Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News
Newspaper covering Franklin County, Illinois
WEST FRANKFORT, IL – West Frankfort fire crews were called at 6:38 a.m. this morning to 17579 State Hwy. 149, four miles east of town.
WSIL Photo
A spokesman for the West Frankfort Fire Department said the fire was an electrical fire that was contained to one bedroom. Estimated loss was $20,000 in damage.
Mutual aid was provided by Benton, Carterville, Zeigler, and Ewing-Northern. -sd
There has been a burn ban issued by several fire departments in the county. Please refrain from burning until we receive some precipitation, which there isn’t any forecasted in the foreseeable future.
It is a very warm forecast for mid February.
For the whole period it will be sunny with highs today around 50 degrees, with lows in the mid thirties.
Tomorrow it should be a little warmer with highs in the mid 50’s with lows in the lower 30’s.
It should be cooler on Wednesday with highs in the lower 40’s and lows in the upper 20’s.
Temperatures begin to moderate on Thursday with a high around 50, with lows in the upper 30’s.
A warming trend will take place Friday through Sunday with highs in the sixties with lows in the forties.
Parker is credited as being the primary force behind the establishment of the Rend Lake College Foundation as a non-profit organization with the State of Illinois.
Like Baker, Parker sat on both the Steering Committee and the Executive Committee during his service to the institution.
In the spring of 1970, at the completion of his latest term of office, Parker chose not to run for re-election. Albert Gulley was elected to fill the vacated position.
In this photo from the 1968 yearbook, Dr. Curtis Parker, center, watches RLC president Dr. James M. Snyder, left, count the “yes” votes for the creation of the new community college district.. Mr. Holland Simmons, right, was also a founding board member and the subject of next week’s profile. (Reece Rutland, RLC Media Services
Parker was satisfied to serve only four years on the Board, from 1966-70, before bowing out. “I didn’t come to be a perennial Board member. I came to get a job done,” he said. He was 35 years of age when he assumed the chairmanship of the original Community College District 521 Board.
His accomplishments were considerable, beginning with the formal proposal in February 1966 that resulted in the overwhelming acceptance of the Class I Public Junior College and the hiring of Dr. James Snyder as its first President following a nationwide search. The interviews were conducted in Parker’s home.
Parker was honored in November of 1998 by RLC when the college officially named the board room on the first floor of the Student Center the Curtis A. Parker Board Room.
The patient honoree, according to longtime Rend Lake College Attorney and colleague, Donald G. Musick, “was greatly instrumental in (the college’s) formation, organization and early success.
“Curt Parker’s quiet leadership, and the confidence which he gained from all members of the informal Steering Committee, were perhaps the prime ingredient which led to a successful organization effort. The citizens of the district voted to incorporate the college, and to assess themselves additional taxes for its construction and operation, by the affirmative vote of 87 percent of those voting on the proposition; that stands as the all-time record for an affirmative vote establishing a junior college in Illinois.”
Professionally, Parker retired from active optometry in January 1995. He has been in the business for 42 years and had worked with an estimated 65,000 patients. He spent all 42 years practicing in Mt. Vernon.
Southern is led by a senior class that has gotten better each year they’ve worn the maroon and white. Shaye Harre, Merrri Anne Patterson, and Jessa Thomas have helped SIU to 82 wins during their careers and the season win total has gone up each of the last two years. These seniors and the rest of the squad were picked to finish third in the preseason MVC coaches’ poll, only ten points separated them and MVC favorite, Drake.
Pitching
Southern’s rotation will also be healthy. Sophomore hurler Nicole Doyle missed a majority of her freshman season due to a knee injury. In limited playing time, Doyle averaged more than a strikeout an inning and threw a no-hitter in her first career NCAA start against Hartford. The sophomore made only five appearances before she was shut down for the season. This past fall Doyle made several starts and looks to work her way into the starting rotation.
The last, but certainly not least, member of the pitching staff is junior, Savanna Dover. Dover enters 2017 looking to pick up where she left off. A season ago she pitched in 12 MVC games and won eight of them. Her performance in the conference play earned her a second team All-MVC nod.
Infield
Southern will again have a very experienced infield Shaye Harre, Sydney Jones, and Savannah Fisher started all 52 games for
Nashville’s Shaye Harre as Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week last season. (MVC file photo)
the Salukis last season. The other returning starter, Jessa Thomas, played in 38 games behind the plate. These four were responsible for 91 RBIs and 87 runs last season. Harre and Jones both earned all conference honors, and Harre was tabbed as a preseason All-Conference selection at first base.
Two other freshmen, Kyleigh Decker and Katelyn Massa, also got some starts on the infield this past fall. Decker played mostly at first base and batted in the middle of the lineup. Massa split her playing time between catcher and the DP spot.The last newcomer, Kentucky transfer Haley Andrus, will also see action in her inaugural season in the maroon and white, splitting time at DP and third base.
Outfield
SIU’s outfield will yet again will be anchored by center fielder and two-time All-MVC defensive team selection, Merri Anne Patterson. Joining Patterson for her second year in the outfield is sophomore Eyrika Brandenburg. In her first season Brandenburg started 50 games and led the team in hits.
Rounding out the outfield will be two more newcomers. Freshman Susie Baranski took a majority of the starts in right field this past fall ball season. She batted at the top of the lineup and swung with power. Brittany Turner was the other newcomer that got playing time in the outfield. The junior transfer comes to SIU after playing at Lake Land Community College for two seasons.
Schedule
Drew Smith – Morthland Media Services
Coach Popovich with his QB Dennis Chester at a game against Robert Morris Peoria at Saluki Stadium earlier in the season.
WEST FRANKFORT, IL – Mike “Pop” Popovich has resigned as head football coach at Morthland College.
Citing a desire to be closer to and have more time for his family, Popovich informed Athletic Director Reid Cure of his decision to step down on Tuesday, January 31.
“It was a family decision. I need to spend more time with my wife and my kids, and driving 170 miles roundtrip every day just makes that difficult,” Popovich said, also elaborating on how difficult the decision was to make. “It was incredibly tough. We built something really special in a short amount of time. Our guys established core values, brought up the overall team GPA, and won some football games. I love these kids, and that made this decision a really tough one to make.”
Hired in early February 2016 to replace Mike Rude, Popovich hit the ground running, going after and securing some top level talent from all over the country. Perhaps his biggest recruiting success was at the quarterback position, where Pop was able to land the services of California quarterback Dennis Chester. Chester was third in the NCCAA in passing yards per game, thanks in large part to a fast-paced, spread offense to go along with his elite arm talent.
In the school’s first year of a full varsity schedule, the Patriots finished 7-3, garnering instant credibility for such a young program. The offense finished the season ranked first in scoring in the NCCAA at 39.5 points per game, while the team’s defense finished number one in the nation in yards allowed per game.
Facing the challenge of hiring a new football coach, Cure knows that replacing Popovich will be a tall order. “Coach Pop is one-of-a-kind. His energy and his ability to recruit kids here are things that will be incredibly difficult to replace. He did such a good job in building this program. The kids love him, and he will be missed.”
No timeline has been placed on naming Popovich’s replacement, but Cure has discussed making the decision in a timely fashion. “For the continuity of the program, we want to act quickly while still hiring the best possible candidate.”
Any interested candidates can email the athletics department at rcure@morthland.edu.
O’ FALLON, IL –U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12), a member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today presented Corporal (Ret.) Michael Mann with the Bronze Star Medal.
“As many who know him and served with him have said, nobody deserves this medal more than Corporal Mann,” said Rep. Bost. “He is one of the many brave men and women who have risked their lives on behalf of our great nation. I cannot begin to express my gratitude for his heroic service. I was honored to present this medal on behalf of a grateful nation. Southern Illinois is lucky to have Corporal Mann as part of our community, where he continued his service in law enforcement. We are proud and we thank him.”
Mann, a veteran of the U.S. Army, served in the Vietnam War from 1969 to 1971. The Bronze Star Medal, unofficially known as the the Bronze Star, is awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, and meritorious service in a combat zone. The Bronze Star with a “V” device is awarded for valor during combat actions against an enemy force. It is the fourth highest award for military combat bravery.
Mann was also presented with the Air Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with 1 bronze service star, Combat Infantryman Badge 1st Award, and Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar.
Senator Dale Fowler (R) Harrisburg
HARRISBURG, IL – Illinois Senators voted on four pieces of legislation as part of a compromise that seeks to bring an end to the two-year budgetary impasse, according to State Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg).
Senator Fowler voted “no” to the four pieces of legislation because they were only a fraction of the larger compromise which ties 13 bills together. All told, the bills could include serious business and government reforms, budget cuts, and revenue enhancements.
The main sticking point for Senator Fowler are the revenue enhancements, which in many cases amount to tax increases. Senator Fowler will remain steadfast in his desire to reduce government spending through serious cuts, before tax increases are looked at.
“I’m trying to keep an open mind, but I do not see any meaningful reforms or spending cuts, it makes the decision easy for me to say ‘no’ to all portions of the so-called ‘Grand Bargain,’” Fowler said. “Illinois needs to be made more open to outside entities and we need to reestablish confidence in our own job creators to expand economic opportunities here in Illinois.”
Senator Fowler believed the Feb. 8 votes were rushed by the Illinois Senate President, at a time when it looked like the continued negotiations were beginning to yield results. Sadly, not much progress was achieved, but constituents need to be reminded that at least “both sides of the aisle” are still talking.
‘Blue Lives Matter’
Senator Fowler, as promised, introduced Senate Bill 1380 which is commonly referred to as the “Blue Lives Matter” legislation. The bill comes on the heels of several high-profile violent incidents which have targeted police, correctional officers, and first responders because they were badges. SB 1380 simply adds local, state, and federal law enforcement and first responders to the current Illinois Hate Crimes statutes. For more about the “Blue Lives Matter” legislation, please visit www.senatorfowler.com.
Dear Friend,
Welcome to the Weekly Newsletter for the week of February 10, 2017. This week I split my time between the district and Springfield. The first half of the week was spent in district where I was busy meeting with constituents, visiting with Tom Miller, and welcoming the Governor on his visit to the 117th district. The second half of the week I traveled up to Springfield, as the House reported for session. While we still lack a budget there were some big developments with other legislation. Here is the recap.
Rep. Severin at Educare facility at Chicago
Last Friday, I visited the Educare facility in West Chicago to learn more about the Ounce of Prevention Fund. The group believes that the first five years of a child’s life is the most important to the future of their education. As a result the Ounce has created teaching models to boost program quality across the state and at the national level. This ensures that more children have to the programs best suited for their future success. It is a great group of people, and I look forward to seeing the impact of their work in our district.
Visited with WJPF Tom Miller
Rep. Severin on the Miller in the Morning Show, on Newsradio WJPF
On Tuesday I sat down with Tom Miller of WJPF Radio to talk discuss some of the latest developments in Springfield.
Tom and I discussed my new committee assignments and how the committees are all in areas relevant to the district and Southern Illinois as a whole. We also touched on the Senate’s “Grand Bargain” budget plan, what to expect with taxes, and a recent proposal to make Illinois a sanctuary state.
Governor Rauner Visits Herrin Junior High
State Represenative Dave Severin with governor Bruce Rauner on a visit to Herrin Middle School
Also on Tuesday, the Governor came to visit Herrin Junior High School. He went on a tour of the school with the Principal and later addressed students and faculty in the gym. The Governor spoke about how education is the most important thing we do as a community because we are preparing the future generation and thus preparing for the future. He also thanked the teachers for all their work, as their job is one of the most difficult but also the most important to our community.
The Governor told me he was very impressed with the students, faculty, and facilities at Herrin Junior High. I let him know that it is simply one of many great public schools we have here in the 117th District.
House Bill 40
This week the House Committee on Human Services heard House Bill 40. The bill aims to expand benefits for Medicaid and the State Employee Insurance Act to cover all abortions, as opposed to just cases of rape, incest, or health of the mother as the law currently does. This is a measure I strongly disapprove of because it contradicts our principles and values.
House Bill 1798
House Democrats are trying to rush through a bill to guarantee pay for state workers. This is a poorly written piecemeal deal that simply kicks the can down the road. Instead, I am co-sponsoring House Bill 2803 that also secures pay for state workers, has bi-partisan support, and is a permanent solution to this issue.
House Bill 426
House Democrats are seeking to make Illinois a sanctuary state. This would put Illinois at odds with the federal government, and with the current financial situation this state is in, it is silly to be biting the hand that feeds us as this bill does.
Stay Connected
My office in Marion is staffed Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. You can email me directly through the Contact Form on my website www.repseverin.com. You can also sign up for the E-Newsletter which will send the weekly newsletter and more straight to your email! My staff and I are here to serve you! You can reach the District office at (618) 440-5090 and the Springfield office at (217) 782- 1051. Please feel free to reach out and share your opinions with us.
