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Gillespie Police Activity: October 5-11, 2015

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Gillespie Police2This story is contributed by a member of the Gillespie Police Department and is neither endorsed nor affiliated with TheBenGilPost.com. All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2015

Bernice Prather, 68, Gillespie was cited for intoxication after an officer was called to a business in the 500 block of Broadway.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015

Officer was called to the 700 block of Second Street where a child was bitten by a dog.  The dog was picked up by Macoupin County Animal Control to be quarantined due to expired vaccines.

Officer was called to the 500 block of East Elm Street after a male subject smashed a female’s windshield with a brick. Thomas Charles Barksdale, 19, Gillespie was arrested for criminal damage to property and transported to Macoupin County jail.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2015

Jill Smith, 41, Gillespie was cited for nuisances after having several bags of trash setting in the yard.

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Officer was called to the 700 block of Gillespie Avenue by a male who had been locked out of his house.  The female was contacted and since there had been a previous argument, the female unlocked the door and got her belongings to stay somewhere else at that time.

Elizabeth Lovesey, 20, Gillespie was cited for having no insurance.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2015

Officer was called to the 300 block of North Macoupin where he met with a male and female.  The male, Dustin W. Bramley, 35, Staunton was cited for possession of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9. 2015

Officer took a report from a female in the 100 block of Park Avenue who said someone hit her vehicle while it was parked in her driveway.

Cassandra M. Cathorall 22, Rockport was cited for speeding 46 MPH in a 30 MPH zone.

Crystal Avery, 34, Gillespie was cited for having no insurance.

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2015

Christian N. Schlotmann, 23, Gillespie was cited for electronic communication device while driving.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2015

Officers were called to Staunton Road at Charles Street for a vehicle that went into a deep ditch. Jonathan D. Genisio, 29, Gillespie was taken to a local hospital for injuries and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, no insurance, improper lane usage, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, failure to notify SOS of address change and failure to wear seat belt.

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Record turnout at Partnership for Educational Excellence trivia night, Grand raffle kicked off

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FRONT ROW: Bill Hayes; Lindsay Irwin; Marena Hayes; Diana Hayes; Scott Haenel. 
BACK ROW: Nolan Hayes, Blake Hayes; Matt Irwin; Ashlen Hayes; Heather Hayes.

The Partnership for Educational Excellence raised nearly $4,500 at its “For the Love of Education” Trivia Night on Saturday, February 15 at the Gillespie Civic Center.  The evening’s highlights included a record turnout of 25 tables, great participation in the latest Grand Raffle kickoff, and generous donations from winning teams and absentee “Out to Recess” businesses.

The evening is the Partnership’s one and only fund raiser to support programs for CUSD7 students: district-wide classroom grants and academic tuition scholarships for GHS grads. The current school year marks a three year $90,000 gift to CUSD7 for student computers.  And an all-time record was set last year when 38% of the GHS Class of 2024 won college scholarships.

The winning Hayes family team scored a 94% “grade” and donated back their $150 prize.  The third-place team of Semplowski family and friends, dedicated their $50 prize to the ongoing Travis Semplowski scholarship.  Almost all team scores were in the 90% and 80% range.

“Early Bird” drawing of raffle tickets sold that night gave $100 each to Steve Joyce and to Tracy Wilhoit. Their Grand Raffle tickets also make them eligible for the final $5,000 prize to be drawn on Saturday, April 12, 2025. If not all tickets are sold, the prize will be a 50/50 split.  Tickets are available from any Partnership director. Volunteer Cindy Brummett assisted with ticket sales. Ten attendees won gift cards purchased by The Partnership from local merchants. 

In addition to 25 tables of players, several long-time business and professional sponsors bought “absentee” tables through The Partnership’s “Out to Recess” program:  Gene Hebenstreit of Victory Lane Ford in Litchfield; Nick Kravanya DDS of Kravanya and Boente dental offices in Carlinville and Litchfield; Wally Ottersburg of Daley Bruckert Chevrolet in Staunton; Boente Shell Station in Gillespie; Kasten-Goodman Insurance Agency in Carlinville; and Rick Verticchio Law Offices in Carlinville and Gillespie.

The Partnership wishes to thank its all-volunteer board of directors.  On hand that night were Vice President Donna Prevedell, Treasurer Rose Tebbe, Secretary Rosie Emmenderfer, Founder Nancy Grandone, Susan Stromsland, and Mary Kay Griffel.  Other directors who contributed to the evening’s success but were unable to attend Ken Tebbe, Carole Scheller, Ann Marie Bauer Ross, Julie Zirkelbach, Katie Ronald, and President John Fassero.

Special kudos go to the third and fourth generation Partnership volunteers who did stellar work as runners, carrying answer sheets from players to graders Norah Seraphin (9th grade), Augie Seraphin (7th grade), Eve Seraphin (4th grade) – all grandchildren of Donna and Bob Prevedell; and Mackenzie Jo McFarland (4th grade), great granddaughter of Rose and Ralph Tebbe.

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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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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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