Late Homer Sinks Miners In Evansville Saturday night

June 26, 2017 By Leave a Comment

From the Southern Illinois Miners

Miners RH Zack Cooper in a recent start at Rent One Park

EVANSVILLE, IN – The Southern Illinois Miners got a brilliant, seven-inning start by Zach Cooper on the mound, but after he departed in the eighth, the Evansville Otters took the lead on a home run by Kolten Yamaguchi as Southern Illinois fell 3-1 on Saturday night at Bosse Field in Evansville.

Cooper’s only run allowed came in the first inning. The Otters loaded the bases with no one out on an infield hit, a single and a hit batter. Alejandro Segovia then lined out to Marc Flores at first base, and Flores stepped on first to double off Dane Phillips before attempting a throw to second for a possible triple play. His throw was errant, however, and the runner at third came in to score for a 1-0 Otters lead. Cooper, though, struck out John Schultz to keep the damage to just the lone unearned run.

It would be the only run he permitted across seven innings of work, surrendering four hits and one walk with two hit batters, but also striking out six to keep Evansville at bay. Meanwhile, the Miners evened the score in the top of the fifth inning. After London Lindley walked to lead off against Otters starter Felix Baez, Craig Massey singled him to third base. After a flyout, Ryan Lashley hit a sacrifice fly to center field to knot the game up at 1-1.

It would stay tied until the bottom of the eighth, when after a single by Josh Allen with one out against Chris DeBoo (0-1), Yamaguchi hit a go-ahead, two-run home run that stayed just fair inside the right field foul pole to give the Otters a 3-1 lead. In the top of the ninth, with two outs, Lindley walked again and Massey singled off Otters closer Randy McCurry, putting the tying run on first base, but a strikeout ended the game.

The Miners and Otters will finish the series with a doubleheader on Sunday night beginning at 4:05 p.m. at Bosse Field. Ethan Gibbons will pitch for the Miners in the first game against Evansville’s Max Duval, while Tyler Stubblefield will toe the rubber in the second game, opposed by the Otters’ Diego Ibarra.

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.

Box Score

Batting Stats

S Illinois
# Batter P AB R H RBI BB SO AVG
23 Massey, C SS 5 0 3 0 0 0 .314
6 Wiley, B 2B 5 0 0 0 0 3 .310
19 Lashley, R 3B 2 0 1 1 1 1 .250
8 Wertz Jr., K DH 0 0 0 0 3 0 .231
7 Moore, B C 3 0 1 0 0 0 .250
25   Martin, W PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 .294
34   Taylor, Z C 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
15 Earley, N RF 4 0 1 0 0 1 .224
5 Sluder, R CF 3 0 0 0 0 2 .000
22   Critelli, A CF
PH		 1 0 0 0 0 1 .400
27 Flores, M 1B 3 0 0 0 1 2 .222
2 Lindley, L LF 2 1 0 0 2 0 .281
29 1 6 1 7 10

Batting
RBI: R.Lashley (29).  SF: R.Lashley (3).  CS: C.Massey (2).
SB: K.Wertz Jr. (1), B.Moore (4).  Team LOB: 10.

Fielding  A: C.Massey 2 (82), B.Wiley (15), B.Moore (13), M.Flores (2), C.DeBoo (2).  DP: 1 (M. Flores(1B)).  E: M.Flores (2).  PO: C.Massey 2 (68), R.Lashley (14), B.Moore 6 (206), N.Earley (58), R.Sluder 2 (2), M.Flores 8 (57), L.Lindley 3 (91), Z.Cooper (4).  TC: C.Massey 4 (152), B.Wiley (33), R.Lashley (68), B.Moore 7 (220), N.Earley (61), R.Sluder 2 (2), M.Flores 10 (61), L.Lindley 3 (92), C.DeBoo (2), Z.Cooper (6).

Evansville
# Batter P AB R H RBI BB SO AVG
36 De Jesus, M CF 3 1 1 0 0 0 .350
13 Allen, J 2B 3 1 2 0 1 0 .331
8 Phillips, D C 1 0 0 0 0 0 .357
7   Yamaguchi, K C 1 1 1 2 0 0 .278
17 Segovia, A 1B 4 0 0 0 0 1 .248
4 Schultz, J LF 3 0 0 0 1 1 .323
5 Gardner, J DH 4 0 2 0 0 2 .291
2 Riopedre, C SS 4 0 0 0 0 1 .263
10 Soat, B RF 3 0 0 0 0 1 .283
9 Walker, N 3B 3 0 1 0 0 0 .333
29 3 7 2 2 6

Batting  HP: D.Phillips 2 (4).  HR: K.Yamaguchi (1).
RBI: K.Yamaguchi 2 (4).  Team LOB: 7.

Fielding  A: J.Allen 4 (93), A.Segovia (13), N.Walker (1), J.Broussard 2 (2), F.Baez (5).  CS: D.Phillips (1).  DP: 1 (F. Baez(P) – A. Segovia(1B)).
E: C.Riopedre (6).  PO: M.De Jesus (10), D.Phillips 8 (225), K.Yamaguchi 3 (51), A.Segovia 8 (107), J.Schultz 2 (34), B.Soat (53), N.Walker (1), J.Broussard (3), F.Baez (1).  SBA: D.Phillips 3 (39).  TC: M.De Jesus (10), J.Allen 4 (157), D.Phillips 8 (244), K.Yamaguchi 3 (56), A.Segovia 9 (122), J.Schultz 2 (37), C.Riopedre (128), B.Soat (58), N.Walker 2 (2), J.Broussard 3 (5), F.Baez 2 (8).

Pitching Stats

S Illinois
# Pitcher IP H R ER BB SO ERA
39 Cooper, Z 7.0 4 1 0 1 6 4.89
12   DeBoo, C 0.2 2 2 2 1 0 4.50
21 Dubsky, A 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 3.86
8 7 3 2 2 6

Pitching
BF: Z.Cooper 26, C.DeBoo 5, A.Dubsky 2.  P-S: Z.Cooper 103-60, C.DeBoo 28-16, A.Dubsky 4-2.

Evansville
# Pitcher IP H R ER BB SO ERA
21 Baez, F 6.0 5 1 1 5 7 5.08
46 Winning Pithcer  Broussard, J 2.0 0 0 0 1 1 2.33
29 Save Pithcer  McCurry, R 1.0 1 0 0 1 2 5.73
9 6 1 1 7 10

Pitching
BF: F.Baez 26, J.Broussard 7, R.McCurry 5.
P-S: F.Baez 109-60, J.Broussard 30-18, R.McCurry 23-15

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
S Illinois 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 6 1
Evansville 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 x 3 7 1

 

Filed Under: Sports

Bost Rallies Congressional Leaders to Demand Action on Alexander County’s Housing Crisis

June 26, 2017 By Leave a Comment

Press Relaese from George O’ Connor, Communications director for Congressman Mike Bost

Washington, D.C. –U.S. Representative Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro) led a push in Congress for answers regarding alleged corruption at the Alexander County Housing Authority, as the House simultaneously approved an amendment Bost introduced to help ease the transition of Cairo residents and other Americans who have been displaced from a public housing authority to a new location.

“Cairo’s suffering is due in large part to years of fraud and corruption at the highest levels of Alexander County’s housing authority,” said Bost. “As Cairo’s representative in Congress, I am doing all I can to hold these individuals accountable and help the residents of Cairo transition to a better living situation. I am proud to have the backing of Reps. Duffy, Wagner, and Palmer – three important subcommittee chairs with oversight over housing and government accountability – in this fight.  It’s a real shame that the individuals who may be found guilty for causing this harm could have better living conditions in prison than many of the residents they were charged with protecting.  

Bost authored a letter to U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson requesting information related to decades of alleged corruption by officials at the ACHA.  Bost enlisted the backing of Representatives Sean Duffy (R-WI), Chair of the Oversight and Government Reform Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee; Ann Wagner (R-MO), Chair of the Financial Services Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee; and  Gary Palmer (R-AL), Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee in this effort.  The House Financial Services Committee has oversight over HUD public housing, while the Government Reform and Oversight Committee has conducted some of Congress’s most high profile investigations of federal waste, fraud, and abuse.

Bost’s letter to HUD requests:

  • A list of inspections and financial audits, or other reviews, conducted by HUD of the ACHA going back to at least 1995;
  • Findings of the inspections and audits, and reviews, including physical inspection scores of the Elmwood and McBride buildings;
  • Audits, inspections, or reviews of Elmwood and McBride maintenance records; and
  • Documents and communications relating to potential fraud, waste or abuse involving ACHA officials and employees.

Additionally, Congress unanimously approved an amendment  that Bost introduced to the Accelerating Individuals into the Workforce Act (H.R. 2842). The workforce legislation provides funding for states to subsidize up to 50 percent of employment for a limited time for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in an effort to link low-income Americans looking for work with employers looking to fill job openings. Bost’s amendment to H.R. 2842, which was adopted unanimously by the House, ensures this program considers TANF-qualified individuals who have been displaced or relocated from a public housing authority to a new location.

Filed Under: National News, State News

Madigan offers new demands, says property tax relief part of ‘extreme right-wing agenda’

June 26, 2017 By Leave a Comment

https://www.ilnews.org/news/state_politics/madigan-offers-new-demands-says-property-tax-relief-part-of/article_a9692dce-59f9-11e7-ab3a-637e491f7c9b.html

SPRINGFIELD, IL – (Greg Bishop, Illinois News Network.  Please click on the link above for this and other stories about the happenings in Springfield over the weekend.  Here is an excerpt below.)

Legislative leaders say there’s a sense of optimism about budget negotiations, but with new demands from Democrat House Speaker Michael Madigan and Friday’s budget deadline approaching, it’s unclear if all sides will agree on a spending plan before the new fiscal year begins Saturday.

Leaders from both parties met Sunday, the fifth day of the special session called by Gov. Bruce Rauner and only five days before the Friday budget deadline. On the table is a spending plan that relies on at least $5 billion in tax increases in exchange for various GOP-backed reforms of pensions, workers compensation and other items.

Legislative leaders say there’s a sense of optimism about budget negotiations, but with new demands from Democrat House Speaker Michael Madigan and Friday’s budget deadline approaching, it’s unclear if all sides will agree on a spending plan before the new fiscal year begins Saturday.

Leaders from both parties met Sunday, the fifth day of the special session called by Gov. Bruce Rauner and only five days before the Friday budget deadline. On the table is a spending plan that relies on at least $5 billion in tax increases in exchange for various GOP-backed reforms of pensions, workers compensation and other items.

Filed Under: Breaking News, State News

Closing your bedroom door when you sleep could help save your life

June 26, 2017 By Leave a Comment

http://www.ksdk.com/news/community/why-closing-your-bedroom-door-when-you-sleep-could-save-your-life/451927198

(Jacob Rodriguez, WTSP-TV.  Click to read the full story.  Here is an excerpt.)

It takes just 30 seconds for a small flame to get out of control and start a fire in your home. Minutes later, thick black smoke has filled your home. If you wake up to a fire, you only have time to escape – flames move too quickly and are too deadly.

The U.S. Fire Association says that toxic gases and smoke kills far more often than actual fire. Fire deaths are on the rise – in 2012, 2,855 people died nationwide from fires but the most recent data from 2015 shows 3,275 people died.

Keeping your smoke detector in good working order is the number one way to protect yourself from injury or death in the home.

Filed Under: Breaking News, Franklin Co. News, Living, Slider

There’s A Themed Hotel In The Middle Of Nowhere In Illinois You’ll Absolutely Love

June 26, 2017 By Leave a Comment

http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/illinois/themed-hotel-il/

CLINTON, IL – (Elizabeth Crozier, onlyinyourstate.com.  Please click the link above to read the full story and view several pictures.  Here is an excerpt below.

Imagine spending the night inside a spaceship! There’s a hotel in Illinois that lets you do that and more depending on which of their 12 themed rooms you choose. From a winter wonderland to an underwater adventure, this hotel has so many diverse aesthetics, you will have to come back again and again.

Sunset Inn & Suites is in Clinton, which sits between several big cities and college towns. Since it’s smack in the middle of Central Illinois, it’s easy get there for a weekend no matter where you live.

Filed Under: Featured, Slider, State News

Rend Lake Fireworks – July 1st

June 26, 2017 By Leave a Comment

Filed Under: Franklin Co. News, Slider

Supreme Court revives Trump travel ban

June 26, 2017 By Leave a Comment

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jun/26/supreme-court-revives-trump-travel-ban/

WASHINGTON, DC –  (Stephen Dinan, The Washington Times.  Please click on the link to read the full story.  Here is an excerpt below)

The Supreme Court revived President Trump’s extreme vetting travel ban Monday, ruling that most of it can go into effect — and along the way delivering an implicit rebuke to the army of lower-court judges who’d blasted the president as anti-Muslim.

The unanimous decision said Mr. Trump can impose a 90-day pause on most admissions from six terrorist-connected countries, and a 120-day halt in all refugees admissions. The only exceptions are citizens of those countries who already have ties to the U.S., such as relatives living here, or participation in a student program.

“When it comes to refugees who lack any such connection to the United States, for the reasons we have set out, the balance tips in favor of the Government’s compelling need to provide for the Nation’s security,” the justices said in the unsigned opinion.

Filed Under: National News, Slider

Watch Out For Rabid Bats And Animals

June 26, 2017 By Leave a Comment

More than a dozen rabid bats found in Illinois so far this year

Press Release from the Illinois Department of Public Health

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) wants people to beware of rabid animals, including bats, as they become more active this time of year.  To date, more than a dozen rabid bats have been reported in Illinois this year.

“Most cases of rabies in Illinois are almost always found in bats,” said IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D.  “You can’t tell just by looking at a bat if it has rabies so it’s important to avoid handling bats and to make sure your home has no openings where bats can come in.”

Rabies is a virus that affects the nervous system.  People can get rabies after being bitten by an infected animal.  Rabies can also be contracted when saliva from a rabid animal gets directly into a person’s eyes, nose, mouth, or a wound.  People usually know when they have been bitten by a bat, but bats have very small teeth and the bite mark may not be easy to see.  If you find yourself in close proximity to a bat and are not sure if you were exposed, for example – you wake up and find a bat in your room, do not kill or release the bat before calling your doctor or local health department to help determine if you could have been exposed to rabies and need preventive treatment.  If the bat is available for testing and test results are negative, preventive treatment is not needed.

The early symptoms of rabies in people are similar to that of many other illnesses, including fever, headache, and general weakness or discomfort.  As the disease progresses, more specific symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, and hallucinations.  Death usually occurs within days of the onset of these symptoms.  If you have been bitten by any animal, seek immediate medical attention.  Rabies preventive treatment, if needed, must begin quickly.

An animal does not have to be aggressive or exhibit other symptoms to have rabies.  Changes in any animal’s normal behavior can be early signs of rabies.  A bat that is active during the day, found on the ground, or is unable to fly is more likely than others to be rabid.  Such bats are often easily approached, but should never be handled.

 

Filed Under: Living, State News

Future child support cases to use widely accepted ‘Income Shares’

June 26, 2017 By Leave a Comment

Illinois will join majority of other states with new approach starting July 1

Press release from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services announced today that the most widely used method nationwide to calculate child support will begin to be applied to new cases in Illinois starting July 1, following a bipartisan law signed by Governor Bruce Rauner last year. Child support orders established before July 1, 2017 will not change.

Under the “income shares” model, child support will be calculated primarily by looking at typical costs for families in similar circumstances. The income of both parents will also be factored in.

“With Illinois becoming the 40th state to adopt the income shares model, we will be using an approach that has become increasingly endorsed by experts and advocates in the field,” said Felicia Norwood, Director of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

Currently, child support in Illinois is calculated primarily based on the income of the obligor – the parent who owes payments – and the number of children.

The income shares model considers the typical costs to raise a child for a family at a similar income level as the parents in a case. If there are two incomes, both are added together to arrive at the amount needed to raise the child. Each parent’s contribution is then calculated by applying the methods laid out by the model. The portion owed by the parent who the child lives with is assumed to be paid because they reside together.

The General Assembly passed the income shares law in 2016, with overwhelming bipartisan approval and the governor’s signature. Many other states began shifting to income shares 10 years ago. The model was developed under the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement.

Among the costs of raising a child that are taken into account are housing, clothes, food, transportation, ordinary uncovered medical expenses, ordinary extracurricular activities, entertainment and education. Judges may also consider extraordinary circumstances in setting support.

INCOME SHARES/ Ad 1

“Illinois now joins 39 other states and the District of Columbia in adopting the income shares model for calculating child support,” said Margaret Bennett, a DuPage attorney and chair of the Illinois Child Support Advisory Committee. “It is both equitable and accurate thus reducing conflict among divorced or never-married parents. Both parents and practitioners will find the new child support process to be transparent, fair and equitable thus making it more likely that parents will interact in a way that serves the best interests of their children.”

The new guidelines will apply to all child support cases set beginning July 1, 2017, however, the change itself does not entitle a parent to a modification of any current order of support.

HFS oversees the child support collection process statewide, regularly managing around 500,000 cases annually. Child support services are free and anyone may apply. Applications for service can be found at www.illinois.gov/hfs

More information on income shares, including FAQs and a calculator to help individuals understand the impact of the change, can be found at www.illinois.gov/hfs

Filed Under: Breaking News, State News

Governor Signs Compromise Bill to Combat Repeat Gun Offenders

June 26, 2017 By Leave a Comment

Bipartisan legislation result of successful negotiations between Rauner Administration, City of Chicago and General Assembly

Press Release From Governor Bruce Rauner’s office

SPRINGFIELD, IL  – Governor Bruce Rauner today signed a landmark criminal justice bill in his capitol office with Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago), House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs), and other members of the General Assembly. The bill is a result of successful negotiations between the administration, City of Chicago and the General Assembly that will crack down on criminals who are repeat gun offenders, safely reduce the prison population, and create a more rehabilitative criminal justice system.

“This legislation provides new tools for law enforcement and the Courts to take on violent crime, while providing a second chance for non-violent, first time offenders,” Governor Rauner said. “This shows what is possible when leaders at all levels of government work together, and across party lines, to address the challenges facing our cities and state. It took several months of hard work, compromise and bipartisan cooperation – but together, we got it done.”

SB 1722 makes a number of changes to the criminal justice system to improve how we punish and rehabilitate gun offenders, as well as combat gang violence in Illinois. The bill will strengthen sentencing guidelines if they have committed a gun crime before. It also creates a First-Time Weapon Offender Diversion Program to address the underlying reasons why a young adult may have committed the offense.

“The Safe Neighborhoods Reform Act will help improve public safety in Chicago and across Illinois, holding repeat gun offenders accountable for their crimes,” said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “I want to thank Senator Kwame Raoul and Leader Jim Durkin for their leadership in advancing this important legislation, and Governor Rauner for signing it into law. Improving public safety is everyone’s responsibility, and this law will help make neighborhoods across Illinois stronger, safer and more secure.”

“Today marks an important first step toward reducing gun violence in Chicago and other gang-ridden areas in this state,” Leader Durkin said. “We need to take the streets back for the law abiding citizens of Illinois and turn the tide back to families that want nothing more than a chance to raise their children with safety.”

Additionally, the bill will create a Violent Crime Intelligence Task Force within the Illinois State Police. This task force will be dedicated to combatting gun violence and other violent crime in Chicago and around the state.

“The Safe Neighborhoods Reform Act will be of great benefit to the criminal justice system in Illinois and will give law enforcement the tools they need to pursue violent criminals. The Act creates the Violent Crime Intelligence Task Force, which will compliment proactive measures taken by police officers, and allow law enforcement to focus on taking violent criminals off the street to protect the lives and safety of Illinois citizens,” said Illinois State Police Director Leo P. Schmitz.

The bill also contains a number of criminal justice reforms like expanding probation eligibility for first-time drug offenders and gives the Department of Corrections more discretion in awarding sentencing credit.

“The Safe Neighborhoods Reform Act represents the essential balancing of public safety and individualized assessment of those in our criminal justice system by encouraging the judiciary to hold those who threaten public safety accountable without removing the judiciary’s discretion to divert or provide lower sentences to low-risk or non-violent offenders,” Sen. Raoul said. “The Act is not a cure-all to gun violence and our work on criminal justice reform is not complete.”

“I am proud to join Governor Rauner, Leader Durkin and a bipartisan group of legislators to see the Safe Neighborhood Act signed into law. As a lifelong resident of the City of Chicago and as a representative of a segment of the City’s northwest side, I am encouraged to see steps being taken to crack down on rising gun violence,” explained State Representative Michael P. McAuliffe (R-Chicago). “I am honored to represent a district that is home to many members of the Chicago Police Department who work to keep the streets of Chicago safe, so I am hopeful that this newly enacted law will aid them in that effort.”

Negotiations on SB 1722 were underway for months between the Rauner Administration and the General Assembly. The compromise bill passed the Senate in April, and the House passed it at the end of May. It takes effect in January of 2018.

 

Filed Under: State News
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