Dowsing: Is It Fact or Fake?

Dowsing: Is It Fact or Fake?

(Amber Kanuckel, farmersalmanac.com.  Please click on the link above for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

Man dowsing wirh dividing rod to locate ground water under surface or currents of earth radiation to check home for safe zones.

Some call it “the gift.” Others refer to it as “twitching,” “doodlebugging,” or “water witching,” the practice of locating water underground using a forked stick. Sounds simple, but does it work?

According to the American Society of Dowsers, divining the location of water dates back many millennia. In the Tassili Caves of northern Africa, an 8,000-year-old cave painting depicts a man holding a forked stick, apparently using it to search for water. In fact, historical images that appear to represent dowsing appear all over the world – in the temples of Egyptian pharaohs, in ancient Chinese etchings and more.

Although most would say that dowsing is nothing more than a myth, there are quite a few people today who believe in this practice. In fact, many drought-stricken Californians have been turning to local dowsers to uncover hidden sources of water. And, despite the skepticism, there are even a few scientists that think there’s more here than meets the eye.

Donald Darnell, PhD. – Akin, IL

Donald Darnell, PhD, 87, of Akin, IL, passed away at 6:32 p.m., on Tuesday, September 19, 2017, at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale.

He was born on February 7, 1930, to Carl Felix and Dana Marguerite (Marquis) Darnell in Macedonia, IL. Donald was a United States Army Veteran serving during the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

He retired as a Professor of Education from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. On July 20, 1992, he married Thi Nguyen. Donald and Thi resided in Akin, IL.

Donald was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and brother. He enjoyed gardening, traveling, writing cards and poetry. Donald performed and traveled as Spinner the Clown. He was a member of Akin Baptist Church.

Donald is survived by his loving wife, Thi, children, Nhu Ta – Chante Trinh and Tri Ta – Thuy-Anh Trinh; grandchildren, Robert Trinh, Valerie Trinh, Natalie Trinh, Jessica Ta, Vanessa Ta; and two brothers, Phillip R. Darnell and Jimmy M. Darnell; also surviving many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Carl Felix and Dana Marguerite Darnell, sisters, Edna Marguerite Williams and Lois Mae Long; brothers, Carl Dean Darnell, Mark Alan Darnell, Jesse Commordore Darnell, William Eugene Darnell and twin brother, Ronald Darnell.

Services have been entrusted to Pate Funeral Home, 301 S. Main St, Benton, IL. Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Saturday, September 23, 2017, at Pate Funeral Home, Benton, IL.

Funeral services will follow the visitation at 12:00 p.m., on Saturday, September 23, 2017, at the funeral home with Br. Dale Howard officiating. Burial will follow services at Brady Cemetery in Akin, IL, with military rites performed by the Benton American Legion Post 280, V.F.W. Post 2671 and the National Guard Honors Team.

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

Why this Muslim-turned-Christian speaker resonated with so many before his death at 34

https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/09/17/why-this-muslim-turned-christian-speaker-resonated-with-so-many-before-his-death-at-34/

(Ravi Zacharias-  Guest Columnist, Washington Post.  Please click on the link above for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

The first time I saw him, he sat at a table across from me, one of his legs constantly moving almost subconsciously, as though he was warming up for a run. It was a habit of his restless disposition to stand and gallop. I asked if we could talk about his mission in life. He joined me in the back seat of the car, that leg still moving.

That was Nabeel Qureshi. He hated sitting still. He was a man with a mission, ready to run. Sadly, for us, he died Saturday at a young age of 34 after a year of battling stomach cancer. Nabeel, who was raised in a Muslim-American family and converted to Christianity after a fellow college student sparked his interest in Christianity, worked with me in Christian apologetics.

Nabeel held dear the gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Old and New Testaments and carried the message of salvation. He said that for years as a young man, he labored and struggled to gain “righteousness before God” only to find out that righteousness was already found in the cross through Jesus. That was his message in his best-selling book, “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus.”

Durbin to keynote Simon Institute’s 20th anniversary fall schedule

by Pete Rosenbury – SIU Media Services

CARBONDALE, Ill. – U.S. Sen. Richard J. “Dick” Durbin next month will provide his unique perspective on the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon and the Southern Illinois University Carbondale public policy institute that honors the longtime legislator.

Durbin’s presentation, “Paul Simon Public Policy Institute: A Lasting Legacy,”  is the keynote speech of the institute’s fall 2017 schedule and a part of the 20th anniversary of the institute’s founding in 1997. The event is at 5:30 p.m., Oct. 10, in the SIU School of Law Hiram H. Lesar Law Building Auditorium. Durbin’s presentation is free and open to the public.

“We are delighted that Sen. Durbin has agreed to deliver the fall keynote speech to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, interim institute director Jak Tichenor, said.  “His speech will be the perfect capstone for a year’s worth of events and activities commemorating the institute’s founding in 1997.”

Durbin, D-Illinois, the state’s senior senator and Democratic Whip – the second highest-ranking position among senate Democrats – succeeded Simon following his retirement. Since 2005, Democratic colleagues have selected Durbin for the senate leadership post. Durbin won re-election in 2002, 2008 and 2014 and is a member of the senate’s judiciary, appropriations and rules committees. He is the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration and the Appropriations Committee’s Defense Subcommittee.

Simon first met Durbin when Durbin, who is originally from East St. Louis, was a student helping U.S. Sen. Paul Douglas, D-Illinois. Durbin served as then-Lt. Gov. Simon’s legal counsel from 1969 to 1972 and campaigned door-to-door for Simon during his mentor’s first successful run for Congress in 1974, Tichenor said. Durbin also served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 1997.

“I can’t imagine anyone better prepared to discuss how Paul’s legacy lives on as a force for change in today’s world than Senator Durbin,” Tichenor said.

Durbin, who lives in Springfield, makes approximately 50 round trips a year between Washington, D.C., and Illinois.

One injured in shooting at Mattoon High School

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2017-09-20/update-shooting-took-place-high-school-cafeteria.html

News-Gazette photo

MATTOON, IL  –  (Champaign News Gazette.  Please click on the link for the full story and further updates.  Below is a statement issued on the Mattoon School District’s Facebook page.)

“Mattoon High School officials were made aware of an active student shooter at approximately 11:33 a.m. this morning on the Mattoon High School campus.

The School Resource Officers and school officials headed to the cafeteria where they heard shots fired.

The suspect fired shots in the school cafeteria, before he was subdued and disarmed.

Emergency procedures were activated and students and staff exited the high school. As a result of shots being fired, one student was injured.

First-responders arrived, secured the facility, and transported the student to the hospital. The injured student’s parents were notified and all students were transported to Riddle Elementary School to be released to their parents.

We are saddened that this event has happened and we will provide counseling to students in need. We will continue to work with emergency personnel to determine what happened.

We appreciate the quick response of school staff and first-responders. Most importantly, we offer our thoughts and prayers to the injured student and all who are affected by this tragedy.”

 

 

Democratic congressmen arrested in protests outside Trump Tower

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/09/19/democratic-congressmen-arrested-in-protests-outside-trump-tower.html

twitter.com

WASHINGTON, DC – (Alex Pappas, Fox News.  Please click on the link above for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

Three Democratic congressmen were arrested outside Trump Tower after protesting the president’s immigration policies in New York City on Tuesday.

Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva‏, Illinois Rep. Luis Gutiérrez and New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat were taken into custody by police, according to Grijalva’s campaign Twitter account and a Gutiérrez aide.

Grijalva’s account tweeted that “Raúl was taken into custody in front of Trump Tower for civil disobedience along with Rep. Gutierrez and Rep. Espaillat.”

All-Sport Prospect Day joins line-up on RLC Preview Day

ReAnne Palmer – Rend Lake College Pubic Information

INA, Ill. (Sept. 19, 2017) – Athletes from near and far are invited to attend Rend Lake College’s All-Sport Prospect Day on Saturday, Oct. 7 on the Ina campus. The free event will feature all eight of RLC’s athletic teams: baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s golf, softball, tennis, and volleyball.

After a welcome from Vice President Lisa Price to begin the event at 10 o’clock, additional college representatives and current student athletes will be on hand to speak with students about college life and give tours of campus.

Attendees will then have a break from Prospect Day for lunch and the option to attend Preview Day. Preview Day follows the design of an open house, offering program-specific tours and meet-and-greets with RLC faculty and staff for students and their families.
Students who attend Preview Day also have the chance to win a scholarship through the RLC Foundation. Prospect Day students need only go to the Student Center to register for this free event where numerous RLC personnel will be available to talk about programs, admissions, financial aid, and more.

After lunch, prospective students will break into their respective sports to speak with coaches and show off their skills.

To learn more about All-Sport Prospect Day, contact Danielle Kaufman at 618-242-3001 or visit online at www.rlc.edu/athletics/prospect-day-registration. Interested students should pre-register online to receive a free event T-Shirt.

For more information about Preview Day, contact the Welcome Center at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1343 or welcome@rlc.edu.

Cardinals recall INF Aedmys Diaz and RP Josh Lucas from Memphis

Redbirds active roster now at 36 players

Press Release from the St. Louis Cardinals

CINCINATTI , OH The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that they have recalled infielder Aledmys Diaz and right-handed pitcher Josh Lucas from Memphis (AAA). Both players will join the Cardinals in Cincinnati for tonight’s game against the Reds, upping the team’s active roster to 36 players.

Diaz, 27, began the year with St. Louis, batting .260 with 7 home runs and 20 RBI in 71 games before being optioned to Memphis following the game on June 27. Diaz, who still leads the Cardinals with his 19 infield hits, had 23 extra base hits among his 71 safeties at the Major League level.

In 46 games at triple-A, Diaz batted .253 with 4 home runs and 26 RBI as the Memphis club posted a franchise record 91 wins and won the Pacific Coast League Championship Series. Diaz played 28 games at shortstop, nine at third base and six at second base for the Redbirds.

Lucas, 26, who made his Major League debut with 2.0 innings of relief at Pittsburgh on August 19, is being recalled for a second time this season. The Cardinals 21st round draft pick in 2010 finished the season with 17 saves for Memphis (3rd in the PCL), and provided the rescue in the Redbirds pennant-clinching win on Sunday at El Paso, Texas. Lucas fanned 68 batters in his 60.0 innings of work for the triple-A Redbirds and walked only 12.

Diaz wears uniform no. 36 and Lucas wear no. 77.

Hurricane Maria makes landfall in Puerto Rico as Category 4 storm

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/09/20/hurricane-maria-makes-landfall-in-puerto-rico-as-category-4-storm.html


Damage in San Juan, Puerto Rico as Hurricane Maria makes landfall.  (Fox News

SAN JUAN, PR – (Travis Fedschun, Fox News.  Please click on the link for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

Hurricane Maria roared onto Puerto Rico early Wednesday as an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm, blasting the island’s most populated areas with life-threatening gusts nearing 200 mph after slamming smaller Caribbean islands along the way.

Maria made landfall near Yabucoa on the island’s southeast coast around 6:15 a.m., striking the area with sustained winds of 145 mph that are expected to last for 12 to 24 hours, forecasters said.

“Maria will bring a potentially catastrophic combination of storm-surge flooding, destructive winds and flooding rain to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.”
– Fox News Senior Meteorologist Janice Dean

Gov. Rauner enacts civil asset forfeiture reform

Makes important changes to protect Illinois residents from unjust property forfeiture

Press Release from Governor Bruce Rauner

CHICAGO – Gov. Bruce Rauner today signed HB303, bipartisan legislation aimed at reforming Illinois’ asset forfeiture system. The reforms will increase transparency and shift burdens of proof to protect innocent citizens while maintaining the proper use of asset forfeiture as a tool for law enforcement. Gov. Rauner was joined by Illinois State Police (ISP) officials, ACLU members, legislators, and advocate organizations.

“Illinois residents should be protected from the unfair seizure of their private property,” Gov. Rauner said. “This legislation will enact needed reforms to prevent abuse of the civil asset forfeiture process, while maintaining its importance as a critical tool for law enforcement to make our communities safer.”

When properly applied, asset forfeiture strikes at the economic foundation of criminal activity. The seizure of monetary assets has been utilized as an effective method to disrupt the business activities of drug trafficking organizations and bring down high-level drug distributors.

However, if asset forfeiture is misused, it can have major economic ramifications on Illinoisans who may be innocent of any wrongdoing. The forfeiture of cash, a vehicle, or even a home can also affect their family members and exacerbate financial insecurity.

This important piece of legislation will provide for greater public transparency in Asset Forfeiture proceedings through the collection and publicly accessible reporting of forfeiture data, as well as additional sanction authority for abuse and violations of forfeiture rules by the ISP.

HB 303 also shifts the burden of proving guilt to the government, and increases the burden of proof to mirror that of the federal government in forfeiture cases from probable cause to a preponderance of the evidence, a fair and equitable standard. It also makes a number of other changes such as eliminating restrictive bonding requirements and adjusting the threshold amounts of money subject to forfeiture as well as the levels of cannabis and controlled substance possession that can lead to forfeiture proceedings as a way to thoughtfully limit the use of this system to its intended purposes.

Funds received through the Asset Forfeiture Program support the costs of law enforcement overtime and wire intercepts for major investigations, training, intelligence centers, prevention programs and investigative equipment.

“I am glad Illinois has taken this dramatic step forward, especially while the federal government seems poised to go backwards on this issue,” said state Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park).  “It’s a simple concept – the government should have to prove that it has a right to take your property, not the other way around.”

“Asset forfeiture laws target the heart of much criminal activity – the financial gain. However, as with any law, we need to make sure it does not unduly burden those who may be innocent,” said state Sen. Tim Bivins (R-Dixon), a cosponsor of the law who served more than 32 years in law enforcement, 20 years as Lee County Sheriff. “House Bill 303 makes sure that the spirit of civil asset forfeiture is not abused.”

“We must strike the proper balance between targeting criminal enterprises and safeguarding the rights of innocent property owners,” said state Sen. Michael Connelly (R-Naperville). “The Institute for Justice gave Illinois a D- for our current civil forfeiture laws. The law signed today seeks to improve the current system by providing increased protections for property owners and requiring greater accountability from law enforcement.”

“Civil asset forfeiture in Illinois and across this country is out of control—Americans lose more of their property each year to forfeiture than to burglary,” state Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago) said. “This landmark bill gives Illinoisans some of the strongest protections against unjust forfeitures in the country, and it’s a crucial step in restoring faith between civilians and law enforcement.”

“Civil asset forfeiture reform is an important step to ensure the Constitutional rights of Illinoisans are being protected,” said state Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Rochelle). “This law protects property rights, reduces the chance for abuses of power, and defends the rights of the individual. I’m proud to support this bipartisan initiative.”

Attached photo may be used for publication. Video of the event will be posted here.

Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News