Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News
Newspaper covering Franklin County, Illinois
by Steve Dunford
I only received the score from two Junior High baseball games. Thompsonville picked up their first win of the year, by defeated Our Lady of Mt. Carmel from Herrin 16-11. Benton went on the road and lost a close one to Marion 6-5 yesterday afternoon. Several teams are in action today. I should have a full scoreboard tomorrow. -Steve
Rend Lake College icon Wayne Arnold helped cut the cake (crafted by RLC Reference Librarian Beth Mandrell) to kick off festivities. Arnold has been involved with the college since it was still Mt. Vernon Community College. Arnold was a long-time Health Education Professor and coach. He still remains active with RLC athletics. (Reece Rutland, Rend Lake College Pubic Information)
From the Southern Illinois Miners
NORMAL, IL – The Southern Illinois Miners fell behind in the first inning, and despite answering back right away in the next inning against the Normal CornBelters, could not get closer in a 5-2 loss at The Corn Crib on Wednesday night, the team’s third straight defeat.
For the second night in a row, the CornBelters batted around in the first inning, this time scoring four runs on three hits as well as a pair of errors by Culver Plant that made two of the runs unearned against Robby Rowland. This time, however, the Miners responded with two runs of their own in the very next half inning- Ryan Lashley doubled and Brett Wiley followed with a single to make the score 4-1. Three batters later, after a two-out single by James Alfonso kept the inning alive, Plant came through with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 4-2.
Rowland (0-2) then settled into a groove on the mound, retiring 12 straight batters and 13 of the next 14 Normal hitters to come to the plate. Two batters into the sixth inning, a solo home run by Jesus Solorzano extended the CornBelters’ lead to 5-2, but Rowland finished with a quality start of three earned runs allowed on five hits with one walk and six strikeouts.
Unfortunately, the Miners’ offense again struggled overall against Scott Sebald (8-1), who pitched seven innings and permitted seven hits and two runs to earn his second-straight win against Southern Illinois. In the eighth, against Chad Gendron, Craig Massoni walked and Lashley singled to put the tying run at the plate, but Southern Illinois got no runs in the inning.
Lashley finished 3-for-4 in the game with two doubles and a run scored while Wiley and Plant both went 2-for-4 with Wiley scoring and driving in one run to pace the Miners at the plate.
Southern Illinois will look to salvage the series finale on Thursday night at 6:35 p.m., with Corey Sessions pitching for the Miners against Normal’s Edgar De La Rosa.
The Southern Illinois Miners are the 2016 Frontier League West Division Champions, the 2014 and 2015 Frontier League East Division Champions and the 2012 Frontier League Champions. They have been awarded the Frontier League Organization of the Year award three times since their inception, and also set a new Frontier League attendance record in 2007, their inaugural season. For ticket information, contact the Rent One Park box office at (618) 998-8499. For any additional information, visit our website at www.southernillinoisminers.com.
ZEIGLER – Zeigler and Christopher firefighters responded to a vehicle fire on State Route 148 between the two towns this afternoon. (Zeigler Fire Department FB page with photo submitted by Kim McCullom
Press Release from Derek Johnson, Chief Operating Officer, Franklin Hospital
Franklin Hospital Cardiopulmonary Dept. Supervisor Frank Cline, CRT with the new Jaeger Masterscreen PFT System by CareFusion
BENTON, IL- Franklin Hospital is pleased to announce the addition of a new service offering. The Jaeger Masterscreen Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) System by CareFusion was recently installed in the Cardiopulmonary Department at Franklin Hospital.
“The Jaeger Masterscreen provides state of the art technology for Complete Pulmonary Function Testing,” according to Frank Cline, Cardiopulmonary Department Supervisor.
Franklin Hospital now has the equipment to measure:
Body Plethysmography (Gold Standard) for accurate measurement of airway resistance and lung volumes, Single Breath (Real Time) diffusion capacity (DLCO), Spirometry, both Pre- and Post-Bronchodilator.
The Jaeger Masterscreen PFT System quickly and safely provides accurate diagnostic results in patients with:
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Pulmonary Fibrosis, Asthma, Black Lung
Shortness of Breath, Assessment of Dyspnea, Neuromuscular Disease, Pre-Op Screening
Drs. Suhail Istanbouly and Walid Halees from Southern Illinois Respiratory Disease Consultants will be two of the pulmonologists interpreting the pulmonary function tests for Franklin Hospital. Call PFT Specialist Frank Cline, CRT, at 618-439-3161, Ext. 574 to learn more about the new PFT technology at Franklin Hospital or to have your medical provider schedule a diagnostic exam.
(Illinois News Network. Please click on the link for the full article and campaign commercial. Here is an excerpt below.)
From Erika Harold’s twitter page.
Former Miss America Erika Harold announced Tuesday that she plans to seek the GOP nomination for Illinois attorney general with hopes of taking on Lisa Madigan next fall.
An attorney from Urbana, Harold in 2012 and 2014 unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for U.S. Congress in Illinois’ 13th District
Harold is a graduate of the University of Illinois. She says she entered the Miss America pageant to help fund her graduate education at Harvard Law School. She won the Miss Illinois pageant in 2002 and was crowned Miss America in 2003.
“Today in Illinois, it’s nearly impossible to find opportunity and live out your dreams,” Harold says in an online campaign announcement launched Tuesday. “Instead, career politicians have made it a nightmare for too many families in our state.”
http://www.bentongazette.com/news/remembering-benton-s-storied-capitol-theater/article_d0461388-7ee0-11e7-9183-230318e89ee9.html
Interior of the Capitol Theater in the 1920’s. (Gazette photo)
BENTON, IL – (Benton Gazette. Please click on the link for the full story. Here is an excerpt below.)
With the recently announced purchase of Toler Cinema in West City, many people have remarked about memories of another, sadly long gone, iconic piece of our community’s fabled past.
There’s few reminders left on the current site of the former Capitol Theater that once towered over the southeast corner of the Public Square in Benton. On its’ former lot now stands the Capitol Park Pavilion which was named in its’ honor and carries on its’ spiritual legacy as the host of live music and other entertainment during City festivals and happenings.
If you could time travel back nearly 100 years ago however, you would get a glimpse of the larger than life brick structure which was the hub of activity for Benton teenagers of the era. In the 20s, before the “talking pictures” had emerged, the theater served as the scene of many well-attended vaudeville acts, stage shows, and silent films—such as 1924’s “The Perfect Flapper” or D.W. Griffith’s “That Royle Girl” in 1925 which turned up in advertisements of the era.
The line of storms that are moving though the area are exiting quickly. There is a marginal risk of severe weather for tomorrow.
The forecast for the eclipse is mostly sunny with a high of 91.
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Paducah KY
.DAY ONE…Today and Tonight
There is a chance for a few thunderstorms today through tonight.
Afternoon heat index values may reach near 100 degrees in a few
locations.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Thursday through Tuesday
There is a chance of thunderstorms Thursday through Thursday
evening, as a weak frontal boundary moves through the area. A few
strong storms cannot be ruled out.
Thunderstorms are possible off and on from the weekend into early
next week, especially during the daylight hours.
Heat index values Thursday afternoon may reach near 100 degrees in
a few locations.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT…
Spotter activation is not anticipated.
Wednesday
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 7am and 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87. Light south southeast wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the morning.
Wednesday Night
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. South wind 5 to 8 mph.
Thursday
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88. Southwest wind 7 to 10 mph.
Thursday Night
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly clear, with a low around 67. West wind 3 to 7 mph.
Friday
Sunny, with a high near 87. West northwest wind 5 to 8 mph.
Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. Light and variable wind.
Saturday
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Calm wind becoming southwest around 6 mph in the morning.
Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 66. Light and variable wind.
Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 89. Light southeast wind.
Sunday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 69. Light and variable wind.
Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. South wind 3 to 6 mph.
Monday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. South southwest wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. West southwest wind around 6 mph.
Jace Burzynski at Busch Stadium (KSDK Photo(
ST. LOUIS, MO. (Please click on the link above for the full story. Here is an excerpt below.)
Jace Burzynski is fighting to regain his form on the baseball field. Now, the cancer survivor can thank a St. Louis Cardinals outfielder for giving him another dose of inspiration.
Jace, 13, was diagnosed nearly three years ago with medulloblastoma, a rare, cancerous brain tumor that is most commonly found exclusively in children. After nine months of chemo and radiation, along with a mixture of cancer-fighting drugs, the Carmi, Illinois, native is now in full remission. However, several side-effects from his battle remain, including fatigue and partial double vision in his right eye.
“You get this diagnosis and you basically have a hard time eating, walking, doing anything and it takes years to come back to even be able to throw a baseball,” said Jamie Burzynski, Jace’s father.
Jace said he currently feels about 60 percent. However, he’s already back on his middle school baseball team, contributing to the best of his ability.
“It kind of takes my mind off everything,” said the eighth grader. “It just feels good to get a good hit.”
