Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News
Newspaper covering Franklin County, Illinois
A group of incoming Applied Science students head toward the south end of campus with Rachel Sveda-Webb, RLC Financial Aid and Admissions Coordinator. After Warrior Day, the students could stay on campus in the afternoon during Super Saturday to register for courses, speak with advisors, purchase or rent textbooks, obtain a parking pass, and much more.
(ReAnne Palmer / RLC Public Information
A group of incoming Applied Science students head toward the south end of campus with Rachel Sveda-Webb, RLC Financial Aid and Admissions Coordinator. After Warrior Day, the students could stay on campus in the afternoon during Super Saturday to register for courses, speak with advisors, purchase or rent textbooks, obtain a parking pass, and much more.
(ReAnne Palmer / RLC Public Information)
Henry Leeck, Dean of Liberal Arts, FRONT, leads a group of incoming freshmen across Rend Lake College’s campus Saturday morning during Warrior Day. The students visited different buildings, based on their majors and course selections.
(ReAnne Palmer / RLC Public Information)
by John Lock – Associate Sports Information Director – Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
DENVER, CO – Saluki Baseball assistant coach Ryan Strain has been named the head coach at Metro State University. Strain has served as the Southern Illinois hitting coach for the last seven seasons.
“This is a good hire by Metro State and a great opportunity for Ryan to be a head coach and return to his hometown,” SIU head coach Ken Henderson said. “I am happy for him, his wife Katie, and their family. I also appreciate his hard work and loyalty to Saluki Baseball over the past seven years. We will look forward to following his future success and wish him all the best.”
Under Strain’s guidance, 13 Salukis have earned All-MVC honors in seven seasons and Chris Serritella was an All-American and fourth-round MLB Draft pick in 2012. Strain implemented a new running game in 2017 and turned the Salukis into one of the fastest teams in the nation. SIU stole more than twice as many bases as any other team in the MVC and ranked 11th nationally during the regular season.
Southern stole 100 bases during the season while also having the highest success rate on steals in the MVC. The 100 steals were the most for SIU as a program since 1991.
“It’s bittersweet for me to be leaving such a great place,” Strain said. “I met and worked with some tremendous people. I am very thankful for the opportunity Hendu gave me seven years ago. I learned a lot from him along the way that prepared me for this head coaching opportunity. I also want to thank P.J. Finigan and the other coaches I worked with. I will always look back at my time in Carbondale with fond memories. Thank you to all the support staff that helped me along the way, and thank you to the Saluki fans. Great times are ahead for the baseball program. Go Dawgs!”
Prior to Southern Illinois, Strain spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Northern Colorado from 2008-2010. At UNC Strain was in charge of hitting, infield defense, as well as serving as the recruiting and camp coordinators. Strain helped lead the team to set 28 new school records. In 2010 the team went 34-24 overall and 22-6 in the Great West Conference. That year UNC also saw its first freshman All-American and Great West Conference Newcomer of the year.
Previous to Northern Colorado, Strain spend two years as the graduate manager with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. At Nebraska he assisted the coaching staff with on-field duties, including helping with batting practice, overseeing the undergraduate managers, and helping with team video. Strain also assisted with on-campus recruiting, day-to-day program operations, and was an instructor in the Nebraska Baseball Academy.
In 2006 Strain served as the assistant coach for St. Cloud Riverbats in the Northwoods League. With the Riverbats he was the hitting and infield coach helping St. Cloud lead the league in hitting during the 2006 season.
Strain began his career playing at North Carolina State before transferring to Nevada. Following his collegiate career, he played two seasons in the San Francisco Giants organization and one year for the Rockford RiverHawks in the independent professional Frontier League.
Press Release from CSN Chicago provided by the Illinois High School Association
Special ‘Football Preview’ season premiere edition of “High School Lites presented by Wintrust” (hosted by Kelly Crull) to debut Friday, August 18 at 11:00 PM CT
CSN live stream available on CSNChicago.com/WatchLive or via the NBC Sports app
Prairie Ridge Wolves, the defending IHSA Class 6A state champion, to be the featured team this year on the network’s exclusive, behind-the-scenes team spotlight segment “DRIVE”
Network to also present a brand new “Faith in Football: History of the Chicago Catholic League presented by Wintrust” documentary series chronicling a century of action on the gridiron
Fans are urged to follow the @CSNDrive Twitter handle for the latest Prairie Ridge scores, analysis and photos, along with 24/7 state-wide IHSA updates via @CSNPreps
“Edgy” Tim O’Halloran and Scott Phillips return for their fifth seasons as CSN’s local preps sports experts
New Preps Talk podcast, featuring in-depth interviews with coaches, players and famous Chicagoland alumni to also debut this month
CHICAGO, IL– CSN Chicago (CSN), the home of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Championships, is ready to bring its viewers another action-packed season of expert local preps sports coverage, featuring many of the very best student-athletes in the nation. Note the following highlights/details for the upcoming IHSA preps season on CSN:
HIGH SCHOOL LITES presented by Wintrust (“Football Preview” season premiere – Friday, August 18 at 11:00 PM CT)
Hosted by Kelly Crull, High School Lites presented by Wintrust continues to be THE weekly destination for all the thrilling highlights from the area’s biggest preps match-ups, along with post-game interviews featuring the area’s top coaches and players. In addition to in-depth video highlights, High School Lites will profile exemplary student-athletes who are excelling on and off the playing surface in High School Lites’ “Wintrust Athlete of The Week” segment, while distinguished teams will be profiled in the show’s “Team of the Week” segment, presented by St. Xavier University.
Continuing this season, High School Lites will offer fans the chance to get interactive with the show by participating in the “Viewers’ Choice Game of the Week.” The wildly popular week-long poll will pit three Chicagoland matchups against one another. Fans are encouraged to vote via @CSN Preps for the game they want CSN Chicago to cover on Friday night. The winning matchup will be profiled in a special segment in the show. In addition, fans will also be given the opportunity to request the game that “Edgy” Tim O’Halloran (football) and Scott Phillips (basketball) cover each Friday night by utilizing the hashtag #SendEdgy and #FollowPhilips, respectively. For year-round IHSA coverage, be sure to follow our Twitter handle @CSNPreps.
NOTES: Every airing of High School Lites will also be live streamed on CSNChicago.com/WatchLive or via the NBC Sports app…the show shifts to Saturday nights in November to accommodate IHSA Football playoff match-ups…beginning Friday, December 1, High School Lites shifts its key focus to preps basketball.
“DRIVE”
In every weekly airing of High School Lites this season, preps fans can look forward to a brand new season of its acclaimed, behind-the-scenes, unprecedented all-access feature series entitled, “DRIVE.” This fall’s featured team will be the Prairie Ridge Wolves, who are coming off an exciting 6A state championship last season. The Wolves, who play in the competitive Fox Valley conference, feature two standout players who have given their commitments to Iowa – quarterback Samson Evans and offensive lineman Jeff Jenkins – who co-anchor a scoring unit that racked up an average of 50 points per game in 2016. Prairie Ridge will be seeking their third state championship in the last seven years. NOTE: Every episode of “DRIVE” will be made available for viewing on CSNChicago.com immediately following its on-air debut.
“FAITH IN FOOTBALL: HISTORY OF THE CHICAGO CATHOLIC LEAGUE” presented by Wintrust
CSN’s comprehensive documentary will take a look back at the moments that defined the most dominant football conference in the state over the past 100 years. The evolution of the conference and key figures who have helped shape it will be highlighted in a unique way for fans of all ages to enjoy throughout the season. Special vignettes will be featured throughout the fall in High School Lites, on CSNChicago.com and on CSN’s social media platforms with the full feature being presented to fans in October.
“EDGY” TIM O’HALLORAN & SCOTT PHILLIPS
Veteran Illinois high school football sports writer/recruiting authority “Edgy” Tim O’Halloran (@EDGYTIM) returns for his fifth season as a contributing reporter for High School Lites. O’Halloran’s CSN Preps Power Rankings (@CSNPreps), players & coaches profiles and recruiting updates can be found at CSNChicago.com. In addition, O’Halloran’s content is also featured on CSNChicago.com’s partner site, Rivals.com. Scott Phillips (@phillipshoops) also returns for his fifth season as a contributing reporter for High School Lites and will take center stage this upcoming basketball season. Phillips is also a key contributor to NBCSports.com’s “CollegeBasketballTalk.”
PREPS TALK PODCAST
Starting August 16, the CSN Chicago preps reporting team will bring prep sports fans a new, weekly podcast. Hosted by Joe Collins (@JoeCSN) and Jared Storck (@jaredstorck) with appearances by “Edgy” Tim O’Halloran and Scott Phillips, the podcast will feature the latest storylines, game previews, recruiting analysis and special interviews with Chicagoland high school alumni. Fans are encouraged to listen along at csnchicago.com/podcasts.
IHSA FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PAIRING SHOW presented by Wintrust
For the sixth-straight year, CSN Chicago and the IHSA will present the IHSA Football Playoff Pairing Show LIVE on Saturday, October 21 at 8:00 PM. Brackets will be unveiled as 256 Illinois teams, from 1A to 8A, will find out their first round opponent. This two-hour show will also be streamed live on CSNChicago.com and the NBC Sports app.
CSNCHICAGO.COM
Fans are urged to visit CSNChicago.com’s dedicated Preps section (csnchicago.com/preps) for the latest Preps Power Rankings, Illinois AP rankings, special segment video features, the latest IHSA news, game highlights and recaps, special mid-week segments previewing the upcoming week’s action featuring detailed analytical breakdowns from “Edgy Tim” O’Halloran and Scott Phillips, and much more.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media fans can follow the network’s @CSNDrive Twitter handle for the latest Prairie Ridge scores, highlights, players & coaches interviews, and analysis. Fans can follow the school’s Twitter handle (@PrairieRidge), along with the school’s dedicated football Twitter handle (@PrairieRidgeFB) and utilize the hashtag #DriveWolves. In addition, @CSNPreps will provide fans with the latest statewide updates throughout the scholastic year, which will include Power Rankings, scores, analysis, and viewer/reader Twitter photos from game day.
by Tom Weber – Southern Illinois University, Carbondale – Associate Athletic Director/Communications
Kari Johnston, SIU Media Services
CARBONDALE, IL — Southern Illinois men’s golf coach Justin Fetcho announced the team’s 2017-18 schedule today, which features a challenging slate of matches, including numerous top 50 programs.
With a goal of returning to the NCAA postseason in mind, the Salukis play four fall tournaments, starting at Indiana’s Wolf Run Intercollegiate (Sept. 8-10), and continuing with the Iowa Golfweek Conference Challenge (Sept. 17-19), the LSU David Toms Intercollegiate (Oct. 7-8), and the Kennesaw State Pinetree Intercollegiate (Oct. 23-24).
In the spring, the Salukis will play in six more tournaments across the country, beginning at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate (Feb. 16-18), and then the Florida State Seminole Intercollegiate (Feb. 24-25), the South Florida Invitational (March 12-13), the William & Mary Kingsmill Intercollegiate (March 25-27), the Arkansas State Red Wolves Intercollegiate (April 2-3), and wrapping up the regular season at Purdue’s Boilermaker Invitational (April 14-15).
“Out of our 10 regular-season events, we are traveling to eight different states, including tournaments on the west coast, east coast and the Midwest,” coach Fetcho said. “When it comes time for the NCAA Regionals, you could be shipped anywhere in the country, so we want to prepare ourselves for any situation, as our goal is an NCAA postseason.”
SIU men’s golf is excited to announce that it will host the MVC Championships (April 23-24) at Dalhousie Golf Club in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
“This will be a great way for our fans and supporters to get out and cheer us on as we usually don’t have an opportunity to host an event,” said Fetcho.
The Salukis hope to continue on to the NCAA Regionals (May 14-16) and the NCAA National Championship (May 25-30).
from George O’Connor, Communications Director, Congressman Mike Bost
O’FALLON, IL – U.S. Representative Mike Bost issued the following statement in the aftermath of the violence that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia:
“Neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and the KKK do not represent American values. The president needed to call out these hate groups, and I am glad he did so. I also welcome the Department of Justice opening a civil rights investigation into the car attack in Virginia last weekend. We must reject and denounce the hatred and bigotry that was on display in Charlottesville
Press Release From Don Jones, Franklin County Sheriff
On August 14th at 9:22 a.m., Franklin County Deputies responded to a single vehicle crash on North Thompsonville Road, just south of Knob Prairie Road. (This would be just south of the railroad trestles).
A 2012 Nissan Rogue driven by Treber Lenich, 19, of West Frankfort, was south bound on North Thompsonville Road, when it traveled off the roadway on the west side and struck an embankment. The vehicle caught fire in the engine compartment and was extinguished from passers by with a fire extinguisher.
The driver was apparently killed on impact, and was pronounced dead at the scene by Franklin County Coroner, Marty Leffler’s office.
Abbott EMS and Cave-Eastern Fire Protection District also responded. Lenich was believed to be on his way home from work at a local coal mine. The crash is still under investigation.
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by Steve Dunford
Marsha Heller – KFVS-TV photo
MURPHYSBORO, IL – All three television media outlets in this market, are reporting that an investigation is underway, when two people were found dead in a rural Murphysboro home on Mays Road. Jackson County 9-11 dispatchers received a call just shortly after midnight there could be two people possibly found dead in the home.
Officials from the Jackson County Sheriff and Corner’s office, as well as Crime Scene Investigators from the Illinois State Police are on the scene.
Links will be posted below of further updates from media outlets from the region as this story unfolds.
Information provided for this story from WSIL, KFVS, and WPSD-TV
