of Buckner passed away on Thursday December 28, 2017 at 3:36 PM at Helia Healthcare in Benton.
She was born on September 29, 1922 in Huntersdon, OH to Alexander and Lena (Miller) Alfoldy.
She is survived by her three sisters Flora Alfoldy of Buckner, Sister Janice Alfoldy of Benton, and Margaret Murphy of Florida; two brothers Alex Alfoldy of California and Eugene Alfoldy of California.
She was preceded in death by her parents, one sister Elsie Lake and one brother John Alfoldy.
She was a clerk at Montgomery Ward in Chicago for many years. She was also a member of the St Andrew’s Catholic Church in Christopher.
Funeral Mass will be on Friday January 5, 2018 at 11:00 AM at the St Andrew’s Catholic Church in Christopher with Father Urban Osuji officiating. Visitation will be on Friday January 5, 2018 from 9:00 Am until 11:00 AM at the church. Burial will be at St Andrew’s Catholic Cemetery in Christopher.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the St. Andrew’s Catholic Church or to the Alzheimer’s Association. Envelopes will be available at the church.
For more information go to our website www.gilbertfuneralhomes.com
By Tom Weber
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The streak is over. Southern Illinois won at Northern Iowa for the first time since 2002, beating the Panthers, 56-53, after the Salukis suddenly caught fire from 3-point range at the McLeod Center on Thursday night.
Armon Fletcher in the paint in last night’s win at Northern Iowa (SIU Media Services)
After missing nine of their first 10 shots from 3-point, the Salukis (9-5, 1-0) made eight of their last 11 from long range. They also clamped down on the league’s premier center, Bennett Koch, holding him to five points on 2-of-8 shooting. The victory was SIU’s first in 12 tries at the McLeod Center and snapped a 14-game losing streak overall at UNI.
“I’d be a liar if I said it didn’t feel unbelievable,” beamed Saluki head coach Barry Hinson.
The shot that broke the ice for Southern and was a key turning point in the contest, was made by Marcus Bartley just before the end of the first half, and with his team trailing by six points. Bartley inbounded the ball to Jonathan Wiley with 5.6 seconds left, who promptly threw it back to Bartley for a trey from the left corner that cut UNI’s lead to 25-22 at intermission.
Bartley, who was questionable to play in the game due to a lower back strain, scored all 12 of his points on four 3-pointers. He caught fire during a critical four-minute stretch of the second half. Three-straight treys by Bartley turned a 35-30 deficit into a 39-35 SIU lead with 9:07 to go.
“I said at halftime, to paraphrase, do we have anybody that can step up and make a shot?” Hinson said.
Once Southern took the lead, it didn’t give it back. A swarming defense made life miserable for Koch, who committed four turnovers and played just 22 minutes. The 6-foot-10 senior was surrounded nearly every time he touched the ball, and he missed a handful of point-blank looks early that appeared to rattle him.
“They crowded the post and I think we needed to do a better job of getting it out of there sooner and stretching the floor,” said UNI head coach Ben Jacobson. “Bennett was trying so hard to score and there were two or three guys around him.”
Southern’s leading scorer on the night was Kavion Pippen, who recorded 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting, as the Panthers elected not to double-team the 6-foot-10 center.
Northern Iowa played without the league’s top 3-point shooter, Spencer Haldeman, who missed the game with a back injury. He was shooting 50 percent from three on the season, and in his absence, UNI connected on just 5-of-20 from downtown.
Meanwhile, Southern found the range in the second half as seven of their 12 baskets came from deep. They didn’t all come from Bartley, either. During one clutch sequence, Bartley shot an air ball and Sean Lloyd saved it from going out of bounds. The ball landed in the hands of Tyler Smithpeters, who drained a triple to beat the buzzer and put SIU up, 42-38.
After Northern Iowa cut the deficit to 47-45 on a layup by Klint Carlson, it was Aaron Cook‘s turn to shine. Again with the shot clock almost about to expire, he hit an off-balance 3-pointer to make it 50-45. The final dagger was a 3-pointer by Armon Fletcher that bounced high off the iron and fell through to make it 55-48 with 58 seconds to go.
Hinson credited Bartley’s 3-point barrage with opening the floodgates for his teammates.
“What it did was allow everybody else to have confidence to make a three,” Hinson said. “It was a confidence boost we really needed.”
The Panthers (8-5, 0-1) lost their third-straight game but entered the contest with the league’s best RPI because of their strength of schedule and several marquee wins.
“It took us a long time to really get anything going on offense, and unfortunately, I think that kind of set the mood for the entire night,” Jacobson said. “I didn’t think we had enough bounce in our step, enough of an edge to us, considering we were at home to open the conference season. When those two things are missing, this can happen to you and it did tonight.”
The Salukis opened conference play with a victory for just the second time in the last eight seasons. They are also expecting to add forward Thik Bol to the mix this weekend versus Drake, as the senior shot blocker has been cleared to practice and play.
“There’s no team in college basketball that’s been through what we’ve been through this year — none,” Hinson said. “We just keep talking about continue to be tough. I thought tonight we showed a lot of toughness.”
http://siusalukis.com/boxscore.aspx?id=8025&path=mbball
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Transportation, along with state and local law enforcement, wants to ring in 2018 with zero alcohol- and drug-related crashes on Illinois roads. As part of the annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over holiday enforcement period – Dec. 18 through Jan. 2 – Illinois State Police and more than 150 law enforcement agencies across the state are conducting increased DUI, speeding and distracted driving patrols, as well as roadside safety checks and seat belt enforcement zones.
“While New Year’s Eve is a time for celebration, it’s vital that we keep that celebration off our roads,” said Priscilla Tobias, Director of IDOT’s Office of Program Development. “Roadway safety is everyone’s responsibility. By making a resolution to drive sober and buckle up, we can all help to make zero fatalities a reality in Illinois.”
As 2017 comes to an end, Illinois is experiencing a second consecutive year of more than 1,000 motor vehicle crash fatalities. In 2016, there were 1,078 fatalities. The current pace may match or surpass that. During New Year’s weekend over the past five years, there have been 46 fatalities on Illinois roadways, 41 percent of which involved alcohol.
“Celebrate smart this New Year’s Eve by planning ahead,” said ISP Director Leo P. Schmitz. “Designate a driver before consuming alcohol. Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”
If you are celebrating over the holidays, follow these life-saving tips:
• Designate a sober driver ahead of time or plan to use your community’s sober ride program, call a cab, or use your favorite ride-sharing app.
• Don’t let friends and family members drive impaired. Help them get home safely.
• Wear your seat belt and make sure all your passengers do the same.
• Promptly report drunk drivers to law enforcement.
The Illinois Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and Click It or Ticket programs are funded with federal highway safety dollars administered by IDOT.
SESSER – The Christopher Bearcats fall to their BDC rivals the Goreville Blackcats 59-52 in a semi-final game of the Sesser-Valier Holiday Tournament.
The Bearcats jump out to a 14-9 lead until the closing seconds of the first quarter. Bradley Young had five points and a couple of assists to Gage Hawkins, they had five points each for the quarter. At the end of the quarter, Tanner Dunn hits a buzzer beating three to cut the deficit 14-12.
That was a momentum change going into the second quarter. Starting with Dunn’s three, Goreville goes on a 16-2 run to take a 25-16 lead. Bradley Young picked up his second foul through that stretch. When they went down nine, Coach Stallman went back to Young when they found themselves down nine.
Christopher was in deep foul trouble, because Bryce Pratt and Gabriel Motsinger picked up their third fouls on the next two possessions. The Blackcats kept chipping away and They were up by 33-20 at the half.
Braden Webb comes out in the first possession of the second half, and Goreville was on the verge of blowing it wide open. The Bearcats then go on a 15-4 run to 39-35 as Braden Webb fouls Bradley Young.,
The Bearcats could not capitalize with Webb on the bench, as Landon Albright had back to back stick backs to put Goreville up by eight. On a day for buzzer beaters, young hit a three to cut it to five.
Dalton Saeger, who has been Mr. Fourth Quarter throughout the tournament picks up a bucket and hits two free throws, sandwiched in between a Tanner Dunn stick back. Then Bryce Pratt hits young on a fast break to cut the lead to 45-44.
Dunn then goes to the line to hit two free throws. Bradley young hits a bucket. Goreville sinks two more free throws on the next possession. Bryce Pratt hits a three to make it 49-49.
Morgan Bishop on the next possession knocks down a three to make it 52-49. The air went out of the Bearcats sails then. Goreville goes down and scores on the next three trips down the floor.
Pratt hits another three with eight seconds on the clock. A Goreville free throw ices the victory to make it a three possession game.
Goreville improves to (9-2) 0n the season. They will play in the championship game against the Sesser-Valier Red Devils tonight at 7:00 p.m.
Christopher falls to (8-3) on the season. They will face the Woodlawn Cardinals in the third place game at 3:00 p.m. this afternoon.
GOREVILLE (59) Webb 5 2 0-1 16, Dunn 3 1 2-2 11, Bishop 2 1 2-2 9, Massey 1 1 3-4 8, Albright 3 0 0-1 8, Tosh 1 0 2-2 8, Geyman 0 0 3-4 3, Glidewell, 0 0 2-2 2, Fassaro 0 0 0-0 0
CHRISTOPHER (52) Young 6 0 5-6 17, Hawkins 5 0 3-7 13, Saeger 3 0 4-4 10, Pratt 1 2 0-0 8, Motsinger 2 0 0-0 4, Garver 0 0 0-0 0, Flowers 0 0 0-0 0
GOREVILLE (9-2) 12 – 21 – 10 – 16 – 59
CHRISTOPHER (8-3) 14 – 6 – 18 – 14 – 52
Pete Furlin, 93, of Christopher passed away on Wednesday December 27, 2017 at the SSM Good Samaritan Hospital in Mt Vernon.
He was born on August 2, 1924 in Christopher to Dominick and Celesta (Perona) Furlin. He was married to Frances Ruth (Vogel) Furlin for 65 years.
He is survived by his wife Frances Furlin of Christopher; four nieces Susan (David) Trisdale of Dexter, MI, Lu Ann (Rick) Polley of Mulkeytown, Fayette Baysinger of Minooka, IL, and Linda Pallecone of Matteson, IL; one nephew Gary (Diane) Pallecone of Newark, IL and several great nieces and nephews and many friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, sister & brother-in-law Edith and Frank Pallecone, sister and brother-in-law Irma and Carl Swindell, two nephews Patrick Pallecone and Dennis Pallecone and one niece Judith Pallecone.
He was a member one the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers and the American Legion of Christopher.
His wishes were to be cremated with no services.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Gilbert Funeral Home in Christopher, IL.
For more information go to our website www.gilbertfuneralhomes.com
