Search continues for a grade school principal
Red Bud Elementary School has been without a principal since the abrupt resignation of Larry Lovel on July 26. And so far the search for a replacement principal has not been going well.

At the Aug. 19 Red Bud Community School District’s Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Rick Goodman noted, “The search has not been successful. We haven’t found anyone to meet our standards.”

He then said that they may end up looking for and appointing someone as an interim principal for now and renew their search later.

Board President Larry Gielow thanked Mary Ringering, the school’s assistant principal, for stepping up and helping out as the school was suddenly left without a principal just weeks before school started. He added, “We’ll try to get you some help soon.”

Pam Rau briefly spoke out on behalf of herself and all the teachers at the elementary school, thanking Ringering for all the extra work she’s done to make sure the school year got underway smoothly.

The next big issue that the board discussed was this year’s transportation contract with Dehne Bus Service. The problem with the annual contract stems from the fact that the state decided to cut school transportation funding. This is a loss of $240,000 to the Red Bud School District.

“This is a big chunk of money,” noted Goodman. “We will need to rethink our extracurriculars.”

Gielow reported that they had met with Dehne twice now, had submitted both a proposal and counterproposal, which were turned down, and are submitting a new proposal.

In her report, High School Principal Sarah Imhoff  noted that enrollment is up this year and that 90 percent of students came in and registered on registration day. Additionally, the freshmen welcome night was very well attended.

Imhoff noted that high school science teacher Becky Thompson was selected to be one of 10 teachers from across the nation to present at the iBio conference to be held in Washington D.C.

In school improvement efforts, she noted that the new focus is to focus on the positives and to celebrate the successes and improvements of all students.

Imhoff was also happy to report on the school’s ACT results. The school’s composite score is 20.1, which is a gain of three-tenths of a percent from the previous year.

“Our average score is going up. Three-tenths doesn’t look like much, but it’s monumental,” she stated.

From the elementary school, Ringering reported that this year’s open house event was probably the best ever attended. She also added that enrollment is also up for them this year.

Building and Grounds Administrator Randy Battas reported that all of the district’s life safety work has been completed and the roofers were scheduled to be completed with their work on Aug. 20. Most of the work left to be completed was just the gutters for the elementary school.

Board member Norb Kassing asked about what was going to be done with the softball field, to which Goodman responded that he has “Some companies chomping at the bit to work on it” and that they will have to sit down and discuss the matter further.

Kassing also stated that he feels the football field needs an automatic watering system.

Goodman didn’t have much else to report on aside from the principal search, but he did note that they are working on new procedures for school fundraisers.

The board approved of the Perandoe budget as presented. They also moved their September meeting date to the fourth Thursday, Sept. 23, so that the district’s 2010/2011 budget hearing could be held 15 minutes prior to that meeting. They also moved their November meeting to Nov. 17 as the board members will be attending the state school board conference on the regular meeting night.

In personnel matters for the month, the board approved: recalling Mary Whitehouse as a high school part-time custodian and Janet Schwartz as a bus aide; maternity leaves for Sara Finch and Carrie Beshoar; Matt Fisher as the BETA sponsor; Jessica Buettner as an elementary school EOC aide; Mariah Root as an elementary school early childhood aid; Jennifer Mueth for teaching third grade and as the junior high volleyball coach; Adam Kunkel as a volunteer junior high baseball coach; Kyle Kueker as a volunteer football coach; and Kay Courtney as a volunteer high school coach. 

New school year, new teachers
The new school year has begun and as always there’s plenty of new faces roaming the halls of our local schools. Among the new faces are some new teachers and aides.

Red Bud Elementary School is starting the new year with 597 students and seven new faculty/staff members.

Jenny Mueth has taken a third grade teaching position and is also the new junior varsity volleyball coach. She was raised in Millstadt and is a 2002 graduate of Belleville West High School. She received her bachelors in communication studies from Eastern Illinois University in 2006 and her teacher certification in elementary education from Lindenwood University this year. Her parents are Joel and Lynne Mueth, and her siblings are Tara and Jared Mueth. She is engaged to Adam Miear. Mueth currently resides in Belleville.

Sarah North, a Sparta native, is now teaching first grade at the elementary school. She was a 2003 graduate of Sparta High School and a 2007 graduate of Butler University, with a degree in elementary education. Before coming to Red Bud, she taught kindergarten for two years in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is married to Mitch North, and they reside in Sparta.

Bree Badgley is now working with second and third grade students to develop and foster reading skills to help them become successful in the classroom. She was raised in Belleville, where she also currently resides, and is a graduate of Althoff High School. She received a bachelors in communication from Saint Louis University and a masters of arts in teaching from Lindenwood University. Previously, she was a Title 1 aide for Belleville District 118. Her parents are Beth and Brad, and her sister is Blaire.

Mariah Root is an early childhood teacher’s aide. She is a graduate of Metro-East Christian Academy and is a current college student. She currently resides in Red Bud. Her mother is Carol Root, and her daughter is Ariha Root.

Jessica Buettner, who was raised in the Waterloo area, is a personal aide at the elementary school. She graduated from McKendree in 2005 with a bachelors in psychology. She currently resides in Red Bud.

Taking the position of administrative assistant at the elementary school is Rachel Koudela, a Red Bud native. She graduated from Red Bud High School in 2003 and received a bachelors in geography education from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She resides in Red Bud with her husband Ryan, and daughter Dyllan.

David Seders is a new custodian at the school. He is a 1998 graduate of Waterloo High School. He is married to Melanie and they reside in Prairie du Rocher with their two sons and daughter.

Red Bud High School is starting out this school year with 438 students and one new teacher.

Janelle Kuhn was raised in Okawville and graduated from Okawville High School in 2005. She graduated from Illinois College in 2009 with a bachelors in education and a k-12 physical education and 5-12 health endorsement. Previously she taught at Winchester High School for a year. At Red Bud, she is a PE teacher, as well as the head girls golf coach and head girls basketball coach. Her parents are Mark and Lisa Kuhn, and her brother is Travis Kuhn. She is engaged to Andrew Pfeiffer.

St. John’s Lutheran School was happy to report that their enrollment was up this year. They have 47 preschool students and 124 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. They have one new teacher this year.

Justin Palm is teaching sixth, seventh and eighth grade science, as well as eighth grade homeroom. He was raised in Hoffman and graduated from Carlyle High School. He graduated from Kaskaskia College in 2004 with an associates of science, Eastern Illinois University in 2006 with a bachelors of science in education and is attending Southern Illinois University. Previously he taught at Trinity Lutheran School in Centralia. He is married to Christy Palm.

St. John the Baptist Catholic School is starting the year with 97 students and one new teacher.

Anna DiCarlo, a Red Bud native, is the new third grade language arts and fourth grade English teacher. She graduated from Red Bud High School in 2002, Southwestern Illinois College in 2005 and received her bachelors in elementary education from St. Louis University in 2009. Previously, she was a substitute teacher at Hancock Place in St. Louis and for the Red Bud school district. Her parents are Frank and Angela DiCarlo, and her siblings are Carlo and Sabrina DiCarlo.

New at Christ Our Savior High School this year is Matthew Foster. He will be teaching math and history classes. He was raised in St. Louis city and currently resides in Waterloo. He was a 2005 graduate of Lutheran High School South in St. Louis and he graduated from Concordia University Nebraska in May of this year with a bachelors of science in education. His parents are Jerry and Lynne of St. Louis and he has a brother Michael, who is currently attending University of Missouri. 

Evansville - new trustee, same old problems By Dave Trinka
The Evansville Village Board grappled further with the issue of finding a police chief and faced continued complaints about water bills from residents during last Thursday’s meeting.

Village President Mark Otten noted that there was no power at the village hall on Monday and the meeting had to be rescheduled for Thursday.

The first order of business was to appoint someone to the last open position on the village board. Joe Krack was appointed to the spot left by Trustee Nick Schoenberger when he resigned in June.

Interim police chief Kenny Kempfer gave his report of activities to the board.

In July, Police Chief Brian Thomas addressed the board. He informed the board he has spoken to his attorney and will not be resigning from the position. The board cannot remove him from the position as he is on medical leave.

At a special executive session on July 26, the board appointed  Kempfer as the interim police chief and to place Thomas, who has been on medical leave due to a back injury, on an unpaid leave.

However, in July the board did not announce any salary for the interim position.

Otten asked the board if they had any business that needed to be handled in executive session. The trustees looked around at each other. Eventually Trustee Steven Kueker said “yes.”

Otten asked what the executive session was needed for. “For employee salary issues?” Otten asked. Kueker again replied yes.

The board returned with nothing more to announce after about 30 minutes. The board plans to have continued discussions on the salary issues.

Resident Debbie Thompson addressed the board with another problem she is having with her water bill. She has addressed the board many times in the past year with problems.

“I am getting tired of this,” she said. “I feel like I am getting singled out.”

This month’s problem was she was double-billed on her water bill. When she paid the bill she left the check with the clerk’s daughter. However, the payment was never recorded.

Thompson had to get a copy of the check from the bank showing  the village had cashed it. Once she had the canceled check, the matter was quickly resolved by village staff.

“So, why are you here if she took care of it?” Otten asked.

“Why doesn’t she know I paid my bill?” Thompson countered. “It’s okay now, she fixed it. It is something every month.”

The discussion then degenerated when Otten called Thompson a liar. “We don’t trust you,” he said. “You’ve lied to city employees.”

Otten referenced a previous water problem where the two parties were in disagreement on who turned her water on and off at her home. The two argued the point and then discussion shifted to swimming pools.

Otten asked who had given Thompson permission to fill her pool from the village fire hydrants. Thompson said Superintendent Jim Braun did and she had been on the list to get her pool filled, as is the normal procedure in the village.

Eventually Otten grew tired of the argument. “Your three minutes are up,” he said.

The board also addressed other issues with the water bills. Otten said there is currently $4,691 in unpaid water bills in the village.

“A lot of people are getting behind,” Otten said. “A lot of these are $200-plus.”

Kueker suggested the village send out letters to anyone who is 90 days over on their water bills and then they can turn the water off. Village Code Officer Rick Zweigart said letters should be sent out at 60 days and the water could then be turned off at 90 days.

Thompson stated that the village already has an ordinance that covers this matter. Otten replied that he would research the matter and bring it back to the next board meeting.

Zweigart reported that he has been talking with people throughout the village to get code violations taken care of.

There was one topic he wanted  

Sparta surface mine stirs controversy By Dave Trinka
A rezoning issue turned into a debate over mine safety last week at the Randolph County Board meeting.

Nighthawk Coal LLC had applied for a special use permit to create a surface mine in an agricultural district south of Sparta. The mine will be located on Roseborough Road off Chester Road between Chester Road and Illinois Route 4.

Nighthawk Coal owner Steve Carter said the pit mine will generate about half a million tons a year. He added that the operation will be manned by people from their Jackson County operation. Carter estimates the mine will run for eight to 10 years.

He said the special use permit is just the first step in the process. “We are still waiting for IDNR and the Army Corps of Engineers approval,” Carter stated.

The county board approved the special use permit. However, after they discussed the issue and approved the permit, several residents said they had some comments.

Resident Laura Schulte was concerned with health issues a mine may create. She said her daughter has respiratory issues and is worried a coal operation with coal dust and road dust will aggravate her daughter’s condition.

Schulte urged the board not to pass the special use permit, or to delay operation of the coal plant for five to 10 years until her daughter’s lungs mature.

Carter noted that the plans for the mine have been on file at the courthouse for the past year. “I hear your concerns and I am very in tune to that. We will have monthly inspections,” he said. “If your child has a problem I will help her. We don’t believe in hurting people. If there is a problem there, we will address it. We don’t want to be a bad neighbor.”

Carter added that as far as coal dust goes, that will be monitored closely. “If we are emitting coal dust from our operation we are fined,” he said. “If it is repeated, we are closed down.”

County Commissioner Terry Luehr said the county is familiar with the Blackhawk Coal Mine operations and it has been a good neighbor in the past.

Luehr noted that he has spoken with Carter about the new operation as well. “He has assured her all precautions will be taken,” Luehr said.

The Randolph County Care Center received high honors in a recent national rating. The home received five stars in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services nursing home comparison report. The home received five stars in all four ranked categories, overall quality, health inspection, quality measures and staffing.

Randolph County Care Center Administrator Liz Dilday was pleased with the ranking. “We had four stars before,” she said. “This means we are in the top 10 percent of nursing homes in Illinois.”

The top 10 percent of nursing homes get five stars, the bottom 20 percent get one star and the middle 70 percent of nursing homes receive two, three or four stars.

Dilday said the assessments are done quarterly, but due to some policy changes, this will probably be the last ranking done before the turn of the year.

Randolph County Health Department Director Tom Smith reported that the county has seen two rabid bats. He urged everyone in the county to be careful around animals since rabies has been shown to be present.

“A healthy animal can have it and not show any symptoms,” Smith stated.

In other news, the board signed a resolution showing its support for a bike trail in the western portion of the county.

A bike trail is planned from Cole Park in Chester to the stone bridge and then on to the new visitors center. Eventually the trail would also head to the Menard Home and the Kaskaskia Fort.

The city of Chester is the lead sponsor for the program but much of the trail will be along county roads. Grant money is available to help fund the trail with an 80-20 match, the larger share coming from the federal government.

The board gave their approval and support to the project. “We support the project,” County Chairman Ken Slavens said. “We are behind it.”

The board also signed a proclamation declaring Sept. 1 as Retired Teachers’ Day in Randolph County. According to the proclamation, retired teachers have been given 9,900 hours of voluntary service in the county last year. Several teachers were on hand for the proclamation.

County resident Ed Fricke was again present at the meeting, continuing a crusade against a county zoning ordinance concerning mobile home foundations.

Although he never addressed the issue directly, he said he is having trouble getting people to sign his petition. “Why are people afraid to sign it?” he asked.

Fricke then spoke about the freedoms of Americans. Slavens eventually cut him off. “(The law) it is what it is,” Slavens said. “The law is the law.”

- Births -
 

June 22, Robert Cheek, Jr. and Kassie Sellers, girl. July 23, Creston and Amanda Moore, Cape Girardeau, MO, girl. July 28, Jeremy and Sadie Donjon, Red Bud, boy. Aug. 10, Brad and Erica Krantz, Lake Ozark, MO, boy.

- Area Deaths -