WASHINGTON – Congressman John Shimkus (R, Illinois-15) released the following statement in reaction to the Obama Administration’s nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran:

“Even as today’s deal was being negotiated, Iran violated sanctions by trying to ship weapons to terrorists in Yemen, organizing and training militias in Iraq and Syria, and maintaining an active nuclear procurement program. During the deal making, Iran also seized a merchant vessel in international waters and put an American journalist on trial for espionage. Their actions speak louder than words, which is especially frightening when those words wish ‘death to America’ and promise to ‘wipe Israel off the map.’

The Iranians want the bomb as badly as they ever have; and the Obama Administration’s concessions, on everything from inspections to breakout capacity and ballistic missiles to terrorism, will turn the Ayatollah’s dream of Iran as a nuclear power into America and Israel’s worst nightmare. When Congress gets the opportunity to vote on it, I will stand with Israel and against this bad deal.”

MOUNT VERNON, Ill. – Ask Kaylin Largent how much waste was in the 2.5 tons of televisions, printers, coffee makers, computers and other tech that was saved from the trash at Rend Lake College’s eCycling event last month. She’ll say very little.

“None of the material is land filled. Everything is recycled down to the nuts, screws, bolts, and plastics,” Largent said. She works for Commercial and Industrial Electronics Recycling, the company RLC turned to for the event. “C&I is just the first step in the recycling process,” Largent added. “All equipment we receive is counted, sorted, and then separated by material. After the dismantling process it is shipped to various locations within the U.S to be broken down to commodity level. Since C&I is a certified recycling facility, it ensures our facility and all of our chosen downstream vendors adhere to strict principals.”

Tyson Ellis, who heads up sustainability efforts at RLC, said he was happy with how local citizens came out for the event. And there’s no doubt community members favored a free service to dispose of that broken 60-inch TV and obsolete VCRs piling up around the house.

“I felt like we had a very good turnout,” said Ellis. “We never went more than five minutes without a vehicle in the parking lot. There were different times around lunchtime that we had a small line, but it wasn’t for very long.”

RLC Maintenance Technician Rusty Downen helped with the heavy lifting. Ellis stated that changes in law governing recycling CRT/tube TVs killed the event last year and probably kept donations down a bit this year. This would have been the fifth straight year RLC put on eCycling like this at the RLC MarketPlace.

“We are planning on getting back to having it annually in June so citizens can plan on setting aside their e-waste for it,” Ellis said. “I feel that, as a community college, we have a responsibility to lead with events like this. I’m not aware of another e-waste event held in Jefferson County. It’s definitely a service the area needs. Without it, most citizens would have to drive to Belleville, Carbondale or Evansville [Ind.].”

Ellis said many he talked to at the event had accumulated piles of e-waste without a plan for what to do with it until they heard about eCycling at the MarketPlace.

“These events not only allow us to engage the residents in our district, but it stirs thoughts about e-waste within the community,” said Ellis. “The more aware we are about our responsibility to take care of the environment, the more progress we make in doing so.”

BENTON, IL – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Environmental Science Series’ July night programs continue this Saturday, July 18 with the “Night Skies” program. Come to the Rend Lake Project Office/Visitor Center as Rend Lake College General Science Associate Professor, Greg Hollmann allows you to explore our solar system through a high powered telescope.

Hollmann will point out bright stars, constellations, and planets while telling stories of ancient mythology and modern science as it relates to the heavens. This night program starts at 8:00 p.m. and will end at 10:00 p.m. on July 18, 2015 and will be held at the Rend Lake Project Office/Visitor Center. Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy an evening with an amazing view.

Also join us for our last nighttime program on July 25 and watch as the Rend Lake Visitor Center comes to life with visitors from the past. This program will also run from 8:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. For more information about Rend Lake’s Environmental Science Series, please call the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rend Lake Project Office at 618-724-2493 or like us on Facebook at the Rend Lake Project Office/Visitor Center.

Funds will support the purchase of complete wardrobes for underprivileged school children.

Harrisburg, Ill. – The Fowler Bonan Foundation has received a $5,000 grant from Ameren Illinois to support the purchase of complete, new wardrobes for 50 underprivileged children.

“We are thrilled that Ameren Illinois deemed our “Clothes for Kids” program worthy of their sizable contribution,” foundation Chairman, Dale Fowler said. “We very much appreciate their corporate support for our mission to clothe underprivileged kids here in southern Illinois.”

The grant from Ameren will help provide new clothing including: jeans, shirts, socks, underwear, jackets and coats, to children based on referrals from area schools, completely free of charge. School administrators have reported that students exhibit increased self-esteem and an improved learning environment after receiving these services.

“Ameren Illinois’ grant to us will fund complete wardrobes for approximately fifty children,” Fowler added. “That’s huge. We value our new partnership with Ameren Illinois.”

The grant funds were made available through the Ameren Cares program, which connects Ameren Illinois with the communities it serves through charitable giving and volunteering. Richard Mark, president and CEO of Ameren Illinois, said a key focus of this program is to partner with volunteer organizations like the Fowler Bonan Foundation to improve the quality of life in Ameren Illinois’ service territory.

“Ameren Illinois is proud to partner with organizations like the Fowler-Bonan Foundation that are dedicated to enhancing the communities where we work and live,” said Eric Kozak, Director Division VI, Ameren Illinois. “Through this partnership, we are able to support their efforts and help to provide new wardrobes for children in need.”

Tina Gibbs, Community Relations Coordinator Division VI, Ameren Illinois, echoed those sentiments.

“Dale and the entire board of directors of the Fowler-Bonan Foundation do an incredible job of helping kids in our area,” said Gibbs. “We’re proud to partner with them in helping the kids of the communities we live and work in.”

For more information on the Fowler Bonan Foundation, visit FowlerBonanFoundation.com or call 618-231-3904.

INA, Ill. – Grab your laptop, tablet, or smartphone and come to Rend Lake College for a free “Technology in the Classroom” workshop designed to help school administration and faculty interact with their students through flipped instruction.

Dr. Jeannie Justice, CORD (Center for Occupational Research and Development) Trainer and instructor of Educational Technology and Leadership at Morehead State University in Morehead, Ky., will speak about technology in the classroom from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Friday, June 5, in the Academic Building, Room 215, on the Ina campus.

School administrators and faculty are invited to from Justice learn about flipped instruction, a trend in education that is helping prepare students for a deeper understanding of content with increased collaborative and problem-solving skills. Technology plays a key role in flipped instruction due to the amount and quality of tools to help instructors increase interaction and communication.

This hands-on workshop will also feature several tools specifically geared toward function and usability in the classroom, such as recording features for lectures, communication through technology, back channel, interactive classes, and gamification of lessons. Participants will also learn about creativity with technology, collaboration and group projects, cooperative organization, and the positives and negatives of flipping instruction.

Attendees can earn 7 CPDUs or 0.5 credit hours for attending the workshop. Lunch will also be provided. Registration is due for the session by Friday, May 29. To register or for more information, contact RLC’s Community and Corporate Education Division at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1267 or 1714, or at sheltonk@rlc.edu.

BY JOHN D. HOMAN

CARTERVILLE – A second John A. Logan College volleyball player in as many days has announced that she will continue her collegiate career this fall. Sophomore rightside hitter Lauren Person will transfer to Kentucky State University this fall.

Kentucky State is located in Frankfort, near Louisville.

A St. Louis native, Person recorded 89 kills this past fall to help lead the Volunteers to a 24-10 overall mark. She also contributed 43 blocks and 30 digs.

Person said she is excited about signing with Division II Kentucky State.

“It was a hard decision because I was also considering a couple of other schools. I chose Kentucky State because I wanted to be closer to home and because I wanted to go to a historically black college or university for my educational experience these next two years.”

Person was accepted into the school’s animal science program, but has recently changed her major to physical therapy for animals.

“My freshman year here at Logan was all about adjusting to a different environment,” she said. “I didn’t get to play a lot. But I put a lot of work in the off season last year and became a starter this past fall. I got stronger, which helped, and I improved my hitting skills from the right side.”

Person said she will miss her Logan teammates and has made some lifelong friends at the school, some of which are teammates and some aren’t.

“The Logan experience has been good for me. I think I impressed Coach (Bill) Burnside with how much I improved from the first year to the second. Now, I can’t wait to see what I can do at the next level.”

Burnside said Person “is a very good athlete,” who has yet to reach her volleyball potential.

“You have to remember that Lauren was a track athlete in high school. She didn’t really get serious about volleyball until late in her high school career. She’s still developing. I think Kentucky State will be a good fit for her. I think she will help them.”

BY JOHN D. HOMAN

CARTERVILLE – The John A. Logan College Athletic Department recently received news that it had won the Great Rivers Athletic Conference All-Sports Trophy for the sixth time in the last 15 years under the supervision of its director, Jerry Halstead.

Five sports (volleyball, women’s and men’s basketball, softball and baseball) are awarded point values based on one’s finish within the league. Golf is not a conference sport as not enough schools in the league participate.

First place in the GRAC equates to 18 points. Second place is 16, third is 14, fourth is 12, and so forth. A first-place tie results in 17 points.

Logan totaled 63 points this school year, edging out Lake Land and Kaskaskia, who totaled 60 points each.

The Vols’ top two sports were men’s basketball (18 points) and baseball (17).

“We’re extremely proud to win this trophy,” Halstead said. “I think it shows that Logan has good balance in its athletic program, year in and year out. We’ve obviously had to do more with less in recent years in terms of funding. We could use that as an excuse, but we try to go the other way and be positive with our approach.”

Franklin Hospital board members approved the borrowing of funds to reimburse Medicare for overpayments the hospital has been receiving.

Here’s a link in the Benton Evening News.