Brandy Redwine, 29, of St. Louis and Taisha Furlow, 19, of Waterloo are recovering from serious injuries sustained early Friday morning in a rollover accident along Floraville Road east of Waterloo. The incident occurred at 2 a.m. when their Oldsmobile Alero went off the roadway and overturned one-half mile east of Baxmeyer Construction. The car rolled several times before coming to rest on its side, trapping both ladies inside. Waterloo firefighters used Jaws of Life equipment to help Monroe County Ambulance Serve paramedics extricate the two from the vehicle. Also assisting were County Sheriff’s deputies and Waterloo police officers. Two Arch helicopters were called to the scene to rush the victims to Barnes Hospital. The injuries are not considered life threatening and both are expected to make a full recovery after they recuperate. It has been reported that Redwine suffered some internal injuries and Furlow has a bad cut on her leg.

Brandy Redwine, left, and Taishia Furlow pictured on a Facebook site.

 

The Waterloo Fire Department was called out Thursday evening to put out a stove fire at the home of Ken Kolmer on Fairway Drive in Waterloo. The stove, a microwave and a cabinet received fire damage.

 

Monroe County Court Report

The following cases were adjudicated the week of June 28 in Monroe County Circuit Court in Waterloo, Judge Dennis Doyle presiding:
James E. Musial, 54, of Columbia pleaded guilty to felony driving under a revoked license. Musial was sentenced to 30 months probation plus six days in the Monroe County Jail, ordered to pay total fine and court cost of $165 and to obtain alcohol treatment. The violation occurred June 25; Columbia Police handled the incident. A charge of driving under the influence of alcohol was dismissed.

Dennis Lin, 20, of Waterloo pleaded guilty to illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor. Lin was ordered to pay total fine and court cost of $272 and placed on one year court supervision. The violation occurred March 23 on Lakeview Drive at Fawn Run; Waterloo Police handled the incident.

Daniel R. Valenzuela, 20, of Waterloo pleaded guilty to operating an uninsured motor vehicle. Valenzuela was ordered to pay total fine and court cost of $212 and placed on one year court supervision. The violation occurred May 28 on Illinois 3 north of Gilmore Lake Road; Columbia Police handled the incident. A charge of no valid license was dismissed.

Kenneth G. Fulton Jr., 45, of Waterloo pleaded guilty to failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. Fulton was ordered to pay total fine and court cost of $165 and placed on three months court supervision. The violation occurred June 10 on Illinois 3 south of Rose Lane. A charge of expired registration was dismissed.

Devon M. Perry, 30, of  Edwardsville pleaded guilty to driving under a revoked license. Perry was ordered to pay total fine and court cost of $250. The violation occurred April 23 on Interstate 255; Columbia Police handled the incident. A charge of expired vehicle registration was dismissed.

 

A family of skunks was spotted earlier this week roaming the fields at the WSA Jaycee’s Park in Waterloo. It is speculated that groundskeeper Dan Kennedy has trained the rodents to retrieve softballs and baseballs which have went over the fence.

A family of skunks walks around the outfield at the main Jaycee’s ball field along Moore Road in Waterloo.        – photo by Bethany Prange

 

Two Local Ball Players Play In Baseball Showcase At Busch Stadium

Matt Berry of Waterloo and Drew Weisenborn of Columbia were invited to participate in the 2010 PNC Band - Rawlings High School Baseball Showcase June 30 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The day began with a ceremonial brunch at the Crowne Plaza Hotel downtown. The players then made their way to the stadium to watch the Cardinal take on the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Showcase game took place shortly after the Cardinal loss and it pitted a squad from Illinois taking on a team made up of Missouri High School baseball players. The teams were coached by former Cardinals John Mabry and Mike Matheny. The Missouri team pulled out a 2-0 victory. Both Monroe County players performed exceptional during their time on the field. Berry pitched one inning, allowing no runs. Weisenborn played three innings at second base, which included making a leaping catch in the second inning.
 

Matt Berry                                                         Drew Weisenborn         -photos by Bob Haentzler

 

The Midwest Express 12-U girls’ fast-pitch softball team won second place in the Imperial May Madness Tourney last weekend. They fell to the St. Louis Midwest Express 8-5 in the championship game.

The Monroe County Midwest Express team is, left to right, first row, Tori Hern, Bre Elms, Mackenzie Sharp, Abby Hasenstab, Courtney Maisel and Lexsis Carner; and second row, Morgan Bollinger, Carley Olson, Alyssa Cowell, Hannah Innis, Morgan Wiegand and Mallory Meyer. Coaches are Karla Elms and Tom Hasenstab.

 

Columbia Planning Full Day Of Festivities On July 4th

A Columbia Kiwanis Classic Car Show, a washers tournament, bingo and a Kloepper tournament will lead into evening activities during the July 4 Celebration at the American Legion Park in Columbia. The event will begin at 11 a.m. on Independence Day, Sunday, July 4, and culminate with at dusk with a fireworks display at the American Legion Memorial Park.

Columbia’s celebration was first held in 1976 to commemorate the nation’s bicentennial. This year’s celebration will continue the tradition. A new feature this year will be a Columbia Kiwanis Classic Car Show from noon to 4 p.m. Specialty award trophies will be presented at 4 p.m. Commemorative dash plaques will be given to the first 75 cars entered.  For information on the car show, contact Jeff Riley at 314-616-2507. The $15 entry fee benefits local children’s charities.

The Columbia Volunteer Fire Department’s fish stand, the Legion’s beer stand and other food and drink concessions will open at 11 a.m. The Legion will have a bingo in their hall beginning at noon (rain or shine). There will be a washers tournament beginning at 1:30 p.m. and a Kloepper card tournament at 4 p.m. Besides the firemen’s fish, food concessions will include the Turners bratwurst, Knights of Columbus chicken breast, hamburger and ice cream stands and the Columbia Woman’s Club will serve lemonade, iced tea and nachos. The Legion will serve barbecued rib sandwiches. and Job’s Daughters will provide funnel cakes, pie, soda and bottled water. Kettle corn will also be for sale.

Visitors are asked to refrain from bringing food and beverages into the park. It is suggested that people bring lawn chairs for seating. No pets, bicycles, skateboards or roller blades are allowed in the park during the celebration. In the event of rain July 4, the fireworks will be shot July 5.

The July 4 Committee relies solely on contributions from the community to fund the event. The annual budget is approximately $12,000. Local organizations man concession booths but all proceeds remain with that group. Donations to fund the celebration, including the fireworks, are received from local individuals, organizations and businesses. New donors from all segments of the community are encouraged to join the cause. Donations of any amount may be sent to: Columbia July 4 Committee, C/O Grace Volkert, 501 W. Legion, Ave., Columbia, IL, 62236.

The committee receives the cooperation and support of the Columbia City Council and the city’s police, fire, ambulance and maintenance departments. American Legion Post 581 provides free use of its park. Co-chairmen of the July 4 Committee are Louis “Hutch”  Schlafly and John Conrad, representing the Columbia Chamber of Commerce. Other members of the committee and the organizations they represent include: Grace Volkert (secretary), Columbia Woman’s Club; Jim Vogt (treasurer), Columbia Volunteer Fire Department; Danny Joe Callis, Columbia Volunteer Fire Department; Glenn Stechmesser, Turners;  and Jim Lawlor, Columbia American Legion Post 581.

 

Valmeyer’s Mid-Summer Celebration Is This Weekend

Plans are already underway for the Valmeyer Mid-Summer Celebration which will run from Saturday, July 3 through Monday, July 5. The Mon-Clair League baseball tournament, the Mid-Summer Classic, begins Saturday, July 3, at 9 a.m. and continues through the weekend with the championship game taking place Monday, July 5, at 3 p.m. The Brent Roever Memorial Volleyball Tournament will take place beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 3.

The parade will take Sunday, July 4 at 1 p.m., with the theme Transportation Through The Ages. The Colossal Fireworks display will begin at dusk Sunday evening. Musical entertainment will be provided Saturday from 8 p.m. to midnight by Fountain Creek Band and Aftershock on Sunday.    

With the passing of longtime Mid-Summer Classic announcer Mel Patton, Lakers Manager Dennis “Boog” Pieper has announced they have recruited a group of former Lakers players to handle the play-by-play and color commentary duties during this weekend’s tournament. “Every game we’ll have another colorful character from former teams,” said Pieper. Those who have signed on include Allen Goldschmidt, Bob Blank, John Asselmeier, brothers Mike and Dan McCarthy, Gary Pieper, Chris Kohnz and Chip Bieber, just to name a few. In addition, Boog said they will have a singing of the National Anthem and a throwing out of a first pitch each day at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and prior to the start of the championship game on Monday.

With the predicted sunny weather, there is not expected to be a need to have a helicopter on stand-by this year to help dry the field.

 

J. Fires’ Market Bistro in Waterloo will celebrate the holiday weekend with a Red, White and Blue Bash on Saturday, July 3. The chefs will cook up specials featuring a seafood boil, lamb kabobs an Italian beef. Musical entertainment will be provided by Nick Rhodes from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and the Father Jack Band from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

 

The fourth annual Waterloo Optimist ATV, Truck and Tractor Pull is Sunday, July 4 at the Monroe County Fairgrounds in Waterloo. Pulls begin at 10 a.m. and run all day. Admission is $5. There will be plenty of food and beverages available for purchase. The schedule is: 10 a.m. – Antiques, 1 p.m.: ATV and Garden tractors, 2 p.m.: Farmers Class tractors, and 6:30 p.m., Trucks.

 

Chelsea Kipping of Valmeyer will attempt to officially break a Guinness World Record this Monday during the Valmeyer Mid-Summer Celebration. The 13-year-old gymnast will attempt to break the record for consecutive back handsprings, which currently is 26. During last year’s event in Valmeyer, Chelsea performed 28 back flips, but the feat was not officially recorded. This year, Kipping will have the event properly documented so it can be turned into the Guinness Book of World Records for their consideration. Chelsea is the daughter of Vicki Rednour and Dennis Kipping, both from Valmeyer.

 

Waterloo Students Headed For Month In Sister City: Erin Chapman and Jessica Reifschneider headed to Lambert Airport earlier this week to catch a flight to Porta Westfalica, Germany. The girls will spend four weeks in Waterloo’s sister city as exchange students. They will return home on July 28.

Gathering for a farewell dinner on June 30 are, left to right, Waterloo Sister Cities members Bill Getchman and Josephine Wittenauer, exchange students Erin Chapman and Jessica Reifschneider, Exchange Student Coordinator Debbie Cummins and Waterloo Alderman Clyde Heller.

 

Reitz Supports Recent Supreme Court’s Ruling Regarding Second Amendment Rights

State Rep. Dan Reitz applauded the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision earlier this week in the case of McDonald versus the City of Chicago to protect and uphold the Second Amendment gun ownership rights of law-abiding citizens regardless of where they live. 

“In recent years, local and state governments have been chipping away at the basic rights of citizens to keep and bear arms,” Reitz said. “This is a step in the right direction toward stopping changes that threaten to erode the constitutional rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment.”

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that cities and states must abide by the Second Amendment, opening the door for gun control laws to be scaled back and strengthening the rights of gun owners throughout the nation. As a longtime proponent of gun rights in Illinois, Reitz has resisted attempts to restrict the rights of law-abiding gun owners.    

“For many, firearms are a way of life, especially for gun collectors and those who enjoy family traditions of hunting and outdoor recreation,” said Reitz. “As chairman of the Illinois Legislative Sportsman’s Caucus, I have stood up against Chicago’s anti-gun activists and helped fend off their attempts to diminish the rights of law-abiding gun owners. I pledge to continue to vehemently oppose any attempts to take away those rights expressly granted by our nation’s founders.”

 

Folks will be gather July 22 at Morrison-Talbott Library in Waterloo to make Christmas cards as part of Operation Write Home. Monroe County S.O.S. (Supporting Our Soldiers) and First Baptist Church in Waterloo are providing service men and women with greeting cards they can personalize and send to members of their families during the upcoming holiday season.  Morrison-Talbott Library will supply all the materials to manufacture the cards of anyone in the public who wants to participate.

The Morrison-Talbott Library’s Tween Book Club will meet July 8 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sixth through eighth graders are invited to participate. During their next meeting, they will discuss Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, a story of the American Revolution.

The Waterloo library will be closed Friday, July 16 for staff training.

 

Sarah and Nick Angelides of Clayton, Mo. have announced the birth of their first child, a son, born Wednesday, June 29 at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis. He has been named John Conrad Angelides and weighed 9 pounds, 2 ounces and was 23 inches long. Mother and child are doing well. Sarah attributed the baby’s weight to her regime of pre-natal yoga. She is not sure why he had already attained nearly half the height of both his father and grandfather (John Conrad Sr. of Columbia).

 

Elizabeth Troup of Waterloo was named to the Spring 2010 Dean’s List at MacMurray College. Troup is a sophomore in Interpreter Training. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Antonin Troup of Waterloo.

 

John Ruggeri and Vicki Gardner have joined the board of directors of the Monroe County YMCA – HTC Center.

 

Recent Obituaries

Burnell “B.J.” Menard, 81, 81, of Ruma died July 1, 2010 at his residence. He was born Sept. 8, 1928 in Fort Gage, the son of the late Gregory and Jewel (nee Leavitt) Menard. Mr. Menard is survived by a special friend, Frances Chapman of Ruma; a brother, Rolin “Shorty” Menard of Red Bud; sister, Georgia Renner of Evansville; nieces and nephews; and special grandchildren Erin and Jessica Chapman. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Rodger Menard. Mr. Menard served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was of the Catholic faith and owned B.J. Auto Company in Ruma for more than 35 years. B.J. was a member of American Legion Post 1172 in Evansville and a lifetime member of the Chester V.F.W. Post 3553. According to Mr. Menard’s wishes, his body was cremated. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorials are being accepted at Welge-Pechacek Funeral Home in Red Bud and may be made to masses or Hospice of Southern Illinois.

Hilda Louise Pfeffer, nee Brellinger, 89, of Millstadt, died June 29, 2010 at Memorial Hospital in Belleville. She was born March 9, 1921 in Columbia, the daughter of the late John and Mary (Mosbacher) Brellinger. Mrs. Pfeffer is survived by her children, Carolyn (Lawrence) Patterson of Millstadt, Raymond (Pam) Pfeffer of Millstadt, Wayne (Pamela) Pfeffer of Smithton and Glenn (Melody) Pfeffer of Columbia; daughter-in-law, Betty Pfeffer of Millstadt; and a sister, Florence Martin of Dupo; along with grandchildren and great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Joe Pfeffer; a son, Donald Pfeffer; sisters Stella Reichert, Alida Kern, Amelia Brellinger and Ella Ebersohl; and a brother, Clarence Brellinger. Hilda was a homemaker and a lifetime member of the Bluff Grange. Visitation is Saturday, July 3, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at Strauss-Leesman Funeral Home in Millstadt. A funeral will immediately follow with Father Marvin Volk officiating. Mrs. Pfeffer will be buried at Mount Evergreen Cemetery in Millstadt. Memorials may be made to the Millstadt Senior Center.

Betty Anne (Hubbs) Houseknecht, 78 years, of Belleville, and formerly of Columbia, died June 26, 2010 at Memorial Hospital in Belleville. She was born May 9, 1932, in East St. Louis, the daughter of the late Harry and Della Mae (Green) Hubbs. Mrs. Houseknecht is survived by her son, Jim Houseknecht of Waterloo; a daughter, Ellen (Jeff) Grueninger of Columbia; grandchildren Elizabeth (Jeffrey) Bentrup of Ballwin, Mo., and Andrew Grueninger of Edwardsville; and a great-grandchild, Abigail Bentrup, along with other relatives and friends. Mrs. Houseknecht was a retired secretary, having worked at Golden Dipt in Millstadt and Columbia City Hall. She was a member of St. Paul UCC, where she had participated in the Women's League and was a past Sunday school teacher. Visitation and funeral were at Lawlor Funeral Home with Pastor Bob Goddard, officiating. Mrs. Houseknecht was buried at the Evangelical St. Paul Cemetery n Columbia. Memorials may be made to St. Paul UCC.