5-22-2007

LOCAL STUDENTS FINISH 7TH IN NATION IN ROCKET CHALLENGE

The Mulberry Grove High School Rocket Team has been named 7th in the nation in the Team America Rocketry Challenge in Virginia. Four members of the team, Taylor Mosley, Ryan Paine, Kaitlin Stone and Amanda Wuehler, along with their sponsor John Paine, traveled to the east coast last week to fly the rocket that they've spent all school year fine tuning. Out of the 100 teams, the group took 7th place and is coming home with a trophy, $4,000 in scholarships and $1,000 to go towards the Rocket Club.

They have also been asked to participate in NASA's Student Launch Initiative this summer at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. They will be working with NASA engineers to build a rocket that will fly one mile high and carry a payload of equipment designed by NASA. Mulberry Grove High School Principal Mike Gauch said that everyone at the school is very excited for the Rocket Team and is proud of the work they've done. The group will return from Virginia later this week.

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ACCIDENT ON I-70 FRIDAY MORNING

Friday morning around 9:20am, a Bond County Deputy was attempting to make a traffic stop on I-70 West bound when the vehicle he was following increased speed. The Deputy then turned off his emergency lights and reduced speed. The car allegedly sped up and near the 28-mile marker in Madison County hit the rear of a tractor-trailer. The car then left the roadway and hit several small trees.

The driver, Denise Fuller age 49 of Rio Rancho New Mexico, was taken to St. Louis University Hospital by an Arch helicopter. Fuller was ticketed for alleged driving to fast, failure to reduce speed and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident

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BUS BIDS AND CURRICULUM UPDATES DISCUSSED AT UNIT 2 BOARD MEETING

The Unit 2 Board of Education met Monday night for their regular monthly meeting. Max Aten, Transportation Director, requested that the board consider leasing/purchasing two 2008 71 passenger buses. Representatives from Central States and Ponder Bus Distributors provided information and bids to the board. Further discussion and consideration was tabled in order for more comparisons to be researched. Board members then approved curriculum recommendations for grades 9-12. The highlights included Freshman Social Studies to be changed to World Geography, a Sophomore Agriculture Science course to be added and a year long Math Course called Algebra 1B to be adopted as well. And in other business, under the consent agenda the Unit 2 Board of Education accepted the resignations of teachers Velma Cochrane and Jill Mohnkern at the end of the 2008-2009 school year.

TRUCK STOLEN IN GREENVILLE

Jerry D. Jarvis of Greenville reported to Greenville Police Monday, that a 1993 Ford F 150 Flairside pick-up truck was stolen from Blue Street in Greenville. The vehicle theft occurred sometime Saturday afternoon, May 19th.

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BOX TOP SURVIVOR CHALLENGE AT GES THIS WEEK

Students at the Greenville Elementary School have been spending the majority of the year gathering box tops. During that time, the teachers whose classes have collected the most have continued to moved up in a Box Top Challenge coordinated by the GES Parent Club. According to Julie Embry, President of the Parent Club, this week will be the final week of the Box Top Collection and will be ended with a series of Box Top Survivor Challenges. The teams starting competition today are "The Outlaws" with Mr. Dothager, Mrs. Pruitt and Mrs. Pate; "Y.B.R.D" with Mrs. Young, Mrs. Howard and Mrs. Blumer; and "The Three Musketeers" with Mr. Stoecklin, Mrs. Lurkins and Ms. Theresa.

After three days of various challenges this week, only one team will be named the winner. All of the box tops are redeemed, with $0.10 earned for each one. According to Embry, GES has earned over $2,000 so far this year. All of the money goes into the Parent Club Fund, and in turn is used to purchase a variety of items for the school.

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SUMMER SAFETY REMINDERS

With the sun shining, school almost out and pools getting ready to open, the Illinois Poison Control Center encourages families to remember summer poison prevention safety tips. Sunscreen should always be applied before going out into the sun. This will protect the skin from harmful ultraviolet radiation.

As West Nile season approaches, it's important to remember to apply insect repellants before going outdoors. Most repellants contain DEET. Studies have shown that even though DEET can be harmful in large concentrations, adults and children over 2 months can wear up to 30% concentration. For pool owners keep in mind that the chemicals used to clean pools can be very dangerous if digested or inhaled. These products should be stored out of the sight and reach of children. The Illinois Poison Control Center is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a week at 1-800-222-1222.

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ICC APPROVES POWER LINE PROJECT FOR NEW POWER PLANT

The Illinois Commerce Commission gave its final approval last week to a joint proposal by AmerenIP and Ameren Transco to construct a set of high voltage transmission lines in regards to a new power plant being constructed by Prairie State Generating Company. The plant will be located near Marissa, IL in Washington County and connected to the Ameren Grid.

The cost of the project is $90 million with AmerenTransco financing the majority of the cost to construct the lines. The ICC issued a certificate of convenience and necessity after both companies proved that the facilities are needed to provide adequate, reliable and efficient service to the plant.