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School Board Meeting Summary – Monday, May 23rd

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Members of the Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education voted on Monday night to seek bids for grouting mine workings beneath the site of the propose new elementary school and for earth moving work to prepare the site for pouring the building pad.

As part of the motions to seek bids for the initial construction work, the board accepted school architect Tom Hyde‘s recommendation to slightly reposition the building on the building site to take better advantage of solid coal remaining in the seam beneath the school site.  The adjustment moves the school about 30 feet further west than originally planned and about 40 feet to the south.  The repositioning will put the building within 160 feet of the southern property line, but still leaves room for a parking area to serve the prekindergarten area located at the south end of the building.

Hyde said he was making the recommendation to shift the location of the building after further consultation with Gerry Maurino, an engineer based in Champaign who specializes in mine grouting projects.

The district will seek bids for grouting the mine workings to encompass an area representing a 15 degree “angle of influence” from the edge of the building.  With the mine tunnels located approximately 300 feet below ground, the grouted area will extend about 90 feet from the edges of the building.

Hyde also recommended seeking an alternate bid to extend grouting to a 25 degree angle of influence off the northwest and southwest wings of the building.  Earlier this month, the board discussed using enhanced construction techniques at the ends of the wings to further protect the building from subsidence damage in the event of a catastrophic failure in one of the adjoining mine panels.  Extending the grout to a 25 degree of influence in those two areas would eliminate the need for enhanced construction methods, while increasing the cost of grouting by only three to four percent, Hyde said.

Answering a question from Supt. Paul Skeans, Hyde said the three to four percent increase in the grouting cost would still be within the budget the district has established for grouting.

In other areas, shifting the location of the building will provide virtually the same protection as grouting to a 25 degree angle of influence by better utilizing remaining coal underground.  “Essentially, we can get a 25 degree angle of influence virtually everywhere without a big difference in cost,” Hyde noted.

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At the same time, the district will seek bids for building pad grading on the site.  That work, according to Hyde will involve removing about 18 inches of topsoil, then bringing in clay to build the building site up by three or four feet.  The clay material will be compacted as it is installed to provide a stable building surface for the new school.

Hyde said the grading work should be done prior to the grouting work to facilitate the grouting project.  Grouting the mine will involve drilling holes to the depth of the mine and injecting a concrete-type material to fill the mining voids below the school building site.

According to Hyde, having the building pad built up to an elevation of three or four feet will provide better draining and provide better working conditions for workers installing the grout.  Wet weather and mud delayed drilling work earlier this year when engineers were testing to determine the exact location of mine workings under the site.

Hyde said bid specifications for the grouting and grading work have not been completed.  The bid documents are likely to be approved at the next regular meeting of the board, or the board could call a special meeting for the purposed of approving specifications and getting the bid process started.

In other action, the board appointed School Board President Mark Hayes to serve as boy’s varsity soccer coach for the 2011-2012 school year.  Hayes abstained from voting.

Skeans told the board and members of the audience that hiring Hayes for the position would not be a conflict of interest because soccer is a parent-funded sport.  “We checked with our legal counsel to make sure that was the case,” Skeans said. “What happened is that Mr. (Joe) Tieman (High School Principal) and Mr. (Dennis) Tiburzi (Athletic Director) decided to pursue Mark Hayes for this position and he graciously agreed to accept it.”

In other personnel action, the board accepted the resignation of high school math teacher Katie Benz and voted to post the position as vacant, with the proviso that preference would be given to candidates with a masters degree.  Benz, who taught for four years in the school district, has accepted a position with Staunton High School.

Hayes said the preference for a candidate with a master’s degree is based on the board’s desire to offer dual credit math courses which will give students an opportunity to earn college credits while still in high school.

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The board also accepted the resignation of Gillespie High School band instructor Mike Sauerhage, and accepted the resignation of Carl Seago as a volunteer assistant high school football coach.

Board members voted unanimously to hire Christine Niehaus as a first-year, non-tenured language arts teacher at the middle school level, and to hire Celia Jubelt as the Gillespie Middle School volleyball coach for the 2011-2012 school year.

The board also hired Penney Feeley and Janice Hammann as cafeteria workers for the school lunch and breakfast program associated with the district’s summer school program.

After some discussion, the board agreed to authorize Skeans to sell bleachers and other items from the old Benld Elementary School to the Mount Olive School District.  The Benld school has been vacant for two years since being damaged by mine subsidence.  Skeans said the district has been removing material that could be salvaged for use elsewhere in the district.

The bleachers, however, will not work with the design of the new elementary school, he said, and Mount Olive has agreed to purchase them for $10,000. Mount Olive will provide the labor to remove and move the bleachers.  On a motion by Peyton Bernot, seconded by Hayes, the board voted to allow the Superintendent to sell the bleachers, ceiling tiles, lights and other materials. Skeans said the material can be sold to Mount Olive School District without seeking bids through an intergovernmental memorandum of understanding.  He said he will not dispose of fixtures and materials that would render the old building unsaleable.

In other action, the board:
Accepted a contract with TheraKids, Shipman, to provide physical and occupational therapy for the school’s special education program for the 2011-2012 school year.  The company has provided such services for the special education cooperative for the past 14 years.

Approved application for a $145,000 renewable emergency relocation grant from the State Board of Education to pay for leasing modular classroom units to house displaced Benld Elementary School students.

Approved changes recommended by staff for the Gillespie Middle School student handbook.

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Reauthorized cooperative athletic agreements with the Mount Olive School District for boys and girls cross country, boys soccer and wrestling.

-Written and Contributed by David Ambrose

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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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