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Black Diamond Days pageant set for Friday evening

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The Black Diamond Days Committee invites the community to the Miss Black Diamond Days Pageant on Friday, June 1  from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Gillespie Civic Center in downtown Gillespie. Let’s meet the junior miss contestants first.

Junior Miss Contestants

Candace Conlee (Jr. Miss Contestant #1)

 

 

 

 

Junior Miss contestant number one is Candace Conlee. Candace is the daughter of Darlene Conlee. She recently received at first at solo contest at Illinois State.  Her hobbies include choir, band and swimming.  She enjoys animals, church family and singing. Candace dislikes bugs, celery and scary movies.  Her career plans to finish Gillespie High School and become an artist, singer or youth pastor.

 

 

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Kirsten Sherman (Jr. Miss Contestant #2)

 

 

 

 

Junior Miss contestant number two is Kirsten Sherman.  Kirsten is the daughter of Leslie and Todd Sherman.  Kirsten dislikes animal cruelty and wants to become a veterinarian.  But, she loves playing a variety of different sports and adores being around her friends and family.  She loves being outdoors and riding four wheelers with her family.  She also loves the summer time.

 

 

McKenzie Whitworth (Jr. Miss Contestant #3)

 

 

 

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Contestant number three is McKenzie Whitworth.  McKenzie is the daughter of Shelly and Scott Whitworth.  She plans to become a veterinarian when she gets older.  She enjoys singing and music. She has been on honor roll every quarter in middle school.  She plays basketball, softball, volleyball and cheerleading.  She is very social and enjoys spending time with people.  She attended the Impact Youth Group and plans to never have a spider as a pet.

 

 

Eryka Mabus (Jr. Miss Contestant #4)

 

 

 

 

Contestant number four is Eryka Mabus.  Eryka is the daughter of Richard and Annette Clark  She wants to persue a career as a pediatric nurse.  Eryka is a member of her 7tha dn 8th grade Scholarbowl Team and enjoys working with young children.  Eryka has been a high honor student throughout middle school and received 1st place for her piano and drum solo at IESA contest in 7th and 8th grade.  She loves to read and learn new things and is working towards going on a mission trip to Jamaica later this year. Eryka is an active member of the Berean Baptist Church.

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Abigail Barber (Jr. Miss Contestant #5)

 

 

 

Contestant number five is Abigail Barber.  Abigail is the daughter of Andrew and Melinda Barber.  She is on honor roll and loves to play basketball.  She is on the volleyball and track team.  Abigail loves to vacation with her family and she also loves to go swimming in her pool during the summer months.  She wants to attend college to become a marine biologist and is a saxophone player in the band.

 

 

Nina Moutrie (Jr. Miss Contestant #6)

 

 

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Contestant number six is Nina Moutrie.  Nina is the daughter of Donna and Eric Valdes.  She enjoys attending church and volunteering when needed.  Her achievements are being a member of student council and she has been an honor roll student for the last two years.  Soccer is one her favorite sports, of which she has been playing for three years.  Nina enjoyed cheerleading her 7th grade year and likes spending time with her family and going to the lake on the weekends.  Her hobbies are boating, swimming and outdoor activities.  Nina wants to attend college to pursue a career as a lawyer.

 

 

Maya Marcacci (Jr. Miss Contestant #7)

 

 

 

Contestant number seven is Maya Marcacci.  Maya is the daughter of Michael and Susan Marcacci.  She is currently in 7th grade.  Her favorite color is orange and she enjoys being outdoors.  She loves to tumble and likes to play with her little brother name Michael.  Maya’s lifelong goal is to contribute to the cure for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and also other types of cancer.

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Reese Marshall (Jr. Miss Contestant #8)

 

 

 

Contestant eight is Reese Marshall.  Reese is the daughter of Suzie and Joe Marshall.  Reese loves volleyball and water skiing.  She is a member of the Gillespie High School Dance Team and wants to become a cosmetologist.  She loves spending time with her friends and family.  She attended the 2012 Honors Banquet for 11 consecutive quarters of being on honor roll.  She is an active member of the IMPACT Youth Group of Gillespie.  Reese won first runner up in both the 2011 Jr. Miss Black Diamond Days Pageant and the 2011 Jr. Miss Macoupin County Pageant.

 

Miss Contestants

Kortney Carr (Contestant #1)

 

 

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Contestant number one is Kortney Carr. Kortney Carr is the daughter of Bobby and Dana Carr. She was chosen as an All-American cheerleader and traveled to London to cheer in the New Year’s Day Parade.  She is a member of the National Honor Society and loves to cheer and tumble.  She likes the St. Louis Cardinals especially David Freese.  She dislikes feet, cold weather, driving and the Cubs. She enjoys boating with her humongous family, reading and sleeping.  Kortney loves all types of shoes.

 

 

Mikayla Tarro (Contestant #2)

 

 

 

Contestant number two is Mikayla Tarro.  Mikayla is the daughter of Dennis Tarro and Yvonne Pinkerton.  She graduated high school as a National Honor Society Member and plans on becoming a dentist and own her own dentist office.  She plays on the SIUE intramural soccer team and loves to travel with both sides of her family.  She likes to run and spend time in the gym.  Mikayla is a huge fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Bears.  She likes making memories with her close friends that she has made throughout high school and college.

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Kaci Petri (Contestant #3)

 

 

 

 

Contestant number three is Kaci Petri.  Kaci is the daughter of Sherry Petri.  She is involved in choir, cheerleading, soccer and National Honor Society.  Her hobbies include reading and playing soccer with her friends as well as learning about history.  She likes watching movies, sleeping and hanging out friends.  Kaci dislikes skiing, frogs and thunderstorms.  She wants to attend McKendree College and become a High School History Educator.

 

 

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Samantha Ranger (Contestant #4)

 

 

 

 

Contestant number four is Samantha Ranger.  Samantha is the daughter of Mark and Jody Ranger.  She is involved with cheerleading and soccer.  She like hangout with her friends and having a good time with her family.  She dislikes cold weather and foreign foods.  Samantha LOVES the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team.  On hot summer days she enjoys laying out in the pool.  She is terrified of thunderstorms, spiders, and snakes.  She also loves to go boating with her best friend.

 

 

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CUSD 7 News

Miners girls basketball clinch SCC championship

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In a nail-biting showdown that will be remembered for years to come, the Gillespie Miners girls basketball team captured the South Central Conference title with a hard-fought 55-52 victory over the Pana Panthers on Thursday night, February 13. This marks Gillespie’s first conference championship since their back-to-back titles in 2001-02, when they shared the honors with Southwestern both finishing with a 9-1 conference record.

The game held at Pana High School was anything but straightforward. After a tumultuous 13-minute delay due to injuries and a technical foul controversy, the Miners rallied their spirits to secure the win. Amari Vickery led the charge with a stellar performance, scoring 21 points, while Mia Brawner added 11, Maggie Heyen contributed 10, Delaney Taylor posted 5, Sadie Sholtis scored 4, and Lainey Edwards and Corrine Fellin each had 2 points.

From the opening tip, it was clear that Pana was not going to roll over easily. The Panthers held leads at the end of the first two quarters, 15-14 and 28-26, showcasing their tenacity. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Pana had edged ahead 44-42, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

However, the game took a chaotic turn in the fourth quarter when a collision between Vickery and teammate Sloane Brawner resulted in both players going down with injuries. Sloane was not able to return the game but Vickery did. The Miners also lost both Delaney Taylor and Sadie Sholtis to fouls and Gillespie was assessed a technical foul under controversial circumstances which tied the game at 49. But Heyen carried the weight through the fourth quarter recording 6 of her 10 points in the final quarter of play.

Despite the setbacks, the Miners displayed remarkable teamwork resilience under the leadership of Nikki and Matt Brawner. With the SCC championship secured and the regular season concluded with a 22-8 overall record and 9-0 conference record, the Miners now shift their focus to the upcoming regional which is being hosted in Gillespie.

Gillespie hosts Alton Marquette on Monday, Feb. 17 for the regional semi-finals after Alton Marquette knocked East-Alton Wood River, 36-29, to face the Miners. The winner advances to the regional championship that will be played on Friday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. in Gillespie versus the winner of Staunton/Roxana.

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Community News

Macoupin County residential fire claims multiple victims on Saturday

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Tragedy struck in the early hours of Saturday morning in Macoupin County as a residential structure fire broke out in the 200 block of West Dean Street, Virden, resulting in the death of a male victim, the Macoupin County Coroner Anthony Kravanya announced.

The individual was pronounced deceased at 10:06 AM but the identity of the deceased has not yet been released, as authorities await the results of an autopsy scheduled for Monday, February 17, 2025. The coroner’s office indicated that a press release will be issued following the autopsy and the positive identification of the victim.

WAND reported a second victim died after being transported to Springfield Memorial Hospital according to Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon who confirmed a 13-year-old boy and a 34-year-old male were the victims.

The fire reportedly started around 9:30 a.m. and the home was fully engulfed when first responders arrived. Two people were reportedly rescued and life flight was requested but were not available due to the foggy weather conditions. 

An investigation into the cause of the fire is currently underway, involving multiple agencies including the Macoupin County Coroner’s Office, the Virden Police Department, the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department, and the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

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Community News

Missions group to host trivia fundraiser on March 30

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Come and join us for an exciting afternoon of trivia as we support our local 2:18 Missions! Mark your calendars for Sunday, March 30 from 2 to 5 PM for an event that promises fun, camaraderie, and a chance to make a difference in our community. The event will be held at DeStefane Community Center in Benld, 201 East Central Avenue.

Teams of up to 10 people can participate for just $100 per table. Whether you want to reserve your table in advance or simply show up on the day of the event to pay at the door, we welcome all trivia enthusiasts to join in the competition!

Feel free to bring your own snacks and drinks to enjoy during the game—just please remember, no alcohol is allowed. For your convenience, we will have bottles of water available for purchase.

The stakes are high, and the competition is fierce! The first-place team will take home a prize of $150. Plus, bring some dollar bills to participate in “Heads and Tails” games during breaks and to buy mulligans for your team.

Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to support a great cause while enjoying a lively trivia challenge. To reserve your table or for more information, contact Kristin at 217-691-7469.

Let’s make this a memorable event for our community and the 2:18 Missions!

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