WSIL -TV Photo
Preparations Underway for Wastena Street Project
April 20, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Engineer Rodney Potts discusses the widening project of Wastena Street from South Main to South McLeansboro (William McPherson Gazette Photo)
IHSA State Track & Field to Remain at EIU’s O’Brien Field Through 2022
April 20, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Press Release from The Illinois High School Assoication
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors approved a recommendation to extend the IHSA Track & Field State Final hosting contract at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston at their regularly scheduled meeting at the IHSA offices in Bloomington on Tuesday, April 18, 2017.
The contract extension, which will keep the Girls and Boys State Final Meets at O’Brien Field for an additional five years, runs from 2018 through 2022.
“Eastern Illinois is excited to continue to serve as the host for the IHSA Boy’s and Girl’s State Track & Field Championships,” said EIU Athletic Director Tom Michael. “This state championship has been a vital part of the community for more than 40 years. This is a great way to show off Eastern Illinois University to thousands of people for two great weekends of competition. In partnership with other units on campus, EIU Athletics looks forward to continuing this long-standing May event at O’Brien Field.”
O’Brien Field first hosted the boys’ state meet in 1972, due to a scheduling conflict at the University of Illinois’ Memorial Stadium. The meet returned to Memorial Stadium in Champaign in 1973, before EIU took it on again in 1974, where it has remained ever since. EIU is also the only home the girls’ state meet has ever known, as it debuted there with the inaugural finals in 1973.
“Eastern Illinois University is synonymous with Illinois high school track & field,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “We enjoy a great partnership with EIU and the surrounding communities of Charleston and Mattoon. They provide amazing support for the event, and we are proud that another generation of IHSA track & field student-athletes wills strive to compete at O’Brien Field on the final weekend of the season.”
ACTION ITEMS
1. The Board approved a recommendation to reemploy the Associate Executive Director, Assistant Executive Directors and Executive Assistant.
2. The Board approved a recommendation to authorize the Executive Director to appoint member school Athletic Directors to serve as Tellers for IHSA Nominations, Elections and Proposals during the 2017-18 school year.
3. The Board approved a recommendation to begin a search for an Assistant Executive Director position. More details and an official job description will be posted publicly in the coming months.
4. The Board voted not to approve a proposal to set fixed numbers to determine classification cutoffs in four-class sports. The proposal came from an ad hoc committee reviewing IHSA Policy 17. The Board asked the ad hoc committee to continue its work.
5. The Board voted not to approve a request from the Noble Network in Chicago to be a separate district supporting 10 of more high schools per By-law 1.240.
APPEALS & ELIGIBILITY RULINGS
1. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a water polo equipment exemption. The equipment is not allowable per the NFHS Water Polo Rules Book.
2. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a student from Sterling (Newman Central Catholic). The student was ruled ineligible for non-compliance with IHSA By-law 3.042.
3. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a student from Chicago (St. Patrick). The student was ruled ineligible for non-compliance with IHSA By-law 3.040 and its sub-sections.
4. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a student from Chicago (St. Patrick). The student was ruled ineligible for non-compliance with IHSA By-law 3.040 and its sub-sections.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain items the Board discusses, but upon which no action is taken. The following is a report of those items from the April 18, 2017, agenda:
1. The Board discussed state final attendance at the recent IHSA Boys Basketball State Final tournament.
2. The Executive Director gave a report on the Collaborative Solutions for Safety in Sports conference that was held in Kansas City on March 8-9.
3. The Executive Director provided an update on the upcoming IHSA Road Race.
4. The Executive Director provided an update on the modification of IHSA State Final trophies.
Keith Jones appointed new Franklin County Treasurer
April 20, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Fighting hunger one plate at a time
April 20, 2017 By Leave a Comment
BENTON, IL (Holly Kee, Benton Evening News- Please click to read the full story. Here is an excerpt) Good nutrition is one of the most important building blocks for a solid foundation that has far-reaching implications for a child’s future physical and mental well-being. However, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 13 million children under the age of 18 live in households where they are unable to consistently access enough healthy food necessary for a healthy life. While the school breakfast and lunch program helps with that, when school is not in session, many of these children go without. The consequences of malnutrition can be severe, affecting cognitive development in young children and school performance in older children. In addition, research shows that with hunger also comes more frequent illness and higher health care costs.MADIGAN HAS SPENT NEARLY $170,000 IN CAMPAIGN FUNDS ON BASEBALL TICKETS IN 2017
April 20, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Franklin County Sheriff’s office recent arrests
April 20, 2017 By Leave a Comment
The following are recent arrests by the Franklin County Sheriff’s office.
Z-R-C defeats West Frankfort 7-4 in a battle of cross county rivals
April 20, 2017 By Leave a Comment
by Steve Dunford
WEST FRAKNFORT, IL – The story of the afternoon was the battle of the bullpens. Freshman Gabriel Motsinger came on in relief in the top of the fifth, pitching three scoreless innings to pick up the save for starter Nick Hale for the Tornadoes.
For the Redbirds, Tyson Broy pitched 5 1/3 innings only giving up one earned run. West Frankfort starter Zach Lindsey had some hard luck behind him, only lasting 1 2/3 innings, giving up five runs and one of them earned.
The Redbirds defense on the afternoon was shoddy with seven errors.
I asked both coaches about the effort they got out of their bullpens. Tornado coach Page Kirkpatrick said, “Motsinger got the ground balls when we needed them or a big strikeout, as he fanned three.
West Frankfort coach Michael Warren said, “Broy picked us up and gave us a chance. Lindsey did not have his best stuff, but he was decent. The defense behind him let him down. When you spot a good HS team four runs, it is tough to come back.”
Z-R-C scored two in the top of the first. Gabe Schimpf singles over SS Bryson Dorris head. Kaeleb Pedigo beats out an infield single. Steven Anderson and Bryce Pratt have RBI singles. The Redbirds go down in order.
In the top of the second Dalton Carpenter reaches with a bloop single. Jason Cole reaches on a fielders choice and ends up aboard with an error. Hale tries to sacrifice and it fails as a good play by Lindsey to gun Carpenter down at third. Pedigo picks up another RBI single scoring Cole. Anderson then has an RBI base hit scoring courtesy runner Cam Newton. Shane McKowen picks up a base hit. Warren then brings Broy into the game and Bryce Pratt grounds out. The score is 5-0
West Frankfort makes some noise in the bottom of the inning. Lindsey reaches on an error. Jaryd Clark and Dorris follow with base hits. Brendan Russel draws a walk and an RBI. Brandon Glass grounds into a double play. The Redbirds had bases loaded and no one out and only scored one, which makes it 5-1 after two.
Both teams go down in order in the third.
In the top of the fourth, Shimpf picks up a one out single and steals second, and ends the inning stranded at third.
In the bottom of the inning Logan Elko singles. Jaryd Clark hits a one out double. Dorris reaches on a two base error scoring Elko and Clark. Tornado shortstop Luke Garver robs Brendan Russell of a double on a screaming line drive. Glass strikes out
Z-R-C goes down quietly in the top of the fifth. WF makes some noise though as they have bases loaded with no one out with a pair of singles from Lucas Wolfe and Peyton Overturf. Elko Ks. Lindsey grounds into a fielders choice scoring Wolfe. Jared Clark pins Schimpf up against the warning track. Motsinger put out the Redbird fire as he came in with two on no one out. After five West Frankfort cuts into the lead 5-4
In the top of the sixth, Cole legs out an IF single. Motsinger drops down a perfect SAC bunt. Schimpf gets a base hit to center and Glass throws a perfect strike to 2B Jacob Russell who entered the game in the second when Broy took the mound to gun down Schimp. He drives in Cole. Pedigo flies out to right.
In the bottom of the sixth, Dorris opens with a single. B. Russell grounds into a fielder choice as 2B Kaeleb Pedigo with a diving stop flips to SS Luke Garver for the force out. Motsinger fans two in a row as it is 6-4 Z-R-C after six.
In the top of the seventh, Anderson reaches with a single. he swipes second and third. An overthrow by Peyton Overturf brings Anderson into score. The Tornadoes go down quietly then.
In the bottom of the seventh a diving catch by CF Gabe Schimpf robs Tyson Dorris of at least a double. Overturf gets on with a base hit and Elko grounds into a double play for a 7-4 final.
The Tornadoes improve to 14-4 on the year. Coach Kirkpatrick said “When you beat a quality opponent out of the Black Diamond on the road it is huge for us. He went on to say that other than beating 1A defending State Champion Goreville, it is their biggest win of the year.”
The Tornadoes go on the road to face the Vienna Eagles tomorrow afternoon, who they won a 2-1 extra inning thriller at home Tuesday in BDC play.
The Redbirds fall to 5-6. They will play the Herrin Tigers on the road tomorrow in SIRR OHIO play, weather permitting for both games as the forecast looks unfavorable.
ZEIGLER-ROYALTON-CHRISTOPHER BOX SCORE
PLAYER AB R H RBI
CF Schimpf 4 1 3 1
2B Pedigo 4 1 2 2
C Anderson 4 2 3 1
CR Motsinger 0 0 0 0
1B McCowen 4 0 1 0
3B Pratt 4 1 1 1
SS Garver 3 0 0 0
LF Carpenter 3 0 1 1
RF Cole 3 2 1 0
P Hale 2 0 0 0
CR Newton 0 0 0 0
P Motsinger 0 0 0 0
SB Schimpf, Anderson (2) SAC Motsinger
WEST FRANKFORT BOX SCORE
PLAYER AB R H RBI
LF Wolfe 4 1 1 0
2B-P Broy 3 0 0 0
C Overturf 3 0 1 0
CR Allen 0 0 0 0
CR Archione 0 0 0 0
P-RF Lindsey 3 1 1 1
3B Clark 3“1 2 0
SS Dorris 3 0 1 0
DH B. Russell 2 1 1 1
CF Glass 3 0 0 0
RF Sturgill 0 0 0 0
2B J. Russell 0 0 0 0
2B: Clark HBP: Bory (Hale)
PITCHING IP R ER H SO BB
Z-R-C
Hale (W) 4 4 1 5 1 1
Motsinger (SV) 3 0 0 3 0 0
WF
Lindsey (L) 1 2/3 5 2 6 0 0
Broy 5 1/3 2 1 6 2 0
LINE SCORE
Z-R-C 230 001 1 – 7 12 2
WF 010 210 0 4 8 7
