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Hyde assures Board New School will be complete in Feb. 2013

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8th period is a great success

Tom Hyde presents the new school exterior materials to the school board.

Tom Hyde updated the school board on current capital projects on Monday evening’s board meeting that took place on April 23. Hyde introduced an updated schedule and an overall planning schedule. The planning schedule dated from 2009 when the site selection committee was established to 2012, where we are today.

The construction schedule is set to be complete in February of 2013. “There is a lot to go yet, but that is kind of what we are looking at,” Hyde explained. He went on to say the biggest issue that set the project back was the mine grouting. According to Hyde, they planned for three months and it took five months.

Korte & Luitjohan started April 1 and has most of the foundation complete and will start on the south end of the building shortly.  Their work is scheduled to be complete toward the end of May. Steel should be brought it in the beginning of next week. Contegra has also started on the underground plumbing.

Hyde then went on to explain the color scheme to the board. The outside of the school will be “Gillespie Brick” along with 3 feet of pre-cast material which will look like lime-stone. “It doesn’t look like lime-stone up close, but it will from a distance,” Hyde assured. The exterior roof will be beige along with the accent material of the windows. “It will go best with the brick.”

“We are looking at a 39% energy efficient savings over the requirements for today,” Hyde noted, “The number still does not reflect wind power and natural day light.” Hyde went on to ask the school board to approve a $53,107 change order on the installation for underground utilities. The underground wiring would run from the Methodist Church down Kelly Street into the transformer outside of the school. To eliminate all above ground powering from the church down to Oak Street would basically hide all the wiring on the entire property. The figure also includes 5 street lights down Kelly Street.

Jennifer Brown, RTR director, explains that the 8th period is a great success.

Superintendent Paul Skeans urged the board to approve the $53,107 change order to “beautify” the property. “I want the school to look as beautiful as possible and I think we could do this by hiding all the wiring,” Skeans added. Board members frowned upon why these figures were not included in the original bid while Hyde explained that Ameren was not available at that time to get their bid. The school board later went on to object the change order and keep the wiring above ground for no additional cost.

Mrs. Jennifer Brown, RTR director, gave the school board an update on eighth period. Brown reiterated that the program is only for first and second semester senior and juniors whose grade point average was above 3.0 along with second semester sophomore who were above 3.0. “I think the program is great,” Brown explained, “We moved some kids out of the program. I think it is a great success!”

Targeted students receive interventions at least twice per week or four intensive days if they are need of both math and reading. Other students can use their time in eighth hour with their teachers using a pass system, so they could get the one-on-one time with their teachers. 30% of the students in the program were able to filter out of tier two small group instruction for eighth hour and 75% of students overall have showed marked improvement.

Under certificated personnel, the Board of Education hired Jennifer Brown for summer school 2012 consumer education and driver’s education and hired Rob Macias for summer school 2012 drivers’ education. They also approved posting for 2 Elementary School teaching positions for FSY 2013.

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For non-certificated, the Board of Education hired Denise Graham for the Unit Office Staff position and posted a summer food service position. The board also accepted resignation of high school scholar bowl coach, Matt Brawner effective at the end of the FSY 2012. The board went on to approve to post for a high school scholar bowl coach position for FSY 2013.

After requesting bids on three school buses, the board approved sales of the surplus property. The board of education accepted the bid of $2,051.25 from John Van Doren for bus #8, a 1996 International Thomas 65 passenger school bus. They also accepted the bid of $3,015.00 for bus #9, 2001 Freightliner Thomas 65 passenger school bus, and $1,420.00 for bus #17, 1993 International Thomas 71 passenger school bus, from Ponder Equipment & Company.

School administrators then updated the board on current activity in each building. Mr. Tiburzi, high school principal, told the board that mid-term report cards were distributed on April 19th. He also congratulated Dallas DeMartini on his first place WYSE state physics competition and congratulated Abigail Harszy as she was a state winner in Environmental Science and Natural resources Management competition.

Tiburzi went on to extend congratulations to Zach Logan for runner-up in Diversified Horticulture competition and to the Ag Mechanics Team who received first place in sectional competition. Members included Zach Logan (First Electricity), Kyle Reid (First Tractor Power), Graham Cooper (First Welding), Stephanie Hartke (Second Surveying), Austin Neider (Second Carpentry), and Spencer Laughlin (Fifth Ag Business Management).

Lastly, he congratulated Austin Neider for first in MTI Welding Competition along with Graham Cooper who received second and Josh Jacobs who received third. He went on to explain that prom is scheduled for May 5 and graduation is slated for May 20 at 2:00pm.

Lori Emmons, middle school principal, extended her luck to Stephen DeMartini and Emily Harszy who will be attending the State Science Fair in Champaign. She also explained that fifth grade students will attend an orientation in the middle school to ease the preparation for sixth grade. “We are very excited to do this for our future 6 grade students,” Emmons explained, “Hopefully it will ease some of the anxiety that goes along with starting middle school.”

Emmons went on to announce that the middle school honors banquet will be on May 2 and Mrs. Gloria Sidar will be the guest speaker. She closed with conference news. The baseball team won the 2M conference this year along with the eighth grade basketball team while the eighth grade girls baseball team and seventh grade boys basketball team got second in the 2M conference.

Benld Elementary principal, Angela Turcol, announced that Rylee Jarman won the fifth grade spelling bee held at Carlinville Intermediate School. She also went on to say that the AR Picnic with the Principal is going to be held on May 11. Students who reached their AR goal will be treated to a picnic at Big Brick Park where they get to dine with the principal and engage in activities.

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Lastly, the board approved the FSY 2013 school calendar as presented, and approved to amend FSY 2012 calendar as presented in new business. They also approved to apply for the 50/50 match maintenance Grant of $50,000 as presented and accepted the FSY 2012 School District Library Grant in the amount of $1,012.57.

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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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