Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News
Newspaper covering Franklin County, Illinois
by Steve Dunford
There were two structure fires in the county over the weekend.
Saturday night at 10:09 p.m., Benton and West City firefighters were toned to a structure fire at 208 South DuQuoin St.
Sunday night around 9:00 p.m. West Frankfort, Benton, and Johnston City firefighters were toned to an apartment fire at 108 Parkview Circle in West Frankfort.
Damage or amount of loss is undermined at this time.
Reece Rutland – Sports Information Director, Rend Lake College
INA, IL – Every year thousands of students make the commitment to come to Rend Lake College. Out of all those students, a few get the opportunity to represent the college on Warrior athletic teams. From that pool of former athletes, a select few have returned to Ina to coach or teach. But, only one man can claim the titles of student, athlete, coach, professor and athletic director.
Tim Wills in the classroom at RLC (photo provided)
Tim Wills (RLC Class of 1984) started his journey at RLC as a two-year starter on a historic basketball team assembled by then-coach Mitch Haskins. The Benton native attended RLC on a Presidential Scholarship. As a player, Wills and his team found notable success, setting 10 school records. For its achievement, the 83-84 team was inducted into the RLC Sports Hall of Fame, Class of 2017. For his part, Wills earned All-GRAC, All-Region and “Most Dedicated” laurels.
As a Warrior, Wills put up some impressive RLC career numbers. He averaged 8.2 ppg (549 points), 44.1% FG (189-429), 81.4% FT (171-210), 112 rebounds (1.7 avg.), 443 assists (6.6) and 156 steals / recoveries (2.3).
Like many of his teammates, Wills transferred on to a four-year institution to continue his athletic career. He transitioned to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and led the Cougars in assists during the 1987-88 season with 127, averaging 4.5 per game, good for the 10th best single-season total in school history. He also sits at number 19 on the list of career assist leaders with 190 over his two seasons at SIUE.
It was with the Southern Illinois University system that Wills got his start in coaching, acting as an assistant at both Edwardsville and Carbondale under his two previous mentors.
He made his return to RLC in 1992 to take over head coaching responsibilities for the Warrior team he once played for and to begin a teaching career in Health and Physical Education. He also began his first stint as the college’s athletic director.
Wills acted as men’s head coach for 18 seasons (1992-2010).
His coaching highlights include his 1995-96 team that won 20 games and attained its highest national ranking at No. 5 in Division II and produced a Warrior first . . . a First-Team All-America designee in 22-year-old sophomore Bryant Lowe (Cairo). His 06-07 squad ran away to a 21-10 record and managed 8-8 in a conference monopolized by Division I opponents. The team netted three players on the All-Region XXIV D-II list.
All of this happened with Wills coming on board right after one of the most turbulent times for the program. Just the year before his arrival, the Warriors were placed on probation and dropped to Division II. An estimated two-thirds of the team’s games were played against D-I rivals with many more resources at their disposal.
In the head athletic office, Wills served from 1992-2008, stepping down for two years before returning to the role in 2010 where he remains today. He has continued to teach uninterrupted since he joined the college professionally 25 years ago.
As a first-year A.D., he was responsible for a No. 1 ranked Men’s Golf team that finished third in the NJCAA D-II Finals; a Softball squad that won its first Region XXIV crown and advanced to the National Finals; a Baseball team that was 35-14 and ranked in the Top 30, and a Women’s Basketball squad that netted GRAC “Coach of Year” honors for former assistant Ronnie Ressel.
As an educator and athletic director, Wills helped build the Learning Enhancement Center (LEC) on campus. The LEC was established to provide academic support and transition services to students. It acts as the central resource for academic help on Rend Lake College’s campus. Tutors are available to help students in core subject areas and workshops are conducted to provide transition assistance.
From an athletic standpoint, the LEC promotes success among RLC student-athletes who are required to attend study sessions there. It is a proactive tool that has helped develop skills off of the court, field and track for many Warriors. Numerous athletes and teams at the college have been designated Academic All-Americans by the National Junior College Athletic Association under Wills tenure.
This isn’t the first time Wills has been recognized for his contributions.
He was honored with the Rend Lake College “Alumnus of the Year” award in 1996 for his accomplishments, hard work and dedication to the students and athletes of RLC.
“I can’t describe the feeling,” said Wills, when he received the honor. “You don’t expect to get anything like that . . . definitely flattering. It is most gratifying, considering it is only given once a year, there are many deserving individuals who could be considered and it is coming from a college for which I have the utmost respect.”
BENTON, IL – (William McPherson – Benton Gazette. Please click on the link above for the full story. here is an excerpt below.)
William McPherson, Gazette photo
Last Tuesday, at 9:15 a.m. the staff and medical personnel at Franklin Hospital, in Benton got to test their abilities to deliver urgent medical care under one of the worst possible scenarios—a simulated F4 category tornado.
The exercise briefing read, “At 0810 this morning Du Quoin, IL was struck by an F4 category tornado. Marshall Browning Hospital in Du Quoin, sustained significant damage requiring assistance by other hospitals in treatment of injured and immediate relocation of their inpatients.”
The idea was to treat the simulation as if it were a real emergency event, complete with a real-time control room and a briefing identical to what would have been released to local radio stations, online local news sources if such a disaster were to occur.
WEST FRANKFORT – (William McPherson – West Frankfort Gazette. Please Click on the above link for the full story. Here is an excerpt below.)
At last Tuesday’s regular West Frankfort city council meeting the council voted to make a new lateral hire for the West Frankfort Police Department.
The council voted unanimously to hire Nicholas Gaines as a full-time police officer. Gaines has been working with the city through a temporary appointment since January.
“I think we’re very fortunate to have Nick. He’s got a wealth of training and experience. I think we’re fortunate that we’re going to get an immediate return on our investment,” said West Frankfort Police Chief Mike Irwin.
WEST FRANKFORT, IL – Wednesday, State Representative Dave Severin (R-Benton) met with his Law Enforcement and First Responders Advisory Committee in West Frankfort. This was the first meeting for the committee, which is made up of local leaders in their respective fields. The group covered a range of issues from asset forfeiture to general suggestions on how to make working with state agencies more efficient.
“I enjoyed meeting with leaders from law enforcement and first responder communities. I received excellent feedback. I have a better understanding of the issues they face and how I can better serve them,” Severin said. “Advisory committees help me do my job better. I look forward to meeting with this committee and others from a number of different fields.”
SPRINGFIELD, IL – After a long-term solution to the state’s economic competitive issues and a resolution to the two year budget impasse wasn’t produced by the General Assembly’s scheduled May 31 adjournment, State Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) believes achieving a final resolution now becomes even harder to achieve
Legislators returned to their districts for the summer, despite the fiscal uncertainty plaguing the state. Senator Fowler remains committed to returning to the State Capitol at a moment’s notice to vote much-needed reforms and a budget deal.
The Senator is concerned that as the clock runs down on Fiscal Year 2017, the consequences of inaction become even direr. After repeated requests by Senator Fowler and his fellow Senate Republican lawmakers, the majority party seems to have dug in even more in their opposition to reaching a budget deal with associated reforms that will help make Illinois more competitive.
Senator Fowler has held a number of meetings in his Harrisburg Office with constituents on issues ranging from coal mining to disaster recovery. On June 6, the Senator joined Representative Dave Severin for tour of the now-shuttered Bombardier boat factory. The factory ceased operations in 2012 and the factory is now being offered on the open market for future Franklin County economic development.
As most schools districts in Southern Illinois closed for the summer, impoverished students are often reliant on summer community-based lunch programs. Senator Fowler’s office took part in the opening of the Harrisburg East Side Elementary summer feeding program on June 7. The Senator thanked the non-profit organizations who are all-too-often leading providers to fill in the “gaps” for Southern Illinois Families.
Senator Fowler’s Comcast Newsmakers
The Senator recently made his debut on Comcast Newsmakers to discuss Cairo’s ongoing housing situation and his efforts to help economically rebuild the community. Senator Fowler’s appearance can be found on his Facebook “fan page” available at www.facebook.com/senatorfowler
Marion Senior Fair
Williamson County area senior citizens are invited to a 6/27 FREE senior health fair to be held at the Marion HUB Rec Center located at 917 W. Main. Nearly 30 vendors will be in attendance and several are offering various screenings including: mental health, blood pressure, oral exams, grip strength testing and some limited immunizations. The event will run from 9:00 – 11:00 A.M. For more information visit www.senatorfowler.com.
The West Frankfort Public Library will host their Shred Day this morning from 9:00 A.M. until 11:00 A.M. They will be accepting documents, junk mail, and old hard drives.
The Salvation Army will be there as well accepting donations, that are in usable condition.
From Franklin County Sherriff Don Jones. The following are innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
6-2-17 at 1:06 pm, Deputies responded to a two vehicle traffic crash on Rt. 34 near Thompsonville. A 2003 Jeep Liberty being driven by Amber L. Phillips Age 26 of Thompsonville was traveling west bound behind a Chevrolet 3500 Truck towing two anhydrous tanks. The truck was driven by Delbert R. Robinson Age 49 of Harrisburg. The Jeep rear-ended the anhydrous tanks, causing one to leak. The Jeep traveled and overturned on the roadway. The driver of the Jeep received major injuries and was air-evaced to an out of state hospital. She was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and illegal transportation of alcohol. Alcohol was believed to be a factor and that is still under investigation. Thompsonville-Cave Fire Protection District as well as Abbott’s Ambulance assisted at the scene. The driver of the truck was not injured.
Ron Worley
6-2-17, Deputies arrested Ron A. Worley Age 19 of Benton for two counts of aggravated battery of a child and domestic battery. This is an ongoing investigation in cooperation with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
6-2-17 at 7:04 pm, Deputies responded to an incident at a private residence in rural Thompsonville. The incident involved an illegal entry and theft from the residence. The investigation resulted in the arrest of Leila J. Hart Age 57 of Benton for residential burglary.
6-3-17, Deputies responded to a domestic dispute involving an incident that had previously occurred at North Marcum Beach at Rend Lake. The investigation resulted in the arrest of Kara D. Williams Age 28 of West Frankfort for domestic battery.
6-3-17 at 8:16 pm, Deputies responded to a domestic dispute in Thompsonville that resulted in the arrest of Robby E. Galyean Age 43 of Thompsonville for violation of bail bond.
6-3-17 at 8:56 pm, Deputies responded to a domestic dispute in rural West Frankfort that resulted in the arrest of Aaron Dale Willis Age 29 of Benton for criminal trespass to real property.
6-4-17 at 1:57 pm, a traffic stop in West Frankfort resulted in the arrest of Phillippe J. Laurent Age 35 of Coello for driving while license suspended.
Robert Anderson
6-7-17, Robert J. Anderson Age 54 of West Frankfort was arrested for being present in a public park as a convicted sexual predator. The arrest is the result of an investigation into an incident that occurred at Rend Lake on May 27th, 2017.
6-8-17 at 1:07 am, Deputies responded to a two vehicle traffic crash on Izaac Walton Road near Valier. A 2016 Jeep Wrangler driven by Rickey G. Kondoudis Age 41 of Buckner was east bound when it rear-ended another east bound vehicle traveling over a set of railroad tracks. The vehicle was a 2012 Toyota Prius driven by Patricia K. Stonikas Age 58 of Valier. Stonikas received minor injuries but refused medical treatment. Kondoudis was not injured, but was arrested for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and driving under the influence.
ReAnne Palmer – Rend Lake College Public Information
New testing dates have been scheduled for the Rend Lake College Medical Assistant program to give students the chance to complete applications for entrance into the program’s Fall 2017 semester. Applications are due Friday, July 14.
The Medical Assistant entrance exam, called the Psychological Service Bureau (PSB), is a required part of the application process. The test costs $30 and is due at the time of registration, which must be done in person at the Testing Center, located in the Administration Building.
Testing dates have been set for the following times: 1 p.m. Thursday, June 22; 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 27; and 9 a.m. Wednesday, July 12.
Students must bring photo identification for admission to the test. The PSB is a five-part, computerized, timed test. Paper applications for the program will be available in the Allied Health Division or Testing Center for students to complete.
After graduation, medical assistants are prepared to work in medical offices, clinics, and other outpatient facilities doing a number of tasks, including maintaining appointment schedules and medical records, billing, recording vital signs, obtaining medical histories, and drawing blood.
RLC’s Associate in Applied Science degree requires two years, or four semesters, of study. The Occupational Certificate option is 36 credit hours, or two semesters. All general education courses are required for those who want to complete the associate degree program.
Medical assistants are projected to have much faster than average job growth by 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, with more than 138,900 jobs coming into the market in the next seven years, a 23 percent increase. Medical assistants have an average pay of $31,540. After successful completion of the program at RLC, students can sit for the American Association of Medical Assistants examination.
For more information about the Medical Assistant program, visit online at www.rlc.edu or contact Nina Goloubeva, Program Director, at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1766. For questions about the PSB test, contact Beth Stevens in the Academic Advisement Center at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1266.
http://dailyegyptian.com/69910/showcase/budget-impasse-leads-temporary-university-museum-closure/
CARBONDALE, IL – (Cory Ray, Daily Egyptian.) Please click on the link to read the full story. Here is an excerpt.)
Interim Chancellor Brad Colwell announced Thursday the University Museum will close indefinitely on July 1.
Colwell said the closure is a result of the nearly two year state budget impasse.
Museum staff will be reduced to one person who will maintain the current collections, which will remain a part of the museum.
