CALHOUN NEWS-HERALD
75¢ PER COPY
INSIDE SOCIAL
Harold Roth celebrates 90th birthday. See page A4
NEWS
HARDIN, ILLINOIS 62047
AUGUST 27, 2014
VOLUME 141 - ISSUE 35
Billy-Bob show executive producer speaks with board By BOB CROSSEN Calhoun News-Herald The Calhoun Community Unit School District 40 board did not change its opinion regarding filming on school property, despite the possibility of a sponsorship for a new weight room. The board took no action on the item after voting unanimously to deny filming on district property last week. Jonah White, Billy-Bob Products owner, is the executive producer of “Billy-Bob’s Gags to Riches,” a television show about White’s company and life in Calhoun County. He sent a letter to the school board requesting the Discovery Channel show be given authority to film scenes on school property. The gag-product company owner said those who play football do so to be in the spotlight. The players could be shown on national television to an audience of around six million people if filming were allowed. Only players who signed a release would
be filmed. The exposure could greatly benefit the seniors looking to use their football skills as a way to get a scholarship to universities, he added. “I wanted to speak with you (the board) a little bit to let you know the opportunity that’s being bypassed,” White said. “There’s approximately 20,000 high school football programs in the United States, and probably only a handful of them will be on national television this next year. We have an opportunity that ours can be one of those handful.” He said there is no guarantee the episode would be filmed as he would still have to sell the idea to Discovery Channel to get an episode focused on the team, of which he is a volunteer coach. As executive producer and 50 percent owner of the show, he said he can tell the camera crew what to film. His idea for an episode would chronicle the team’s practices and ultimately a game as it aimed to bounce back from a 2-7 season last year, and footage
“I wanted to speak with you (the board) a little bit to let you know the opportunity that’s being bypassed.”
Jonah White Billy-Bob Products owner from the show could be used by players as a scouting tool. With the number of people potentially watching the show on Discovery Channel, he added, the school could get some endorsements or sponsorships that could improve the football program. The weight lifting equipment, for example he said, is in dire need of upgrades.
“I can assure you that every prison in the state has better weight equipment than this school,” White said. “There’s four 45-pound bars. Three of them are inoperable. They’ve been welded together because they’ve fallen apart. … Some of these weights are dangerous. They’re broken.” As an attempt to get better equipment, he thought filming an episode of the team using weight equipment from a major company could net the district around $40,000 in new weight room items through a sponsorship. He and Calhoun High School football defensive coordinator Tim Nelson reached out to companies about the possibility of such a deal, but without a way to give the brand exposure, White said companies were hard-pressed to give the school any equipment. “The only way these people are going to give this school, $20-, $30-, $40,000 worth of weight equipment is because of exposure we could possibly get,” White said. “The reality is this football team has had I don’t
Cleaning under the baking sun. See page B4
know how many losing seasons in a row. We were 2-7 last year, and I think we’re going to be good this year. We’ve got a lot of kids that are fighting really hard.” White played for a Calhoun High School team that went to an Illinois State High School Football Championship in the 1987 season. That game was filmed, and although the team took second place, he said the experience made him proud of his efforts and the Calhoun Warriors. The board had around 13 guests during the meeting Monday, and board member Dave Hurley agreed with a member of the public in that there are greater problems with the team if the players need a television show to have pride in their school and team. “Them guys out there working their tail off all summer long, I think that’s the first sign of pride. They want to win. They’re working very hard,” Hurley said. “You (White) said it yourself. These kids are working (See, BILLY BOB, A2)
SCHOOL
Unit 42 plans tech improvements
SCHOOL
By BOB CROSSEN Calhoun News-Herald Teachers of 21st century learners emphasize the importance of technology for students, and the Brussels School Board is not deaf to that claim. Superintendent Mark Martin emphasized to the school board Aug. 19 the importance of technology in the students’ lives.
Matthews graduates from SIUE. See page A6
SPORTS
He said the quote from Frontier was outside the district’s price range. The board, he added, requested the superintendent continue to search for better prices on fast speeds. In April this year, Windows XP, Microsoft’s computer operating system, became obsolete as the tech company stopped regular service updates to the computer software. Martin
“We have laptops, desktops and a few iPads, but if many got on at the same time, the system would break down.”
Mark Martin Superintendent Submitted photo
Fall sports preview. See page C5-9
NEWS
What's happening between the rivers. See page B1
ONLINE
calhounnewsherald.com
CALHOUN NEWSHERALD • Index • Obituaries . . . . . A3 Our Town . . . . . . B3 News . . . . . . . . . B4 Public Notice . . . D4 Real Estate . . .D2-3 Correspondence B1 Social . . . . . . . . . A4 Sports . . . . . . . C10 Obituaries in this issue: Godar, Gotway
©2014 CALHOUN NEWS-HERALD
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Jonah White, right, poses with his signature Billy-Bob Teeth in place, for a picture with Miley Cyrus after presenting the pop star with a baby pig Aug. 10 backstage at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Cyrus and her new pet have been featured in national news, as well as all over social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
Pop star takes a little Calhoun back to LA By DAN BRANNAN Calhoun News-Herald Jonah White of Billy Bob Teeth fame provided a gift Miley Cyrus will never forget - a miniature pig - at her recent concert in St. Louis. White and his family of Hardin and Jerseyville resident Joe Wilson went backstage at the concert and met with Cyrus for several minutes after she finished performing Aug. 10 at the Scottrade Center. Cyrus welcomed the gift and named the miniature pig “Bubba Sue.” She proceeded to light up Twitter after receiving the pig with text and photos, talking about how cute it was and saying she adored him. White became acquainted with Cyrus
after she purchased a set of Billy Bob Teeth in high school in Nashville, Tenn., and then started taking the teeth on tour. “We became friends and have developed a business relationship with her company,” White said. “I sent a letter to her assistant that we had an exotic animal farm and I know Miley’s personality and thought she would like one of the pigs. She picked it out before she came to St. Louis.” Once White, Wilson and the others arrived in St. Louis to go backstage, the pig was taken and quarantined before it was delivered. When she visited with White and his group, she said she was completely in love with the pig. Before Cyrus was even off in her jet away from St. Louis she showed
the pig off online, and already had 75,000 likes, White said. “Miley is a real person,” White said. “She is not what people think she is. She is just a normal person, so humble when you talk with her in a room. That was part of the reason I wanted to give her a pig; I knew she had a ranch near Los Angeles. I thought the pig could change her life.” Wilson agreed that Cyrus was extremely excited about the piglet. “Miley was very gracious to all of us backstage,” he said. “She met with us before the show and after. I have the impression this pig will be a little bit spoiled.” dbrannan@campbellpublications.net and follow danbrannannews on Twitter.
“We’re getting to the point that we have almost one-to-one in terms of technology,” Martin said. “We have laptops, desktops and a few iPads, but if many got on at the same time, the system would break down.” The district does not allow students to take electronic devices home with them, unlike Jersey Community School District 100 where each student is issued a laptop computer at the beginning of the school year. He said the district steers away from those policies for fear of the equipment sustaining damage. Martin said the connection speeds for the district cannot handle high loads of Internet traffic, and for this reason, he said he sought prices for better Internet speeds.
said Unit 42 has updated the operating systems on the computers in the district since Windows XP became obsolete. “We have a variety of machines that were updated,” Martin said. “Most of our equipment is new within the last four to five years, so it’s not too old. Most of the old stuff has been replaced.” But all the hardware used by the students, teachers and staff needs upkeep to ensure the machines are running smoothly and effectively for their needs. He said CNC Consulting of Greenfield approached the board about its offerings for maintenance of its computers and server. Calhoun Community Unit School Board 40 has a contract with CNC Consulting, and (See, UNIT 42, A2)
New doors open at Jerseyville Shop ‘n Save By BOB CROSSEN Calhoun News-Herald Caution tape, plywood and construction workers will no longer greet Shop ‘n Save customers next week when renovations on the building’s entrance will be complete. Mark Heitzig, Jerseyville Shop ‘n Save general manager, said the store needed to have its entrance changed to better serve its customers and to align itself with other Shop ‘n Save stores. “It’s a big, long job here. They are wrapping things up,” Heitzig said. “They move right along, but that’s been a long process with that front out there.” Prior to the construction, the front entrance was home to shopping carts which will still remain in that area. The storefront will have double sliding doors with a lobby for the carts, so customers can grab one before entering the store. Heitzig said this was part of a process to streamline grocery shopping for customers while also offering them more variety. Earlier this year, he said aisles of the store were rearranged to increase the size of the pro-
duce section, and during that shift, the aisles were named after streets in Jerseyville. “We actually started back in the month of March on resetting the grocery department, and reset our dairy and frozen department,” Heitzig said. “We’ve expanded on our produce. We’ve expanded on our fresh meat.” He said the expanded offerings and the construction work has actually been beneficial to the store’s business. Customer service is the most important aspect of a Shop ‘n Save store, he added, and with the construction, patrons often ask how the project is going. He said the teller bags groceries for customers, as well, to show a courtesy to each patron of the store as part of its initiative toward a customer-centered approach to business at Shop ‘n Save. And the dialogue sparked by the renovation project has given employees and customers a conversation starter to allow them to learn more about each other and build a greater sense of community. “Anytime when you have construction going on like this, people stay interested. They want to know
Bob Crossen/Jersey County Journal
Shawn McBride sands down part of the facade of Shop 'n Save in Jerseyville. The location has undergone rennovations in the past few months to improve the business' store front. The grocery store will host a ribbon cutting ceremony Aug. 27 when the project is expected to be complete.
how things are going,” Heitzig said. “It’s going to make a big difference in the mall out here.” Shop ‘n Save in Jerseyville has been in business since 1979, the C
M
K
Y
general manager added, but it wasn’t until 1984 that the store relocated to the strip mall on South State Street. Since that time, Heitzig said the building has become outdated.
Regular wear and tear over the years increased the general manager’s desires to improve the business’ facade. (See, SHOP 'N SAVE, A2)