Entries are being sought for the longest-running race in Jacksonville.
The Jacksonville Memorial Hospital 5K/10K presented by Gatorade kicks off at 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 22nd at the hospital grounds.
The race has grown to include nearly 400 runners since its inception in 1994. Some runners travel from other states each year to participate in the popular race.
Online registration is open now through Oct. 21. Cost is $30. Register by Oct. 10 to guarantee a race-branded tech shirt. Registration fees are $35 on the day of the race. To register online, visit this link.
Proceeds from this year’s race benefit the Jacksonville Youth Engagement Program, which helps children from low-income households participate in sports, extracurricular activities, and mentoring programs.
For more information, contact Kevin Eckhoff at 217-479-5858 or via email at eckhoff.kevin@mhsil.com.
Jacksonville School District 117 parents got to meet teachers face to face yesterday. The district held its first opening day ceremony in three years.
JSD117 Superintendent Steve Ptacek says they learned several things from the Covid-19 pandemic, including a few things that will be staying around: “We’ll be keeping a few things, such as the minimizing the amount of free, unsupervised time for students in the hallways and some other things. As for actual Covid adjustments – no. We are entering the school year as a normal year.”
Ptacek says one of the unfortunate things that is sticking around the district that was even present before Covid-19 is the ongoing personnel shortage: “We have somewhere near 20 long-term subs in the district filling spots we could not find teachers for. It’s better here now than it was as we have increased salaries. We are hoping that at the next board meeting that their will be a new contract that is going in front of the board that hopefully will greatly help that for next year.”
Ptacek says in the more recent past with a normal school year, the district would have only 3 to 4 long-term substitutes working in especially hard-to-find subject areas. He says not only is it a local problem but a statewide and national problem.
The district is also struggling to find bus drivers. He says the bus driver shortage is a main topic of conversation in all of the most recent superintendent meetings he’s participated in at the regional and state level.
Ptacek says the only other major change parents will see this year is more stringent building security. Parents will now have to call ahead and set up appointments to enter school buildings during school hours to visit with personnel. He says security concerns has made the district want to clamp down on the policy to keep children safe during the school day, especially in the wake of all the recent national headlines filled with school shootings.
Land of Lincoln Honor Flight #62 is preparing to take off at the end of this month.
96 veterans and their 82 caretakers representing 54 Central Illinois communities will take off on Tuesday, August 30th from Springfield’s Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport for Washington D.C at 4:15AM.
The day includes visits to the World War II, Korean and Vietnam War memorials, as well as Arlington National Cemetery Tomb of the Unknowns, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Air & Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia, the US Marine Corps Memorial, and the US Air Force Memorial.
The day of honor comes at no cost to the veterans or their caregivers and is provided for through private donations.
The general public, friends, and family are encouraged to pack the airport upon their return at 9:30PM to provide the veterans a welcome home. Land of Lincoln Honor Flight President Joan Bortolon says that the welcome home crowd is one of the most rewarding parts of the experience for the veterans as many did not receive one when they were discharged and returned from their service.
Land of Lincoln Honor Flight still has a waiting list of over 500 veterans waiting for a future flight. However, LLHF is still encouraging new applications. Veterans will be offered flights by date of application within each service era: World War II (enlisted by 12/31/1946), then Korean War Era (01/01/1947 to 12/31/1957), followed by the Vietnam War Era (01/01/1958 to 05/07/1975). Any certified terminally ill Veteran should contact LLHF directly. Veteran and Guardian Applications may be obtained at www.LandofLincolnHonorFlight.org by clicking on Applications tab.
Since 2009, Land of Lincoln Honor Flight has been privileged to serve over 4,800 veterans. Additional 2022 flights are planned for September 27th and November 1st.
Law enforcement in multiple counties are looking for a missing teen.
17 year old Summer Rodgers was reported missing by the Canton Police Department on Friday. Rodgers is 5’7″, 150 lbs, and has fuchsia-colored hair and blue eyes. She tends to wear dark clothing and band and/or Japanese anime t-shirts. Rodgers also answers to the name Aden Ari, according to family.
Rodgers also left a note saying she had someone coming to get her from home so she could leave. The family says she has contacts in Madison, Morgan, Brown, Schuyler, and Fulton counties and Springfield.
The Illinois Department of Corrections has been held in contempt of federal court for allegedly ignoring repeated court orders and failure to take appropriate steps to improve health care in the state’s prison system.
Federal Judge Jorge Alonso issued the order in the U.S. District Court of Northern Illinois after repeated failures by IDOC since 2018 to develop a specific, detailed plan needed to implement and remedy problems in the prison health care system that court experts identified multiple times.
Prisoners first sued IDOC in 2010, alleging systemic problems in health care, problems that lead to serious disease, harm and even death for people under the care of IDOC. The lawsuit, brought by named prisoners represented by the ACLU of Illinois, Dentons, and Uptown People’s Law Center resulted in an agreement with the State of Illinois in 2018 and approved by the court in May of 2019. The agreement required IDOC to develop a comprehensive plan to improve medical care. The contempt order says that IDOC has failed to create that plan and get it implemented.
A court monitor report issued on June 22nd noted IDOC’s care of the elderly was so poor that it constituted elder abuse under Illinois law. The monitor report also noted failures to stipulations for mental health care treatment for prisoners.
IDOC claimed in a press release to Capitol Fax that they are working to improve healthcare services with an outside expert and will be filing a procedural disagreement with the court. IDOC says that it will finalize the implementation of a healthcare plan later this year.
The Alzheimer’s Association is inviting Jacksonville residents to join the Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday, September 11th in Community Park.
Walk Manager Lisa Majernik says that several events are planned around the walk at the park: “Registration and all of our event’s festivities will begin at Noon. There is going to be a free lunch that is being donated by several businesses in the community. It will include hot dogs, chips, and donuts. We’ll have some kids’ games out. Our sponsors will be there with different activities. The walk will actually begin at 1:30 that afternoon.”
Majernik says that you can go to alz.org/walk to find out more information about signing up for the walk: “If you go to the website, you will be able to type in your Zip Code and the Jacksonville walk will pop up. From there, you can create a team when you register. If you have any further questions, my email and phone number are also listed on our website and you can reach out that way, too.”
Majernik says that the walk is one of the ways that the Alzheimer’s Association raises funds for local programs and seminars focusing on Alzheimer’s and other dementias: “The walk is not a donate-per-mile or anything like that. We just have that set loop around Community Park that we walk. Anyone can register and participate in the event. It’s free to register and participate, but as you raise different amounts of funds, you earn different incentives. The first incentive that you earn from raising funds is your purple t-shirt. Anyone who raises $100 or more will earn their purple t-shirt.”
Majernik says that participation in the walk has gone up exponentially in the last several years as prevalence of the disease has spread rapidly throughout the world. In Illinois alone, there are more than 230,000 people living with the disease and 383,000 caregivers.
For more information about the Alzheimer’s Association, call 1-800-273-3900 or visit alz.org. The Jacksonville Walk to End Alzheimer’s is hoping reach a $50,000 goal. As of today, there are 59 participants on 25 teams that have raised $17,764 of that goal.
The Pike County Sheriff’s Office has announced two arrests in connection to a residential burglary from the end of last month.
On July 31st, at 7:03PM, the Pike County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched to a residence located along the Perry-Fishhook Blacktop in reference to a residential burglary and theft complaint.
Subsequent to an investigation, multiple suspects have been identified, according to Pike County Sheriff David Greenwood.
On Monday, the Pike County Sheriff’s Department arrested 38 year old Loren A. Orr of Barry in connection to the incident for residential burglary, theft, and unlawful possession of stolen vehicle titles.
Yesterday, the Pike County Sheriff’s Department arrested 34 year old Rachel M. Scranton of Perry in connection to the incident for residential burglary, theft, possession of a controlled substance, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Both Orr and Scranton are lodged in the Pike County Jail. Greenwood said in a press release today that the investigation into the July 31st incident remains ongoing and more arrests are forthcoming.
The official dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony of the John Wood Community College Agricultural Sciences Complex and the Fred L. Bradshaw Learning Center was held Tuesday at the John Wood Community College Agricultural Education Center near Baylis, just off of Illinois Route 104.
The ceremony showcased a 44-year education partnership with the University of Illinois, John Wood Commmunity College, and the Orr Research Center Corporation. Private fundraising efforts between multiple families, the local county farm bureaus, and more were highlighted in the unveiling of the $2.5 million project.
The new ag sciences complex was dedicated to the late Fred L. Bradshaw who began championing the need for the facility several decades ago. Bradshaw also helped lay the groundwork for the purchase of the property for the complex and was the main leader for fundraising efforts.
More than 300 people were in attendance to commemorate the dedication including community members, key stakeholders, legislators, and donors.
John Wood Community College President Michael Elbe says the day was a defining moment: “For me, being involved with this from a concept to a reality today in 5 years – it’s a defining moment in the life of John Wood Community College. It’s a defining moment for our agricultural program, our partnership with the University of Illinois College of ACES, and a really defining moment for this region as far as economic development and what it is going to do to serve this community in the future.”
Elbe says that the defining moment will ultimately lead to serving the region’s agriculture community and economy for years to come: “I think we live in an ever-changing world, and agriculture is no different than that. I think we have to be able to pivot and move to be relevant in today’s world. I think this facility allows us the space and the technology to continue to be relevant in what we are doing to help the agricultural industry. There is so much that is changing, but one thing that won’t change is people have to eat. It’s the production side of agriculture and the support that these production partners need with grain and livestock that the program leads to. It’s not just producing. It’s supporting the producer. There is just so many opportunities that this facility is going to serve in the future.”
During festivities and remarks, the local farm bureaus were thanked for their overall support of the project. The farm bureaus of Adams, Pike-Scott, and Brown were specifically mentioned as major contributors and donors to the complex’s completion.
Pike-Scott Farm Bureau Executive Director Jenna Morrow says that being a native of the region and having personal connections to John Wood Community College, she sees the generational impact the facility will have: “Having grown up in the area, this has always been an important place in having an ag background. My brother and many of friends went here. It’s huge for the area. It’s really exciting that they have been able to expand and add on to it, and involve all of these groups, especially the farm bureaus. It’s a perfect fit for the farm bureaus because many of the members have gone here, have children or grandchildren enrolled here currently, so they want to see it continue the educational piece of agriculture – just helping everybody prepare themselves through the educational side of it to take on rolls in the community and be successful. That’s what farm bureau wants to see is people involved in agriculture, helping it out, making a good living, and enjoying all that it has to offer.”
Several local officials were on hand for the ceremonies including State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer of Jacksonville, State Representative Chris Miller of Oakland and his wife 15th District Congresswoman Mary Miller, and State Senator Jil Tracy of Quincy.
Tracy says that Fred Bradshaw’s vision for the facility becoming a reality is a massive opportunity for the agriculture community of West Central Illinois: “This is the heart of Illinois agriculture. This is a learning research center. It’s obviously a great opportunity for the youth here that want to be involved in agriculture. We have seen it grow over 45 years. It’s very promising for the future of what we can do with agriculture and feed the world, as it was talked about. This is a part of that process. It’s exciting for this area.”
The Orr Corporation and John Wood Community College are still looking to raise a little less than $500,000 to complete the project. HVAC systems, minor interior upgrades, and technology are still being sought for purchase.
The 24,000-square-foot facility’s construction began last September 2021 at the JWCC Agricultural Education Center and the U of I Agricultural Research and Demonstration Center in Baylis. The newly completed facility houses offices and classrooms, an exposition/arena space, and an animal care unit designed for short-term or temporary housing for the welfare of animals. The facility will be full open to registered students of John Wood Community College this Fall.
Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative who services customers in Sangamon, Morgan, Macoupin, Christian and Montgomery counties is asking for tips about a recent theft that occurred at their headquarters on Illinois Route 104 in rural Auburn.
RECC is offering $500 for information about a theft that occurred at their property around 1AM on Sunday, August 7th. An unidentified white male that was captured on security cameras broke into RECC’s pole yard and stole several reels of wire as well as damaged a recently completed cabinet.
If you have any information, RECC urges you to contact the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office of Criminal Investigations at 217-753-6841 or leave an anonymous tip with the Sangamon-Menard Crime Stoppers by calling 217-788-8427 or leave a tip online at cashfortips.us.
The Jacksonville Parks & Lakes Committee heard a detailed presentation and viewed a rendering of what the future of the Nichols Park Pool might look like on Monday night.
The City Council had been discussing going large with renovations at the pool to make it more attractive and to keep up with neighboring communities who have recently updated their own municipal pools.
Ward 2 Alderwoman Lori Large-Oldenettel, who chairs the Parks & Lakes Committee, says the consensus from the committee is to move forward with the existing upgrades proposal: “We do want to move forward with the splash pad, but we do want to be very aware of adding future amenities that we might want to include into the pool. If we get all of the permitting finished, we hope to have the pool closed down next summer, so there would be no public pool available to the residents of Jacksonville next year. Then, we would hope to open up the following year with a brand new, fun pool for families and people to use that following year.”
Some on the committee requested information about bigger amenities besides a splash pad, like a zip line or a rock climb wall that would entice older children to come to the pool. Greg Hillis, engineer of Benton & Associates, told the committee that if the committee could imagine it, engineers could render it – depending upon how much the city would like to spend above their current OSLAD grant and already committed funds to the current pool upgrade.
Oldenettel says she really appreciates one of the upcoming features in the renovation: “As a mom at one point having young children, I know one of the things that I appreciated when I visited other pools was the zero-depth entry. That’s one of the things that’s been incorporated that will happen on the west end of the pool, and a shallow area for children to play in and for moms, dads, and families to be able to interact and play with their kids in shallow water. Also, we will have sunshades to help protect us from the sun when we don’t want to be out in it all the time. Of course, the splash pad will be pretty amazing for children to use.”
Oldenettel says the high dive will be removed in the renovations permanently because of insurance purposes. Other current features like the slide and the low dive will remain. Oldenettel says any future amenities added to the pool will be focused in on junior high-aged children who enjoy coming to the pool in the summer.
