School News
Blackburn receives $4.8 million grant from IDCEO
Funding Supports the Construction of a New Indoor Athletic Facility to Enhance the Blackburn Student Experience and Expand Community Engagement
CARLINVILLE, IL – Blackburn College has been awarded a $4.8 million grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity. Blackburn will utilize the funding to help create and construct the College’s new $6+ million indoor athletic practice facility, which broke ground in May.
With over 40,000 square feet of space, the building project is part of a comprehensive effort to provide Blackburn students and the community greater access to expanded athletic and recreational facilities. Announced earlier this year, the Winning Together campaign for athletics and enrollment aims to build a critical new chapter of the College’s legacy. The efforts will better meet Blackburn’s needs, providing essential space for existing NCAA Division III athletic programs to increase the number of athletes recruited but also allow for an expansion of the athletic offerings. For the entire campus community, the new facility will provide a space for intramural and recreational opportunities and instruction related to academic programs, including physical education and sports management.
Perhaps more importantly, the new facility will increase access to athletic facilities for Carlinville and Macoupin County. Blackburn’s current facilities are already in continual use for campus needs, making it challenging to offer space for community use. The new building will provide space for new opportunities for the surrounding communities, including youth sports, summer camps, and facilitating large gatherings.
“We pride ourselves on offering a high-quality experience for all Blackburn students,” said Kim Camara-Harvey, Athletic Director at Blackburn College. This project will mark one of the most significant investments Blackburn has made into its athletic facilities, and the new building will be the only practice space of its kind for midwestern NCAA Division III schools. “The grant and the state-of-the-art building will further elevate our abilities to support student-athletes, connect with the surrounding communities, and enhance the profile of the College.”
Located on the north end of campus and will feature a 200 x 120-foot turf field, retractable batting cages, a golf performance center with simulators, and a putting and chipping green. New locker rooms, coaching offices, and athletic training space in the facility will serve as the home base for Blackburn’s golf, softball, baseball, and soccer programs, as well as for the College’s newly established men’s and women’s wrestling teams, which are slated to begin competition during the 2023-2024 season.
In addition to the new building, the $7.7 million campaign will modernize this historic Dawes-Woodward Complex. Constructed in 1913, it is a living monument to the students who built it brick-by-brick as part of the school’s unique Work Program. The Dawes project – which will include a new basketball and volleyball court, roof replacement, HVAC upgrades, and a revitalized entryway – will relieve the pressure off Dawes and allow it to continue serving as an integral part of campus life. Winning Together will also transform the tennis courts into a racquet, pickleball and outdoor basketball complex.
“The vital role athletics plays in attracting new students to Blackburn – and keeping them here – cannot be overstated,” said Glen Krupica, Winning Together Campaign Manager. “While these enhancements will help our dedicated coaching staff build and strengthen athletic teams, they also enhance the experience for our Work Program and academics. Student-athletes are more invested in Blackburn, with higher GPAs, retention, and graduation rates, and, for every volleyball player or golfer we recruit, we are also recruiting an artist, a business major, or a future educator.”
For more information regarding the Winning Together campaign, please visit blackburn.edu/winningtogether.
Comments
Addressing the Gillespie City Council on Tuesday night, resident Bethanie James sought support from the city and citizens to install Rapid Flashing Beacons on pedestrian crossing signs on Macoupin Street and Maple and, possibly, on Illinois Route 16 at the Gillespie High School/Middle School campus. The flashing signals are meant to call attention to pedestrian crossing signs when a pedestrian is crossing the street. The flashing signals would improve safety and possibly avert vehicle/pedestrian accidents such as the one that seriously injured a student walking to school last week.
The council’s regular monthly meeting was moved from Monday to Tuesday due to Monday’s Veterans Day holiday.
The rectangular flashing signals feature a series of bright LED lights that flash sequentially at a speed of 75 flashes per minute when a pedestrian activates the signal. James said the signals are activated by pushing a button located on both sides of the intersection. According to a website describing the equipment, the lights are solar powered.
“We can file a request for a permit for free and there are grants available (to help cover the cost),” James said. “They bring a lot more attention to the crossing signs and they will help children get to school more safely.”
A key in the process in obtaining a permit, James said, is public support. Residents can voice concerns about the crossing and support for the flashing signals by visiting idot.illinois.gov/travel-information/report-a-problem online.
“This is something I would love to see us rally behind,” James said. The Illinois Department of Transportation is required to respond to complaints within seven days, she said, indicating the number of people who contact IDOT will be critical to get the project off the ground.
“I think the advantage of her proposal is it can be utilized 24 hours a day,” said James’ husband, Nathan. Ultimately, the signals would improve safety not only for school children but also adults who use the crossing.
James said she would keep the city informed about progress on drumming up support for the project.
“This is going to be city-driven because my understanding is the permit application and grant application will have to be filed by the city,” James said.
UPCOMING PROJECTS
City Treasurer Dan Fisher asked committee members to discuss upcoming projects that will be funded with Tax Increment Financing (TIF), American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) funds. Fisher said time is off the essence in nailing down projects to be paid for with TIF, ARPA and CEJA funds. For TIF-funded and ARPA-funded projects, the council must not only obligate the funds for expenditure, but also enter into agreements with contractors or vendors before the end of the year.
Fisher distributed a spreadsheet outlining upward of $800,000 in expenditures for 2025, noting the project plans have to be finalized by the end of the year or the money will have to go back to the federal government. More than $360,000 in ARPA funds and $70,000 in CEJA funds are on the table.
“This is an opportunity for us to really get a lot done next year,” Fisher said.
Subject to committee input, Fisher allotted $150,000 in TIF funds to remodel a building at at 124 N. Macoupin to accommodate the Gillespie Police Department, in addition to $67,833 in TIF funding used to acquire the building. Fisher’s proposal also includes $80,125 in TIF funds and $70,000 in ARPA funding for remodeling and improving the Civic Center. A total of $61,116 in CEJA funding is earmarked for recreation, along with $100,000 in ARPA funds. Fisher said the money earmarked for recreation probably will go to improvements at Big Brick Park since the status of an Open Spaces Land Acquisition and Development grant application will not be known until October next year. The $600,000 OSLAD grant would cover $1.2 million in improvements at Welfare Park but Fisher cautioned against obligating money for the city’s share of the project until the grant is awarded.
Other expenditures outlined include $96,261 in ARPA funds for a new Street Department truck and $95,000 in ARPA funds for new police cars. A total of $25,000 in TIF funds is allotted for pending facade improvement grant awards, along with $45,000 in TIF funds obligated to pay toward loan notes with United Community Bank.
In total, the city is looking at $161,116 in expenditures to improve parks and recreation facilities, $217,833 for the new Police Department building, $150,000 for Civic Center improvements, $191,261 for new vehicles, and $70,000 for grant awards from TIF funds. The budget also includes $6,107 for administrative expenses. Ten percent of the city’s CEJA award is earmarked for a cooperative community project in the amount of $7,024. In aggregate, the city is looking at a potential $803,650 in expenditures for various projects and acquisitions.
The kicker is the time frame.
Fisher said the committees need to not only determine the amounts of money they want to allocate for specific projects but also be prepared for the city to enter into agreements with contractors or vendors before the end of the year. Each line item will require a separate resolution which will be prepared by City Attorney Rick Verticchio for action in December.
“If you have other projects you want to do, we can do that but we would need to know soon so we can move money from one line item to another,” Fisher noted.
Ald. Dona Rauzi noted there is not enough time to obtain formal bids for the projects Fisher’s budget outlines. Bidding for the police station remodel, for example, would not only involve advertising for bids, but also preparing formal architectural drawings and bidding specifications. In the alternative, Fisher said the city can call for a Request for Proposals, in which case the contractor would be required to supply its own drawings and pricing for specific projects.
“There are probably some local contractors who’d be willing to offer a proposal (for the Police Department) as long as we have some sort of hold harmless provision in case material costs go up,” Fisher said. Some projects could have difficulty attracting proposals because contractors may not want to commit to projects coming up after the first of the year. “It’s not that they don’t want to do it,” Fisher said. “They know we want this done quickly and some of them already have work backed up.”
STREETSCAPE PROJECT
Fisher also reported the city should be able to advertise for bids for the city’s extensive downtown Streetscape Project in December or early January after the Illinois Department of Transportation agreed to issue a permit for the project. The ambitious plan to improve the downtown business environment includes landscaping, plantings, new lighting and reconfiguring parking spaces.
Jointly proposed by Grow Gillespie, a volunteer civic improvement organization, and the City of Gillespie, the Streetscape project is an outgrowth of the city’s water infrastructure replacement project completed three years ago. The Streetscape project has been under discussion for about six years.
Fisher said IDOT reviewed drawings for the project and demanded the alignment on diagonal parking spaces be changed from 25 degrees to 30 degrees as a safety precaution. The change will cost the city one parking space for each block, Fisher said, but IDOT would not negotiate on the requirement because of the city’s record for traffic accidents downtown.
“We’re going to have a little less parking,” Fisher said. “But we had seven accidents in five years that happened when someone was backing out of a parking space.”
Fisher said once the drawings are updated, they will be resubmitted to IDOT approval is expected about one week after the agency receives the plans.
PAY INCREASES FOR PART-TIMERS
On motion by Ald. Landon Pettit, the council unanimously approved a measure to increase the hourly wage for part-time police officers from $17.70 to $19. Additionally, hourly wages for part-time police dispatchers and all other part-time/seasonal workers will increase to $16.
Initially, Police Chief Jared DePoppe approached the council with a proposal to increase wages for part-time police and dispatchers, but Pettit argued at the time that the increase should apply to all part-time workers.
CHRISTMAS BONUSES
After some discussion, the council agreed to give Christmas bonuses to city employees this year in the amount of $125. Last year, the city gave workers a $100 gift card in an attempt to circumvent taking out taxes and medicare/social security contributions.
Fisher said that since city employees voted to join the Illinois Municipal Retirement System, IMRF advised that retirement contributions have to be taken out of Christmas bonuses whether or not the bonus is paid by check or in the form of a gift card than can be converted to cash.
On a motion by Pettit, the council agreed to offer bonuses of $125 in an effort to somewhat mitigate against the required deductions.
TOY DRIVE COMPETITION
Police Chief DePoppe reported that police officers will be accepting toy donations for underprivileged families from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 14, in the parking lot at United Community Bank. The Police Department has conducted the toy drive annually for the past eight years in cooperation with Joyful Angels, the local organization that distributes food and toys to underprivileged local families for the holiday season. While the police do not accept cash donations, DePoppe said a representative of Joyful Angels will be on hand to accept monetary donations.
This year, DePoppe said, the Gillespie Fire Protection District offered a friendly challenge to see which agency collects the most toys for the Christmas Project.
“The loser has to wash the others’ vehicles,” DePoppe said. “So if you have toys to donate, please donate them to us.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Ald. Rauzi publicly thanked the staff of Lumpy’s Bar and Restaurant for providing a meal for election judges at the Civic Center on Election Day. She also thanked Ald. Wendy Rolando for spearheading a project to purchase American flags to display downtown for patriotic holiday, as well as Charlie Conley, Dale Demkey and John Hicks who assisted with putting up the flags for Veterans Day. Rauzi acknowledged Mark and Jody Carpani and Jennifer, Blake, and Bill Carter for spearheading the project to buy and display banners honoring local veterans.
“We had a lot of compliments about how downtown looked for Veterans Day,” she said.
Rauzi acknowledged Bill and Nolan Hayes who recently helped her remove 27 sets of icicle Christmas lights at the Civic Center and replace them with nine sets of LED lights. The LED lights use less electricity and cut down on the number of extension cords needed. She said she spent all but 37 cents of the $300 budget she was given for new lights.
“I just think when people do things for the city, we forget to thank them,” she said.
No action followed a brief executive session requested by Mayor Hicks to discuss litigation and personnel.
Comments
The fifth grade at Ben-Gil Elementary recently had a pumpkin decorating contest as a fundraiser to help support Project Kid Kare. The fifth grade students decorated a pumpkin as an activity with their parents during a Parent Involvement Day.
Each of the classes’ pumpkins were displayed on tables. All the students in the school could vote for their favorite table of pumpkins using spare change. The table that received the most money votes, won the contest.
Students were able to vote multiple times for their favorite table using change or $1 bills. The fifth grade students raised a total of $334.37 and donated the proceeds to Project Kid Care. This act of kindness will bring smiles to many faces of the students in school. Project Kid Kare helps students in the CUSD #7 who are unable to purchase school supplies each year.
Comments
In a stunning display of athletic prowess and determination, Chaz Oberkfell, a junior at Gillespie High School, crossed the finish line first at the 2024 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class 1A State Cross Country Championships, securing his victory with an impressive time and personal best of 14:31.9.
Rounding out the top five was senior Nicolai Martino of Winnebago (14:33.9), senior Gabriel McLain of Benton (14:33.9), sophomore Maxwell Kirby of Peoria Notre Dame (14:47.7), and senior Andrew Kurien of Rockford Christian (14:54.8).
The championship race, held at the scenic Detweiller Park, drew competitors from across the state, all vying for the coveted title. Oberkfell showcased his exceptional talent and training and was in second place before securing the first place spot toward the end of the race.
Oberkfell’s victory is a testament to his relentless dedication and the support of his coaches and teammates. Throughout the season, he has consistently demonstrated remarkable speed and endurance, often finishing races well ahead of his competitors.
The Gillespie community turned out in full force to support the team with many friends, family members, and fellow students cheering the team on Friday morning when the team bus was escorted through town and again on the sidelines Saturday morning. The triumph victory not only highlights Oberkfell’s personal achievements but also brings recognition to Gillespie High School’s cross country program. The team has shown tremendous growth over the past few years, and this victory is a significant milestone.
Also representing Gillespie in the state championship race were Carter Sies (16:59.4), Marshall Garwood (17:03.3), Hank Fletcher (17:15.4), Nolan Hostettler (17:23.9), Matthew Plovich (17:37.4), and Lucca Kapp (17:40.1).
