Community News
Jack Burns speaks to Rotary
Burns is currently a command sergeant major in the 108th Sustainment Brigade in the National Guard.
The Area Rotary met in a regular meeting on Tuesday, November 1st at Toni’s Restaurant in Benld. Joe Tieman, Assistant Superintendent of CUSD #7, introduced Jack Burns to the Rotary after the luncheon.
Mr. Burns has spent over 25 years in the school district, according to Tieman. Mr. Burns is a high school teacher where he teaches social studies, geography, college level world history, and mechanical drafting. Along with his years of dedication to education, Jack has done “an outstanding job in the sports arena.” Jack is the head coach of girls track and also an assistant football coach.
“Prior to our new track, Jack won conference and county championships,” Mr. Tieman noted, “This says a lot about his coaching ability, since we did not even have a track at the time.” Along with all these things, Mr. Burns also is the chairperson of the safe schools committee at CUSD #7. According to Tieman, Mr. Burns was very instrumental in establishing a “state-of-the-art school security plan.”
Above all others engagements, Mr. Burns is currently a command sergeant major in the 108th Sustainment Brigade in the National Guard and that is the main reason he was called on to speak at Tuesday’s luncheon.
Jack opened his speech by reminding the Rotarians about upcoming Veteran’s Day, November 11, and gave insight that it was once called Armistice Day until Eisenhower changed it in the 1950’s. “Veteran’s Day recognizes all soldiers who have served while Memorial Day honors soldiers that have gave their life,” Jack said.
Being a history teacher at Gillespie High School, Mr. Burns plays an active role in commemorating Veteran’s Day. On Veteran’s Day, Ms. Olson organizes a flag ceremony with the local VFW for the students. “In my history classes, I teach the kids about these two holidays [Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day],” Jack explained, “And at the end of the school year around Memorial Day, I take my students to Benld Cemetary and mark the graves with flags.” The students get to count this project as community service, according to Burns.
Jack went on to explain a new scholarship program which was introduced by Vicki DeWitt. DeWitt approached the school last year about a grant funded through the World War II Veterans of Illinois. To apply, the student is to interview a WWII Veteran and then edit/create a video of the interview. Many other stipulations apply. GHS took part in this scholarship fund for the first time last year and tied for first while receiving second place and numerous other honorable mentions.
The Illinois National Guard, which Burns plays a pivotal role in, contains over 10,000 soldiers. “A lot of people do not understand how military is broken down,” Burns explained, “There are 44 armories in Illinois.” Anyone of those armories can have between 40-400 soldiers. In Illinois, there are 5 major commands, according to Burns. “I have 2,500 soldiers in my brigade and I go to over 14 armories,” Jack said.
Burns explains how David Dickie received his medal of honor.
“Illinois has played a major role in the last 10 years in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Burns explained, “Many soldiers have deployed from Illinois.”
As a command sergeant major, Burns has done two tours in the war. His first tour was in Germany and his greatest enemy was German beer. “Trying to keep my soldiers out of trouble was my biggest task,” Burns said as he laughed. The second tour was in Iraq, where he was there for 18 months.
On a higher level, Burns went on to explain two local medal of honor winners. Both of the local medal of honor winners are buried in the Gillespie Cemetery. “This is the highest medal you can receive in the military,” Burns said.
The medal of honor was started during the Civil War. The two local soldiers who received this prestigious medal are Patrick Pentzer and David Dickie.
In closing, Jack explained how the two locals received their medals. Pentzer was a Captain in Company C, 97th Illinois Infantry. Pentzer was among the first to enter the enemy’s entrenchments, he received the surrender of a Confederate general officer and his headquarters flag.
Dickie on the other hand, was a Captain, in Battery M, 15th New York Heavy Artillery. Dickie refused to leave the field, remaining in command after being wounded by a piece of shell, and led his command in the assault on the enemy’s works on the following day.
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Meet Professors and Current Students, Learn about Opportunities, Tour Campus, and Get Instant Admissions Decisions at the Events
CARLINVILLE, ILL. — Interested students and families will have two opportunities to learn more about Blackburn College this fall. The Admissions and Financial Aid teams will host Open House events on Monday, October 14, and Monday, November 11, beginning at 8:30 am. These events allow future first-time and transfer students to gather important information about the college application process.
Throughout their time on campus, prospective students and their families will explore and tour the beautiful 80-acre campus, make personal connections with current students and professors, and get to know what life is like as a Blackburn student. They will also see first-hand Blackburn’s unique approach to education—where students earn their degrees while building impactful skills and gaining real-world work experience–giving graduates a four-year head start to launch their future careers.
For Justin Norwood, Vice President for Inclusive Enrollment and a Blackburn graduate, these opportunities are valuable for prospective students and families because nothing is more important than finding a school that will be the best fit. “Finding the right college is more than just academics; it’s discovering a place where students feel supported and inspired to thrive,” Norwood said. “At Blackburn, our open house events provide an opportunity to experience what makes our community unique – the close mentoring relationships with peers and professors, the ability to build critical skills and gain real-world work experience, and a personalized financial aid approach that goes beyond affordability and is designed to meet the specific needs of every student.”
Blackburn’s Admissions and Financial Aid team will be available throughout the event to answer all your questions, including about opportunities like the Macoupin Promise – where qualified graduates of Macoupin County high schools can attend Blackburn tuition-free. For more information and to register for an event, go to blackburn.edu/visit or email admissions@blackburn.edu.
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Seven libraries in Macoupin County will welcome new visitors throughout October with a program sponsored by the region’s library system.
The 6th Annual Library Crawl invites patrons to explore new libraries throughout the Illinois Heartland Library System, which composes the southern half of the state. The Crawl also demonstrates the benefits of a library card, which allows users to check out materials from the libraries they visit.
Some 173 libraries across central and southern Illinois are taking part in the Crawl, including Gillespie, Staunton, Mount Olive, Carlinville, Brighton, Virden, and Benld. The event runs from October 1 through October 31.
The first Library Crawl was introduced in 2019 by the Bethalto Public Library, which continues to coordinate the event. The idea was designed to encourage library users to explore the resources of other libraries that are available to request and check out with a valid library card.
Twenty-eight libraries participated in that first year, a number that has now increased over six-fold.
Patrons may pick up a passport for the Crawl at any participating library, and try to visit at least five libraries during the event. A few enthusiastic individuals have actually visited every library on the Crawl in past years.
At each new library, visitors may stop at the main circulation desk to have their passports stamped. To complete the Crawl, patrons may simply return their passports to their home library.
Some libraries also offer special treats for visitors on the Crawl. After any visit to a participating library, patrons are invited to take pictures to post on social media, under the hashtag #IHLSLibraryCrawl2024.
Many libraries are closed in observance of Columbus Day on October 14, so anyone planning a visit should call ahead, to check on hours of operation.
For more information on the Crawl, visit www.illinoisheartland.org or call any of the participating libraries.
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Proceeds benefit St. Francis Cancer Center
LITCHFIELD, Ill. — The HSHS St. Francis Hospital Auxiliary will sponsor their sixth and final drive-thru dinner for 2024 on Monday, Oct. 14 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. to support the hospital’s Cancer Center expansion project.
Dinners must be ordered by noon on Monday, Oct. 7. Online ordering will not be available for this final meal, but dinner may still be ordered in the hospital gift shop or by contacting Paula Endress at 217-324-8200.
The Oct. 14 drive-thru dinner pick up will take place in front of the main hospital entrance.
The meal will feature a grilled pork chop, loaded mashed potatoes, green beans, roll and a dessert. Cost per meal is $14.
For more information about HSHS St. Francis Hospital, visit stfrancis-litchfield.org.
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Bunker Hill hosting Fall Festival this Saturday, Sept. 14
Gillespie Council votes to buy building for police department
Gillespie Council establishes penalty of late lake lot lease payments, green lights programs to display banners honoring local veterans
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Community News3 weeks agoBunker Hill hosting Fall Festival this Saturday, Sept. 14
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Community News3 weeks agoGillespie Council votes to buy building for police department
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Community News3 weeks agoGillespie Council establishes penalty of late lake lot lease payments, green lights programs to display banners honoring local veterans
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Obituaries3 weeks agoDeath of Beverly J. Katich