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Gordon D. Jumper speaks to Area Rotary

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Gordon D. Jumper of Jacksonville, Governor of Rotary International District 6460, urged members of the Benld Area Rotary Club to recruit new members and take on new projects during his official visit to the club on Tuesday afternoon.

“Everything begins with membership,” Jumper told the club. “New members is what makes clubs grow.” Rotary members often wish their clubs would be involved in even more local projects, he said, but they know more projects will mean more work and effort on the part of Rotary members. “The easiest way to solve that problem is to add more members,” he said. “Many hands make any job easier.”

According to Jumper, surveys show that current Rotarians are reluctant to ask their friends to join simply because they feel it is an imposition on their associates.  “Why don’t you want to bring people into a club that you enjoy and to be involved in projects that enjoy?” he asked. Computer tycoon Bill Gates gave $355 million to Rotary International to combat polio, he said. Yet, when someone asked Gates why he himself was not a member, Gates replied: “No one ever asked me.” “All you have to do is ask,” he said.

Jumper also noted that retention of existing members is important to the vitality of the organization. One of the best ways to keep members, he said, is to make sure they are involved in Rotary projects and activities. When former members were asked why they left Rotary, the response was, “I never had anything to do except go to the meetings,” according to Jumper. “The best way to keep members in the club is to give them something to do,” he said.

A new Rotary initiative called New Generations consolidates a number of youth programs under one umbrella, and Jumper said Rotary International believes the new concept will help in attracting new members. “It gets young people involved in Rotary and gets them involved in community projects,” he noted. “Many of those young people are anxious to become new members.” Several local school administrators are members of the Benld Club, and Jumper said he was pleased to see the club so closely associated with the local school district. Starting this year, the club is awarding an annual scholarship to a graduating Gillespie High School Senior. The affiliation with local schools dovetails, he said, with Rotary’s emphasis on literacy and early childhood development. Rotary’s literacy program provides pictorial dictionaries to elementary school students, and encourages reading among students at all levels.

The program is funded at the district level with proceeds from a Cardinals-Cubs baseball game each summer in St. Louis. “We literally fill the ball park,” Jumper said.”And the money we raise comes back to the local clubs for literacy programs.” Jumper noted that Rotary International is near to its goal of eradicating polio worldwide. Polio has been virtually nonexistent in the United States for many years, Jumper noted, but it has remained a problem in other parts of the world. The danger, he said, is that someone unknowingly infected with polio may travel from a Third World country, putting other travelers at risk of infection.

Since Rotary began its campaign against polio, the number of new cases has dropped from 350,000 per year to fewer than 1,200 last year. For the first six months of 2011, only 200 new cases have been reported. “We are going to end polio,” Jumper said. “We made a promise to the children of the world and we are keeping that promise. You did that. You brought the world to the brink of polio eradication.”

Jumper also urged local members to be involved in the Rotary Foundation, the arm of Rotary involved in providing immunization, sanitation and clean water projects in Third World countries. During one Foundation project, he said, volunteers innoculated 47 million children in India in a single day. The Foundation also administers the Rotary Youth Exchange program and Group Study Exchange. The Group Study Exchange encourages trips by business professionals to other countries to learn about the culture, business practices and other aspects of life in the rest of the world. The cost of Foundation involvement, he said, is only $100 per year. “That’s less than the cost of a couple cups of coffee each week,” he said. “Plus, one half of what you give to the Foundation comes back to the district.”

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Jumper encouraged local members to attend an upcoming District Conference in Jacksonville. He also noted that Rotary International is going to put a greater emphasis on informing the public about Rotary’s contributions to local communities and to the world. “We need to do more show and tell,” he said.”We need to tell our communities what Rotary does for them.”

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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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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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