Macoupin County Public Health Department (MCPHD) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2026 Gold Standard Award in food safety and service. The Environmental Services department congratulates 33 Macoupin County establishments that earned this prestigious honor, out of 306 licensed food service establishments in the county. This achievement reflects an exceptional commitment to excellence in food safety, sanitation, and customer service.

“We are thrilled to recognize these facilities for maintaining the highest standards of food safety and protecting the health of our community,” said Derrek Tiburzi, MCPHD Environmental Services Director. “Being recognized among this distinguished group highlights the dedication these recipients have to ongoing quality and accountability in food service.”

Gold Standard Award recipients span a diverse range of food service operations, from grocery delis and bakeries to full-service restaurants and hotels. The list below showcases the establishments that met the Gold Standard criteria for 2026:

• South Macoupin Head Start
• Walmart Deli/Bakery
• Medora Intermediate School
• GG’s Smokehouse
• Big Skillet Catering
• Ray’s Tater Wagon
• Carlinville Intermediate School
• Sips Coffee (Carlinville)
• Besserman SuperBowl
• GG’s Smokehouse Mobile Unit
• DeStefane Event Center
• TJ’s Liquor Store
• St. Alphonsus
• Gram-way Cattle & Hay
• Bunker Hill Municipal Building
• North Mac Middle Intermediate & Middle School
• Virden First United Methodist Church
• Carlinville Zion Lutheran Church
• Catholic Charities
• McEuen Farms
• Memorial Christian Church
• Hogan’s Hamlet
• Griffel Farms Beef
• Centennial 6 Farms
• Kazoo Coffee
• Mel’s Place
• Mt. Olive Care Center
• Northwestern Food Pantry
• CVS Pharmacy
• Green Room Gaming
• Virden Community Center
• Camp Hugh
• Beaver Dam Café

This recognition not only highlights the exceptional performers but also reinforces the broader importance of high standards in food service and sanitation. MCPHD’s Food Service and Retail Food Sanitation program continues to monitor and support establishments to ensure safe, healthy dining experiences for Macoupin County residents and visitors.

For more information about MCPHD’s Food Service and Retail Food Sanitation program, please visit: https://mcphd.net/food-service-and-sanitation-program/

CLASS OF 2026 (SENIORS)

High honor roll: Emily Bergen, DeShaunta Cooper Jackson, Brookelyn Crotchett, Marshall Garwood, Katherine Gerdes, Anna Giorgi, Collin Griffith, Madyson Grogg, Jule Hansmann, Lillianna Jones, Kayden Koelker, Dawson Lancaster, Sophia Lewis, Jessalyn McElyea, Dawson Morgan, Tyler Palmer, Ava Parish, Kori Petersen, Ava Rakers, Joseph Reid, Sean Roach, Lucas Rosenthal, Luke Schuckenbrock, Brody Shaw, Sadie Sholtis, Carter Sies, Nevaeh Thomas, Kaia Vickery, Whelen Walker, and Hailey Young.

Honor roll: Anthony Amoroso, Jacob Baglin, Paul Balestri, Ceanna Bearden, Edin Compton, Carson Cooper, Addison Cox, Jackson Crook, Brayden Enslow, Hank Fletcher, Zachary Haas, Carson Hailstone, Jersey Helvey, Elin Herold, Roadie Jackson, Cedrick Krieder, Kayley Maykopet, Douglas Neverdowski, Chaz Oberkfell, Zachary Phillips, Makayla Price, Paxton Reid, Desiree Rife, Alexis Schardan, Ava Segarra, Brock Sherman, Nathan Spencer, and Teagan Welch.

CLASS OF 2027 (JUNIORS)

High honor roll: Mitchell Clark, Emily Helvey, Cole Katich, and Cheyenne Sarti

Honor roll: Zowe Badolato, Jaxon Ballinger, Logan Belcher, Clayton Bethard, Sloane Brawner, Wrigley Bruhn, Jack Bulla, Bryce Carter, Keenin Compton, Lillian Conner, Olivia Crumley, Briley Flournoy, Margaret Heyen, Beverly Hupp, Marli Johnson, Lucca Kapp, Olivia Kelly, Zaden King, Isaac Kravanya, Michael Marcacci, Tember Miller, Adam Peterson, Matthew Plovich, Cash Reynolds, Karlee Rhodes, Landon Ridenhour, Kolten Robbins Lasica, Alex Schoen, Laci Schuckenbrock, Emilia Segarra, Jasmine Smith, Cali Stagner, Emerson Striegel, Payten Taylor, Caleb Thompson, Amari Vickery, Macie Williams, Maxwell Young.

CLASS OF 2028 (SOPHOMORES)

High honor roll: Cali Barkley, Scarlet Bruhn, and Hadyn Hegel

Honor roll: Bryce Alpi, Gracelynn Balestri, Dallas Barker, Logan Buhs, Aleeyah Busch, Ava Carr, Annabelle Daniels, Tegan Davis, Tess Dixon, Lyla Drewel, Madison Durston, Kylie Edge, Lainey Edwards, Taylor Flournoy, Katie Hamann, Olivia Hitos Colino, Nolan Hostettler, Levi Hughes, Henry Knetzer, Sophie Knetzer, Cory Knotts, Paige Marcum, Noah Marks, Kyndall McElyea, Weston Melchert, Alexis Nalley, Preston Noe, Stephen Otten, Elijah Pabon, Urijah Pabon, Brianna Phillips, Braden Reich, Caitlynn Rhodes, Nolan Ruyle, Kendall Schweppe, Helaina Scott, Destini Smith, Gillian Smith, Aliana Snow, Xzavier Spencer, Rafe Stangle, Richetti Stewart, Bryce Stoecker, Addisyn Tallman, Madisyn Thomas, Jason Wolf, Matrix Wright, Carter Young.

CLASS OF 2029 (FRESHMEN)

High honor roll: Chyla Crainick, Mariella Garrison, Collins Hagan, Regan Harbaugh, Marlee Hebenstreit, Kristina Schuette, Lyla Shaw, and Sydney Wilson

Honor roll: Alesana Adams, Ella Brawner, Audrina Burkel, Bryson Cox, Rayne Crites, Joshua Crumley, Thodrick Dirks, Rylee Geisler, Landyn Hagler, Owen Hammann, Kai Hampson, Isabella Harbour, Caley Head, Alex Johnson, Giana Kapp, Izzabella Manus, Frank Montoro, Storm Moreland, Sabrina Osborn, Amaelie Patterson, Dominique Payne Jr., Lila Polach, Avianna Ranger Fleshman, Jewel Rife, Dominic Savant, Jacob Schuette, Holden Sies, Kelleigh Simmons, Hanley Stoecker, Addyson Strang, Graham Striegel, Paige Swank, Jacob Walker, Jazmin Webb, Payton Welch, Bryleigh Whaley, Ashton Wright, and Michael Yeager.

Members of the Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education on Monday night provided the administration with general direction regarding upcoming facility improvement projects, and learned about potential safety threats related to mine subsidence near school property.

Supt. Shane Owsley told board members that the administration is working on evacuation plans after learning of a mine subsidence event on Elm Street within a block of school property. The event reportedly started at the end of February and has caused damage to nine homes so far. While the threat of mine subsidence damaging school buildings is minimal, school officials are more concerned about the possibility of a natural gas leak.

The subsidence area is transected by a high-pressure, six-inch natural gas pipeline that could rupture as the subsidence event continues. Owsley said Ameren determined the line was installed in 1957, meaning the line may be able to withstand more ground movement than a newer line could. Materials used 70 years ago for such installations were more durable than materials used today. Still, a breach in the pipeline could be a catastrophic event.

A ruptured line would release a cloud of natural gas, according to Owsley. With the nearest shut-off located in Carlinville, such a rupture would require evacuating the entire district campus if prevailing winds were in the direction of the school. Moving high school and middle school students and staff to BenGil Elementary would not be adequate, Owsley said, “because the elementary school is not far enough away.”

He said district officials are contacting surrounding communities to locate facilities that could be used for sheltering students and staff in the event of a gas line leak, and hope to have a written response plan completed soon.

Additionally, Owsley said he and Page are seeking a cost estimate from Marino Engineering Services, St. Louis, for a mine subsidence risk assessment for Gillespie Middle School. Marino is the company that installed concrete grout into mine shaft underlying the site of the new BenGil Elementary School. The Middle School could be vulnerable to damage because of abandoned mine shafts below the structure.

Depending upon the risk assessment, the district may consider installing grout into mine shafts under the Middle School. That process would be expensive, Board President Mark Hayes said, but it would eliminate the need for maintaining a costly mine subsidence insurance policy. 

FACILITY UPGRADES

The potential for mine subsidence in the area also plays a role in how the district will approach some capital improvements this summer. Owsley and Building Manager Brian Page reported that replacing the flooring system in the middle school gymnasium is a goat be completed before the start of 2026-27 school year.

The current 69-year-old flooring system is known to contain asbestos, leaving the district with two options. 

One option, Page told the board, is to leave the asbestos intact and cover it with a synthetic sports flooring system—thick rubberized tiles that would cover the entire floor and seal the asbestos from exposure. While less expensive than a full-on abatement, Page said the district might have to abate the asbestos anyway if a tile were to lift or move.

“It’s a rare occurrence but it is a risk,” Page said. While the existing floor appears to be in good shape but the tile system could trap moisture, causing tiles to shift or loosen. Moreover, if the floor were to be affected by mine subsidence later, tiles would be likely to become loose, necessitating an abatement project.

Bypassing the abatement process would save the district about $20,000 in cost, Page said. The cost of abatement, however, would be significantly more if the tiled flooring system failed.

Owsley concurred with board member Dennis Tiburzi who suggested “doing it right the first time.”

“I’m kind of with Dennis on this,” Owsley said. “Doing it (the abatement) now is cheaper than doing it later.”

Without taking formal action the board directed the administration to proceed with an abatement prior to replacing the gym floor with a synthetic sports surface. Owsley said the district would pay for the project with money from a $50,000 matching grant for maintenance, matched with funds from a $1.6 million alternate revenue bond issue for capital improvements authorized in 2023.

Page and Owsley also got the board’s green light to improve sound quality in the high school gymnasium. Page said Swing City Music tested speakers and provided an estimate of $12,000 to replace those that are faulty. A second rejected quote from another company called for $55,000 to replace all the speakers.

“Until we get acoustic panels in there, it’s not going to sound good,” Page noted. Having acoustic panels professionally installed could run upward of $35,000.

As an alternative, Page said he is “talking about using volunteers to make panels and self-installing them.” He said the district could acquire sound deadening material at a fraction of the cost. “It’s a matter of putting insulation on a board and covering it with sound absorbing fabric,” Page said.

“Until we get those panels, you could have a million-dollar sound system in there and it wouldn’t make a difference,” board member Dennis Tiburzi said.

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The district also is planning to refinish the high school gym floor this summer and is looking into completing HVAC and roofing work.

“We’re wanting to get our buildings where they need to be for the next 30 years,” Hayes noted.

SPORTS DISCUSSION

Kent Tarro, representing the Coal Country Sports Complex Foundation, addressed the board about the advantages of involving teenagers with organized sports. While much of the presentation was directed at providing opportunities for boys wanting to play soccer, Tarro’s statements dovetailed into a larger discussion about athletic participation in the school district.

Tarro noted that there physical, mental, social and academic advantages for teenagers involved with organized sports. 

“High school sports help teens become healthier, more confident, socially skilled, disciplined and resilient,” he said. “When it’s possible, we should give students a chance to do what they love and love what they do. I believe that playing a sport a youngster loves fits into that ideal well.”

He concluded by asking that boys in the area be given an opportunity to play soccer whether the program is a school-sponsored or parent-sponsored program.

“I’m not advocating one particular way, but I would love to see boys have that opportunity,” Tarro said, adding that the program missed last season.

Supt. Owsley said part of the issue is related to a lack of interest on the part of student athletes. At the request of the administrator, the high school Student Council made surveys available to students in January. 

“Only six people bothered to fill out a survey, out of which only one expressed an interest in soccer,” Owsley said. At the middle school level, only seven boys expressed an interest in going out for soccer in high school. “That’s eight people out of four grade levels.”

Declining participation is an issue not only for soccer, but also other sports and extracurricular activities, including football and scholar bowl. 

Maddie Durston, student representative to the board, said she and Emily Bergen talked to coaches and students about the issue, uncovering several issues that appear to limit participation. Some students are reticent to join teams for fear of being overshadowed by more experienced players. The turnover in coaching may also play a role as new coaches have different approaches with which existing teams have to adjust. 

Durston said coaches should be encouraged to be flexible when it comes to practice attendance for students who work after school. 

Athletic success also plays role, she said. Students are more likely to join winning team, she said. To mitigate that issue, she suggested formal recognition of the efforts made by teams and individuals regardless of the score at the end of the game.

Supt. Owsley agreed to an extent.

“It’s more fun when we win,” he said.

Tarro, however, said the community and parents often place too much emphasis on winning. “Our kids learn by example,” he said, suggesting that if adults emphasize winning over sportsmanship and avoid exercise, teenagers will follow that example.

Board member Bill Carter said he agreed with Tarro’s comments but questioned how to encourage greater participation among students. 

“We emphasize fun and enjoyment, and how important it is to exercise,” Tarro said. “We start children as young as three. It’s all about letting them be a part of something.”

That aspect of sports is among the most important advantages, according to Tarro. “It provides teens with a sense of belonging and being more connected to the team and their teammates,” he said.

Later in the meeting, Athletic Director Jeremy Smith provided an update on athletic programs, noting that spring sports are well underway. He noted three girls basketball players were named to the All Conference Team and several players set personal records. 

Turning to the issue of participation, he said, numbers are declining for all sports.

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“It’s not just a Gillespie problem,” he said, citing declining enrollment. “It’s across the board and I don’t see it getting much better going forward.”

PERSONNEL

The board took a number of actions aimed at staffing for the 2026-27 school year and well as summer school class offering. The actions followed an executive session of about 45 minutes.

On a motion by Bill Carter, seconded by Peyton Bernot, the board hired Steven Fowler as a first-year, non-tenured teacher for the 2026-27 school year, tentatively assigned as a high school social science teacher. The hire is contingent upon a routine background check and verification of certification.

The board also voted unanimously to hire Sophia Ruffatto as a first-year non-tenured teacher for the 2026-27 school year, tentatively assigned as an elementary school teacher. Ruffatto’s hire also is subject to a routine background check and verification of certification.

Looking ahead to offering summer school classes after the end of the current school year, the board voted in separate actions to post vacancies for a middle school summer math teacher, a middle school summer science teacher, two high school summer drivers education teachers, a high school summer math teacher, and a high school summer English teacher. The summer positions are contingent upon classes having enough enrollment to justify offering them.

The board also posted a vacancy for a summer school cafeteria worker.

By unanimous votes, the board accepted the resignation of Sydney Owsley as an elementary school teacher and the resignation for purposes of retirement of Katie Prange as a high school English teacher. Both resignations are effective at the end of the current school year.

In separate actions, the board accepted resignations from Jordan Bartok as Gillespie High School head volleyball coach, and Shelsie Price as assistant high school volleyball coach.

Later in the meeting, the board accepted the recommendation of Athletic Director Jeremy Smith to rehire winter coaches for the coming academic year as follows: Jake Kellebrew, head high school basketball coach, Korben Clark and Michael Otten as assistant high school basketball coaches, and Ryan Cash, volunteer assistant high school basketball coach; Nikki Brawner, head high school girls basketball coach; Matt Brawner, assistant high school girls basketball coach, and Michael Rodriquez, volunteer assistant high school girls basketball coach; Andrea Williamson, head high school dance coach, and Elizabeth Daugherty  as a volunteer assistant coach; Alexis Lucky, head high school cheerleading coach with Asia Washington as volunteer assistant coach; Jill Kelly, head middle school cheerleading coach; Pete Visintin, seventh grade girls basketball coach; Liz Visintin, eighth grade girls basketball coach; Trae Wargo, seventh grade boys basketball coach; Tate Wargo, eighth grade boys basketball coach; Liz Thackery, seventh grade middle school volleyball coach; and Celia Jubelt as eighth grade middle school volleyball coach.

OTHER ACTION

In other action, the board accepted a bid from M & M Service Company to provide gasoline and biodiesel for the coming year. Despite recent increases in oil prices, the district was able to lock in a price of $2.715 for gasoline and $3.22 for biodiesel.

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