E-Newsletter - October 23, 2009

Brothers Get Combined 10 Years For Hecker Bank Robbery

The two brothers charged with burglarizing Hecker’s bank this past February were sentenced Thursday at the Monroe County Courthouse. Mark Cummins, 27, received six years and his younger brother, Jason Cummins, 24, will be heading to prison for the next four years.

According to the report, in the early morning hours when the bank was not open, the brothers pulled up to the then-Commercial State Bank of Waterloo branch along Route 159 in downtown Hecker. They cut the phone and alarm lines and broke their way into the bank. With everything of value locked up in a safe, the two were only able to get away with some rolls of coins. The two were later arrested in Randolph County on other robbery charges.

The bank in Hecker, now operated as Midland States Bank, was also robbed this summer when a man walked in the lobby claiming he claimed to have a bomb in a cardboard box. The man was able to escape in a vehicle with an undisclosed amount of cash. A person of interest is being held in a Missouri prison. That man also attempted, unsuccessfully, to use a bomb threat to rob another band. Monroe County State’s Attorney Kris Reitz said local authorities will have to wait until the courts in Missouri handle that case before the accused could be extradited to Illinois to possibly face additional charges.

Friday Night Football

Waterloo (4-4) travels north to Lincoln (0-8) for their final game of the regular season. The Bulldogs need a victory to become eligible for the post season. Columbia (5-3) travels east to Nashville. (4-4). The Eagles will try to end a two-game losing streak. Due to the current playoff power ranking system, this game is a must-win for both Columbia and Nashville to get into the playoffs. Red Bud is playoff eligible at (6-2) and finishes the regular season with a home game against Sparta. Dupo (3-5) closes the season with a game at Chester.

Gibault Kickers To Play For Sectional Title

Despite cold, rainy conditions, a large contingent of fans traveled north to Raymond Thursday evening to watch the Gibault Hawks defeat Teutopolis 4-1 to win a semi-final game of the Class 1A Lincolnwood Sectional. Scoring goals for the Hawks were Matt Reinholz (2), Jordan McCann and Griffin Wielgus. The Hawks will play Litchfield in the championship game in Raymond next Tuesday, Oct. 27. Kick-off is at 6:30 p.m. A victory would send GHS to their fifth consecutive Class 1A state soccer tournament. Gibault defeated Litchfield last year in the semi-finals of the Class 1A Metro-East Lutheran Sectional in Edwardsville.

Gibault’s Zach Posey, right, kicks the ball toward the net in the Hawks’ 2-0 Regional victory Tuesday against Columbia.

In other soccer news… Waterloo (12-9) defeated Althoff 3-0 in the first round of the 2A Mascoutah Regional. Next up for the Bulldogs is conference rival Triad (11-9). The game starts at 3:30 p.m. this afternoon (Friday).

Webb Advances To State Tennis Tournament

Waterloo High School senior Rachel Webb was the lone county tennis player to qualify for the state tournament by placing second in the singles competition of the O’Fallon Girls’ Tennis Sectional. Unfortunately, Webb lost her first round game at state by scores of 6-1 and 6-0.

Waterloo High School tennis ace Rachel Webb competes earlier this year in a tennis match.   - photo by Bob Haentzler / game photos on line at www.gatewayphoto.net

Gibault Has Strong Showing At Tennis Sectional

Battling much larger schools, tennis players from Gibault made a strong showing in the girls’ tennis sectional Oct. 16 at O’Fallon High School. “I think we can take pride in seeing how much progress the Gibault Catholic High School girls’ tennis team continues to make in only their third year,” said Coach Alan Lesko. “This is the first year our team scored points in the sectional and the Hawks did it in a big way.” Gibault players winning their first-round matches were singles players Maria Lesko and Katie Lamack, along with the doubles teams of Hannah Lundy / Macy Wiersheim and Paige Buchheit / Danielle Spezia.

Gibault finished the sectional with 10 points, which placed them in sixth place out of 11 teams in the tournament. Althoff High School of Belleville won first place with 24 points, while Waterloo High School finished in fifth place with 12 points. “Being the smallest school in the sectional, earning 10 points in this very tough sectional is a very proud moment for the Gibault tennis team,” Lesko added.

Gibault’s Katie Lamack serves during a recent home match in Columbia.

Two Vehicles Collide In Waterloo: Vehicles driven by Maria Steele and Victoria Schnepf, both of Waterloo, collided Thursday morning at the intersection of Route 3 and Illinois Avenue in Waterloo. According to the police report, Steele, 16, was driving a 2005 Chrysler on Illinois Ave. When she attempted to cross the highway, she pulled into the path Schnepf, 16, who was driving a Ford four-door southbound on Route 3. There were no injuries.
 

The Morrison-Talbott Library in Waterloo has two upcoming events – Bedtime Story Hour is Nov. 2 and author Neal Proud Deer will sign copies of his books Nov. 7.

The Whiteside chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will read bedtime stories Monday, Nov. 2, beginning at 7 p.m. It is open to children of all ages. American Indian Neal Proud Deer will be at the library Saturday, Nov. 7, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon to sign copies of his books. As a follow up, the monthly Family Read Night on Nov. 17, will center on Native American Indians. Library Director Elaine Steingrubey also reminds children that Santa Claus will visit the library Saturday, Dec. 5.

A Christmas parade is being planned for downtown Columbia on Saturday, Dec. 5, beginning at 5 p.m. The event is being sponsored by the Celebration 2009 Committee and Columbia’s Resourceful Organization of Women Networking. The lighted, holiday parade will begin at the Old Distillery Building (across from Tiny’s Pub), travel south on Main Street and end at City Hall.

Local businesses, churches, civic and school groups and organizations are invited to participate in this event which will help ring in the holiday season.  “In order to control the length of this parade, only a limited number of floats will be accepted” said Jackie Hausmann, event coordinator for the city of Columbia. “Since this is a chilly time of the year, we would like to keep it to about a 40-minute parade.” Businesses along the parade route are invited to offer free, hot beverages to help keep the crowd warm.

“This will also be a great opportunity for attendees to do a little Christmas shopping along Main Street or enjoy dining at a Columbia restaurant after the parade,” Hausmann added. Santa will arrive by horse drawn carriage at the Santa Hut at city hall immediately following the parade. “I will visit with children for the rest of the evening,” Santa said. “I am looking forward to finding out what they all want for Christmas.” Santa said he will be back at the Santa Hut every Saturday and Sunday before Christmas from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Businesses which would like to help sponsor the parade or those wanting to have a float can contact Hausmann by calling her office at city hall at 281-7144, ext. 106, or by email at jackie@columbiaillinois.com.

Veterans Day will be honored Nov. 11 at the Valmeyer American Legion Hall. Cocktail hour is at 5 p.m. with dinner served at 6 pm. Commander Glenn Coats said the Post will hold a short business meeting before dinner to take the place of the regular November meeting. Post Commander Glenn Coats and Auxiliary President Alberta Wild urge all Legion members to attend this important once-a year event. “It is always an enjoyable evening,” said Coats. “You meet with friends and family to honor and remember our veterans of all wars, especially those who gave their lives for our freedoms.” During the evening, the Auxiliary will raffle a hand-made, queen-sized quilt. This raffle is the Auxiliary’s main yearly fund-raiser. “Raffle tickets are on sale now and can also be purchased during the Veterans Day meeting,” said Wild.

The meal, catered by the Corner Pub, will include fried chicken, roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn and beans.  Auxiliary members will provide salads and desserts, while the Post will provide drinks. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP by Nov. 4 to help the organizer better plan the amount of food to provide. Please Commander Coats at 935-2576; Dave Gunn at 458-6553; Chuck Asselmeier at 281-5705, or Gary Gilbert at 935-2207.

Area politicians are gearing up for Monday, Oct. 26 – the first day to file nominating petitions to run for the primary election on Feb. 2, 2010. The. The Independent believes Feb. 2 is a perfect fit for a day to hold an election, since it is Ground Hog Day. It is not yet known if the election-day turnout will be affected whether or not voters see their shadows.

Columbia To Celebrate Halloween: Halloween Hijinks and Scare Square are returning to downtown Columbia. All events this year will take place on Saturday, Oct. 31. Halloween Hijinks begins at 10 a.m., with participating businesses handing out treats. Children can start heading to the Immaculate Conception School playground at 12 noon to get ready for the costume contest. Judging takes place at 12:30 p.m. (sharp). The participants will then march down Main Street for the Halloween Parade, walking north on Main Street and ending at A.C. Metter Park.

More Halloween fun will take place that evening at the fountain in front of City Hall. Scare Square takes place from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. “Children and adults can swing by for treats in a festive, Halloween environment,” said Jackie Hausmann, event coordinator for the City of Columbia. 

Next to a warm bonfire, Ken Buss and his crew from the Columbia EMS, local civic organizations and businesses will hand out treats, hot dogs and hot chocolate. Students from the Columbia High School Art Club will offer face painting. In addition, everyone is encouraged to check out the entries of the second annual Pumpkin Glow contest. Those wishing to participate in the contest can submit their creative pumpkins to City Hall on Friday, Oct. 30, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or on Halloween between 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. This is no charge to participate.

In case of inclement weather, the Scare Square and Pumpkin Glow will be moved inside to the Monroe County YMCA. For more information, contact Hausmann at 281-7144, ext. 106, or by email at jackie@columbiaillinois.com. This annual event is sponsored by the City of Columbia and the Chamber of Commerce.

Halloween Gathering At Waterloo Fire House: Children and their parents are once again invited to swing by the Waterloo Fire House on Halloween night between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Treats, hot dogs and refreshments will be served by the firefighters, ambulance personnel, police officers and other city officials. Large tables will be available for parents to sort through the candy their children have collected to check for its safety.

Disaster Recovery Workshop Coming To Annex: An upcoming program at the County Annex is designed to teach business owners how to quickly get things back in working order following a tornado, a fire or major electrical outage. The Ready Business Program will take place Nov. 9 beginning at 8:30 p.m., at the Monroe County Annex at the intersection of Illinois Ave. and Route 3 in Waterloo. The program will discuss practical steps to help plan for a company’s future and provide for a better chance of survival. Registration fee is $20 per person. For more information, contact the University of Illinois Extension at 939-3434 or send an email to: monroe.extension.uiuc.edu.

The Waterloo VFW Post 6504 and Ladies Auxiliary’s essay contest is underway. Prizes will be awarded to an area sixth, seven and eighth grade student and one to a high schooler. The sixth through eighth graders have a chance to win a $10,000 scholarship and a trip to Washington, D.C. The high school winner can win a $30,000 scholarship and a trip to Washington, D.C. Entries must be submitted by Nov. 1. Specific information about the contest has already been provided to all the local schools. For additional information, contact Post Commander Stephanie Kirksey at 939-6404 or Laurie Sparwasser at 939-8104.

Upcoming Walk Through Columbia To Celebrate City’s German Heritage

Highlighting the historical significance of many of the buildings in downtown Columbia, the first-ever Volksmarche will take place Sunday, Oct. 25. “Everyone is encouraged to take a stroll down Main Street anytime between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.,” said Columbia Celebration 2009 member Gene Haller. “A Volksmarche is a traditional German people’s walk.”

Free walking tours will begin at A.C. Metter Park, located next to the Columbia Public Library and Turner Hall. Flyers will be available to provide a map of the buildings featured that day. One six block tour heads north on Main Street and a nine-block path will head south. “Gather your friends and family; bring your walking shoes and join the fun,” Haller added.

The First Baptist Church in Valmeyer is gearing up for their 45th anniversary. Church members will gather Nov. 8 to celebrate the occasion from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Pastor Ronald Chase, the very first pastor at the church, will be the special guest. Refreshments will be served.

The Valmeyer High School volleyball team (17-9) finished their season as co-champions of the Kaskaskia Division of the Cahokia Conference. This week the Pirates lost to Lebanon, but defeated Steeleville. Both Valmeyer and Steeleville finished with conference records of 8-2. Valmeyer’s Kristen Baum was honored Tuesday on Senior Night at the VHS volleyball game.

The Valmeyer High School volleyball fans will continue to root on the Pirates as the playoffs begin next week.

Valmeyer will host the Class 1A IHSA Regional beginning Wednesday, Oct. 28. The pairings are:

Oct. 28

6 p.m., Dupo (4) vs. Madison (5).

8 p.m., Valmeyer (1) vs. Winner of Game 1.

 
Oct. 29

6 p.m., New Athens (3) vs. Lovejoy (6).
8 p.m.. Lebanon (2) vs. Winner of Game 3

Oct. 31 - Championship Match

1 p.m.: Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 4

The Red Bud Class 2A Regional begins Oct. 29 and features Columbia (14-9), Gibault (16-17) and Red Bud (4-29). Waterloo (21-6) begins play against Mt. Vernon in the Marion Class 3A Regional on Oct. 29.

Melanie Herbeck of Columbia helped Lincoln College have another strong volleyball season. The Lady Lynx finished conference play with a record of 4-3 record in the MWAC and 23-11 overall. In the team’s final regular season game against Lincoln Land Community College (29-7), Herbeck, a setter, led the team with 40 set assists, 12 points and five aces.

Recent Obituary

Richard L. Nunning, 81, of Columbia, died Oct. 22, 2009 in Belleville. He was born Dec. 7, 1927 in Hurst, the son of the late Lemuel and Rosalie (nee Tiola) Nunning. He is survived by his wife, Ann (nee Curcuro) Nunning; a son, Brian Matthew Nunning; and a daughter; Paula Ann Nunning. He was preceded in death by his brother, Lemuel John "L.J." Nunning. Mr. Nunning was veteran of the U.S. Army. He worked for the Wabash Railroad and later retired as a locomotive engineer from the Norfolk Southern Railroad. Richard was a 50-year member of the Columbia Masonic Blue Lodge 474 A.F. & A.M. and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. Visitation is Sunday, Oct. 25, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Dashner-Leesman Funeral Home in Dupo. Funeral is Monday, Oct. 26, at 11 a.m. at St. Peter’s Catholic Cathedral in Belleville with Fr. John Myler officiating. Mr. Nunning will be buried with full military honors at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis. Memorials may be made to Shriner’s Hospital for Children.