Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News
Newspaper covering Franklin County, Illinois
Gavin Woodland and Dalton Williams combine for a one hitter, as Sesser-Valier picks up a 1-0 road victory at Goreville in Junior High Baseball action yesterday afternoon.
The Red Devils Junior High girls fall in their season opener as they fall to Goreville 14-5 at home.
Press Release from the St. Louis Cardinals
Negro Leagues Tribute Theme Night: Join us at the ballpark to celebrate the history of Negro League Baseball on Negro Leagues Tribute Night. With the purchase of a special theme ticket, fans will receive a throwback St. Louis Stars cap, which represented St. Louis in the Negro Leagues from 1922-1931 and 1937-1943. Fans will also be able to enjoy a traveling history exhibit and special pregame Q&A presentation with executives from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City in the Cunningham Corner. Fans must present the voucher in order to receive this promotional item. For more info, or to purchase tickets, visit cardinals.com/theme. (#CardsTheme)
Tsunami Waves: Carlos Martínez will host a group from the Puerto Rican Society of St. Louis for today’s game as part of his Tsunami Waves player ticket program. Prior to the game, the group will get to watch batting practice from the field and meet with Carlos in the dugout to take pictures and ask questions. Presented by Scott Credit Union.
Pregame Poms/Cheer/Dance Performances: Prior to the game, groups from Collinsville High School Cheer, Dupo High School Cheer, Jamestown Sapphires, Villa Grove High School Dance and Windsor High School Dance will perform in the Ford Plaza beginning around 4:45 p.m.
MLBPAA Auction: The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association will conduct a baseball-themed silent auction by Gate 1 (Section 137) and Gate 3 from the time gates open through the fifth inning. All proceeds will benefit Cardinals Care and the Players Alumni Association, a non-profit group that strives to preserve the game of baseball while supporting a variety of charities.
MARION, IL- Please click on the following link below to watch a half hour interview with Dave Severin by Tom Nolan on TCT Today.
http://www.tct.tv/watch-tct/on-demand-ttod?playlistVideoId=5530748902001
From the Southern Illinois Miners
MARION, IL – The Southern Illinois Miners got outstanding pitching on Wednesday night against the Normal CornBelters at Rent One Park, and came back from an early deficit to go ahead on a two-run burst in the sixth inning that included a go-ahead homer by Craig Massoni in a 3-2 triumph to even the midweek series.
Normal again struck first, as they scored an unearned run off Zach Cooper on a groundout by Aaron Dudley for a 1-0 lead in the first inning, then added a second run in the second frame, also on an RBI groundout by Brian Hakes, to make the score 2-0. Cooper (4-8), however, would shut down the CornBelters from there, allowing just two baserunners in the next four innings while striking out five batters in that span to help keep the game close.
In the fourth inning, the Miners got on the board when Craig Massey and Nolan Earley led off against Shawn Blackwell (5-4) with singles to put runners at first and third base for Massoni, who hit into a double play to score Massey and make it 2-1. Then in the sixth inning, Massey reached on an error by Jesus Solorzano in left field, then was able to score from second base when Earley flew out to center field in the next at-bat thanks to a throwing error by Diego Cedeno, with the ball bouncing on the warning track along the length of the CornBelters dugout to tie the score at 2-2. Massoni then drove a 2-0 pitch the other way into the Miners’ bullpen for a go-ahead solo home run to put Southern Illinois ahead 3-2.
The Miners’ bullpen would hold the line from there, with John Werner pitching a flawless ninth inning for his West Division-leading 17th save of the season. Cooper earned his second-straight win on the mound with his third-straight “quality start,” allowing just one earned run on three hits in six innings with two walks and five strikeouts. Massey led the charge by going 2-for-4 at the plate as Southern Illinois won the low-scoring contest despite Blackwell pitching the entire game for Normal, striking out nine in the losing effort.
Southern Illinois will go for the series win in a rubber match on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m., with Robby Rowland making his home debut for Southern Illinois opposite Normal southpaw Scott Sebald on “Stand Up For Blue” Night as the Miners will honor their local law enforcement before and during the game.
The Southern Illinois Miners are the 2016 Frontier League West Division Champions, the 2014 and 2015 Frontier League East Division Champions and the 2012 Frontier League Champions. They have been awarded the Frontier League Organization of the Year award three times since their inception, and also set a new Frontier League attendance record in 2007, their inaugural season. For ticket information, contact the Rent One Park box office at (618) 998-8499. For any additional information, visit our website at www.southernillinoisminers.com.
http://www.wsiltv.com/story/36101076/eclipse-soda-being-sold-at-benton-flower-shop
BENTON, IL (Rachel Duensing, WSIL-TV. Please click on the link for the full story and video above. Here is an excerpt below.)
A Benton flower and gift shop want to make the eclipse experience a little sweeter.
The Weeping Willow in Benton is selling a black cherry soda called Darkest Hour. They’ve had it on their shelves now for a little over a month, but if you want a taste of this soda you’ll want to grab it now
“It’s something you don’t get to see everyday, so they have something to remember it by,” owner Terry McGuire said. “We know the kids will be sneaking in and drinking that soda.”
(Dan McCaleb, Illinois News Network. please click on the link for the full story. Here is an excerpt below.)
A handful of Illinois’ welcoming communities say they’re not worried about Chicago’s lawsuit that challenges President Donald Trump’s sanctuary city policies.
A number of municipalities outside of Chicago are or have been thinking about becoming welcoming communities, which according to the group Welcoming America are “guided by the principles of inclusion and creating communities that prosper because everyone feels welcome, including immigrants and refugees.” They would have pretty much the same policies for illegal immigrants as Chicago.
Carbondale city councilman Adam Loos said the biggest difference is that downstate cities don’t run their own jails and don’t have to worry about informing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) about immigration violations.
“In Carbondale, we’re not going to use our limited resources to enforce federal immigration law,” Loos said. “There’s a whole arm of the federal government who’s job it is to do that.”
BENTON, IL – (William McPherson, Benton Gazette. Please click on the link for the full story. Here is an excerpt below.)
If you’ve not been checking out the Benton Farmer’s Market this summer, you’ve been missing out on much more than some good deals.
Here’s a sampling of some of the vendors who set up shop last Thursday outside the Kiwanis Hall by the Benton Civic Center. Rick’s Garden from Dubois brought a colorful assortment of Watermelons, corn, pepper and other fresh grown produce and Larry Leitner of Terra Fare Farms had his own assortment of fresh produce.
It’s not all about the edible items though. Visitors to the Benton Farmer’s Market last week could also buy plenty of homemade craft items, flowers for that special someone, and even hand-sown clothes for the very popular American Doll series of toys made by Mary Craig, of Akin, who also had a bevy of baked goods at her stand. Eagle Point bath & body of Goreville attended the market with several hand-crafted soaps, including a timely ‘Solar Eclipse Soap’ which comes in handy for keeping the B.O. down on those hot August afternoons.
Olivia Weeks of West Frankfort and Miranda Miller of Galatia, pose for a picture with State Representative Dave Severin and State Senator Dale Fowler during a special Youth Day event in Spring Field prior to their week-long trip to Washington D.C. sponsored by the SouthEastern Illinois Electric Cooperative. (Gazette photo)
WEST FRANKFORT, IL (William McPherson, West Frankfort Gazette. Please click on the link for the full story. Here is an excerpt below.)
FCHS student Olivia Weeks was selected for a big honor earlier this year as she and a select group of students were chosen to represent our state’s rural communities in our nation’s capital.
Weeks, along with Galatia’s Miranda Miller represented SouthEastern Illinois Electric Cooperative, Inc. in Washington, D.C., during the annual “Youth to Washington” Tour this past June. This annual event has been sponsored by the electric and telephone cooperatives of Illinois since the late 1950s, and serves as an introduction for rural youth to the democratic government and the cooperative business model.
During the trip, Weeks and 65 other students from rural Illinois met with Congressman Mike Bost. The Illinois students joined more than 1,660 of their peers from across the country from 44 additional states. Besides the Capitol, they also visited Gettysburg, Arlington National Cemetery, the Washington National Cathedral, several Smithsonian Museums, the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the World War II Memorial, memorials to Presidents Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington and Roosevelt, the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, the Newseum and a number of other historical sites. Prior to the D.C. trip they also met with State Representative Dave Severin and Senator Dale Folwer in Springfield as part of a special Youth Day event.
Here are a couple things that I am going to start doing. Starting next Friday, I will put at the top of the post what the weather is supposed to look like at kickoff time during the high school football season.
As of today, I will start putting in the forecast the day of the eclipse. Until it falls into the National Weather Service seven day forecast, I will rely on the Weather Channel. Today’s forecast for August 21st, states there will be a 40% chance of morning thunderstorms, with highs in the mid 80’s. I don’t place much confidence in forecasts this far off.
Steve
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Paducah KY
.DAY ONE…Today and Tonight
There is just a slight chance of thunderstorms across portions of
southeast Missouri and southwest Illinois this afternoon and again
late tonight. Severe weather is not expected.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Friday through Wednesday
A good chance of thunderstorms arrives Friday as a weak cold
front moves through. While lightning and locally heavy downpours
will be the primary concern, a couple of strong storms may produce
small hail and gusty wind.
The chance of thunderstorms returns Sunday into Monday. With a
frontal zone in the vicinity, there is a small risk for severe
thunderstorms. Winds and hail would be the primary hazards during
this time, along with heavy rain and lightning as secondary
hazards.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT…
Spotter activation will not be needed.
Today
Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Light and variable wind.
Tonight
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. Calm wind.
Friday
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 83. Calm wind becoming west southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Light north wind.
Saturday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. North wind 3 to 6 mph.
Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Light north northeast wind.
Sunday
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. East northeast wind 3 to 5 mph.
Sunday Night
A slight chance of showers before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Northeast wind 3 to 6 mph.
Monday
Partly sunny, with a high near 83. Northeast wind 3 to 6 mph.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. Northeast wind 3 to 5 mph.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Northeast wind 3 to 6 mph.
Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. East northeast wind 3 to 5 mph.
Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 85. East wind 3 to 6 mph.
http://www.bentoneveningnews.com/article/20170809/news/170809936/
BENTON, IL – (Holly Kee, Benton Evening News. Please click on the link above for the full story. Here is an excerpt below.)
When Benton Grade School students return to classes this week, they will be greeted by some new faces.
Steve Smith has been at work for about the past month, getting acclimated to his new position as superintendent of District 47.
Smith comes from a family of teachers. His mother, Mona, spent 35 years in the classroom before retiring from Johnston City High School as a business teacher. His father, Chuck, taught English and was the guidance counselor at West Frankfort High School, as well as running the John A. Logan extension center in West Frankfort before retiring.
