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Opel is Teacher of the Year
Deb Opel was recently named the Teacher of the Year by Brian
Guebert of Edward Jones Investments in Red Bud, sponsor of
the program.
She was previously named the Teacher of the Month for
September this past fall.
Opel has just completed her 27th year teaching in the
prekindergarten program at Red Bud Elementary School. This
was also her last year teaching, as she retired at the end
of the school year.
She holds a bachelors degree in elementary education and
early childhood education.
Moonlight Madness is this Saturday
Moonlight Madness will hit Lincoln Park this Saturday, May
19. The Chamber sponsored event will be loaded with
activities for all ages.
The 3 on 3 Tournament for both males and females will begin
at 2 p.m. Competition levels will include third and fourth
grade, fifth and sixth grade, seventh and eighth grade, high
school freshmen through seniors as well as competitors 18-25
years and 26 and older. Sign up by Friday, May 18. Entry
forms available at Weir Ford or State Bank of Prairie du
Rocher.
The event will also include a Pub Crawl/Bicycle Poker run.
Sign up between 2:00 and 2:30 at Lincoln Park and tour the
pubs on your bicycle. End at Lincoln Park at 6 p.m.
The feature event for the evening will be the HobKnobber
race. Sign up by 6 p.m. Racing begins at 6:30 p.m. For those
who didn’t participate last year, this is a race for both
males and females in high heels and nylons. The track is
just 20 yards long so challenge co-workers or other
organizations/businesses to see who can claim the title.
(Participants should provide your own heels and nylons)
Local airman found dead
A local airman was found deceased in his dormitory while
attending training at the Fairchild Air Force Base in
Washington.
Official reports state that Airman 1st Class John Bradshaw
was pronounced dead at 8:15 a.m. on May 12 by the American
Medical Response.
While the official reports did not release his age or
hometown, the Air Force had recently sent out a press
release about Bradshaw’s graduating from basic training at
Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. (This release
can be found on page 5A of the May 3 edition of the North
County News.)
In that release it was stated that Bradshaw was the son of
Wayne Bradshaw of Red Bud and was a 2011 graduate of Red Bud
High School.
County care center to face new tax
Randolph County Care Center Administrator Ken Slavens had
some bad news at the May 11 Randolph County Board of
Commissioners meeting.
“Starting on June 1 the state is going to enact a tax,” he
told the commissioners. Slavens went on to elaborate that
the state is imposing a tax of $6.07 per occupied bed, minus
Medicare, at the care center every day.
“We will have to pay $6,000 to $8,000 a month,” he stated.
“We only have approximately 25 percent Medicare, so it’s
really going to hurt us.”
And the news got worse, “And they expect us to pay from last
year.” Slavens added that the law enacting this tax was
actually passed last year, but the state could not tax the
care centers until it paid them what it owed. “So now that
they’re paid up to September last year, they want payment.”
The law is also particular about who pays for the tax. “The
law was written in a way that the facility can’t just tax
the residents,” Slavens noted, saying that the center cannot
pass along the cost of the tax. “This is going to put people
out of business.”
Upset about the tax, Slavens told the commissioners that he
has been trying to contact as many state officials as he can
about the matter. He will report back to the board on the
matter at their next meeting. |
