Community Unit School District 7 Supt. Shane Owsley accepts a donation from the 2023 Coal Country royalty during Tuesday night’s meeting of the Board of Education. The organization mades an annual donation to the district in recognition of the district allowing the organization to use school facilities for the annual pageant and practices. Those presenting the check include 2023 Coal Country Miss Madilyn Martin, Junior Miss Lydia Lowry, Junior Princess Violet Bellovich and Little Miss Vivien Bellovich.
Community Unit School District 7 will move forward with revamping and equipping the Gillespie High School weight room after members of the Board of Education voted unanimously to proceed with the project during the board’s regular monthly meeting Tuesday night, Jan. 23.
The meeting was postponed from its usual date due to icy road conditions on Monday.
Installation of new fitness equipment and flooring represents the next phase of the project. A project to install new HVAC equipment for the weight room, previously approved by the board, was completed over the winter break at a cost of about $108,000.
Supt. Shane Owsley said Direct Fitness Solutions, Mundelein, will provide and install fitness equipment focussing on cardio training, including self-powered treadmills. He said company representatives and administrators previously met with Athletic Department employees to ensure the new equipment is what “they need” for meet students’ needs for fitness training.
“This will put us in line with other schools we compete with,” Owsley said. The estimated $137,000 will come from proceeds of a $1.6 alternate revenue bond sale to underwrite capital improvements over the next three years. The bonds will be retired using revenue accruing from the county’s School Facilities Sales Tax. The district plans to pay down the bonds at a rate of about $200,000 per year, about half of what the district receives in sales tax revenue, over the next 10 years.
Board member Peyton Bernot said he recently visited the existing weight room and discovered it looked the same as it did when he graduated 14 years ago. “That equipment is very, very old,” he said.
Board members voted unanimously to approve the project on a motion by Bernot, seconded by Amanda Ross.
Owsley also reported to the board that the district was successful with an application for a state-funded safety grant in the amount of $466,365. The grant will be matched with $155,000 in local funding, giving the district more than $600,000 to spend on capital improvements related to student safety. The pending grant was the focus of discussion as the board considered the alternate revenue bond sale last year, since the grant can be used to defray the costs of some projects the district expected to finance with bond sale revenue.
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In addition, Owsley told the board he is preparing an application for a grant co-sponsored by Blue Cross-Blue Shield to build an outdoor fitness court, which would be open to the public. He said Blue Cross-Blue Shield recommended CUSD 7 for the $30,000-$40,000 grant.
PERSONNEL
Following an executive session of about 90 minutes, during which the board primarily discussed personnel issues, the board took a number of actions regarding personnel:
The board voted unanimously to extend Supt. Owsley’s contract by one year. Administrators are employed under a three-year contract, meaning Owsley’s new contract will continue through the 2026-27 school year.
Board members unanimously accepted the retirement of BenGil Elementary teacher Lori Emmons, effective at the end of the 2027-27 school year.
The board voted unanimously to terminate the employment of bus driver Christy Besserman, effective Jan. 22; accept the resignation of bus aide Cindy McCarty, effective Jan. 24; and accept the resignation of bus driver Alicia Landreth, effective, Jan. 6, and post a vacancy for the position.
Board members voted unanimously to accept “with regret” the resignations of Matt Browner as middle school 8th grade girls basketball coach, and Nikki Browner as middle school 7th grade girls basketball coach.
Anthony Kranvanya was appointed by a unanimous vote as a volunteer high school men’s basketball coach, pending certification and a background check.
The board voted unanimously to hire Rebecca Leitschuh-Birdsell as a substitute bus driver, pending certification and a background check.
Korben Clark was hired by a unanimous vote as head coach for the high school women’s track and and field program.
Alex Ottersburg was hired by a unanimous vote as an assistant high school track and field coach, pending certification and a background check.
Board members also voted unanimously to re-employee high school football coaches Dalton Barnes, Nate Henrichs, Cory Bonstead, and Donnie Allen, and volunteers Alex Jasper, Korean Clark and Zayne Ireland.
SURPLUS PROPERTY
The board voted unanimously to sell to Stacy Hart and previously identified surplus lot owned by the district and located on Park Avenue, Gillespie. Hart, who was the sole bidder for the property, offered to pay $800 for the parcel.
The board also voted to accept a seniority list for certificated and non-certificated employees.
GHS Principal Jill Rosentreter presented this year’s Illinois State Scholars—Michael Bertetto, Alexia Emelander, Graciela Koch and Leo Page. Each of the GHS seniors scored 31 or higher on the state’s standardized test, according to Rosentreter.
“These students are amazing in every way,” Rosentreter said. “We’re going to see great things from them after they graduate.”
The board also accepted a donation from the Coal Country Queen organization, in recognition of the district allowing the queen program to use school facilities for practices and for the annual queen pageant. Miss Coal Country 2023 Madilyn Martin, Junior Miss Lydia Lowry, Junior Princess Violet Bellovich, and Little Miss Vivien Bellovich attended the meeting to present the check.
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.
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.
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!