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Dobrino, Griffel, Carter to remain on April Ballot

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“Let the people decide”

Rick Vertichio directs Sherri Cole where to sign stating she withdrew 3 of her 5 objections.

Rick Vertichio directs Sherri Cole where to sign stating she withdrew 3 of her 5 objections.

‘Let the people decide’ was a resounding phrase heard in the packed administrative annex Monday evening, January 7. The Electoral Board, comprised of Mark Hayes (board president), Jennie Alepra (longest member serving second to Don Dorbrino), and Peyton Bernot, denied 2 objections while the other 3 objections were pulled by Sherri Cole herself. “Let the voters decide who is on the school board rather as opposed to technicalities raised, I don’t think these are fatal,” Rick Vertichio noted. The denial of the objections is subject to court review.

Bernot was chosen from a lottery to serve as the third member of the board. The State Statute says the Electoral Board is to be comprised of the board president, longest serving member, and the board secretary. But, anyone who is being objected is exempt from the board. Dave Griffel, secretary, and longest serving member Don Dobrino were both exempt due to the objections raised. Any board member that files objections would have been exempt from the Electoral Board as well.

Lawyer Rick Vertichio conducted the meeting and led discussions with his professional opinion concerning objections to William Carter’s, Don Dobrino’s, and Dave Griffel’s petition. Vertichio put in many hours of work pertaining to the Electoral Board meeting and his invoice to CUSD #7 will total upwards of $500, according to his law office. All objections were filed by Sherri Cole while board member Peyton Bernot was the only individual to request copies of all 5 petitions filed with the CUSD #7 Administration office.

Peyton Bernot noted it was his duty to make sure the board made the right decisions to avoid going to court.

Peyton Bernot noted it was his duty to make sure the board made the right decisions to avoid going to court.

School board elections are treated differently, Rick Vertichio explained. “They are so local, so parochial.” It is a small group, a small process, and is not the same process used if you are filing for State Legislature.

The first, of five, objection filed was against Dave Griffel who is seeking reelection in the Brushy Mound Township. Per Cole’s citing, a proper economic interest statement was not filed. The law requires an economic interest statement be filed with the County Clerk with any part of the petition. Artie Herron served as the designate to receive the filings and inadvertently made a copy of Griffel’s previous economic interest statement from 2011. It was an administrative error and Griffel was in line with all the necessary materials.

“We had it on file, but it wasn’t necessarily attached to the petitions. And they pointed me out to Article 10 of the Illinois Election Code. The last paragraph says the petition is not valid if the candidate on their end fails to file an economic interest statement,” Bernot read. “There is no proof it was not attached and it was clearly filed,” Vertichio responded. Vertichio went on to recommend the board deny the objection. All three board members voted to deny the objection related to Griffel’s petition.

The second and third objections were filed against Don Dobrino who is seeking reelection in the Cahokia Township. The first objection against Dobrino cited page numbers were not included on the petition and secondary, one of the signators had an address controversy. “I realize there is some authoritative action requiring pages to be numbered,” Vertichio opened. “I think that authority is nuts.” According to Vertichio, by law it does not say petitions have to be numbered. He suggested the board deny the first objection relating to the petition lacking page numbers and the board denied the first objection raised by Sherri Cole with a 2-1 vote, Bernot objecting.

A local reporter questioned why Bernot wasmaking the arguments and not Cole. “I don’t understand,” Jan Dona added. “The thing is, Peyton Bernot came prepared with documentation on her behalf.” Bernot argued he was aware he had a chance to be on the Electoral Board and he wanted the board to make the right decisions to avoid going to court. The person who has aggrieved has a chance to take this board to court, Bernot explained.

Vertichio agreed with Bernot, but went on to highlight Bernot was the only person who requested a copy of the petitions. “How come not all 5 petitions were requested and just three were,” Dona questioned. “I requested all 5 copies and I received all 5 copies of the petitions,” Bernot defended. “I did not have a chance to look at them, Sherri asked me for the petitions.”

“And Sherri, why did you ask Bernot for the petitions—,” Dona was interrupted. Mark Hayes broke the conversation by ruling the conversation was out of order. Vertichio explained the press could take up the issue up with the people aggrieved after the meeting.

Vertichio stated multiple times to let the voters decide rather than technicalities.

Vertichio stated multiple times to let the voters decide rather than technicalities.

Vertichio continued with the objections raised against Don Dobrino’s petition. The second objection cited Carla Smith, a signator on the petition, as not a proper voter since her current address did not match up with the address on file with her voter registration card. “If the election would come today, the issue of where Carla could vote would be an issue,” Vertichio added. “She could vote at either one of these places by law because both are within the geographic bounds of school district #7.” Vertichio recommended denying once again, but Sherri Cole opted to withdraw her objection when she had the chance to add further comments.

The last petition objected was the petition of William (Bill) Carter who is running for reelection in the Dorchester Township. The first objection cited William Carter failed to fill in the name of who the circulator was on page 3 of the petition. “Let the people decide,” Vertichio rang once again. “It requires, the circulator sign and his signature be notarized.” Vertichio deeded the objection “not fatal” and it was clear William Carter circulated his own petition. He recommended denying the objection, but Sherri Cole withdrew the objection on her turn.

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The second objection raised against Carter’s petitions was the failure to fill out the top of the form on each page of the petition. The top of the form states the people signing the petition are aware who is running for what office. “The issue is, did the people signing it know what office Carter was seeking,” Vertichio questioned. “Voters are presumed to know what they are doing.” For the final objection, Sherri Cole once again withdrew her objection.

Being guided by “Let the citizens decide”, the Electoral Board meeting was adjourned with all three incumbents being able to remain on the April 2013 ballot. Find out more about the upcoming April election and who to expect to see on the ballot here. Three seats are up for grabs on the school board election and five people are running.

The election will take place on Tuesday, April 9, 2013.

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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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