Benton subdues Eldorado 18-4 in five innings on Wednesday
RLC Culinary Arts Showcase announces menu, reservations available
ReAnne Palmer -Rend Lake College Media Services
The fusion of different cultures and nations created the Rend Lake College Culinary Arts Showcase menu “The Modern Melting Pot,” and locals are invited to have a taste of all there is to offer. The Showcase will open Thursday, March 23, and will run through Friday, April 28 on the Ina campus.
The Culinary Arts Showcase is an event that resembles a fine dining restaurant run by RLC Culinary Arts students enrolled in the Restaurant Management course. Janet Pearce, course instructor, said the students chose the “Modern Melting Pot” theme to reflect the diversity in our everyday food from around the world.
“My students chose the theme to show how we have influences from many different countries in the food we eat today,” said Pearce. “The students would recommend the Hangar Steak or the Sweet Potato Crusted Snapper, but I think the students have done a great job with all the dishes.”
Using the bi-level kitchen and dining area, located in the Student Center on the Ina campus, students work in a variety of roles, ranging from executive chef, sous chef, server, runner, Maître D’, and many more to get hands-on experience in all aspects of the restaurant business.
Guests will have a choice of:
Appetizers
- Puff Pastry Samosas: Delicate Puff Pastry stuffed with a mixture of Green Curry vegetables.
- Brie and Smoked Lox Torte: House-made Smoked Salmon on Melted Brie, served with Crackers.
- Stuffed Mushrooms: Portobello mushrooms stuffed with Crab, Gouda, and Breadcrumbs.
Soup or Salad
- Minestrone Soup: Hearty beef and vegetable soup with Pasta and Legumes.
- Soup du Jour: See the server for the soup of the day.
- Spinach, Blueberry and Broccoli Salad: Sweet and savory with a Yogurt and Buttermilk dressing.
- Vermont Country Salad: Mixed Greens, Bacon, Croutons, and Cheddar with a Vermont Maple Dressing.
Entrees
- Hangar Steak: Tender Beef marinated and grilled to medium, served with Wilted Spinach and Roasted Red Potatoes.
- Stuffed Pork Tenderloin: Pork Tenderloin stuffed with a Bread and Raisin stuffing and Butternut squash.
- Blackberry BBQ Cornish Hen: Grilled Hen with Blackberry BBQ sauce, served with Onion Rings and Wilted Spinach.
- Sweet Potato Crusted Snapper: Pan-seared Snapper, crusted with Sweet Potatoes, served with Roasted Asparagus and Wild Rice.
- Capellini Puttanesca: Fresh Tomatoes, Olives and Italian Seasonings, served over Angel hair Pasta and Garlic Bread.
- Chicken and Andouille Gumbo: Hearty Cajun Stew, served over Rice with a Corn Cobbett and Corn Muffin.
The Culinary Arts Showcase will be open from 5 – 6:30 p.m., with reservations every half hour, on Thursdays and Fridays between March 23 and April 28, with the exception of Good Friday, April 14. Tickets cost $25 and can be reserved today. For more information, or to make a reservation, contact the RLC Community and Corporate Education Division at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1714.
Morthland College names Steve Rhoads as head football coach
Reid Cure- Morthland College Media Services
Coach Rhoads on the sidelines in the 2016 season in a game against Robert Morris-Peoria
Rhoads, who recently completed his second season with the football program, has played an integral part in the conception and growth of the team since it’s beginning in the fall of 2015.
Before his tenure under previous head coach Mike Popovich, Rhoads served under the original coach, Mike Rude, who began the program at Morthland.
In the 2016 season, Rhoads was the Associate Head Coach and Running Backs Coach, aiding the Patriots to their 7-3 finish to mark a historical first year as a varsity program.
Rhoads’ time at Morthland details beyond the gridiron though. Currently, the Coleman Rhoads building on campus houses the library, bookstore, financial aid, admissions, athletics offices, a weight room, training room and student lounge. This building was previously owned and used by a furniture company ran by Rhoads and his associate Brent Coleman.
3 years ago, Rhoads and Coleman decided to close up shop and the conclusion was made to dontate the building to the up-and-coming Morthland College.
Due to his significant donation, the College eagerly asked for Rhoads to serve as its Vice President of Development after serving a seat on the board.
Since then, Rhoads has asked to focus more of his attention on the Patriot football program, and now he has a chance to stamp his name in its history books.
“Putting Coach Rhoads at the helm of this program makes a tremendous amount of sense,” said Athletic Director Reid Cure. “His significant role in the history of the College only parallels his football accumen and experience.”
Prior to his time at MC, Rhoads spent 25 years as a football official including nine years at the NCAA Division-I level. During that time he officiated the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA Championship Game.
Before coaching for the Patriots, Rhoads was an assistant coach at Frankfort Community High School from 2001-2010 and at Johnston City High School from 2011-2013.
“It is an honor to be able to lead this program in this stage of its development,” said Rhoads. “Helping assist the growth of these young men in their life’s journey is the best part of this job.”
Rhoads now gets to turn his attention from just offseason recruiting to leading his men into the tough 2017 schedule ahead of them.
“The schedule is beefed up this year and will challenge us early on,” said Rhoads. “Gaining experience, eliminating mistakes and challenging ourselves each and every day are our most immediate goals. We have some very fine athletes on our team and we want them to perform to the very maximum of their abilities for the ultimate success of the team.”
With any new program, the vision for the team makes its slight adjustments under the new eyes of its leader.
When asked about the future, Rhoads stated that his vision was “to foster an environment that allows [the] team to compete and be successful on the field while honoring and observing [the] core values at Morthland College.”
While the head coach may change, much of the Patriots pace of play on the field will remain similar to what gave them such success last season.
“Our players really like the spread offense concepts and playing fast,” said Rhoads. “Our young men have proven they can execute that style to our advantage.”
On the defensive side of the ball, no change is necessary, prompting the “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” mantra.
“Coach Ryan Patton, our defensive coordinator, picks up where we left off last year having pitched two shutouts in the final two games of the season,” said Rhoads.
Alongside Patton, Stephen Bateman makes a jump by being named the Associate Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator for the upcoming season.
“Coach Bateman is excited about the opportunity to continue to build on what we accomplished last year,” said Rhoads. “I’m confident that he is going to do a tremendous job running our offense.”
The Patriots will kick off this fall at Mississippi College on September 2. Their home opener is on September 9 versus Tabor College from Kansas.
“I’m very excited for our players and happy to serve the College and the athletic program.” said Rhoads. “I hope the people of Southern Illinois come out and support us when we play this fall.”
Morthland College is a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association. The Patriot athletic program currently sponsors six varsity sports: football, volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and softball. Follow along with all our teams on Twitter (@MC_Patriots) and Facebook (@mcpatriots). You can also check out scores, recaps, upcoming schedules and photos on our website, www.morthlandpatriots.com.
5th Annual Farmer to Table in Franklin County
Local farmers show Zeigler Royalton Elementary students all the aspects of farming. (WSIL-TV photo)
Saline County State’s Attorney Mike Henshaw has died
Timothy O’Brien – Hunnington Beach, CA
Timothy Shawn O’Brien passed away on March 16, 2017 in Huntington Beach, CA. Shawn was born on June 18, 1965 in Benton, Illinois. He resided in Huntington Beach, CA with his family.
Shawn was raised in Davis. He attended the Davis Schools and was a 1983 graduate of Davis Senior High. He was involved with the Davis Blue Devils football and he was on the Davis High Ski Team for four years. Shawn was an excellent skier and brought the DHS Ski Team to many victories on the mountains of Lake Tahoe.
Shawn is a graduate of the University of California at Davis. He was employed by Yusen Logistics, being General Manager in the Sales Division of Global Business Development. His employment and business travels took him extensively to Hong Kong, China, and Europe. Shawn was transferred to Hong Kong with his family for a two year period. He was then transferred back to the United States where he and his family resided in Huntington Beach, CA.
Shawn is survived by his wife, Yumiko, daughters Christina and Kelly. He is the son of Dr. Timothy and Janet O’Brien, Davis. He is also survived by his brother, Dr. Michael O’Brien and His wife Melissa of Denver Colorado, his nephew and niece William and Sophia
Shawn also is survived by his aunts, and uncle, and cousins
Shawn had a larger than life personality, always a big grin on his face. He loved to travel, explore and was quite the “Grill Master” on his grill. He took over the major grilling, menu planning, on the many family gatherings. When first employed by his company, the family lived in Gillette, New Jersey. There he became a great New York Yankee fans, this continued to be his team. He always said he was probably the only resident in Southern California with a NY Yankee plate around his car license!
Shawn will be greatly missed. Our family has lost a major link in the family circle of love. This can never be replaced and he will be in our hearts forever. We will always miss comments like “hey what’s for dinner and what do you want me to cook.”
Memorial services will be on March 25 at 11:00 am at the Gilbert Funeral Home in Christopher, Illinois. Visitation will be on Saturday March 25, 2017 from 10:00 AM until 11:00 AM. Interment will be at the family burial site, Maple Hill Cemetery, Sesser, Illinois. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: THE 0’BRIEN FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP TRUST. Please mail any donation to: Timothy and Janet O’Brien, 2614 Anza Avenue, Davis, CA 95616.
Four dead, at least 20 injured in UK parliament ‘terrorist’ attack
Police tapes off Parliament Square after reports of loud bangs, in London, Britain, March 22, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
