Volume 143 No. 22
Friday, May 5, 2017
Single Copy Cost 50¢
Helping their fellow students TGS Community Club donates to United Way’s HUSKY program By Dave Cook
news@tonicanews.com
TONICA — It’s likely that everyone has some loose change somewhere in their lives — in a jar on the counter, at the bottom of a purse, under the sofa cushions or even in a forgotten pocket. Members of the Tonica Grade School Community Club saw a way for those random nickels and dimes to help other students. The club held a schoolwide coin drive after drafting a letter which was sent home with each student. Jars were then decorated and placed in each classroom. As their fellow students brought their change to school, the jars quickly filled. When the coins were counted they were impressed to find they’d collected $600.
Community Page 2
Tonica News photo/Dave Cook
The students of the TGS Community Club recently presented the United Way with a donation of $600. The money raised through a coin drive will benefit the United Way’s HUSKY program which helps provide school supplies to more than 4,000 students in the Illinois Valley.
Summer, science and fun IVCC releases summer camp schedule By Dave Cook
news@tonicanews.com
OGLESBY — If you’re a child, some of the best parts of summer vacation are summer camps. While the biggest appeal is that they’re fun and often outdoors, many are also educational and STEM-related. IVCC’s Continuing Education Center (CEC) has recently released its summer youth camp schedule for children aged 5-14. The camps will be held from June 12 through Aug. 10. “We are excited to announce two offerings at the Ottawa Center this year, ‘Cookies and Canvas’ and ‘Super Solvers: Science Camp,’” CEC program coordinator Kim Koehler said. Koehler said the IVCC youth camps attract more than 300 local youth each summer and added that having additional programs in Ottawa will help them to better serve the eastern part of their district. The other new camps this year are the Super Solvers Science Camp, Radical Robots, Code Breakers, Number Ninjas, Kids in the Kitchen, Drones and Lego Comics. Some of the returning youth camp favorites are Dino Daze, Minecraft Modders, Little Ninjas Tae Kwon Do and the Fab Lab Academy. A week-long Ed’Venture Camp runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. from July 24-27 with students selecting a morning major they attend each day and three different afternoon minors to attend Monday through Wednesday. View the full summer youth schedule at www.ivcc. edu/cec or call 815- 224-0427 to request a copy or for more information. Vol. 143 No. 22 One Section - 8 Pages
© The Tonica News
Lostant looks at Fieldcrest agreement Simulated shooter situation planned for June By Zachary J. Pratt news@tonicanews.com
LOSTANT — The Lostant School District has decided it is time to revisit the intergovernmental agreement it has with Fieldcrest. “We have five (students going there), and three of them are failing, flunking out of school. One is graduating,” Lostant Superintendent Sandra Malahy said. With one student graduating, one on track to graduate, and three failing, the viability of upkeep for this agreement was called into question. “If and when we have students out of town going to Fieldcrest school, I have to put another driver on the morning route,” Malahy said. “It doesn’t work otherwise.” Furthermore, certain students are expected to remain for beyond the standard four-year term,
Summer fun in the sun. Does the AC still run.
bringing them to their 21st and 22nd birthdays. “Since these children are choosing to fail school and go to school — according to their father — we will be driving them for a long time,” Malahy said. One option was to not renew the agreement. When the current agreement expires, this would cause students to revert from Fieldcrest back to Lostant. Another was to make a formal request to Fieldcrest they pick up rural transportation, though Malahy did not find this option likely. Lostant Board President Mike Phillips suggested the district consider one more two-year agreement, essentially negotiating the last two years. “That way, the kids that are going there, if they want to pick up the pace and graduate, they can,” Phillips said. Malahy said the need
“That way, the kids that are going there, if they want to pick up the pace and graduate, they can.” Lostant Board President Mike Phillips for a decision is due to no fault of Fieldcrest, instead pointing toward the lack of funding for mandated categoricals, which would help with the transportation costs. “We have to look out for the health of the district; and we have to cut somewhere; and this is a lot of money for one house,” she said. Also at the recent school board meeting, the board learned come June, Lostant Elementary School will see an influx of law enforcement officers. But this is not a cause for concern. The officers will be gathered in the school gym for training, simu-
Town and Country Services
$20 OFF
lating an active shooter situation/response. Quillard Skinner, officer and school board member, described the objective as training officers what to do in an on-going, life-threatening situation. The training will use rounds of a soap-like substance to indicate bullet strikes, which should add a sense of verisimilitude for the officers involved, while causing no damage to people or property. Skinner expressed an intent to reach out to Lostant Police Chief Darin Crask, since the first responding officers would likely be local personnel.
Town and Country Services
$100 OFF
Any Service Call
Furnace & Air Conditioner Install
Coupon required. One coupon per person. Not valid with other offers. Expires 5-31-2017
Coupon required. One coupon per person. Not valid with other offers. Expires 5-31-2017
Princeton: (815) 872-2200 • Tonica: (815) 442-3415 towncountryservices.com