BMS 8th grade team wins 10th in a row, defeat Herrin 47-40

January 16, 2013 By Leave a Comment

By Jim Muir

The Benton Middle School Junior Rangers picked up a big road win Tuesday night defeating Herrin 47-40.

The victory, the 10th in a row for Coach John Cook’s squad avenges an early season loss to Herrin and improved the 8th grade team’s overall record to 14-3. The Junior Rangers played Herrin to an 8-8 tie a the end of the first quarter but fell behind 20-19 at the intermission.

“I was a little disappointed at halftime because of the mental mistakes we were making at both ends of the floor,” said Cook. “We has some mis-communications on what defense we were in and we weren’t balancing the floor very well on the offensive end against their 3-2 zone defense.”

Benton pulled even again at the end of three quarters and then road the hot hand of Derek Oxford to outscore Herrin 19-12 in the fourth to pick up the victory. Oxford recorded a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds.

“I have been impressed with the character we have shown the past couple of games,” said Cook. “Last week we overcame a 12-point deficit at Carbondale to beat them. And we ground it out at the end to get this win. It is never easy to beat Herrin at their place. Their size really creates some match up problems for us, but we took care of the ball down the stretch and hit some big shots when we needed them most. Also, we went 13-16 from the free throw line for the night which was huge for us.”

Cook said the Junior Rangers have now beaten every team on their schedule except for Marion. Benton will get that chance on Jan. 22 when the two teams meet at Marion.

Along with Oxford’s 26 Benton also got 10 points from Austin Wills while Blane Pankey added four points, Oliver Davis and Gehrig Wynn had three points each and Tyson Houghland had one point.

In the preliminary contest Parker Williams hit the winning 3-pointer to give Benton a 38-35 win over the Herrin 7th grade team.

Williams heroics was the exclamation point on a terrific comeback by Coach Andy Davis’ team which trailed virtually the entire game. Benton trailed 11-2 at the end of the first quarter and trailed 21-10 at halftime. Benton outscored Herrin 12-11 in the third quarter but still trailed by double digits – 32-22 heading to the final frame.

The Benton squad held Herrin to only three points in the third quarter outscoring their hosts 16-3 in the final frame to pull out the exciting victory and improve to 12-3 overall.

Williams led Benton with 14 points followed by Gehrig Wynn with eight points, Hamilton Page with seven points, Brett Bonenberger with six points and 10 rebounds, Bland Pankey with two points and Drew Owens with one point. Mason Wills and Eldon Owens also saw action for Benton.

Both BMS squads are back in action on Thursday, Jan. 17 when Franklin County rival West Frankfort comes to town.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Benton Junior High Sports, Junior High Sports, Uncategorized

OBITUARY – LENORA WEST – SESSER

January 16, 2013 By Leave a Comment

 

Lenora West, 90, of Sesser, died at 10:34 a.m. on Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at her home.

She was born on January 2, 1923 in Sesser to  Joseph Pavletich and Pierina (Chervaten) Pavletich.

Lenora helped with the family business, Eastview Grocery Store.  She then moved to St. Louis after graduating from Goode-Barren Township High school and worked for Western Union delivering telegrams and then she worked for Small Arms Ammunition Plant in St. Louis.  She also worked for Sesser Five-and-Dime, and she and her husband operated the Custard Stand in Sesser, IL for many years

Lenora was also president of the American Legion Auxiliary, past president of the Eastern Star United Methodist Church of Sesser, IL.  She was also a lifelong member of the Sesser United Methodist Church.

When Lenora and her sister would come home from school they were instructed to only speak English not Croatian, so the family could learn how to speak English.  She was a perpetual teacher she enjoyed helping her children study for tests and passing on her love for reading to her children. Her last lesson of life was how she handled her death.  Lenora was a wonderful wife, sister and mother.

She married Leon West on June 27, 1944 and she moved to Moreinci, AZ when Leon was stationed in the military to work at the copper mines. When her husband was called to the European Theater, she moved back to Sesser.  After Leon was wounded in the Argon Forrest he was sent to a hospital in London, then he was transferred to Fitzsimmons General Hospital in Denver, CO.  Lenora joined him in Denver where she lived a block away from the hospital while he recuperated.

Lenora is survived by one son, Marvin Lee West, Sesser/Carbondale, IL; three daughters, Kathy Joann West and husband Royce Jackson, of Du Quoin, Cindy Lou Dame-Vanhorn and husband Ron, of Whittington and Melinda Sue Kelly and husband Joseph, of Sesser.

Also surviving are grandchildren Christine Leigh and husband Eul Vickers, of Scheller, IL, Aileen Grace Kelly, of Sesser/Carbondale, Il, step grandchildren Rachel Jackson, of Carbondale, Paul Russell and wife Paige Pestka Jackson, of Tallahassee, FL, and one great-grandson, Haystin Andon Vickers.

Lenora is also survived by one brother, Lawrence Joseph and wife Glenda Pavletich, of Sesser, IL and a sister, Normal Lee Martin, of Du Quoin, IL.  She is also survived by several nieces and nephews and two very special caregivers Glenda Fornear and Daisy Sims.  She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, one infant sister Matilda Pavletich and one grandson, Brandon Lee Dame.

Funeral services will be Friday, January 18, 2013 at 11 a.m. at Brayfield-Gilbert Funeral Home in Sesser with Pastor Joseph Kelly of the Eternal Friends of Christ, of Sesser, officiating.  Visitation will be on Thursday, January 17, 2013 after 5 p.m. at the funeral home.  Interment will be at Maple Hill Cemetery, in Sesser, IL.

Memorials can be made to Hospice of Southern Illinois, Marshall Browning Tree of Life, Eternal Friends of Christ, or to the donor’s choice and will be accepted at the funeral home

Brayfield-Gilbert Funeral Home in Sesser is in charge of arrangements.

 

Filed Under: Obituaries, Uncategorized

OBITUARY – MARGIE MARIE CHAMNESS – BENTON

January 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Margie Marie Chamness, 82, of Benton, passed away Friday, January 11, 2013 at her home in Benton.

She was born in Benton, IL on April 4, 1930, the daughter of Charley and Sybil (Williams) Kays.

She married Virgil Chamness in 1963, and he preceded her in death on February 1, 1990.

Mrs. Chamness was a member of the Fellowship Baptist Church in South Chicago Heights.  She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and the VFW Auxiliary.

Mr.s Chamness is survived by a daughter, Pam Ray, of Benton and two sons, Danny (Cindy) Eldridge, of Benton and Monty (Jean) Eldridge, of Manteno.

Also surviving are several grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband and by 10 brothers and sisters.

Graveside memorial services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, January 19 at the Masonic & Oddfellows Cemetery in Benton with Brother Gene Blades officiating.  There will be no visitation.  Those attending the service are requested to meet at the cemetery.

The Morton & Johnston Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Filed Under: Obituaries, Uncategorized

OBITUARY – RABRUM VAUGHN, JR. – MULKEYTOWN

January 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Rabrum Vaughn, Jr., 65, of Mulkeytown, died Sunday, January 14, at Marshall Browning Hospital Emergency Room, in Du Quoin.

Mr. Vaughn was born August 7, 1947 in Christopher to Rabrum Vaughn and Ruby (Carpenter) Vaughn.  He was a truck driver for Star Trucking and attended Full Gospel Church in Buckner.

He married Susan (Price) Vaughn on June 9, 1961 and she survives in Mulkeytown, Illinois.

Mr. Vaughn is survived on a daughter, Mary (Wesley) Morse, of Mulkeytown.  Also surviving is a very special granddaughter, Hannah Mae Morse, who was much loved by her “Papa.”

Additional survivors include a sister, Carolyn Joyce (Tom) Flowers, of Zeigler; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Carl and Dorothy Price of Mulkeytown; brothers-in-laws and sisters-in-law, Victor and Brenda Maze, of Herrin; David and Candy Price, of Christopher; Paul and Paula Price, of Mulkeytown, Patty and Bernard Mack, of West Frankfort and Allen and Becky Price, of Mulkeytown.

He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

Mr. Vaughn was preceded in death by his parents.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 11 a.m. at Gilbert Funeral Home, in Christopher with the Rev. Cecil Sullivan and Sister Bernadine Caldwell Webb officiating.  Visitation will also be Wednesday, Jan. 16 from 9 a.m. to the time of service at 11 a.m.  Burial will be in Mulkeytown Cemetery in Mulkeytown.

Dear will always live in the hearts of his family and will be sadly missed by Spanky.

For more information visit our website at gilbertfuneralhomes.com

 


 

 

 

 


 


Filed Under: Obituaries, Uncategorized

Deadlines approaching to apply for RLC’s SICCM, radiology, and nursing programs

January 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Staff Report
Rend Lake College would like potential students to know about application deadlines to attend its programs in Radiologic Technology and Nursing, as well as those through the Southern Illinois Collegiate Common Market, or SICCM.
The deadline to apply for admission into SICCM programming is March 1. SICCM programs include Medical Laboratory Technology, Health Information Technology, Veterinary Technology, Occupational Therapy and Surgical Technology.
The deadline to apply for admission into Radiologic Technology, and RLC nursing programs in Practical Nursing (LPN), and Associate Degree Nursing (RN) is April 1.
Get started with the application process by completing Psychological Service Bureau (PSB) testing through RLC’s testing center, located in the Academic Advisement area of the Administration Building. Call 618-437-5321, Ext. 1268 to find out more about testing dates and rates.
For additional information about these programs, visit the RLC website at www.rlc.edu and type the program into the search bar, or call 618-437-5321, Ext. 1251.

 

 

Filed Under: Franklin Co. News, Uncategorized

West Frankfort woman dies in Williamson County accident

January 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment
By Bruce A. Fasol
A 25-year-old West Frankfort woman has been identified as the victim of an early morning fatal accident in Johnston City.
Allyson Jo Russell was the driver of a vehicle that left the roadway near Water Street in Johnston City early Sunday morning.  Her vehicle went into a flooded area and was swept away, according to authorities.  The Southern Illinois area was deluged by heavy rains during the weekend and many counties in the region were under a flash flood advisory.
Dive teams were called in from multiple area agencies to recover the body. The accident is believed to have occurred just before 3 a.m. on Sunday morning.  An invesitigation continmues into the incident.The invesitgation is being headed by the williamson county coroner’s Office and Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.
Filed Under: Featured, Franklin Co. News, Uncategorized

A Look at Our Schools: What Schools Really Need

January 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment

By Jason D. Henry

A long-standing American ideal is on life-support in Illinois and across the country.  No, it’s not the investment market, job creation or manufacturing productivity. But it impacts each of these and so much more of the American way of life that something must be done, and it must be addressed sooner rather than later.

The problem:  Local control of public schools in Illinois has almost become no more than a fond memory. Sadly, students, parents and communities are paying the price.

How did we get to this point?

The historical maze of the erosion of local control of schools is a complex, winding road full of obstacles, turns, hills and even some ditches.  The short version is this: Shortly after the 1983 report, “A Nation at Risk,” the federal government (which was never intended to control local public schools) began to dole out funding for special projects using a “carrot-and-stick” approach.

Schools and even entire states were given “free” money — the carrot — in exchange for certain assurances that regulated federal mandates would be implemented or else (the stick).  Local schools and states conformed to top-down, Washington-based initiatives in order to get the money.  Somewhere along this road, the mandated load that could initially be carried in the family car required an oversized semi-truck.

Fast-forward to today. This truck is far overweight, moves at lightning speed and often lacks the structural capacity to carry what was, at one time, simply a good idea.

In the early days, the “carrot-and-stick” approach to federal funding of public education was palatable to schools because schools needed the money and the mandates weren’t too intrusive.  Slowly, however, the value of the carrots has decreased while the pain of the sticks has dramatically increased.  In short, schools aren’t getting as many carrots, but are still saddled with a truck-load of sticks.

Today, top-down government intervention in Illinois public schools is not just a federal issue.  State government leaders of both political parties increasingly have embraced a similar approach, intervening to purportedly “fix” local public schools.  The price tag for the “fix” — what it really costs real people — is not wholly measured in dollars and cents.

To be sure, improving schools takes real money, but the state-prescribed “fixes” now in play in Illinois have been imposed at the expense of local control in a “we’re the government, we’re here to help, and we know what’s best for you” sort of way.

This kind of cost can’t be measured in any tangible way, but is readily evident in the now-more-frequent disenfranchised looks on people’s faces, the almost helpless tone of their voices and the general “going-through-the-motions” feeling that is creeping into school systems across the state and nation.  Yes, the local control of public schools is slowly dying, and people — real parents, teachers, principals and, most importantly, students — are suffering from this grievous community loss.

What’s the cure?

The good news is the loss of local control of public schools is not a terminal disease.  But the fight for survival is not much different than a long-term medical treatment because it will take time, be hard, and evoke all kinds of emotions in the process.

It will cause citizens, communities and the state to take a close look at our education system and legitimately decide what’s important — without outside influences like political action committees and self-serving power brokers.  We will have to listen to experts, ask questions, conduct research, and then decide what’s best for us as a community.

We may have to off-load our own overloaded truck in order to get our school houses in order to benefit  future generations.  We need to develop a meaningful education plan — a comprehensive approach to public schooling in Illinois — to guide us, something that’s remarkably absent in the State of Illinois.

Most of all, we need community members who are willing to partner with their local schools for the long haul to help transform the way we’re currently doing education business in Illinois.  We need relationships and partnerships that are forged in the common bond of re-thinking what we’re doing for (and, regrettably, to) children by allowing outsiders who don’t know our towns, farms, kids and values to heap mandate after mandate upon us.

We need steady resolve and a calm, common-sense approach to school improvement instead of blame-fixing, finger-pointing and second-guessing so that we can revive local control of schools instead of pulling the plug.

— 0 —

Jason D. Henryis District Superintendent at Sesser-Valier Community Unit School District No. 196.  Mr. Henry can be reached at (618) 625-5105, Ext. 105 (Office) or at jdhenry@sv196.org

Filed Under: Columns, Franklin Co. News, Opinion, Uncategorized

OBITUARY – DELORIS (GULLEY) HUMERICKHOUSE – VALIER

January 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Deloris (Gulley) Humerickhouse, 77, of Valier, passed away at 9:30 a.m. Friday, January 11,  2013 at the Westside Care Center, in West Frankfort.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at the Morton & Johnston Funeral Home in Benton with the Rev. Eddie Paul Davis officiating.  Burial will be in the Masonic & Oddfellows Cemetery in Benton.  Visitation will be after 11 a.m. on Tuesday at the Morton & Johnston Funeral Home in Benton.

Filed Under: Obituaries, Uncategorized

Car swept into flood water, possible drowning being investigated

January 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment
By Bruce A. Fasol
While no details have been officially released yet Franklin County News Online (franklincounty-news.com) has learned that a drowning is being investigated by local law enforcement.
Sources indicate a West Frankfort woman apparently drowned when her vehicle was swept into standing water during torrential rains Saturday night into Sunday morning.  The initial calls came in at approximately 3:30 a.m.  No names have been released but the victim is believed to be a woman in her mid to late 20’s. The location of the accident occurred near Water Street, in Johnston City.
Dive-recovery teams from the Carterville Fire Department and the Rend Lake Dive team were called in for recovery of the body.
Official information will be released from the office of Mike “Junior” Burke, Williamson County coroner.
Filed Under: Breaking News, Featured, Franklin Co. News, Uncategorized

‘Bigger and Better’ – Annual Sesser hunt draws record number

January 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment

By Jim Muir

‘Bigger and better’ – that could certainly be the theme of an annual Sesser event that continues to grow in both participants, money raised and enthusiasm.

The 6th Annual Willard and Brandon Dame Hunt was held recently at Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park with a record 114 hunters and more than $9,000 raised during the one-day event.

Orange and camouflage were the predominant colors at the recent 6th Annual Willard and Brandom Dame Hunt where a record 114 hunters turned out and more than $9,000 was raised. The event is hosted by Double R Bar, in Sesser.                                                                                                                                                                  ( Photo by Gina West )

Randy Gutzler, co-owner of the Double R Bar in Sesser, kicked off the now-annual event in 2008 with a specific two-fold purpose.

“Willard loved to hunt and Brandon started hunting with him when he was really young,” said Gutzler. “We think this is a good way to keep their memory alive and also help a deserving student continue their education.”

Gutzler said all the money raised each year is donated to the Sesser-Valier High School Outdoorsman Club – a group that has received statewide recognition for its annual handicap deer hunt and other community-oriented programs.

Along with sharing a love for hunting Willard Dame and his son Brandon also loved the outdoors and the camaraderie with fellow hunters that go along with the sport.

But tragedy struck the Dame family on December 28, 1994 when 16-year-old Brandon was critically injured in a two-car crash south of Sesser. He died the following day in a Cape Girardeau hospital. Willard died on January 26, 2007 at the relatively young age of 59. The annual hunt began the following year and has been a January fixture at the Double R ever since.

Chrissie (Dame) Vickers, Willard’s daughter and Brandon’s sister, gave high marks for the effort by Gutzler and the host of people that help to make the event a success. Despite his youth Vickers said her brother was an avid hunter and was also proud of his association with the popular Outdoorsman Club at S-V High School.

“I think it’s tremendous what they have been able to accomplish with this event,” said Vickers. “As the years go by this is a way to keep my dad and my brother’s memory alive and at the same time help a young person with their education.”

She recalled that the November deer season of 1994 – only a few weeks before her brother was fatally injured – found Brandon torn about a tough decision.

“He loved the Outdoorsman Club and the handicapped deer hunt,” said Vickers. “He wanted to go to that but he really wanted to hunt with my dad. In the end he went with my dad to hunt and it was the last time they hunted together.”

The annual event starts with an early morning breakfast at Double R Bar in Sesser before hunters head to Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park for the hunt.                                                                                                     (Photo by Gina West)

 

Gutzler said there are certain criteria that must be met each year to qualify for the scholarship.

“The scholarship must go to a member of the Outdoorsman Club and also to a student that has a financial need,” said Gutzler. “And the scholarship has to go through Rend Lake College.”

And from a somewhat humble beginning six years ago the event has grown in both numbers and popularity, according to Gutzler. The most recent hunt raised more than $9,000 bringing the total money raised during the previous five years to nearly $35,000.

The event is an all-day affair for the hunters involved who each pay $25 to participate. After a before-daylight, early morning breakfast at Double R the hunt is held and then lunch is served again at the bar. Gutzler said vendors from throughout Southern Illinois donate items to be raffled off during the daylong event.

Gutzler said he believes the event will continue to grow each year.

“We’re happy to do it each year,” said Gutzler. “To raise $9,000 in one day and $35,000 in six years in a little bar is a pretty good sum of money and of course it all goes for a great cause.”

Filed Under: Franklin Co. News, More Featured Articles, Sesser News, Uncategorized
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