Dana Crawford – Benton

December 8, 2017 By Leave a Comment

Dana Lynn Crawford (Wiggins) died unexpectedly in Barnes Jewish Hospital on December, 6th 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri at the age of 58.

Dana Lynn Crawford is survived by her husband, Orville Crawford, her three sons Jesse Crawford (wife Ashley Crawford and two grandchildren Jacob and Alec Crawford), Brandon and Travis Crawford, her sister Linda Kimmel (husband Jerry Kimmel), brother Jim Wiggins, nephew Dustin Wiggins and his son Gohan Wiggins, and her father and mother in law Jerome and Vivian Crawford all of the Southern Illinois region. She is preceded in death by her mother Bettie Wiggins, her father L. Tony Wiggins Sr. and Brother Tony Wiggins Jr. of Benton, Illinois.

Dana Lynn Wiggins was born on August, 20th 1959 in Benton Illinois to Tony and Bettie Wiggins. She graduated from Benton Consolidated High School in 1977. She married Orville Crawford on December, 1st 1983. The couple welcomed three children into their home and Dana set about teaching them right from wrong and how to be good men. Her children remember her as a fun loving, kind natured artistically gifted mother who encouraged them to always put others first, do the right thing and to pursue their goals.

Dana was a talented mother, singer, cook, craft maker, Halloween costume designer and beauty pageant competitor, winning Miss Rend Lake and Old King Coal Princess Flame Pageants. She always wanted to make sure others were happy. She was a generous individual who loved her Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ and was passionate about spreading that love to others through word and deed. She was an active and dedicated member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter – day Saints.

A Visitation is scheduled for Monday, December 11, 2017, at 11:00 AM with a Funeral to follow at 1:00 PM at the Leffler Funeral Home, 401 E. Main Street in Benton, IL, with a reception to follow at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter – day Saints, 17947 State Route 37, Johnston City, IL 62951. First Counselor Bishopric Chris Behan will officiate the ceremony. Burial will be in the Masonic & Odd Fellows Cemetery of Benton. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Dana’s life. Flowers can be sent to Leffler Funeral Home, 401 E. Main Street in Benton, IL.

The family would like to thank St. Louis University, Kindred Hospital and Barnes Jewish Hospital Medical Staff for their efforts, care and dedication.

To leave the family online condolences, or to share memories of Dana, visit www.lpfuneralhome.com

Filed Under: Obituaries

Lady Devils move to 10-0 with BDC win over Christopher

December 8, 2017 By Leave a Comment

By Jim Muir

The Sesser-Valier-Waltonville Lady Devils kept their unbeaten string intact last night as they eked out a hard-fought 62-57 road victory over the Christopher Lady Bearcats.

The win moves S-V-W to 10-0 overall (4-0 in the Black Diamond West). The Lady Bearcats fell to 5-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play.

The game was a see-saw affair with no enjoying a lead bigger than the final margin of victory by the Lady Devils. Christopher jumped out to an 18-16 first quarter lead but the Lady Devils rallied back to outscore the Lady Cats 16-9 in the second frame to take a 32-27 halftime advantage. Christopher fought back and pulled to within one point at 43-42 before the Lady Devils outpointed the host school 19-15 in the fourth quarter to grab the victory and remain undefeated on the season.

“It was an awesome game,” said S-V-W Coach Rick Metcalf. “It was one of those games where our offense kind of disappeared and our shots weren’t falling. Hats off to Christopher, they had a lot to do with that. I thought both teams played well. It was a very nice win for us on the road.”

The game was actually won at the free throw line for the Lady Devils where they connected on 19-23 (83 percent) free tosses. The Lady Bearcats actually notched one more field goal than S-V-W but connected on 13-25 (52 percent) free throws.

“We are shooting 79 percent from the line as a time through 10 games,” said Metcalf. “That is excellent at any level.”

Despite the loss Christopher Coach Seiger Shurtz had high praise for his team’s effort.

“We played a really good game,” Shurtz said. “We were solid in a lot of areas. We came to compete and we had ourselves in a position to win the game. Free throws and a couple missed opportunities down the stretch were the difference in the game. I’m proud of the way we competed and hopefully it’s a sign of good things to come.”

S-V-W was led by Sami McCowen with 18 points, including 8-8 from the free throw line. Paige Tucker and Jada Hale added 10 points each and Adrianna Fedderke came off the bench with nine points. The play of Fedderke did not miss the eye of Metcalf.

“Fed (Fedderke) gave us a big lift off the bench with nine points,” said Metcalf. “And I thought Sami (McCowen) and Paige (Tucker) played outstanding.”

Rounding out the S-V-W scoring, Carlie Page added six points, Brooke Wilderman scored six points and Jaice McCowen scored four points.

Game scoring honors went to Christopher’s Courtney Hoppers who scored 20 points, followed by Jayla Willilams with 12, Maya Hewitt with nine points, Kassie O’Bryan with six points and Lauren Kent with three points.

Christopher is back in action on Monday, December 11 when they host Webber Township in a non-conference matchup. S-V-W returns to the hardcourt on December 13 when they host Trico.

 

Sesser-Valier/Waltonville   16 16 11  19 —  62

Christopher                            18   9  13  15 —  55

 

SVW (62) S. McCowen 4 8-8 18, B. Wilderman 1 304 5, Tucker 3 4-6 10, Page 3 0-0 6, Hale 3 2-2 10, J. McCowen 1 1-2 4, Fedderke 4 1-1 9

Team Totals: 19 19-23 62

 

Christopher (57) Williams 4 4-4 12, Henson 2 0-0 5, Hewitt 4 1-4 9, Miller 0 0-3 0, Hoppers 6 8-14 20, O’Bryan 3 0-0 6, Kent 1 0-0 3

Team Totals: 20 13-25 57

 

Filed Under: Christopher News, Sesser News, Sports

Nature Ornament Craft Day and Santa Visit

December 8, 2017 By Leave a Comment

BENTON – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Rend Lake is hosting a visit by Santa and a Nature Ornament Craft Day at the Rend Lake Visitor Center on Tuesday, December 19th from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Stop by to create a nature ornament, meet Santa, and have a photo-op with Bobber the Water Safety Dog. This program is free and open to everyone.

The Rend Lake Visitor Center is open Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from October 30, 2017 to March 31, 2018. Stop by anytime to explore the exhibit hall or pick up literature about the 2018 recreation season. For more information about these free events, call the Rend Lake Visitor Center at (618)724-2493. Be sure to “Like” us Facebook at facebook.com/rendlakeusace

Filed Under: Breaking News, Franklin Co. News

Business alumnus Lynn McPheeters donates to help future business Salukis succeed

December 8, 2017 By Leave a Comment

CARBONDALE – Growing up on a farm near Canton, F. Lynn McPheeters never imagined he would become the chief financial officer and vice president of Caterpillar Inc. Now, he’s donating $1 million to Southern Illinois University Carbondale, his alma mater, to help future Salukis succeed.

The endowment gift establishes the McPheeters Family Scholarship to benefit undergraduate College of Business students, Chancellor Carlo Montemagno announced this week.

“Without SIU, I would never have been in a position to have the opportunity to do something like this,” McPheeters said. “I’m a first-generation college student, and being able to attend SIU – a national, state-supported college – enabled me to have the career and life I’ve had. My hope is that this scholarship will allow others who are in similar situations the opportunity to attend SIU and succeed in their chosen field as I was able to.”

Benefitting business students

McPheeters’ gift will enable the university to award about $40,000 in scholarship assistance annually to deserving first-generation business students.

“Mr. McPheeters has been a longtime supporter of SIU, and we are very appreciative of his ongoing involvement and this generous contribution,” Montemagno said.

“Countless students will realize their dreams of attending college because of this gift, and its impact on the world of business will reach far into the future.”

The scholarship funds are earmarked for first-generation students in the College of Business who are from Illinois counties located south of I-80; preference will be given to those who major in finance or accounting. Recipients must maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 to retain their eligibility and the scholarship is renewable for up to four years.

The McPheeters story

McPheeters is a 1964 accounting graduate from SIU’s College of Business. He joined the Fortune 500 company soon thereafter and held a number of finance-related positions in the United States and abroad during a 40-year career capped off by a term as CFO. He fostered a working partnership between SIU and Caterpillar during his career. Since he retired, he remains active professionally on behalf of SIU and as a proponent for public education and charitable causes.

McPheeters was the first to enroll at and graduate from Spoon River Community College, then known as Canton College, and he established the Francis G. and Dorothea B. McPheeters Scholarship there in honor of his parents. He continues to serve as a board member for several companies, including RLI Inc. and WPC Technologies.
A member of the SIU Foundation board since 2002, McPheeters has served as chair of the audit committee and later as board president; he is currently an emeritus board member. He was one of the first members of the College of Business external advisory board, holding a seat since 1988. He was inducted into the college’s Hall of Fame in 1988 and has earned a number of other honors, including the College of Business Alumni Achievement Award in 2004.

In 2006, McPheeters and his wife, Susan, supported SIU with a $585,000 gift of appreciated Caterpillar stock, which was invested to create the Susan F. and F. Lynn McPheeters College of Business Leadership Endowed Chair, the college’s first endowed chair. The McPheeters’ philanthropy has also extended to various other charitable organizations and efforts in the health, education and abuse-prevention areas, earning them the title of Outstanding Philanthropists for Central Illinois in 2006.

“Lynn McPheeters has been associated with SIU and the College of Business for a long time. He has also been a loyal and generous friend,” said Terry Clark, dean of the College of Business. “Over the years, his love for our institution has been shown in many ways, from serving on the college’s External Advisory Board to serving on the SIU Foundation Board. Lynn’s institutional spiritedness is legendary. We are deeply grateful for his most recent gift. Through his generosity, another generation of Salukis will be helped onto the ladder that Lynn climbed so notably upon graduation from the college in 1964.”

Forever SIU

The McPheeters Family Scholarship endowment was made in conjunction with the Forever SIU fundraising campaign, to advance the university’s goal of providing the best education possible to students of all disciplines. More information about the campaign is available at foreversiu.org. 

Filed Under: Featured, State News

Sewer Payments Approved at Council Meeting

December 8, 2017 By Leave a Comment

WEST FRANKFORT –  The West Frankfort City Council convened on Nov. 28 for their regularly scheduled city council meeting where several payments were made regarding sewer projects in and around the city.

Among the other items of note voted on at the meeting was approval of a partial pay estimate, number 19, to Midwest Petroleum and Excavating in the amount of $305,079.13. Brown and Roberts Engineer Matt Tosh said this was the next to last “major payment” to be made for the West Frankfort Sewer Treatment Plant Retrofit Project. Another sewer treatment plant project payment was made to Brown and Roberts in the amount of $24,238.50 for engineering services rendered on the project.

Please click on the link below for the full story from William McPherson from the West Frankfort Gazette.

http://www.wfgazette.com/news/sewer-payments-approved-at-council-meeting/article_6b1fe0e6-da30-11e7-a14f-d33a7e87bb16.html

Filed Under: Breaking News, Franklin Co. News, West Frankfort News

Franklin County probation services 200 percent over budget

December 8, 2017 By Leave a Comment

BENTON – Franklin County officials continue to be perplexed by funding shortfalls for probation services.

County Board Chairman Randall Crocker voiced concerns during Monday’s finance committee meeting, indicating he wants to meet soon with probation officials. Crocker said although the county is responsible for funding the department, the state continues to lag behind in making reimbursement payments.

Please click on the link below to read the full story from the Benton News.

http://www.bentoneveningnews.com/news/20171206/franklin-county-probation-services-200-percent-over-budget

 

Filed Under: Breaking News, Franklin Co. News

RLC Veterinary Assistant Program back for spring semester

December 8, 2017 By Leave a Comment

By ReAnne Palmer 

One of RLC’s newest certificates, the Veterinary Assistant program, is back this spring thanks to a cooperation between RLC and Southeastern Illinois College (SIC). The one-semester, 17 credit hour program prepares students for a career working with animals in a variety of settings, such as veterinary clinics, boarding kennels, grooming salons, pet shops, and animal shelters. Classes are set for all day Mondays on the Ina campus with day and night classes on Tuesdays at SIC. Clinical and intern times will vary by location.

 

Jonlee Wingo of Dahlgren, LEFT, learns to find the heart-
beat on the CPR dog simulator from Instructor Adrea
Petro, RIGHT, during veterinary assistant class. (ReAnne Palmer-RLC Public Information)

Rend Lake College Allied Heath Dean Kim Wilkerson added the program is a perfect fit for students interested in starting their own businesses. She said, “Students will be trained in animal grooming, making them more marketable for many different jobs. That class is hands-on with live animals, and will give students who want to start their own animal grooming business the experience and knowledge to do so.”

The BLS states job openings for non-farm animal caretakers in general, including pet groomers, will increase by 19 percent between 2016 and 2026. The BLS also reported strong job opportunities for pet groomers due to the increasing number of households that own pets and high turnover in grooming positions.

Courses are offered on RLC’s campus in Ina, with some training at SIC’s David L. Stanley Center in Carmi. For additional information, visit www.rlc.edu/programs-and-degrees/205-veterinary-technology, or contact the Allied Health Division at 618-437-5321 Ext. 1251. Students in SIC’s district should call 618-252-5400, ext. 4130.

 

Filed Under: Breaking News, Franklin Co. News

Children’s Cabinet to use real-time data to drive policy

December 8, 2017 By Leave a Comment

 

Gov. Rauner: Enhanced technology improves taxpayer outcomes

SPRINGFIELD  — Gov. Bruce Rauner’s Cabinet on Children and Youth turned on a new data dashboard today that policymakers and the public can use to make better-informed decisions about the health, safety, education and work readiness of Illinoisans younger than 25.

“When it comes to policy, we know the best decisions for children and families are those that are data-driven,” Rauner said. “Since our goal is equity, we must constantly look at the data and research to drive our work.”

The Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology created the dashboard to advance the aims of cabinet member agencies, including the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development and the departments of Public Health and Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Julio Rodriguez, DCEO deputy director of the Office of Employment and Training, said the dashboard will help the agency to focus its career-assistance programs.

“It will help us track the success of the Apprenticeship PLUS initiative that was launched earlier this year,” Rodriguez said, “and it will allow the department to identify more ways to help youth make informed career choices.”

The new dashboard can be viewed at the Children’s Cabinet website. It will track data in four categories — education, self-sufficiency, safety and health.

Kirk Lonbom, acting secretary at the Department of Innovation & Technology, said the dashboard will cover 42 metrics, pulling together public information from multiple Illinois agencies.

“Our data analytics team at DoIT is pleased to provide a system that can improve the lives of children in our state,” Lonbom said.

Education data points will include post-secondary retention rates and reading levels. Self-sufficiency measures include education attainment levels, median earnings for youth at 25 and student debt default rates. The safety data will track the percentage of youth living in “safe” neighborhoods, rates of domestic violence, incarceration and recidivism rates among other subjects.

Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Nirav Shah said the data will be key in youth health decision-making. And Cynthia Tate, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development, said the dashboard will provide a bird’s-eye view of the state of Illinois’ children and youth.

“Having this broad spectrum of data available in one place will help prioritize population health goals,” Shah said.

“This forms the bedrock of the Children’s Cabinet project on early childhood workforce development and the GOECD’s mission,” added Tate. “The dashboard helps to connect each of the cabinet projects and serves as a long-term barometer on our work.”

Filed Under: Breaking News, Franklin Co. News

Flurries in the forecast after midnight

December 8, 2017 By Leave a Comment

Our weekend will start off with plenty of clouds with some flurries or light snow showers around in the morning. No accumulations are expected at this time though. The clouds will clear out Saturday afternoon/evening making for a quiet rest of the weekend. (NWS PADUCAH)

Seven Day Forecast

Today
Sunny, with a high near 39. Southwest wind 3 to 8 mph.
Tonight
A chance of flurries after midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 26. South southwest wind 5 to 8 mph.
Saturday
A chance of flurries before noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 36. Northwest wind 9 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 20. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.
Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 44. Light southwest wind increasing to 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph.
Sunday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 30. Southwest wind 5 to 9 mph.
Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 51. Southwest wind 6 to 11 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon.
Monday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. Northwest wind around 9 mph.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 38. Northwest wind 8 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 24. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 45. Light south southwest wind becoming southwest 5 to 9 mph in the morning.
Wednesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. South southwest wind around 7 mph becoming west after midnight.
Thursday
Partly sunny, with a high near 45. West northwest wind 6 to 9 mph.

Filed Under: Breaking News, Franklin Co. News

Aaron Cook steps up his game in sophomore season

December 7, 2017 By Leave a Comment

By Sean Carley  siusalukis.com

CARBONDALE — Last year’s Saluki squad was loaded with senior leadership with three seniors in the starting lineup. This year, the team is leaning on one of its younger players to step into a pivotal role left by the departure of point guard Mike Rodriguez.

Aaron Cook against Louisville earlier this year. (siusalukis.com)

Originally projected as a backup to Marcus Bartley, sophomore Aaron Cook became the team’s starting point guard when Bartley broke his wrist in preseason.

The man who practices with the word “family” on the back of his jersey is in the driver’s seat of the Saluki offense and has performed beyond his age, dropping a career-high 20 points in his home debut against UIS and leading the team in 3-point shooting percentage (.471).

“I’ve definitely focused on being a more vocal leader,” Cook said. “That’s one thing I’ve really improved on and it’s really helped me progress from last year. My teammates and I can talk to each other about anything at just about any time. Family is really big here.”

He attributes a lot of his growth to his mentor in college basketball and the former vocal leader of the Salukis — Rodriguez.

“Mike showed me all the loops and everything about college basketball,” Cook said. “He’s done everything to help my confidence and he’s a really good friend.”

The St. Louis native played in all but one contest last season as SIU’s backup point guard, learning the ropes and the rigors of Divison I basketball.

“Last year really prepared me for this year because I had the experience of being able to play against those top schools,” he said. “This year, I’m definitely feeling more comfortable, so I have a better understanding and get the feel of the game down.”

Cook’s growing maturity on the court can be seen most clearly in his increased offensive output this season. He has more than doubled his scoring average and has already made more threes (8) this season than all of last year (5).

The St. Louis native has always been a scorer as evidenced by his 22.1 points per game as a senior at Westminster Christian Academy, but he said he’s trying to become a more rounded player.

“[Being a scorer] is something I’ve always been, but at the same time it’s a lot harder to score at the college level than it is at the high school level,” Cook said. “It’s definitely something I put work in during summer for and something I had to get better at and the coaches let me know that.”

One of those offseason methods was watching extra film of his favorite professional players.

“I try to take the best qualities of a lot of different point guards and see how they fit into my game,” Cook said. “Chris Paul is the guy I always go to, I feel like he’s the one true point guard in the NBA, he’s not all about scoring points, then I feel like I have the athleticism to play like Russell Westbrook.”

Cook also tries to remain true to his own style that he built off his upbringing in the Gateway City, where he played with many highly rated players, including Saint Louis point guard Jordan Goodwin, who he faced last night.

Staying close to home was a big part of Cook’s reason for coming to Carbondale, where his parents Aaron Sr. and Regina can come to his games.

“It’s always nice to be able to play near my hometown,” he said. “My family can always come out and they get to see me play against a lot of these guys I grew up with.”

Filed Under: Featured
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