Moving 'onward and upward' to the IHSA Class 1A State Track and Field Finals after winning both the long jump and 100 meter dash on Friday at the Newton Girls' Sectional is Jennie Block of Flora High School.
And 'oh, so close' was several third places turned in by the Wolfgals at a Sectional meet where the winner and runner-up receive State Finals bids.
Easily winning the long jump, Block cleared 16-feet-1-inch, more than one full-foot better than the runner-up finisher, Lexie Davidson, of Newton.
Clay City High School held its junior-senior prom on May 5 at the Holiday in Olney, IL.
Clinton Rauch and Baylee Gill were crowned king and queen.
Prom Court: Dylan Wolfe, Brooke Anderson, Nathan Dulaney, Kaylee Kuenstler, Mitchell Noll, Alana Grassi, Jordan Noll, Clinton Rauch, Tyler Edwards, Baylee Gill, Katelyn Hosselton, Lily Kessler, Cole Hildebrand, Megan Kessler, Dustin Charles, Kaylee Gill, Jordan Brown, Sydney Lynn, Ethan Brown, Sierra Frank.
Flora High School’s 2012 Prom was held on the steamy evening of Saturday, May 5, at FHS’ Conley Gymnasium.
Following the traditional promenade and introduction of students and their dates in front of the school, the coronation was held, allowing families and guests to move straight into the gym rather than having to return to the school later in the evening.
After the introduction of the Prom Court, the King and Queen were announced, with Andrew Ludwig and Helen Leib, respectively, being crowned.
The morning of May 9, Flora High School held their Senior Awards Day, paying off all the months and years of hard work that these students have put in with a little recognition, and perhaps, some money to help with their future plans.
There were a number of touching moments during the presentation, but none more than when the Bryce Rinehart Scholarship was presented to Trenton Freeman. Upon mention of Bryce’s name, members of the deceased student’s class began to rise in applause, followed shortly by the whole auditorium.
“I think Bryce heard you,” said Flora Academic Foundation President Bill Atwood after the thunderous applause had subsided.
The annual Flora Academic Foundation was held Saturday night in the commons of the Flora High School.
A larger than usual crowd was present to recognize the achievements of the high honors students, Illinois State Scholars, the Flora Scholastic Team as well as retiring teachers and support staff.
The meal was served by Mike’s Market.
Smith Mill, a rebuilt grain mill run by a water wheel located in rural Rinard, just south of the Wayne County line on Bluemound Road, will be open to the public for the first time ever this Sunday, May 6, from 1 to 4 p.m. The event is free of charge.
The mill was constructed by Bob Smith and is a labor of love that has taken him over 25 years to put together, using components from a Newport, Pa. mill which Smith salvaged after he purchased the contents of the building it was in back in 1986.
“It was built in 1875 and had an 18-foot diameter by five-foot wide wheel,” said Smith. “I had to rebuild the wheel anyway, so I decided to narrow it down to 38-inches.”
The weather is warming up, classes are getting close to finished, and seniors are getting ready to don their caps and gowns. Just one thing first: Prom.
Flora High School is holding its prom this Saturday, May 5, at Conley Gymnasium. The event will kick off with a promenade beginning at 6 p.m., which will be followed immediately by coronation. The dance will then continue on until 11 p.m.
Members of Clay City High School’s FCCLA have sponsored a pop tab collection drive.
Thanks to generous donations fromt B & B Recyclers, Inc., of Newton, IL, owned by Brad and Robert Kuenstler, Clay City Elementary collected the most among the three schools.
Pop tabs will be delivered to the Ronald McDonald House in Springfield when FCCLA members attend state conference.
Community service for families (like the donation to Ronald McDonald house) is an important part of the club’s activities each year.
The Clay City School Board voted to pursue a grant that, if received, could dramatically affect the course of the entire district for both students and staff members.
The federal School Improvement Grant [SIG] program provides money, extra support staff and expertise for schools such as Clay City that have been consistently low achieving academically. Accepting the grant requires the benefiting school to work with an assigned SIG team to change the culture and accountability system of the school sometimes from the ground up.
Keri Garret, a representative from the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools [IARSS] was on hand at the meeting to both encourage the board to apply for the grant and also to explain what accepting the grant would mean for the district. “Right now you’re in a spiral, and it’s a spiral going down,” Garret said. “But SIG plans to change that. It’s an opportunity to take Clay City from the lowest test scores to become an example for the area.” She went on to explain that the process of change would be difficult, with an inevitable resistance from some staff members who are accustom to different methods, but she was confident that the process would eventually result in a much improved educational environment.
Clay County Schools Graduation Dates
Flora
High School: Sunday, May 20, 2 p.m.
Junior High: Thursday, May 17, 7 p.m.
Louisville
High School: Sunday, May 13, 4:30 p.m., Baccalaureate 3:30
Junior High: Tuesday, May 15, 7 p.m.
Clay City
High School: Friday, May 11, 8 p.m.
Junior High: Tuesday, May 15, 8 p.m.
The Clay County Health Department’s Senior Aerobics Program celebrated its 15th anniversary Thursday.
The Program began in April of 1997 as “Moving With the Big Bands,” and has been going strong ever since.
These classes are held every Tuesday and Thursday at the Clay County Health Department from 12:15 to 1 p.m., There is no charge, they are open to all members of the public age 55 and older.
Kindergarten students from Washington and McEndree Schools held a Patriotic Program for their parents and families at McEndree School’s Gymnasium at 1 p.m. on Monday afternoon.
The Washington School students arrived at the event via bus, finding their parents already waiting for them on the bleachers and folding chairs.
The students all walked past the audience on the sides and then up the center to the stage.
The Flora School met for its regular monthly meeting on Monday, April 19th.
Superintendent Bob Pierson told the board he had been closely following the state budget-making process currently underway in Springfield as it related to future funding for the district.
According to Pierson, funding should remain level if current proposals being discussed by the General Assembly are carried through. Pierson also said any update on funding for the new grade school will have to wait until a budget is finalized, which will likely be sometime in May.
This Friday, Eldon Ooton of Effingham donated a handmade quilt to the Flora Public Library.
This wasn’t Eldon Ooton’s first time at the Flora Public Library.
Ooton first came to the Flora Library as an author. He wrote “What Did You Do in the War?”, which was a history that he said he wrote for his children and grandchildren.
Did you know that every time you get sunburned, you damage your skin cells and increase your risk of developing cancer? Spring is here and summer is around the corner, which means the sun will be shining and more people will be outdoors. It is important to remember to keep your skin safe when you’re outside. Skin needs protection from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.
Here are tips from the Centers for Disease Control on how to protect your skin from the sun.
PAUL KNAPP IS now a Trailblazer, as the Flora High School Senior (second from left seated) signed a national letter of intent to play college basketball next season for Vincennes University, on Wednesday, in Conley Gym, on the FHS campus. Also pictured are (seated from left) Wolves head basketball coach Phil Leib, and Vincennes University head basketball coach Todd Franklin. Back (l-r) grandmother Jane Knapp, mother Linda Knapp, father Andy Knapp and grandfather Bill Knapp. Vincennes University is a junior college located in Vincennes, Indiana, known for developing players for major college/Division I programs. Knapp is the all–time career basketball scoring leader for the Flora Wolves, totaling 2, 125 points. For the 2011-12 season, the 6-foot-1 point-guard was Associated-Press Second Team Class 1A All-State.
Saturday evening was a good time to be a deer hunter but an even better time to be a kid, as Whitetails Unlimited held their annual banquet at the Flora Eagles Lodge, giving away bikes, guns and bows to many of the youth in attendance.
“Our complete focus is on the kids,” said Tim Murphy, President of the Clay County Chapter of Whitetails Unlimited, the River Bottom Stump Sitters. “That’s why we’re here.”
The banquet featured a two-meat buffet by Mike’s Market, a silent auction, a live auction put on by Bill Dagg, a number of raffles and giveaways for the children present.
In April, Flora Public Library will initiate an “Adopt-A-Book” program to help bridge the gap left by a 10% budget cut for FY2012-2013. The budget cut will reduce the amount of funds available to purchase materials. Donors will be able to adopt books or DVDs to be placed in the library collection. Though starting in April, this will be an ongoing project.
The library will maintain a “wish list” of books/items that are available for adoption. Each adoptee has an adoption paper that lists title, author, cost to adopt, space for name of donor and/or inscription for memorial, honorarium, etc. These papers are in the shape of a book or DVD. The donor has the option of being first to check out the item when processing is complete.
When an item is adopted, an adoption sticker is put in/on the item. Adoption papers are placed on wall and donor is given an adoption certificate. The adoptee wall gives ideas for new reads and encourages other gifts. A thank you letter is sent to the donor with complete adoption information along with certificate. An acknowledgement letter is sent to those designated to notify them of the memorial/honor.
Sheriff James C. Sulsberger, Clay County Sheriff, announced that the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association is extremely proud to once again be named as a principal sponsor for the annual Illinois Teenage Institute on Substance Abuse.
Illinois Wesleyan University will host this program. The dates are from July 22-26, 2012.
The Illinois Teenage Institute is open to anyone who meets the following qualifications:
Flora Public Library has designated April as Flora Public Library Month.
There will be several activities to celebrate the library and its services. Among the activities will be a raffle for a Kindle Fire, drawings for a free non-resident card and other door prizes, National Library Week from April 8-14, and the launch of the Adopt-A-Book or DVD program.
More information about these and other events will be forthcoming.
During the month of April, Flora Public Library will again be conducting a raffle for a Kindle Fire tablet e-reader. The library will be selling raffle tickets for $1.00 each or 6/$5.00.
