Benton Police make three arrests over the weekend

From the Benton Police Department

BENTON, IL – On August 25th, 2017 Benton Police were dispatched to the 1100 block of Grayson Street in reference to a domestic disturbance. Through investigation, police arrested Amanda M. Stroud, age 38, of Benton for domestic battery. Stroud was transported to the Franklin County Jail.

On August 26th, 2017 Benton Police arrested Clarence B. Braden on an active McCracken county warrant for failure to appear. Braden was transported to the Franklin County Jail for further processing.

On August 26th, 2017 Benton Police conducted a traffic stop in the 1400 block of Stonebrook Drive. Through investigation, police arrested Collin Donaldson age 22, of Valier for driving while license revoked. Donaldson was charged and transported to the Franklin County Jail for further processing.

Approximately 1,000 People Watch Solar Eclipse at Benton Community Park

http://www.bentongazette.com/news/approximately-people-watch-solar-eclipse-at-benton-community-park/article_ad9c0d6c-8a5f-11e7-b921-674da77af4d4.html

BENTON, IL –  (William McPherson, Benton Gazette.  Please click on the link for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

Those who have received unexpected last minute guests know the hustle and bustle that goes into accommodating them. Now try 1,000 of them.

That’s exactly what went down in Benton last week, as more than 1,000 people viewed the Great American Solar Eclipse at the Benton Community Park on Monday, according to early estimates.

“I know we had people from Canada, and I will say we had at least 12 states represented,” said Benton Community Park Superintendent Bill “Scooter” Nelms, who said the crowd began pouring in around 7:30 a.m. with many exiting after the 1:21 p.m. totality event had ended, and a few sticking around until around 3 p.m. when the entire eclipse event had dissipated. “We had not a cloud in the sky throughout the whole time,” Nelms noted. This was in contrast to the many people who had the misfortune of missing most of the eclipse at SIU Arena in Carbondale due to cloudy weather conditions.

Gas leak on South Main St. in Benton caused area businesses to be evacuated this morning

by Steve Dunford

BENTON, IL – In the last half -hour, an accident caused a gas leak on the 100 block of South Main street in Benton.   Franklin County Emergency Management issued a Nixle alert around 15 minutes ago,

Area buildings have been evacuated, including the Campbell Building which there is offices for Franklin County Government.  I am unsure of the status of the courthouse.

The Benton Fire Department confirmed the square is still open at this time.

I will provide further updates as information becomes available.

UPDATE:  11:10 a.m.  Franklin County EMA released a statement about five minutes ago, stating the scene is secure.  At this time the 100 block of South Main from the Public Square to Church St. is still closed.

 

Bill Fitzpatrick – Benton

Bill Fitzpatrick, 88, of Benton (Rend City) IL,  passed away Sunday morning, August 27, 2017 at the VA Medical Center in Marion.

He was born in West Frankfort, IL on September 29, 1928, the son of Charles & Dealie Mae (Davis) Fitzpatrick.

He married Rose Mary (Freeman) on October 6, 1946, in Rend City, and she survives.

Mr. Fitzpatrick was a World War II Navy Veteran.

He is survived by his wife, Rose Mary Fitzpatrick of Benton, three children; Bill Fitzpatrick and wife Shirley of Sunnyvale, CA ,Brian Fitzpatrick and wife Patti of Benton,
Joy Luster and husband Jim of Benton, nine grandchildren 16 great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren.

He is also survived by two sisters, Martha and Rose, and six brothers, Dutch, Bob, Rick, David, John and Don.

Mr. Fitzpatrick was preceded in death by his Parents, by two  sisters: Etta & Ramona and by four brothers,  George, Chuck, Jack and Dennis.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 P.M. Wednesday, August 30th at the Rend City Baptist Church with Rev. John West officiating. Burial with Military Rites by the Benton American Legion, VFW, and Navy Honor Guard will be in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.

Visitation will be after 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday at the Church.

In lieu of flowers, Memorials in Mr. Fitzpatrick’s memory may be made to the Rend City Baptist Church.

The Morton & Johnston Funeral Home in Benton is in charge of arrangements.  For more information or to sign the online guest register please visit www.mortonjohnstonfuneralhome.com.  

Murphysboro children go on shopping spree with Senator Fowler

http://www.wsiltv.com/story/36227675/murphysboro-children-go-on-shopping-spree-with-senator-fowler


Senator Fowler shops with kids from the Murphysboro Children’s home with part of the money raised from the Fowler-Bonan foundation. (WSIL TV-Photo)

CARBONDALE, IL –  (Hannah Gerbresilasse, WSIL-TV.  Please click on the link above for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

Several Murphysboro children took a trip to Kohl’s in Carbondale on Sunday for a shopping spree with the Fowler-Bonan Foundation

.
The Foundation teamed up with Innov8, another philanthropic group, to host the shopping day.

Ten children from the Murphysboro Children’s Home each got to spend $150 on “back to school” clothes.

Off and on showers today…..mild pattern continues for most of the work week

Chance of  showers and thunderstorms on Friday, it could play havoc with football Friday night

Scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue through tonight. Thunderstorms will be mostly during the afternoon and evening hours. A weak front will become nearly stationary across southern Illinois and extreme west Kentucky today and tonight. Highs will be mainly in the lower 80’s. Lows tonight will be 60 to 65. (NWS Paducah)

Hazardous Weather Outlook

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southern
Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast
Missouri.

.DAY ONE…Today and Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms are expected today and tonight, mainly
during the afternoon and evening hours. The main hazards will be
lightning and heavy rain.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Tuesday through Sunday

A chance of thunderstorms is forecast over all or a portion of the
area Thursday through Sunday. Heavy rainfall and lightning will be
the primary concerns.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT…

Spotter activation is not anticipated at this time.

Seven Day Forecast

Today
Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. Light and variable wind becoming northwest around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Tonight
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 62. Light north northeast wind. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Calm wind becoming north northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 62. Light north wind.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming north northeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. Light east northeast wind.
Thursday
Partly sunny, with a high near 83. Calm wind becoming northeast around 6 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. East northeast wind around 6 mph.
Friday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. East northeast wind 6 to 8 mph.
Friday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. East wind 3 to 7 mph.
Saturday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. Light and variable wind becoming south southeast around 6 mph in the morning.
Saturday Night
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. South southwest wind 3 to 5 mph.
Sunday
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. Southwest wind 3 to 6 mph.

 

Cardinals place Jedd Gyorko on 10-day DL

First baseman Luke Voit recalled from Triple-A Memphis

Press release from the St. Louis Cardinals

ST. LOUIS, MO – The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that they have placed infielder Jedd Gyorko (pronounced JERK-oh) on the 10-day disabled list with a right hamstring strain. First baseman Luke Voit has been recalled from Memphis (AAA) and will be active for this afternoon’s game vs. Tampa Bay.

Gyorko, 29, left Saturday night’s game while running the bases in the 8th inning against the Tampa Bay Rays.  Playing in 114 games this season, Gyorko was batting .272 with 18 home runs and a team-leading 64 RBI as the Cardinals regular third baseman.

Voit, 26, played in 43 Major League games earlier this season batting .253 with three home runs and 13 RBI.  He was originally purchased by the Cardinals from Memphis on June 25 and was subsequently optioned on August 21.  He batted .327 with 13 HR and 50 RBI over 74 minor league games in the Pacific Coast League.
Voit wears uniform No. 40.

Confirmed: NFL Losing Millions Of TV Viewers Because Of National Anthem Protests

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2016/10/05/confirmed-nfl-losing-millions-of-tv-viewers-because-of-national-anthem-protests/#1d89edd6226c

(Mike Ozanian, Forbes Magazine.  Please click on the link above for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below)

A headline for a story in the Sporting News this morning: “Shock poll: A third of NFL TV viewers boycotting games because of Colin Kaepernick-led protests.”
Shock? Why?

 

JACKSONVILLE, FL – SEPTEMBER 25: Hayes Pullard #52 of the Jacksonville aJaguars nd Dante Fowler #56 raise their fists in protest during the singing of the national anthem before the game against the Baltimore Ravens (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

The Sporting News article says “Nearly one-third (32 percent) of adults say they’re less likely to watch NFL game telecasts because of the Kaepernick-led player protests against racial injustice, according to Rasmussen’s telephone/online survey of 1,000 American adults conducted Oct. 2-3. Only 13 percent said they were more likely to watch an NFL game because of continuing protests by Kaepernick and supporters such as Antonio Cromartie of the Colts (who was cut only two days after raising a fist during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” in London on Sunday).”

This was very predictable.

Three weeks ago I wrote that “the national anthem protests that began with San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick and has since been copied by other players have angered many fans. And that anger may be one reason why the television ratings for the first week of NFL games were bad.” As my colleague, Brandon Katz wrote: “Both CBS’ Sunday afternoon game and NBC’s Sunday Night Football saw their lowest ratings in seven years. Throw in last night’s lackluster debut and the 2016 NFL season is off to its slowest start in recent memory in terms of TV ratings.”

Tony Stewart To Race At Du Quoin State Fair Event

Three Time NASCAR Cup Champ To Compete With Modifieds

From Track Enterprises, Macon IL

The excitement continues to build for the Labor Day weekend races at the DuQuoin State Fair. In addition to a full field of USAC Racing Silver Crown Champ Cars expected for the Ted Horn 100 and a strong field of ARCA RACING SERIES competitors coming for the General Tire Grabber 100, the DIRTcar Racing UMP Modified entry list is filling up with some great competition. With the countdown around one week until cars hit the track, Track Enterprises has announced that 3-Time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Tony Stewart will be on hand competing with the DIRTcar Modifieds.

Tony Stewart, who retired from NASCAR competition at the end of the 2016 racing season, has been busy wheeling his 410 winged sprint car, promoting his Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champion Sprint Car Series, and running Eldora Speedway. For the first time this season, Stewart will get back behind the wheel of a Modified, which will excite fans at the Magic Mile.
Stewart is not a stranger of Du Quoin, as he previously raced there in a Modified in 2011, coming from the back of the field to finish second to Ken Schrader. Stewart also won an ARCA Racing Series event at the one-mile dirt track in 2003, after finishing 2nd to Frank Kimmel in 2001, which was his first appearance at the track.

Last year, over 20 Modifieds were in action at Du Quoin, with Schrader racing to victory. This year, 25+ entries have already arrived at the office with more expected for the $2,000 to win event. In addition to Stewart and Schrader, who will be driving team cars, fans will see Jesse Snyder, Curt Rhodes, Brian Shaw, Tyler Nicely, and many more names looking to take the top prize.

A number of fans may look at the Modifieds as a support class during the Labor Day weekend races at the Du Quoin State Fair, however, it has really gained a lot of steam over the years with strong fields of cars and has become a show of its own. This year, the Labor Day Monday feature, which leads up to the ARCA General Tire Grabber 100, could be the best in several years.

Pit gates are scheduled to open on Sunday, September 3 at 1:00 PM, with the grandstands at 4:00, hotlaps at 5:00, and racing at 7:00 with Modified heats followed by the Ted Horn 100 for the USAC Silver Crown Series. The ARCA Racing Series, presented by Menards comes to town on the following day for the General Tire Grabber 100 presented by Federated Car Care.
Monday pits will open at 6:30 AM, with grandstands opening at 9:00. ARCA practice will be on track at 10:45 with Modifieds trackside for hotlaps at 12:00 noon. General Tire pole qualifying will take place at 12:30 with the Modified feature to follow at 1:30. The green flag is scheduled to drop on the General Tire Grabber 100 presented by Federated Car Care at 3:00 PM.

Advance discount tickets are available, reserved and general, for $25 each day through the Du Quoin State Fair box office or through the Track Enterprises office. Tickets for children 11 and under are $10. Day of race purchases at the gate are $5 more at $30 per person. The Du Quoin State Fairgrounds ticket office can be reached by calling 618-542-1535, while the Track Enterprises number is 217-764-3200.

About Track Enterprises:

Track Enterprises is a racing promotion company that oversees popular events that feature top touring series like the ARCA Racing Series, USAC Racing, Dirtcar UMP, POWRi Racing, All Star Circuit Of Champions, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, CRA, Southern Super Series, and more. The company also oversees all racing promotions at Macon Speedway, Lincoln Speedway, and the Terre Haute Action Track.
For more information on the upcoming racing schedule, visit www.trackenterprises.com, like the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TrackEnterprises, or call the office at 217-764-3200.

 

Her view from home: I am a coaches wife

I Am A Coach’s Wife

(Renae Zimmer-  Here is an excerpt from her blog.  Please click on the link to read the full story.  Here is an excerpt.

The Zimmer family

I am a coach’s wife.  I signed up for it, back when we were young and stupid and didn’t have a penny to our name.  I said yes to an awesome guy and yes to being a coach’s wife.

I love sports, that is the beauty. I can follow my husband’s job and cheer on his team.  I’m invested.

Some of the disadvantages, however, are seeing the struggles of coaches these days from all levels, but on the high school level, it can be brutal.  We have seen the good, the bad and the ugly in the past 20 plus years.

 

 

Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News