by Steve Dunford 

I am giddy like a kid on Christmas morning.  I am downing an unhealthy supper (a $.99 cent Totino’s pizza) with several electronic devices ready to go.  On top of that, I will be listening to two maybe three radios tonight.

One upon a time in the two class system in high school basketball, there was not a greater moment than during the Class A Sectional and a team smelling victory, with the crowd chanting ….SIU…..SIU.  The team that came out of the Supersectional that following Tuesday night would become our team, the team representing us in Southern Illinois in Champaign and later Peoria.

When the State Tournament was in Champaign I had the priveldge of going five years straight.  The first year was in 1988, my” friend Travis Clem and I took our “college day” to visit the U of I campus.  The only building we made it to was the Assembly Hall (Now the State Farm center.  I had the privilege to watch my distant cousin, Dick Corn coach his Pinckneyville Panthers in a state title game, losing a heart breaker to Pana.

The last state tournament I made it to was special as well.  I was able to witness a Franklin County team the Benton Rangers take home a third place trophy.

I remember there was a wreck on 57 on the way up.  (Some things never change.)  I did not have time to make it to my Brothers.  My buddies and I pull up at the McDonald’s on Route 45 right before you turn to go to the Assembly Hall.  The first thing I see was Kenny Irvin shaved bald with Jo Jo Liquid Papered on his head.  We walk in and everyone in the place was from “down home.”

I received my first taste of playoff football during the 2009 season.  I became a Sesser-Valier Red Devil during that stage in my life.  They just recently added the second W as they started co-oping with Woodlawn.

Tonight is deja vu.  I can tell you where I was eight years ago tonight.  We did not make it to the Train Yard and the Devils were finishing an undefeated season.  Kendell Gibson hit either Bronson or Dawson Verhines in the end zone for a two point conversion that night.

I could not get WFIW in my driveway, because TAO was bleeding over.  I remember sitting at the North Sandusky Boat Ramp listening to it on the radio, “tailgating” with my wife or son.

When the Devils put the exclamation point on an undefeated  season, I remember listening to the late Stan David moaning on the radio, saying “that sucked, that really sucked.”

I remember the next Saturday watching a first round playoff game from Carroll Kelly field.  It seemed like three years in a row, the Devils drew Nashville in the first round.  The older you get years run together.  I know the following year they went to Nashville.

Fast forward a few months later and the Devils and Cardinals were facing each other on the hard wood in the Salem Class 1A Super-sectional.  Four class basketball was in its infancy.  The SIU Arena was undergoing renovations.

It was possibly a once in a lifetime experience.  I was able to see what became my town and my team make a State Tournament run.  I became very sick during on the way home from the Sectional Finals.  I ended up in the ER at Franklin Hospital.

I had money put back to go to Peoria, but I missed a week of work, and was unable to make the trip.  I remember on that cold March night listing to Jim Muir and either Danny Czerwinski or Tom Wheeler.  When the Devils pulled out the barnbuner, I had a “Shooter” moment.

A few days later, I had the chance to watch my team, and the only Franklin County team play in a State Championship in my lifetime.  There were also two Southern Illinois teams playing in the State Championship that day, as the Massac County Patriots

I have traded in my maroon hoodie for a red and grey one now.  The West Frankfort Redbirds are fighting to stay alive in the playoffs tonight travelling to Nashville. If they win they are in.  If they lose, time to start basketball and wrestling.  Kevin Toney is supposed to be “retired” but he has been spending a lot of time here lately in his office at Max Morris Gym.

Technology has grown dramatically over the last few years.  I will be keeping track of multiple games across Southern Illinois.  As I will, I will be saying Go Devils, Go Redbirds, and yes Go Rangers!!!!!!

What is my favorite night now?  It is 1A/2A regional final night.  Since I went to a high school of 95 kids, I love four class basketball.

The Crab Orchard’s, Carrier Mills’, Meridian’s, Christopher’s, Gallatin County’s, Goreville’sand especially Sesser-Valier and Woodlawn  experienced deep post season runs which they would not possibly had the opportunity in four class basketball.

I have a kinship to all six high schools in the county.  The Thompsonville Tigers trump everyone.  I would say the early favorites to go to Peoria from our area is Goreville in Webber Township in 1A.  I like the Harrisburg Bulldogs in 2A right now.  I would love to see the Benton Five make a deep postseason run in 3A.

It is going to be two or three special years coming up in T’ville.  The program has only played in one regional championship, losing a heart-breaker to their nemesis every time they have a good team, the West Frankfort Redbirds.

I might have the chance to see the Tigers cut down regional championship nets.

Thank you for rolling down memory lane with me tonight.  The older I get, I am evolving into a cry baby.  I wiped a lot of tears writing this.

 

BENTON, IL – As Fire Chief, almost on a daily basis I work on issues that affect our citizens. Many of these are not even in times of emergency. You will frequently see me posting about recycling, festivals, economic growth ideas and much more. I, like many of you, do this because I care about my community.

From time to time, issues will arise that impact each of you and are directly or indirectly tied to the department I run, the Benton Fire Department. I am a very transparent person so I do my best within reason to provide you the facts.

We all know one of the major downfalls of today’s society is the growth of fake news or misinformation that seems to run rampant. Although many see through these claims, it has become very easy to believe things we see and hear through social media.

One issue that I face daily is the fire hydrant situation. Since my taking of the helm in June of 2015, we have worked hard to bring fire protection up to levels never before seen in this community and I’m happy to say that in June of 2017, this city received the best fire protection rating in its nearly 100 year history

. I would be a fool to say that it was all me and came without enormous help of the men at the station, the water dept, the council or the mayor. But like anything, much improvement remains. It’s no secret that we have a dated water system, but I can tell you that something like 44% of America falls within this same categor .

Many of us are coming to the end of the useful life of our water systems as most were installed at the same time in our country. I have talked many times to the water superintendent’s of past and present and I can assure you they are working to alleviate the problems but I would please ask you to bare with them.

As far as fire protection, we will continue to maintenance all hydrants(many which are still very good) and fix all problems we can and make sure the ones we can’t get to the appropriate people. I do want to reassure you that your family is safe through this process. Past administration of the FD were proactive enough to plan ahead and see this coming.

We currently have fire apparatus and mutual aid plans that are put into play at every working fire to bring over 10,000 gallons of water to the scene within 10 minutes. That is as much or more water on wheels than you will find on any first alarm, in almost any municipal department that I’d venture to say, is within 100 miles. I will continue to lobby hard to get the necessary replacement of hydrants and water infrastructure but while this is an ongoing process, please know that you and your family are protected.

Don’t let naysayers or anyone not “currently” in the know tell you otherwise. If anyone has any concerns, feel free to contact me at my office or stop by and discuss, my door is always open. I apologize for the long post, appreciate your time and ask that you continue to be safe .

by Steve Dunford

From the dealings of this case this brought back a lot of memories.

I have always had an interest in law enforcement.  I used to not believe when people would tell me you would shrink when you get older.  The last time I was at the doctor I was 5′ 10″, the same height I was in the 8th grade.

My senior year I was 5′ 11 1/2.  I still round it off and list myself at 6′ on my state ID card.  I was listed at 6′ 1″ on the basketball roster in high school.

I told my height for this reason.  I wanted to be a state cop.  The academy would have frowned on that 1/2 inch I failed to grow.

I changed to an education major because I wanted to be a high school basketball coach.  At 47, I am still undefeated.

I love picking the mind of policeman.  I have three that I can call good friends that are cops.  Scott Isaacs, a recently retired Illinois State trooper.  Steve Flowers, who is an Illinois Secretary of State Policemen.  And Jimmy Emberton, (no his name is not Sanchez) who is a Zeigler Patrolman.

I got to church with retried state trooper Kenny Jones.  He is a deacon at Calvary.  I love when he tells me about his law enforcement days.

He tells me stories about someone who inspired me to consider law enforcement as a career, the late Don “Frog” Eubanks.  He would let me ride shotgun at times in his patrol car.

I had this long introduction to say this, following this story was right down my alley.

I had a pretty intense seizure Friday afternoon.  I was mad.  I was having to miss the Friday Night Lights.  Because of logistics, I cover West Frankfort every week.  I am in the Big Red Army now, but I write my stories so teams in the River-to-River can read about the other team as well.

Around 7:00p.m., I began to see Rumors on Facebook that three convicts escaped in West City.  There were a few rumors that McDonald’s was robbed.   I was noticing listening to the scanner that around 6:00 p.m. that something was going on and I did not know what.

I began to hear familiar names from my burger flipping days when I was in high school and college.   They have went very far working for the Morelands.  Then I heard West City Police was checking the security cameras on the scanner.

Around 7:30, I called WSIL-TV.  When you want to get the word out in Southern Illinois, Channel 3 is the best place.  I asked what was going on.   They said they didn’t know, but a reporter is on the way.

It was around 8:30 or 9:00 p.m. that I was either tagged or one of my friends from Hardin County shared the convicts came up missing in Crittenden County KY and they were claiming they escaped in Franklin County.

This left me shaking my head.  I don’t plan on going in the prison transport business, but I would had a headcount before I left McDonalds, and one on the Cave-in-Rock Ferry.  I was wondering why the bus did not have security cameras.

One thought I had was why there were female prisoners on the bus.  A prison bus is not the place for mixed company.  I could imagine there was a lot of ” hootin’ and hollerin’.”

When they lost the prisoners, said it happened in  Southern Illinois, and did not notify authorities up here three hours later left me shaking my head.

There were individuals that were questioning the authorities silence. I have been a sportswriter for two years.  I am still green, I have been a newsman for less than a year.  I have learned when the cops is not talking, it is a reason.  I do not want to say anything that will hurt their effort.

Their top priority was finding out the safety of the employees that work around the stores in the immediate area.  I have been a sportswriter for two years.  I am still green, I have been a newsman for less than a year.  I have learned when the cops are not talking, it is a reason.  I do not want to say anything that will hurt their effort.

I am going to use a few Dukes of Hazzard references.  I was wondering whether Enos and Cletus were driving the bus.

Then there was a follow up Charles Kelly was on the loose in Marion KY, the Crittenden County seat.

He was captured Friday night.  The Crittenden Press, which is the local paper did an outstanding job covering this.   He was asking customers and employees in a convenience store where a motel was.  I guess he was going to steal the cash to stay the night.   I found this out Saturday morning.

I tried to follow up with the Crittenden County jail and the transport company I did not get anywhere with them.  There were a lot of people that where saying why do you keep taking about Kentucky?  I was told by several there were three people on the loose here not two.

I rarely comment on things that I post on the Franklin County News Facebook page.  I will comment on things on my personal Facebook page though.   I have been given the permission by the administrators from Talk Benton to share emergency information on the page.  It was confusing for me as well.

Sunday I did a lot of investigation on Randall Napier.  Someone took a screenshot of some information linking him to Red Fox KY, his hometown.  I tried to thank her for the post.  I was able to run with the information.

Red Fox is a spot in the road in the Appellations near the West Virginia line.  One thing I had to chuckle was that one of the closest towns to Red Fox was Hazzard.

Napier reminded me of the Duke Boys.  He seemed “like a good ol boy.  Never meaning no harm, beats all you ever saw, been in trouble with the law, since the day he was born.”  Reading through some charges, he seemed like he liked to run from “Rosco.”

There was nothing that was a major crime he committed.  He seemed like he could not stay out of jail.  He was a frequent customer of the county jails in Eastern Kentucky.

I came across he committed some crimes in Madisonville KY, which is 40 miles from Marion KY.  I wondered if he had a girlfriend there.  I wondered whether if it is where he was picked up.

I can’t understand the transport company not releasing the authorities where he was captured.  I tried make an attempt to get the magic question today.  They weren’t very nice to say the least.

I believe if it was in Franklin or the surrounding counties, the transport information would have coughed up the information immediately.

When Channel 3 dug up some information on Alonzo Young, he was the one that concerned me.  He has not been captured as far as I know.  We can’t let our guard down, but each day that goes by I seriously doubt he is in Franklin County.

Don’t think I am going to resort to a life of crime, especially have the experience of escaping.  This is a scenario. I would steal me a car, hotwire it, and get out of Dodge as fast as I could.

With no major crimes committed over the weekend here, I would say we can feel we are safe.  The incident in Whittington was definitely unrelated.

Other than calling the transport company today, I had a nice conversation with a Crittenden County Deputy.   I am wondering if the jail is a separate entity than the sheriff in Kentucky.  He described it as the same words that Scott Choisser did, “crazy and driving me nuts.”  He did not know Napier was captured.

I am dedicated to everyone to find out if Young is captured.  I have used Jim Rasor’s quote when severe weather happens, Don’t be afraid, be aware.

I just hope that if they never escaped in Franklin County, ever penny the West City and Benton Police departments, the Franklin County Sheriff’s office and the Illinois State Police will be reimbursed by Prisoner Transport Company of the expenses occurred on this investigation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Steve Dunford

I woke up around 4:00 a.m. this morning.  It was probably a quarter till five that was online for the first time this morning.

One of the first things that I do when I get on line in the morning is go to Facebook and Twitter.  I have nearly a hundred news sources in my feed.

I began to see reports of the tragedy in Las Vegas this morning.  I went to their local paper to provide a link.  I don’t remember what the national media outlets told what the death toll was but they were reporting 20 people dead and 100 injured.

Fox News has been on in the background all day.  I had to shut it off for a few minutes and I turned it back on.   We as a nation are facing the biggest tragedy since 9/11.  At the last count fifty-eight people did not come back to their loved ones.  At this time there are 515 injured.

At this time, no one has any motive why the  sniper Stephen Paddock to snap.  There have been claims and even an AP report the hideous action was caused by terrorism.  There are reports that he is squeaky clean.  No matter the motive, it will not bring back lives.

It takes months and even years to get a Suite in the Mandalay Bay Hotel.  It blows my mind how someone could take several lives like that.

With every tragedy, you hear acts of heroism.  One that stick out is from the LA Paramedic that was treating individuals, the off duty cops who came to the rescue and individuals who stepped up to help.  There were police that lost their lives serving as human shields.  There was a man from Tennessee who shielded his wife and took bullets for her.

These passages of  scripture came to my mind today:

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  (John 15:13)

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. (James 4:17)

There were people who laid down their lives that did not know the individuals they died for.  In the parable of the Good Samaritan,  our neighbor is everyone.

I did not know anyone who was injured who lost their life last night.  I have all kinds of emotions from sadness to anger.

I watched a news story about an hour ago.  It was from a District Attorney from a county in Nevada.  He was in the VIP section of the concert.

He was talking about his escape and how life was flashing before his eyes, thinking about his girls.  He was saying just five minutes before there were police that were joking and kidding with them all.  He said seeing them go into action in short time was great to see.

This is a time in this country we put our political feelings aside.

We never know what tomorrow brings.  I am sure that all of those that went to the concert, it was the last thing they thought would happen.  That is why we need to tell our love ones that we love them, and hug them tight tonight.  In addition, we need to live every day to the fullest.

 

 

 

by Steve Dunford

MURPHYSBORO, IL – Those who know me well, know that I feel strongly about the National Anthem situation in the NFL.  I have watched my last game until things change.  This is coming from someone the world would stop on 16 Sunday afternoons per year.

I did not realize the Red Devils did not come out for the Anthem until after the game was over.

There is a strong possibility it was played by the band early.  It caught Rick Westemeyer by surprise.  If you noticed there was not a starting lineup either.

Murphysboro AD Len Novora, had everything drawn out to a T.  One thing that was going on WINI was having trouble getting the broadcast on the air.  There were school officials that were checking into it, as they rely totally on internet streaming for their broadcast.

I think with them not taking the field tonight was a logistics issue, instead of a protest.

After Coach Gary Carter met with his team tonight, the entire Murphysboro coaching staff knelt and repeated the Lord’s Prayer together in unison.  Afterwards, on of the assistants thanked God for a hard fought game and no one was hurt.

After I asked Coach Carter a couple questions, I was able to talk to him about the staff praying.  He told me there was ridicule, but they will keep doing it.  I told him the Lord will protect them, and keep doing it.  It is something that we need more in our society than less of it.

From the conversations and the posts from West Frankfort fans on Social Media, I totally understand what it appeared like tonight.  If I felt it was a protest, I would be the first one to be upset.  This is not a scolding, I just don’t think things were as they appeared.

I got home at midnight.  I could not wait to get home to put together the story of one of the most bizarre high school football games that I ever witnessed, and I have been to a lot of them over the years.  It might just have to wait until morning.   I forgot to set my DVR for Sports Extra, and I will be digging scores up on Twitter.

I just hope this cleared some things up.  Please share this.

 

 

 

 

by Terri Bryant, State Representative, 115th District (R-Murphysboro)

Toward the end of last April, as the budget impasse was dragging through its second full year, I rose on the House floor to voice my total opposition to a bill that would vastly expand access to elective, taxpayer-funded abortions. The bill in question was HB 40, sponsored by Democrat State Representative Sara Feigenholtz of Chicago. During a more than hour-long debate on the bill, many of my House Republican colleagues joined me in speaking forcefully against the bill. We cited our faith in God, our love and compassion for the unborn, and the potential burdensome financial cost to the taxpayers of the State of Illinois as our main reasons for opposing the bill.

My opposition to HB 40 also goes to the core of my faith. I believe a life begins at conception and no one has a right to take that life. The sponsors of HB 40 routinely introduce legislation and support bills to use Medicaid dollars to help the most vulnerable among us. The same value set that drives those votes does not square with using Medicaid dollars to terminate the lives of the weakest, most helpless, and vulnerable of those among us, the unborn.

Under questioning from House Republicans on the House Floor that day, Representative Feigenholtz confirmed that HB 40 does in fact seek to expand the use of Medicaid to pay for elective abortions. The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) has estimated that if the bill is signed into law, it could result in an extra $60 million of Medicaid spending to cover the costs related to abortive procedures per year. This added cost would come at a time when Illinois has its first budget in more than two and a half years, and while we currently still have $16 billion in unpaid bills.

The bill’s sponsor also admitted that the measure allows women to choose abortions for any reason, during any stage of pregnancy. If they happened to be a Medicaid recipient or a State employee covered under the state’s group health insurance plan, that would mean HB 40 would make taxpayer funded abortions available on demand. The sponsor also admitted that the bill would allow for taxpayer funding of partial birth abortions as well.  I cannot in good conscience support this attempt to expand Illinois taxpayers’ already heavy financial burden to fund this barbaric practice.

Despite our objections, HB 40 passed both the House and Senate. During that time, a spokesperson for Governor Rauner publicly declared that the Governor intended to veto the bill. After that statement was made, an immediate hold was placed on the bill by the Senate sponsor.
On Monday of this week, State Senator Don Harmon released the parliamentary hold that had been placed on HB 40. The bill has now been sent to the Governor. The Governor has 60 days to either sign the bill or veto it.

I have implored Governor Rauner to veto HB 40 in its entirety. He had previously assured me and my House Republican colleagues that oppose the bill that he would in fact veto the measure. The purpose of this editorial is to both educate the people of my district on the moral and financial pitfalls of HB 40, and to once again publicly call on Governor Rauner to issue a total and complete veto of this bill.

by Steve Dunford

I have struggled whether or not to write this or not.  I am going to get a little personal here.

If there was not Jerry Kill, I am confident that McAndrew Stadium would have succumbed to the wrecking ball.  Not because Saluki Stadium was built, it would have been SIU would have dropped football.

During his nine year tenure, I kept a very close eye on Saluki Football.  I went to at least one game a year.  It was great to see the program at the top of the heap of the Gateway Conference (now the Missouri Valley football conference) as well as being one of the top programs in division 1-AA.  (I still call it that)

He is my hero not because of his rise from Emporia State, to Southern Illinois, then he landed his first D1 job at Northern Illinois then Minnesota, went to the athletic office at Kansas State, and now he is back in the Big 10 as Rutgers offensive coordinator.

As an alumnus, I take pride in the coaches that have advanced in their coaching careers after leaving Southern Illinois.  I root for Purdue in basketball because of Matt Painter.  It is still a sore spot after the Fighting Illini fired Bruce Webber.  I now root for K-State.

I shared his impressive résumé of his coaching career.  The reason why he is my hero?  We both suffer from seizures, only a different type.

He is diagnosed with epilepsy.  For a few years they thought I had it.  My seizures are migraine induced, from the result of a moderate stroke I had back in 2010.

Talking with a lot of men over the years, they tell me there is a time their heart gets softer.  This usually occurs after a mid life crisis, which I believe all men go through at a certain extent.

This could also be from all of the things that I have gone through neurologically, but I tear up at the drop of a hat.  On my walk here other day, I came up on a kitten that was ran over.  It brought tears to my eye immediately.  There was no one around in the houses I came up on.

The day he had his last seizure on the sidelines, I noticed it on the crawl below, as I was working on the website, and when the crowd would get loud, I would stop and watch a few plays.  I am secure in my manhood to admit it made me cry.

His latest seizure is not like anything in the past, and he was calling plays from the sidelines.  Here is a link from New Jersey Online with the story.

http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/index.ssf/2017/09/jerry_kill_seizure_at_rutgers_last_week_nothing_li.html

I have only shared this with my pastor Lloyd Whittaker and his wife Karen one Sunday night after church.   At one time they held season tickets for SIU football and basketball.  We got on the subject of when Coach Kill had the first seizure on the sidelines against ISU.  It was a blowout and they left early.  As soon as they got to their vehicle, they heard Mike Reis tell about it and the longtime voice of the Salukis was shook up.

I told them this story that night and I have not shared it with anyone else.

There was one Saturday afternoon, I was feeling very rough and just got out of the hospital.  I was feeling sorry for myself.  I was watching a Minnesota game on the Big 10 Network.  It hit me if Coach Kill can go on you can to.

That was one event in several that had me change my mindset.  I lost a vision for my life.  I thought this is it.  My life is going to consist of the only thing I can be is a couch potato watching TV.

The day my license was pulled I thought life was over.  I have adjusted.  I shared this in another column a few months ago.

Anything you face, the Apostle Paul said his (Jesus) grace is sufficient.  If you do not have a vision for the future, you are living and not existing.

I am going to share a couple of verses that talk about vision

Proverbs 29:18  Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (KJV)

Have you a vision, do not deter form what the truths are in God’s word.  This is were true happiness comes from, following God’s plan for your life.

When you have a vision write it down,

Habakkuk 2:2  And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

You know who will be reading that vision, it is you.  I have wrote several down on yellow legal pads at first.

Here are a couple visions that I have.  First, is to have short podcasts that I would put online interviewing local coaches, which is a need around here.  The only coaches that are interviewed in the county on a weekly basis are Ron Winemiller and Bob Pankey.  It would not be a show, it is something that will be posted online 24-7.

The next is one day I plan on writing a book.  When you are limited on what you  accomplish, it robs you of your manhood.  It is something that is impossible to totally understand if you have not been there.

The basis of the book will be encouragement not to give up and don’t let it destroy you.  There is light at the end of the tunnel.

The turn around in my life started that afternoon by seeing Coach Kill on the sidelines.  That is the reason he is one of my heroes in life.