Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application the son of Forest and Marjorie (Blasnitz) Beecher He was raised and received his early education there where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Education    Steve married Bernadette Zahasky on November 4 Steve loved athletics and was in his element when the buzzer would sound he obtained his Master’s Degree from U.N.I they moved to Garner and spent the next 22 years there When their first grandchild was born in 2016 they moved to Spencer He had many happy visits to their daughter’s home playing with the grandchildren Steve’s passion was coaching and watching sporting events He was highly invested in being a teacher and administrator He impacted many students over his 35-year career He also had an incredible sense of humor and was very charismatic 2025 at the Spencer Acute Rehab Center in Spencer    Left to cherish his memory are his wife Lawton and Indy; his sister Jeannie; his brother Virginia; many nieces and nephews; other relatives and friends Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Lia Prairie, Sydney Jemar and Alexa White each went 1 for 3 for the Comets with a single apiece. Jemar also had a stolen base. Gardner-South Wilmington 7, Grant Park 3: Maddie Simms homered for Gardner-South Wilmington (13-8, 6-3 RVC) while also striking out 10 batters over seven innings to lead the Panthers to a conference sweep over Grant Park (9-8, 6-4 RVC). Simms was 1 for 4 with a solo home run and allowed just six hits, five of which were singles. Ella Mack went 2 for 4 with a triple, two RBIs and a run while Kayla Scheuber was 1 for 4 with a triple, an RBI and a run. Grant Park’s Cheyenne Hayes allowed just five hits in her six innings of work while recording 11 strikeouts. She also went 2 for 3 with a triple and an RBI. Kaylie Mehreg was 1 for 2 with an RBI and Lola Malkowski was 1 for 3 with an RBI. Streator 8, Reed-Custer 5: The Comets took a home loss in Illinois Central Eight Conference play to fall to 9-11 overall and 1-9 in conference play. Caysie Esparza was 2 for 2 with two walks, an RBI and a run while Amber Syc was 2 for 4 with an RBI, a run and three stolen bases. Kamryn Wilkey was 2 for 4 with a run while Kirstin Klein was 1 for 4 with a double, an RBI and a run. Morris 17, Manteno 2: The Panthers (14-4) stumbled against Morris on the road to have their five-game winning streak come to an end. They had just two hits in the game, with Sophie Peterson and Jazmine Manau each going 1 for 2 with a double. Manau had two RBIs while Peterson and Aubrie Goudreau each scored a run. For Central, Reece Boudreau was 2 for 3 with a run. Owen Palmateer was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run while Derek Meier was 1 for 3 with a walk, an RBI and a run. Grant Park 5, Gardner-South Wilmington 4: Joey McGinley, Brayden Heldt and Connor Manahan had two hits apiece as the Dragons (6-9, 4-4 RVC) took down the Panthers (6-10, 3-3 RVC) in Gardner to earn a conference split. McGinley was 2 for 4 with two doubles, two RBIs and a run, Heldt was 2 for 4 with a walk and an RBI and Manahan was 2 for 3 with a walk and an RBI. The Panthers scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh before coming up short. Cole Hampson was 1 for 3 with a walk and an RBI while Ryan Milette was 1 for 2 with a walk and two runs. Herscher 6, Manteno 0: Gianni Jaime’s hat trick led the Tigers (13-3-2, 6-0 ICE) to another Illinois Central Eight Conference win on the road. Sophie Venckauskas added two goals while Brooke King had one. Ave Derrico had six saves for Manteno (5-11-3, 1-5 ICE). Coal City 2, Reed-Custer 1: The Coalers (11-4-1, 4-2 ICE) got a pair of goals from Kylee Kennell to pick up a conference win at home over the Comets (7-5, 3-3 ICE). Claire Mohler had an assist for Coal City. No individual stats were immediately available for Reed-Custer. Peotone 3, Wilmington 3: The Blue Devils (7-5-1, 3-3 ICE) won a penalty shootout 4-2 at home over Wilmington (4-8, 1-4 ICE). The win was Peotone’s fifth in a row. No individual stats were immediately available for the Blue Devils. Wilmington’s Alaina Clark had three goals while Addison Van Duyne and Audrey Powlick each had a goal and an assist. Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network if one only remembers to turn on the light.” and the streets of heaven are even brighter with her arrival To sum up the impact of a life so well lived is impossible But Krissy gave out thousands of assignments in her life and she didn’t care if they were possible or not simplest summation of Krissy Beecher is that she measured her life by people She spent her days believing in and passionately pursuing the potential of everyone around her She spent her years building her tribe – creating She was loved by everyone and loved most by those who knew her best She spent thousands upon thousands of hours seated at her grand piano She didn’t improvise or add or remove anything She played the music precisely the way the creator intended she was happy to sit and accompany while others took the spotlight.  Krissy’s religious faith was her life’s blueprint her discipleship took on extra intention through her time studying abroad in Jerusalem during college Her membership in the Church of Jesus Christ was vibrant a perfect foundation for a person whose focus always laid outside of herself high-yield saint God uses to build the Kingdom Krissy was even more cherished because of her glorious quirks She always read the last page of a book first Her penmanship was as maddeningly perfect as her work ethic She was nearly 40 years old before she worked up the nerve to order a pizza over the phone She somehow always ended up with the good bedroom on family vacations she was inexplicably a devoted fan of the Mountain West Conference even though she had zero affinity for any of those actual teams She once ate an entire 12-pack of Twix bars in one sitting and then immediately swore them off for 30 years She spent the vast majority of her disposable income at Disneyland She wore the same gray North Davis Norseman hoodie and green fleece pants nearly every day for a decade always avoiding even a single left turn in favor of three rights She banned a few board games from family gatherings because they spurred too much of her competitiveness She never quite found the nerve for a daily 5:30am wakeup even though she was certain it would give her the time she needed to build the perfect body in case of a random catastrophic event.  Perhaps the greatest evidence of Krissy’s intentional beautiful life is the dynamic family she built with her husband Brian Through the sunny and cloudy days of life together they raised authentic a tribe that is a worthy reflection of a person of Krissy’s character and caliber and her passion for the improvement of others She somehow worked far beyond her physical capacity and retired on her own terms and with great recognition and thousands upon thousands of grateful students We would love if you would help us remember all of the kind beautiful memories of Krissy that are being shared Please take two minutes and text JAM to (626) 653-4288 to help us fill a book with these precious memories.  at the Kaysville Utah Central Stake Center Services will be streamed live on the Russon Brothers Mortuary Facebook page (click here) and on this obituary page the family is accepting donations to help with expenses at Brian’s Venmo Account: @Brian-Beecher-2 Your love and support mean the world to them during this difficult time.  “It is our choices that show what we truly are Russon Mortuary & Crematory - Farmington Click to watch a seed and early-stage venture capital fund investing in companies in and around the Penn State community 1855 Capital develops investment opportunities by actively engaging with current faculty/staff and students involved in world-class research efforts and the 700,000+ alumni network Rhodes has cultivated strong ties to the Penn State research community and its external network His collaborative approach is evident in his service on the College of Science Dean's Advisory board and the Penn State Research Foundation Board where he works closely with Penn State innovators he facilitates the translation of research into impactful products and companies significantly extending the reach of Penn State discoveries Rhodes has had a distinguished career leading high-tech companies and startups a publicly traded communications semiconductor company where he secured $45 million in funding and positioned the company as a leader in high-speed communication semiconductors senior vice president for research at Penn State emphasized the importance of technology commercialization “Bridging the gap between university research and industry application is essential for driving innovation and economic impact,” Read said “We are grateful for this award and proud to recognize Matt Rhodes whose dedication has significantly advanced Penn State’s commercialization efforts.”  Rhodes expressed gratitude for the recognition and reaffirmed his commitment to fostering innovation at Penn State “This award has been earned by and is shared with the whole of Penn State’s entrepreneurial community,” Rhodes said “Supporting the commercialization of university research is not just about business success; it’s about creating a supportive environment that can make a meaningful impact in Pennsylvania and beyond.”  The Beecher Loftus Technology Transfer Catalyst Award was endowed through a gift from Patricia Beecher Loftus a nuclear engineering alumna and member of the Penn State Research Foundation Board of Directors It is an annually renewing endowment honoring individuals or teams — including faculty and industry partners — who have significantly contributed to the commercialization of university-generated technologies and the direct contributions or involvement of faculty members or research scientists The nominated commercialization activities must also have contributed to the economy “Through technology transfer and commercialization Penn State researchers make incredible contributions to society every day,” said Patricia Beecher Loftus “This award recognizes and celebrates the innovators and individuals who act as force multipliers for the translation of discoveries into impact My hope is that this recognition inspires an entrepreneurial culture and continued collaboration between innovators and industry partners to drive innovation forward.”  By recognizing innovators like Matt Rhodes the award aims to accelerate the transformation of cutting-edge research into real-world applications furthering Penn State’s mission of impactful discovery and economic development Invent Penn State was financed in part by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" The Daily Bulldog is a completely free, fully online publication dedicated to covering the wide variety of happenings in Franklin County. We aim for timeliness, for our news to go far, and to be a reliable point of information for local residents. For immediate questions and concerns, please call (207) 778-8146 or email thedailybulldog@gmail.com  Daily Bulldog depends on businesses like yours to support our independently owned community paper and news reporting For information on how to advertise please visit our advertising page or contact us at (207) 778-8146 or thedailybulldog@gmail.com The Will County Sheriff's arrested a Chicago Heights Illinois city employee a few weeks ago on six counts of possession and sale of child pornography Court records show Will County officials arrested Jasen Zurisk after searching his Beecher CBS News Chicago has confirmed Zurisk works as the maintenance director of south suburban Chicago Heights Click here for the full story via CBS Chicago ExpandCentral's Blake Chandler pitches in a game against Beecher on April 29, 2025. (Nicholas Holstein) Central 9, Beecher 3: When the top two teams in the River Valley Conference standings met in Beecher on Tuesday, it was first-place Central (8-8, 6-1 RVC) that managed to surge for a big win to get a little more breathing room over second-place Beecher (8-10, 4-3 RVC). “That’s a good baseball team, a great coach, a great program,” Central head coach Brian Kohn said. “There’s not a whole lot of words other than ‘big’ for that one. It was a big win.” Central’s Blake Chandler allowed just one hit through the first five innings before Beecher rallied for three runs in the sixth to cut a 4-0 Central lead to 4-3. The Comets bounced back in the top of the seventh for five insurance runs, and Chandler tossed a scoreless bottom half of the inning to pick up the win. He had nine strikeouts in the game and allowed just six hits. Brayden Meents was 1 for 1 with a home run, two walks, an RBI and three runs. Owen Palmateer was 2 for 4 with a double, four RBIs and two runs. “I could go on for a long time about stuff we did well today,” Kohn said. “About a month ago, we were looking for something like this.” Beecher's Ryan Cruz, left, and Steven Fezler, right, touch helmets after Cruz's 2-run home run in the sixth inning of a game against Central on April 29,2025. (Nicholas Holstein) For Beecher, Ryan Cruz was 1 for 3 with a two-run home run. Steven Fezler was 1 for 3 with an RBI and a run while Nolen Lane was 1 for 4 with a run. Momence 14, St. Anne 13 (8 inn.): It took an extra inning to decide a wild RVC contest in St. Anne on Tuesday. Despite having a 9-3 lead disappear in the seventh inning, Momence (5-9, 4-5 RVC) managed to outlast the Cardinals (9-6, 4-3 RVC) in a high-scoring eighth inning. Momence scored five times in the top of the eighth and managed to hold the Cardinals to four runs in the bottom half to avoid losing their second lead in as many innings. Momence’s Brogan Halpin was 1 for 4 with a three-run home run in the eighth that stood up as the game-winning hit. He also walked and scored a run. Shane Cook was 3 for 5 with a double and two RBIs while Nick Charbonneau was 2 for 4 with a double, two RBIs and three runs. St. Anne’s Preston Harrington-DeWitt was 2 for 5 with a home run, a double, two RBIs and a run while Brandon Schoth was 1 for 4 with a home run, a walk, an RBI and two runs. Jesus Chaca Tapia was 3 for 5 with three RBIs and a run. Grant Park’s Nolan Olthoff and Aiden Overbeek each scored a run, with Olthoff going 1 for 2 with two walks and a double and Overbeek going 1 for 4. Herscher 6, Coal City 4: The Tigers (20-4, 8-2 ICE) held off a late push by Coal City (15-7, 7-3 ICE) to pick up an Illinois Central Eight Conference win on the road Tuesday. For Herscher, Logan Egerton was 2 for 3 with a double, a walk and two runs while Nash Brubaker was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Gaige Brown and Tanner Jones each went 1 for 3 with a walk and two runs. Coal City’s Gavin Berger was 2 for 3 with an RBI while Lance Cuddy was 1 for 3 with a walk, two RBIs and a run. Peotone’s Ruben Velasco was 2 for 2 with a solo home run and two walks. Tyler Lietelt was 1 for 4 and Joe Hasse was 1 for 2. Manteno 5, Streator 2: Nolan Canfield allowed just two hits and two runs over eight innings to lead the Panthers (15-4, 7-3 ICE) to a conference sweep over Streator. He had eight strikeouts the win, the seventh straight for Manteno. Tyler Buehler was 2 for 4 with two runs while Braden Campbell was 2 for 3 with an RBI. Andrew Norred was 1 for 2 with two RBIs and a run. Jake Wendling was 2 for 2 with an RBI and a run and also pitched two perfect innings of relief with two strikeouts. Bradley-Bourbonnais 10, Stagg 0: Olivia Woolman tossed a three-hit shutout Tuesday as the Boilermakers (11-7, 5-3 SWSC) picked up their third SouthWest Suburban Conference win in a row. She had one strikeout and walked a batter over five innings. Bella Pusateri was 3 for 3 out of the leadoff spot with a triple, two doubles, a walk, an RBI, two steals and two runs. Suttyn Hop was 2 for 3 with an RBI and two runs and Avery Moutrey was 2 for 3 with a triple and three RBIs. Peotone 3, Reed-Custer 1: Peotone (11-8, 5-5 ICE) stayed hot on Tuesday with their fifth straight win to finish off the Illinois Central Eight Conference sweep of the Comets (9-10, 1-8 ICE). Sophie Klawitter allowed just three hits and a run over seven innings, walking one batter and recording 15 strikeouts. She was also 2 for 3 with a run. Ava Kosmos was 1 for 4 with a double, a run and an RBI while Layla Johnson was 1 for 1 with three walks and a run. Reed-Custer’s Amber Syc was 1 for 3 with a triple and a run. Kristin Klein and Mackenzie Foote were both 1 for 3. Herscher’s Anistin Hackley was 1 for 3 with a two-run home run and Liv Wilkins was 1 for 3 with a solo home run. RyLyn Adams was 2 for 4 out of the leadoff spot and Keira Ahramovich was 1 for 4 with a double and a run. Wilmington 9, Lisle 1: Taylor Stefancic’s three-hit game and a strong outing from Lexi Strohm propelled the Wildcats (15-5, 8-2 ICE) to a conference win on the road Tuesday. Strohm allowed just three hits and an unearned run over seven innings of work, striking out seven batters. Stefancic was 3 for 4 with two doubles, a walk, two RBIs and two runs. Keeley Walsh was 2 for 5 with an RBI and a run while Ally Allgood was 2 for 4 with a double, two RBIs and a run. Gardner-South Wilmington 5, Grant Park 0: Maddie Simms’ one-hit shutout gave the Panthers (12-8, 5-3 RVC) an River Valley Conference win on the road Tuesday. She allowed a single in the first inning, walked four batters, struck out eight and sent down the final 10 batters of the game in order. Kayla Scheuber was 2 for 3 for the Panthers with two RBIs. Nina Siano was 1 for 3 with a walk, an RBI and a run while Liv Siano was 1 for 3 with a triple and two runs. For the Dragons (9-7, 6-3 RVC), Claire Sluis was 1 for 3 with a single while Adelyn Karstensen walked and stole a base. Cheyenne Hayes had 11 strikeouts and allowed five hits in seven innings. St. Anne 12, Momence 2: The Cardinals (2-7, 1-4 RVC) picked up their first conference win of the season at home over Momence (0-15, 0-9 RVC) on Tuesday. St. Anne’s Alexis Hedges Gipson was 3 for 4 with a triple, a double, three RBIs, two runs and two steals. Maya Anderson was 2 for 3 with an RBI and two runs while Tiffany DeYoung was 2 for 3 with two runs. Momence’s Sydney Vanswol was 2 for 4 with two runs and two steals while Emma Varnak was 2 for 3 with two RBIs. Jada Moss was 2 for 3. Watseka 9, South Newton 4: The Warriors (3-12) snapped a four-game losing streak with a nonconference win at home on Tuesday. Noelle Schroeder was 3 for 4 with a home run, a double, an RBI and two runs while Abigail Neukomm was 2 for 4 with a home run, two RBIs and a run. Sarah Parsons was 2 for 4 with two runs, Skyla Kennedy was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and Rennah Barrett was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Christa Holohan was 1 for 3 with a double, a walk, an RBI and two runs. Lockport 4, Bradley-Bourbonnais 0: No individual stats were immediately for the Boilermakers (7-11, 0-4 SWSC) as they took a SouthWest Suburban Conference loss on the road Tuesday to the first-place Porters. Timothy Christian 5, Bishop McNamara 0: The Fightin’ Irish (5-7, 2-2 CCC) fell at home Tuesday to Chicagoland Christian Conference leaders Timothy Christian. No individual stats were immediately available. Peotone 4, Beecher 1: The Blue Devils (6-5-1) stayed red-hot Tuesday with a nonconference win. They have gone 5-0-1 in their last six games. Peyton Bisping had two goals for Peotone while Allie Werner and Katelyn Leitelt had one apiece. Werner had two assists and Leitelt had one. No individual stats were immediately for Beecher (9-9). Manteno 1, Victory Christian (Ind.) 1: Tuesday was senior day for the Panthers (5-10-3), and it was senior Jackie Villaneuva who scored the team’s goal on an assist from fellow senior Raquel Quiroz. Senior goalkeeper Ava Derrico had 11 saves. ExpandBeecher's Ava Lorenzatti pitches in a game against Central on April 29 BEECHER − When the Beecher softball team lost to Lincoln-Way East on Monday it was the team’s first regular-season loss in more than a calendar year Much like they did after that loss April 15 the Bobcats responded with a shutout River Valley Conference win Beecher’s Ava Lorenzatti threw a one-hit shutout Tuesday as the Bobcats (22-1, 9-0 RVC) won 7-0 over second-place Central (12-9, 7-2 RVC) to remain unbeaten in RVC play. Lorenzatti had 15 strikeouts in the game while allowing only a fifth-inning walk and sixth-inning infield single. She said she felt good about her performance and that the defense was on point behind her on the handful of balls the Comets managed to put in play. “Our defense looked really sharp today,” she said. “Other than that, just the weather and it finally getting warmer again, I feel really loose now. I think it has been a pretty cold spring so far, so it definitely makes a difference for our team now that we’re out here in the heat. The Bobcats had six hits, all singles, off Central’s Sydney Jemar, but were able to generate some early offense thanks to a couple of walks, some defensive lapses from the Comets and heads-up baserunning. Beecher’s first run came when Makenzie Johnson walked in the first inning, reached third base on an error and scored when the ball took too long to get back to the infield. Lilliana Irwin scored in similar fashion in the second. They scored twice in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Irwin and a run-scoring groundout from Lorenzatti. Alexa Gilva drove in two runs with an RBI groundout in the fifth, thanks to aggressive running from Ava Olson and Elena Kvasnicka, and an RBI groundout from Johnson in the sixth wrapped up the scoring. Beecher struck out just two times as a team, which head coach Kevin Hayhurst said was key in addition to the opportunistic baserunning. “They did a good job of putting the ball in play,” he said. “I think they did some smart baserunning, which is really good, and they took advantage of some situations, so it was nice to see them get around the bases.” Olson led the Bobcats with two hits, going 2 for 3 with a run. Lorenzatti was 1 for 3 with a walk and an RBI. Johnson and Gilva were both 0 for 3, but Johnson had an RBI and a run, and Gilva had two RBIs. Tuesday’s game also saw the Bobcats – ranked third in the Class 2A Illinois Coaches Association Poll released Sunday – return to conference play after playing through their toughest stretch of the season so far. They beat Pontiac, the sixth-ranked 3A team, 3-1 Saturday before falling 6-0 to Lincoln-Way East, the fourth-ranked 4A team, on Monday. “It definitely shows us some things to work on, and that’s what I like,” Hayhurst said. “I don’t mind losing a ballgame to good teams as long as we’re not making mistakes. I think mentally and physically, we played pretty good ballgames against both Lincoln-Way and Pontiac.” The Comets got a similar opportunity to face a highly ranked team Tuesday. While there were some costly mistakes, especially early on, head coach Kelli Wielgus said she thought the team did a good job settling in. “After the first two innings, I think our defense was pretty sharp,” she said. “We had a few errors here and there, but it wasn’t anything crazy. We shaped up, and Sydney Jemar did a really good job in the circle today.” Although a Rayven Perkins walk and Keira Donnelly infield single gave the Comets their only runners, Wielgus also felt the team did a good job responding against as tough a pitcher as they will face all year. “They laid off of her riseball that was high,” she said. “Not too many of them chased it, and many of them like to. They were more disciplined. I like that we’re going in the right direction.” We recognise you are attempting to access this website from a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA) including the EU which enforces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and therefore cannot grant you access at this time e-mail us at abc12news@abc12.com or call us at 810-233-3130 looks to corral a throw into home plate as Beecher's Elena Kvasnicka slides in for a run during a game at Beecher Thursday BEECHER – For more than 20 years, the Beecher softball program has been a well-oiled machine that has churned out four state championships 11 sectional championships and 18 regional titles since head coach Kevin Hayhurst took over in 2002-03 As the Bobcats were able to contain a talented Wilmington team to the tune of a 6-1 home win Thursday, that machine shows no signs of slowing down. Beecher got another splendid pitching performance from Taylor Norkus and recorded 10 hits offensively to stifle a Wilmington (13-5) team that entered Thursday winners of six of its past seven games to improve its unbeaten season to 19-0. For junior second baseman Elena Kvasnicka, who had a game-high three hits Thursday, it’s not like the Bobcats have anything flashy or special about their game. They’re just a group of girls who have been playing together since they were kids, and under Hayhurst since they were sixth graders at Beecher Elementary. “We just play how we have been,” Kvasnicka said. “We’ve all been together since we were in junior high, so we just play as a team.” Kvasnicka’s first-inning single brought home leadoff hitter and Florida State commit Ava Lorenzatti, whose RBI double in the second was the only run support Norkus would need before a three-run third gave the Bobcats breathing room. Beecher's Taylor Norkus throws a pitch during a home game against Wilmington Thursday, April 24, 2025. (Mason Schweizer) Norkus, a Colgate commit, improved to 8-0 after allowing an earned run on five hits, a walk and 11 strikeouts in a complete game Thursday, allowing no more than one run in seven of those starts. Paired with Lorenzatti, who’s won the other 11 games for the Bobcats and allowed a run or less in 10 of them, Kvasnicka said the rest of the team feels some weight lifted off their shoulders no matter who toes the rubber. “It relaxes us a lot,” Kvasnicka said. “It helps when you go up to bat, you don’t have to worry. If you make a mistake in the field, it’s not too big of a deal, because the pitchers are gonna help you out.” Norkus and Lorenzatti join Kvasnicka in a deep group of Beecher juniors who were responsible for seven of the team’s 10 hits Thursday, with senior shortstop Ava Olson (RBI single) and freshman third baseman Allie Johnson (2 for 2, one run, one RBI) responsible for the other three. Part of the machine-like feel to the Bobcat program is how often a few freshmen each year are asked to fill starting voids immediately. Olson was once one of those freshman, and now that she’s on the other side as a senior, she’s tried to mimic some of the leaders she played under during her younger days. ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 9Wilmington's Taylor Stefancic, right, fields a ground ball as Beecher's Alexa Gliva runs home during a game at Beecher Thursday, April 24, 2025. (Mason Schweizer) “I always like to think about the upperclassmen from when I was younger, especially Abby Sippel and Kylie Cook, who were seniors two years ago,” Olson said. “They were my infield buddies and kind of always pushed me to be who I am today. I try to reverse that role and be that girl to my little sisters.” Although they weren’t able to be the first team to take out the Bobcats, Wildcats head coach Jack Skole mostly liked what he saw from the visiting team Thursday. And although there’s still plenty of regular season left, he knows the long-term benefits an experience like Thursday can provide. “We knew coming in we’d see a great pitcher, we’d see balls put in play; they’re not gonna make mistakes and [will] take advantage of mistakes,” Skole said. “It was good to see this, and I’m glad we got it in. Coming into regionals, that’s what you look for.” And while the veteran coach has been around for plenty of matchups with Beecher, Skole liked the attitude the Wildcats brought with them Thursday. “You have to have a short memory in this game, and that’s the one good thing about these guys,” Skole said. “They’re very competitive and give themselves a chance to win. I’ve had teams come here before and even before getting into Beecher on the bus, they knew they weren’t gonna win. This team doesn’t have that attitude, and that’s great.” This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Receive emails when new obituariesare published to our website Owned and operated by the Atchley family since 1920 we proudly serve the families of our community with care and professionalism.For generations the Atchley family and the staff have strived to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of the families we have had the honor to serve We are a family-owned funeral home with the 3rd and 4th generations working together to continue our tradition of serving our community Atchley Funeral Home also has the only crematory in the county ensuring that your loved one never leaves our care We hope you find our site helpful and informative and we also welcome your calls and visits if you would like further assistance.Atchley Funeral Home - a strong traditional heritage combined with contemporary ideas and modern facilities to enable us to provide the most caring service available Atchley Funeral Home - Seymour Memory Gardens Atchley's Smoky Mountain Chapel & Memory Gardens Your browser may not work with certain site. Upgrade now. 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Scout Ventures is delighted to announce that Zach Beecher is joining the firm as a Partner.  Beecher brings extensive experience as a leader in mission-driven initiatives across various sectors including early-stage technology and national security Beecher joins Scout Ventures from America's Frontier Fund a deep tech investment fund focused on America's long-term economic and national security Zach led capital formation and supported national security innovation investment strategy identifying and supporting dual-use technologies in critical sectors.  Scout Ventures has brought on Zach Beecher as Partner Army with the 82nd Airborne Division alongside Scout Partner Cody Huggins.  In 2017 Zach deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Inherent Resolve Zach held roles leading a pre-seed accelerator and leading operations at a leading corporate innovation platform.  He currently serves in the Army Reserves in Special Operations Command—Europe.  "We are thrilled to welcome Zach to our team," said Brad Harrison Founder and Managing Partner at Scout Ventures.  "His expertise in venture strategy and emerging technologies will be essential as we continue to  identify and support groundbreaking companies that develop dual-use technologies benefiting both commercial and defense markets." Beecher's career is distinguished by his dedication to national security he will spearhead investments in early-stage frontier technology companies collaborating closely with founders to refine go-to-market strategies and navigate the complexities of dual-use innovation He will also fortify Scout's relationships across the defense solidifying the firm's position as a bridge between the public and private sectors and contribute to our mission of empowering transformative Founders," said Beecher "Scout's breakthrough strategy and commitment to investing in  dual-use solutions ensures that groundbreaking innovations not only advance commercial industries but also enhance  national security and resilience." Scout Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on dual-use technologies that solve National Security challenges Backing mission-driven founders at the forefront of innovation and operational expertise to help scale transformative companies Our investment areas include space & aerospace Scout Ventures is driven by a mission to make the world a better,  safer place by fostering innovation and promoting collaboration to address future challenges and advance frontier technologies to build a more resilient Cody HugginsPartner & Head of Investor RelationsScout Ventures[email protected] www.scout.vc Do not sell or share my personal information: The Kays were 7-3 overall and 3-0 in conference play coming into Wednesday’s game, and thanks to second half goals from Raquel Guevara and Malea Harrison, kept that unbeaten record intact with a 2-0 win. Beecher fell to 8-8 (3-3) with the loss. The win kept Kankakee ahead of Bloom (11-2, 5-1) in the standings, who the Kays beat 2-1 on April 16. Sophomore midfielder Stacy Calva, who played major minutes for the Kays on Wednesday, said the team hopes to stay in the top spot. “This was our goal, we said ‘we need to win conference,’” she said. “Right before this game we were like ‘guys, we need to lock in.’ We just locked in and proud of everybody. Everyday showed up and everybody gave 100%. We’re not done yet, but we’re going to keep pushing forward.” The Kays and Bobcats were evenly matched from the start, with both teams coming up empty on early chances to go into halftime in a scoreless tie. Beecher’s Grace Durante had a couple of shots go just wide of the net and a couple others sent away by Kankakee’s Ana Lopez. The Kays’ best chance came after a steal by Harrison, who took a shot that glanced off the crossbar just above the outstretched arms of Beecher’s Mikenna Burdick. Kankakee head coach Vincent Mkhwanazi said he was happy to see the team stick with their approach after Beecher held them off the scoreboard for the first 40 minutes. “It was very difficult breaking [Beecher] down,” he said. “They’re very disciplined and you could tell they were following the coach’s instructions and game plan that was put forth. The girls had to just keep going, keep going, trusting and doing the same correct thing again and again.” They finally broke through with 26:26 to go in the second half when Guevara slipped between a pair of defenders and converted on a wide-open shot. Harrison found the back of the net on a cross from Jocelyn Sanchez 10 minutes later. Beecher’s Braelynn Scanlan nearly got Beecher on the board with about 13 minutes to go, but her shot sailed just high as the last solid chance for the Bobcats. Sophomore defender Regina Vazquez-Vargas helped anchor the defense in the shutout win, and said the team has done a good job improving on that side of the ball. “I think we worked really hard in practices to get to the point we’re at now,” she said. “I’m really proud of us because we’ve really learned a lot from each other.” Beecher has now faced the other six teams in the Southland once this season. They and Momence are the only two Class 1A schools in the conference, and Kypuros said he just wants to keep seeing the team play well against these larger programs as they look to build up momentum by the time the postseason comes around. “One thing with this conference come playoff time is Bloom is going to be in the 3A playoffs, Thornwood will be in the 3A playoffs, Kankakee will be in the 2A playoffs, and we’ll be over in the 1A playoffs,” he said. “To me what’s most important is that we continue to get better and we make those games competitive. When we’re hanging in with schools of that size, conference game or not, and we’re playing against opponents in higher classes and we’re making them competitive, it’s a good thing.” As for the Kays, Mkhwanazi said he feels like the team has really started to settle in. They have won five of their last six games after taking a couple of close losses prior to that stretch. “We’ve definitely started to embrace the identity of who we are and what we’re doing,” he said. “The belief is there. Their ability to adjust has been phenomenal.” Issues with signing in? Click here Need help signing in? Beecher will target investments in early-stage frontier technology companies for Scout Ventures which raised $94m for its Fund IV last year View all events > Your email address is already registered with us. Click here to receive a verification link and login. Don't have an account? Click here to register Please check your spam or junk folder just in case Bruins forward Jonny Beecher talks with the media on Thursday at Warrior Ice Arena Don Sweeney speaks to the media following the NHL Draft Lottery Bruins and Bob's deliver furniture to those in need Paint the Ice presented by Benjamin Moore gave fans the chance to decorate the TD Garden ice Cambridge Rindge High School students received a donation of power tools from Bosch Girls Hockey Day presented by Wasabi Technologies promotes the growth of hockey in Boston and Sweeney address the media at TD Garden Swayman talks with the media on Thursday morning at WIA Lindholm talks with the media on Thursday at WIA Sacco talks during end of season availability Geekie talks with the media on Thursday at WIA Lohrei talks with the media on Thursday at WIA Mittelstadt talks on Thursday morning at WIA Koepke talks with the media on Thursday at WIA Beecher talks to the media on Thursday at WIA Korpisalo talks with the media on Thursday at WIA Bruins forward Morgan Geekie receives NESN's 7th Player Award for the 2024-25 season Lincoln-Way Central 8, Bradley-Bourbonnais 0 (9 inn.): The SouthWest Suburban Conference had five teams ranked in the Class 4A Illinois Coaches Association Poll released Sunday. Bradley-Bourbonnais, ranked 17th, hosted top-ranked Lincoln-Way Central on Tuesday. After battling for eight scoreless innings, the Boilermakers (10-6, 2-3 SWSC) allowed eight runs in the top of the ninth to take a conference loss at home. Beecher 11, Illinois Lutheran 0 (5 inn.): All 15 outs recorded by Ava Lorenzatti in the Bobcats’ five-inning River Valley Conference win over the Chargers came via the strikeout. She allowed one hit and walked one batter as Beecher (16-0, 7-0 RVC) took the first game of a home doubleheader. Tayiah Scanlan was 3 for 3 with a triple, two RBIs and two runs, while Makenzie Johnson was 2 for 2 with two RBIs and a run. Liliana Irwin was 2 for 3 with two RBIs. Beecher 16, Illinois Lutheran 0 (4 inn.): Taylor Norkus pitched a perfect game in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader, striking out eight batters in the four-inning game to lead the Bobcats (17-0, 8-0) to yet another dominant conference sweep. She also went 3 for 4 with a double, four RBIs and a run. Carmela Irwin went 2 for 3 with a home run, a triple, three RBIs and two runs, while Maddy Grooms was 2 for 2 with a double, two RBIs and two runs. Kankakee 20, Rich Township 1: An 11-run first inning set the Kays on a course for another blowout win in Southland Athletic Conference play. They ended up setting a season high in runs scored in the win to improve to 8-7 overall and 8-0 in conference play. They are averaging 16.6 runs per game in conference games and allowing just two runs per game. Kylie Glogowski was 3 for 4 with a triple, a double, six RBIs and three runs. Kylee Cunningham was 4 for 4 with two doubles, four RBIs and two runs. Lillian Landis was 2 for 3 with a triple, a double, two RBIs and a run, while Madison Covington was 2 for 3 with a double, an RBI and two runs. Manteno 6, Lisle 0: Macy Iwanus racked up 14 strikeouts over seven strong innings of work on the road as Manteno (11-3, 7-1) completed the Illinois Central Eight Conference sweep of the Lions. She allowed four hits and did not issue a walk. Aubrie Goudreau was 3 for 4 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs. Amiya Carlile was 2 for 3 with two triples, an RBI and a run, while Jazmine Manau was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Wilmington 1, Coal City 0: The Wildcats (13-4, 6-2) responded to Monday’s loss to Coal City and handed the Coalers (13-6, 7-1) their first ICE Conference loss of the season. Taryn Gilbert allowed six hits in seven innings while recording two strikeouts. The Wildcats did not commit an error. Keeley Walsh doubled to lead off the bottom of the fifth and came around to score the game’s only run on a single from Nina Egizio. Coal City also played errorless defense as starting pitcher Masyn Kuder had only one strikeout. She allowed four hits and had five walks. Madalyn Peterson went 2 for 3 out of the leadoff spot for the Coalers. Peotone 1, Streator 0: Sophie Klawitter threw a one-hit shutout and had a walk-off double in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead the Blue Devils (7-8, 3-5) to a home ICE win. She continues to be nearly unhittable for the Blue Devils, allowing just a single in the sixth inning while striking out 12 batters and walking one. She was 2 for 4 with two doubles and the game-winning RBI. Autumn Clay was 3 for 4 with a double in the seventh inning and scored the team’s run. Klawitter lowered her season ERA to 0.98 and now has 186 strikeouts in 92⅔ innings. She also is slashing .405/.537/.595 and leads the team in all three of those categories. Herscher 9, Reed-Custer 4: Herscher (12-5, 5-3) hammered five home runs, two apiece from Keira Ahramovich and Liv Wilkins and one from Chloe Kinkade, in the ICE win at home over Reed-Custer (7-8, 1-6). Ahramovich was 3 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs, while Wilkins was 3 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs. Kinkade was 3 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs. Reed-Custer’s Addison Hartman was 3 for 4 with two doubles, two RBIs and a run, while Amber Syc 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Caysie Esparza was 2 for 4 with a triple and two runs. Donovan 12, Momence 2: The Wildcats (4-8, 2-5) took down Momence (0-11, 0-6) in RVC action on the road for their third win in the past four games. Lily Anderson was 2 for 4 for Donovan with a walk, a double and three RBIs. Madelyn Loy was 2 for 3 with two doubles, a walk, two RBIs and two runs. Laylah Lou Walters allowed six hits in six innings while recording seven strikeouts. For Momence, Alexis Cook was 1 for 3 with a double, an RBI and a run, while Jada Moss was 1 for 2 with an RBI. Brooklyn Moeller was 2 for 3 with a double and a run. Hoopeston 8, Milford-Cissna Park 7: The Bearcats (8-6, 2-3) lost a heartbreaker in Vermilion Valley Conference play. After taking a 7-5 lead with three runs in the top of the seventh, Milford-Cissna Park allowed three in the bottom of the seventh and lost on a walk-off single. Addison Lucht went 3 for 4 with a triple, a double, an RBI and a run. Kami Muehling was 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs. Coal City 10, Wilmington 7: After losing to the Wildcats 9-0 on Monday, Coal City (15-4, 7-1) bounced back to hand Wilmington (11-7, 7-1) its first ICE loss of the season. The Coalers crucially added four insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning and withstood a three-run rally from Wilmington in the bottom of the inning. Gavin Berger was 2 for 4 with a double, two RBIs and two runs for the Coalers. Ethan Olson was 3 for 4 with a double and three runs, while Lance Cuddy was 2 for 4 with a double, a walk and a run. For Wilmington, Ryan Kettman was 2 for 5 with an RBI and two runs, while Dierks Geiss was 2 for 4. Zach Ohlund was 1 for 3 with two RBIs, and Declan Moran was 1 for 3 with two RBIs and three runs. Herscher 14, Reed-Custer 10: Gaige Brown, Tanner Jones and Logan Egerton each drove in three runs out of the top three spots in the order as the Tigers (16-3, 6-2) completed the ICE sweep of the Comets (6-9, 1-7). Brown was 4 for 5 with two doubles, three RBIs and three runs. Jones was 2 for 4 with a double, three RBIs and two runs while Egerton was 2 for 5 with a triple, three RBIs and a run. Joe Bembenek and Landen Robinson both went deep for Reed-Custer. Bembenek finished 3 for 5 with an RBI and three runs, while Robinson was 1 for 2 with two walks, two RBIs and two runs. Alex Bielfeldt was 2 for 3 with a double, an RBI and two runs. Manteno 10, Lisle 0 (5 inn.): The Panthers (12-4, 5-3) made it four wins in a row with a dominant ICE road win. Nolan Canfield tossed a shutout in the five-inning win, striking out seven while allowing three hits. Connor Harrod had a three-hit day for the Panthers, one of them a double, scored twice and drove in a run. Maddox Toepper singled, doubled and scored twice. Andrew Norred hit a two-run home run. Streator 4, Peotone 1: The Blue Devils (5-11, 3-5) had eight hits to Streator’s seven but ended up taking a home loss to split the ICE series. Ruben Velasco was 3 for 4 with a run, and Tyler Leitelt was 2 for 4. Joe Hasse was 1 for 2 with a walk and an RBI. Leitelt had eight strikeouts in 6⅔ innings. He allowed seven hits and two earned runs. Central 13, Gardner-South Wilmington 4: Central improved to 6-7 and 4-1 in the RVC with an impressive showing at home. Blake Chandler and Brayden Meents each had three-hit days that included a double and three RBIs apiece. Chandler scored three times and Meents scored twice. Chandler also started on the mound, where he allowed four earned runs on eight hits, two walks and five strikeouts in 5⅓ innings. Mayson Mitchell had a pair of hits, three RBIs and a run scored. Reed Milltte was 2 for 4 with a home run for the Panthers (10-7, 3-3). He also pitched an inning, allowing an earned run on two hits and a walk while striking out the side. Cole Hampson went 2 for 4 with a double. Cameron Gray also had a pair of hits and scored twice. Dwight Tony Thorsen Invite: Bishop McNamara’s boys track and field team took first place at the Tony Thorsen Invite, with their 91 points giving them a narrow edge over second-place Peoria (87) and third-place Dwight (83). Momence (31) placed sixth among the boys, while Iroquois West (22) placed seventh, St. Anne-Donovan (12) placed ninth, Beecher (11) was 10th and Peotone (7) took 12th. The Fightin’ Irish got just two first-place finishes but placed second in five events. The 4x200-meter relay team of Dashaun Whiters, Rhys Landsmann, Jackson Kirchner and Willie Felton took first (1:35.36) and Cale Hamilton won the shot put (13.99 meters). Momence got a first-place finish out of Michael Tincher in the 400 (54.04). Momence’s girls team continued to flex its muscle as one of the top teams in the area, leading the local pack with a third-place finish (63). Beecher (48) narrowly bested Bishop McNamara (45) for fourth. Iroquois West (36) was seventh, Peotone (24) was eighth and St. Anne (4) was ninth. While Momence showed consistency with 10 top-five finishes, Zy’ier Bey-Fortinberry’s first-place finish in the triple jump (9.17 m) was the team’s lone gold Tuesday. Bishop McNamara’s Jersey Slone won the high jump (4.82 m). She joined her sister, Journey Slone, and Jaide Burse and Trinitee Thompson to win the 4x100 relay (52.07). Beecher’s Brooklynn Burdick won the 3,200 (11:51.19). Peotone’s Terrynn Clott won the shot put (10.86 m). Wheaton Academy 6, Bishop McNamara 0: The Fightin’ Irish (3-5, 1-1 CCC) lost on the road in Chicagoland Christian Conference play. No individual stats were immediately available. Coal City 7, Wilmington 1: Kylee Kennell and Ava Meyer had two goals apiece as the Coalers (8-3-1, 2-1) took down the Wildcats (3-5, 1-2) in an ICE matchup. Hayden Francisco, Maggie Sterba and Faith Horkavy each had a goal for the Coalers. No individual stats were immediately available for Wilmington. Lisle 6, Manteno 0: Ava Derrico had 10 saves for the Panthers (4-8-2, 1-2 ICE) as they fell in ICE play at home. Bradley-Bourbonnais 9, Homewood-Flossmoor 6: The Boilermakers’ singles lineup was red hot, scoring seven of the team’s nine match wins to earn a big win in the SWSC. Emily Stearns, Haley O’Malley, Katie McBurnie, Haylea Grilli, Kate Greenlee, Maegan Chimino and Olivia Nuesse earned singles wins. The doubles teams of Stearns and Ashley Salazar and McBurnie and Nuesse also were victorious. Coal City 5, Lisle 0: The Coalers swept ICE opponent Lisle with Martin Ramirez and Tanner Shain picking up wins at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively. Sam Sterba and Devon McVey won at No. 1 doubles, Carson Hart and Aidan Meister won at No. 2 doubles, and Will Thompson and Dominick Chellino won at No. 3 doubles. Suzanne Beecher serves as legal counsel for the Center for Conscience Initiatives at Alliance Defending Freedom Beecher was the director of student programs at the Institute for Human Ecology at The Catholic University of America where she coordinated programs relating to human rights Beecher has also served as a civil rights analyst for the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division within the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S Her responsibilities included engaging with stakeholders to analyze their discrimination claims providing training to students in the medical field on legal protections for conscience and religion and drafting responses to comments on proposed rules Beecher was associate counsel at First Liberty Institute she represented the organization at religious liberty meetings and events and assisted in preparing educational materials on the legal status of religious liberty in different arenas Beecher received a Juris Doctor magna cum laude from Notre Dame Law School and a Bachelor’s of Business Administration from Baylor University She is admitted to the state bar of California ADF is the world's largest legal organizationcommitted to protecting religious freedom,free speech © 2025 Alliance Defending Freedom is a registered 501(C)(3) Charity. All rights reserved The following new mission presidents and companions have been called to serve by the First Presidency except for the Schows who will begin their service in March Bengaluru India Stake: India Bengaluru Mission succeeding President Peter Bushi and Sister Kamalakshi Bushi Brother Anthony is a seminary teacher and former stake presidency counselor branch president and missionary in the India Bangalore Mission Sister Anthony is a ward Relief Society president and former ward temple and family history consultant to Ramakrishna Munisidappa and Nagaveni Gangaiah Brother Beecher is a MTC branch president and former stake presidency counselor temple ordinance worker and missionary in the Arizona Holbrook Mission to Dick Hoagland Beecher and Julie Rae Hammond Sister Beecher is an MTC branch missionary and temple ordinance worker and former stake Relief Society secretary Young Women adviser and Gospel Doctrine teacher to Shirrel Robinson Young and Norma Rose Fowler Saltillo México República Stake: México Ciudad Juárez Mission succeeding President Gaspar Aguirre and Sister Blanca E Brother Blanco is a stake presidency counselor and former high councilor elders quorum president and For the Strength of Youth representative to Heriberto Blanco Reyes and Evangelina Ramirez Rizo Sister Blanco is a ward Primary presidency counselor and institute teacher and former ward Young Women president Sunday School teacher and FSY representative to Gonzalo Velazquez Ramirez and Constantina Rocha Flores Harare Zimbabwe Chitungwiza Stake: Kenya Nairobi West Mission succeeding President David Sturt and Sister Stacie Sturt Brother and Sister Chivunga are For the Strength of Youth session directors and group leaders Brother Chivunga is a former stake presidency counselor temple ordinance worker and missionary in the Zimbabwe Harare Mission to Tendai Taderera Chivhunga and Juliana Charlie Sister Chivunga is a ward Primary presidency counselor and former stake single adult representative Young Women adviser and temple ordinance worker Mount Vernon Washington Stake: Colorado Denver South Mission succeeding President Bradford C Floyd and Sister Tandy Floyd Brother Flake is a stake president and temple ordinance worker and former stake presidency counselor ward Young Men president and missionary in the Canada Calgary Mission Sister Flake is a seminary teacher and former stake Relief Society presidency counselor ward Primary presidency counselor and Activity Days leader to James Leroy Boynton and Patricia Gale Boynton Heber City Utah North Stake: Alabama Birmingham Mission Brother and Sister Galland previously served as senior missionaries in the Ghana Accra East Mission temple ordinance worker and missionary in the Canada Vancouver Mission to Rodger Delynn Galland and Margaret Virginia Rose Galland Sister Galland is a former ward Relief Society presidency counselor choir director and young performing missionary in the Historic Nauvoo Visitors’ Center Brother Hollist is a bishopric counselor and former stake president Gospel Doctrine teacher and missionary in the Japan Nagoya Mission to William Ladd Hollist and Marleen Walker Sister Hollist is a ward temple and family history leader and former ward Relief Society presidency counselor temple ordinance worker and ward visiting teaching supervisor to Dean M Ashment and Shannon Rosalie Ashment Laie Hawaii North Stake: Canada Toronto Mission Brother Lee is a former stake presidency counselor branch president and missionary in the New York New York City North Mission Sister Lee is a ward Young Women presidency counselor and former stake Young Women presidency counselor Relief Society compassionate service leader and missionary in the Japan Kobe Mission to Charles Wai Hing Goo and Helen Shiu Kuen Goo Salt Lake Parleys Stake: Italy Milan Mission succeeding President Ritch N Wood and Sister Rebecca Wood Brother Munns is a bishop and former high councilor ward Young Men president and missionary in the Italy Milan Mission to Ranier Farrell Munns and April Jo Munns Sister Munns is a ward music chair and former ward Relief Society presidency counselor temple ordinance worker and missionary in the Italy Milan Mission She was born in Salt Lake City to Scott McDonald Brubaker and Ina Rebecca Brubaker Queen Creek Arizona North Stake: Argentina Comodoro Rivadavia Mission ward Young Men president and missionary in the Washington D.C to Robert Lee Phelps and Sandra Jeanne Phelps Sister Phelps is a Young Women adviser and former ward Primary president seminary teacher and missionary in the California San Jose Mission Highland Utah East Stake: Brazil Londrina Mission succeeding President Odilon Asevedo and Sister Cristina Asevedo Brother Pimentel is a media and technology specialist and temple ordinance worker and former stake mission president ward clerk and missionary in the Brazil São Paulo North Mission to Raul Taques Pimentel and Irene de Campos Pimentel Sister Pimentel is a ward music chair and former stake Primary secretary Young Women adviser and missionary in the Portugal Lisbon Mission She was born in Salt Lake City to Reuben Perry Ficklin and Lavaun Smith Ficklin Houston Texas Summerwood Stake: California San Diego Mission Brother Rascon is an Area Seventy and temple ordinance worker and former mission presidency counselor institute teacher and missionary in the California Arcadia Mission to Enrique Rascon and Maria Cristina Rascon Sister Rascon is a public affairs director and temple ordinance worker and former stake Young Women president Adam Schow, 52, and Sherianne Schow, six children, Bigfork Ward, Kalispell Montana Stake: France Lyon Mission, succeeding President Jason M. Soulier and Sister Jennifer H Brother Schow is a high councilor and former bishop Sunday School teacher and missionary in the France Paris Mission to Brian Paul Schow and Susan Elizabeth Schow Sister Schow is a ward Relief Society president and former ward Primary president nursery leader and missionary in the France Bordeaux Mission Brother Senanu is an MTC branch president and temple ordinance worker and former mission presidency counselor ward assistant clerk and ward executive secretary to Bonifacius Kwaku Adjoh and Vicentia Akua Quarcoo temple ordinance worker and seminary teacher and former ward Relief Society president ward Young Women presidency counselor and branch temple and family history consultant to Samuel Ezookwa Quaisie and Mary Aba Ackon Cincinnati Ohio East Stake: Perú Cusco Mission Brother Stansbury is a former stake presidency counselor ward Young Men presidency counselor and Young Men adviser to Gary Craig Stansbury and Judith Ann Stansbury Sister Stansbury is an Addiction Recovery Program group leader and a former stake Young Women presidency counselor seminary teacher and missionary in the Argentina Salta Mission to Russell Herbert Butcher and Constance Soter Flanders Mapleton Utah West Stake: Micronesia Guam Mission succeeding President Masaru Okuda and Sister Megumi Okuda Brother and Sister Williams are former senior missionaries in the Philippines Missionary Training Center Brother Williams is a former high councilor ward executive secretary and missionary in the Tahiti Papeete Mission to Wayne Gene Williams and Sylvia Diane Williams Sister Williams is a former public affairs director ward Young Women president and Sunday School teacher to Herbert Charles Moessing and Kathleen McCoy Moessing There are no statistics available for this player Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Beecher High School is set to reopen in early 2026 thanks to a $10 million grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation which closed in 2004 due to declining enrollment and financial challenges will undergo a complete $18 million renovation The project includes demolishing smaller buildings board president for Beecher Community Schools "We made the decision to close certain facilities and move the students down to the junior high and make that the high school down on Neff Road But we’re trying to go back to traditional school." Smoot said the district is eager to boost enrollment at the new high school by at least 300 students in the first year "I believe in getting a valuable education first and foremost And if we can give our students here in our district something that's we're adding different things programming and different things that nature," he said The district also addressed concerns about the building’s condition "We couldn’t demo until we removed all the asbestos That’s why we started demolition," Smoot said Among those coming down are the old arts and music buildings Funding for the project is coming from the Mott Foundation ensuring no tax increases for local residents Mott Foundation President and CEO Ridgway White expressed excitement about the project "This is just an opportunity to really move the needle for the entire community of Beecher and really at its heart support youth and talent development in our community." The new Beecher High School will also offer updated academic programming with a focus on career and technical education "Anytime you have new and new facilities it just shows the youth that we care about you and we see that your future is bright." Smoot and other district leaders are hopeful that these improvements will attract families back to the district "If they can see the growth in academics let’s take our kids back to Beecher,’" Smoot said the renovated building will allow ninth through twelfth-grade students to move back into their own building they share space with Beecher Middle School students Our websites may use cookies to personalize and enhance your experience. By continuing without changing your cookie settings, you agree to this collection. For more information, please see our University Websites Privacy Notice 'Their work helped the Stowe Center better understand trends and connect with visitors in smarter A group of first graders from the Annie Fisher Magnet School in Hartford sat cross-legged on the floor at The Stowe Center for Literary Activism in Hartford on a recent Friday morning eager to explain what the word “freedom’’ means to them The Stowe Center is the final home of Harriet Beecher Stowe the acclaimed author of the anti-slavery novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,’’ published in 1852 which helped change Americans’ attitudes toward abolitionism The Stowe Center’s mission is to encourage social justice and literacy activism by exploring Harriet’s legacy and the ideas of others who advocate for hope and freedom They seek a world in which engagement leads to empathy “One could definitely argue that that perspective is needed now more than ever,’’ says Executive Director Karen Fisk welcome some 5,000 visitors to the Center every year located on Forest Street and adjacent to the Mark Twain House and has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Humanities as critical to American history and culture Although the leadership at the Stowe Center had reams of data about its visitors it wasn’t in a format that could easily be organized They wanted to track where their visitors were coming from and the dates and times when visitation peaked Fisk reached out to the School of Business for help and was connected to staff at the Digital Frontiers Initiative (DFI) and assigns STEM-based projects to students Five undergraduate students took on the Stowe Center task as part of their senior Analytics and Information Management (AIM) Capstone Project last semester Aditya Mamidi ’25 (BUS) says he enjoyed the challenge and responsibility that he and his team experienced “The big thing I enjoyed was the creative freedom we had without the strict guidelines you have with a traditional college project,’’ he says “We put our heads together to come up with something that we hope The Stowe Center can use for a long time.’’ from the School of Business: Gregory Bliss ‘25 Alexander Brynczka ’24 and Daniel Rodriguez ’24 and Brynczka and Rodriguez graduated in December ‘It Demonstrates What I Can Do and What I’ve Learned’ One thing that was important was presenting the data in a way that was easy to understand for those without an analytics background “We took the time to create in-depth training videos so anyone watching would understand with no trouble,’’ says Mamidi who plans to intern at Deloitte in Hartford after graduation and is considering an advanced degree in business analytics because it demonstrates what I can do and what I’ve learned.’’ Bliss also described the Capstone project as a great experience and says it prepared him for his career particularly having to pivot in designing a project The team originally recommended a program that was too expensive for the Stowe Center and they realized they needed a more affordable plan They were able to find a substitute plan that worked very well and cost just a fraction of the original price It is a strategy Bliss knows he will use in the future “If one idea doesn’t work out you need to have a backup plan,’’ Bliss says “It’s important to be prepared and willing to make adjustments when needed I enjoyed working with ‘real’ data and knowing that it can benefit the Stowe Center.’’ as well as his work at National Life Group he’s confirmed how much he enjoys data project work and has a clearer idea of his immediate career path ‘I Can’t Say Enough…About these Young People’ Fisk says the students exceeded her expectations with their abilities “I felt so well taken care of through the whole project.’’ If it weren’t for the students’ pro-bono work Fisk says she would have had to start a fundraising initiative to pay to hire a data expert and that would have greatly extended the project who oversaw the project alongside OPIM professor Stephen Fitzgerald the Capstone project was a valuable experience not only for the students but also for the Stowe Center and the broader community “The Stowe Center for Literacy Activism project was an amazing experience for the students as they got to dive into the Center’s data to create dashboards and predictive models around attendance and engagement,’’ says Moore “Their work helped the Stowe Center better understand trends and connect with visitors in smarter “The OPIM department and the School of Business recognize the immense value of collaborating with local organizations like the Stowe Center giving students the chance to tackle real-world challenges while making a meaningful difference in the community,’’ Moore says “By leveraging Digital Frontiers as a bridge between academia and industry the project exemplifies how UConn students gain hands-on experience while delivering meaningful solutions to real-world challenges.’’ ‍Can you believe summer is right around the corner We’re excited to announce that the Summer Enrichment Program is back on the Beecher Road School campus this year and REGISTRATION IS OPEN There are a variety of engaging courses available for students entering 1st-7th grade designed to introduce new and exciting skills or build upon your student’s existing interests—all while keeping young minds active in a fun  Classes will run from June 30th to July 31st so we encourage families to sign up early to secure their spots Do you have a student entering Kindergarten Our popular Kindergarten Readiness program is now being offered either half OR full day This course is specifically tailored to our youngest learners to help ease their transition Your child can enjoy one week or multiple sessions For course offerings and registration details are located on the Beecher Website, under the parents tab. You can also navigate directly: https://www.woodbridge.k12.ct.us/parents/summer-programs/summer-enrichment-program ‍Questions? Please contact SEP Director Jeannie Ciarleglio at sep@woodbridgeps.org We can’t wait for another summer of exploration This is an opinion not necessarily endorsed by the Woodbridge Town News The Woodbridge Town News is focused on local, community Woodbridge, CT and Bethany, CT news. We encourage our readers to support their local businesses and their local news source by submitting interesting town and local announcements and happenings. We also love hearing From Our Readers The Woodbridge Town News provides insight into the Town’s Education, Local Business, Clubs & Organizations, Town Departments, Houses of Worship, Sports, Arts & Leisure, Library Events, Senior Center and more Submit your letters for our From Our Readers section via our contact form, email your letter to: letters@woodbridgetownnews.com Please include your email or a daytime phone number in case we have any questions Letters must be exclusive to the Woodbridge Town News for publication We use cookies to improve your experience on our site Three vehicles were involved in a collision on Illinois Route 33 in the northwest part of Effingham County The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office reported the crash happened just after 6pm Wednesday a quarter mile east of 300th Street in Liberty Township The scene was the railroad crossing east of Beecher City An uninvolved tanker truck was stopped at the railroad crossing Vehicles driven by 66-year-old Jackie Bushue of Beecher City and 25-year-old Cole Dusablon of Newton were stopped behind the tanker truck 26-year-old Ryan Shaw of Aledo did not see that the vehicles ahead were stopped and struck the rear of the Bushue vehicle causing Bushue to strike the back of the Dusablon vehicle Bushue’s vehicle ended up in the north ditch Bushue was injured and was transported to HSHS St Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham Shaw was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid the crash and for driving on a suspended license View Full Calendar A years-long effort to reopen a Flint-area high school that was shuttered 20 years due to declining enrollment is moving forward after the school's supporters raised $20 million from philanthropic and government sources to revitalize the community landmark The former Beecher High School building on Coldwater Road on the north side of Flint will undergo a $20 million makeover after the Flint-based Charles Stewart Mott Foundation made a $10 million grant toward the initiative a passion project of Detroit business executive and Flint native Matthew Rizik Beecher Community School District leaders and community members are gathering Wednesday at the school at Saginaw Street and Coldwater Road in Mount Morris Township to celebrate the start of a rehabilitation project that's expected to be complete by the fall of 2026 to reopen the school's doors Beecher High School closed and the high school students were moved into the middle school as the school system contracted amid population decline in Flint The other $10 million for the renovation project came from a series of state and federal grants secured by Flint-area politicians because the high-poverty school system lacks the property tax base to raise money for capital expenses from its own taxpayers Supporters of the project are hopeful that by giving Beecher's 121 high school students their own building again they can attract students back to the school system through programs geared toward career pathways in health care and the skilled trades "Curriculum is going to really drive what kids learn in the building here every day," said Thomas Parker an executive in residence at the Mott Foundation "But there's also value in the space in which those kids learn in that community that aligns with the career pathway helps to revitalize and refocus the school district's vision for great outcomes for kids." It's a new approach to trying to revitalize a school system that is a shadow of its former self The Beecher school system that once served 3,000 students now has about 600 enrolled it will revitalize our community and also our district," said Jendayi Gardner superintendent of the Beecher Community School District "We also believe that it will provide opportunities and options for our students that's going to really set them up for success in the future." Gardner joined the school district at its new superintendent on Jan inheriting a community project that's been years in the making and has involved state and federal elected leaders as well as Rizik a Detroit-based firm that manages billionaire mortgage mogul Dan Gilbert's family of companies Rizik used his business connections to seek out support for the project while working with parents and the school board on their vision for having a standalone high school again you can’t rely on philanthropy," Rizik said Rizik got involved with Beecher's storied boys basketball teams mentoring student athletes and donating hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own money toward fixing a leaking roof in the school district's fieldhouse that sits adjacent to the 89-year-old high school building Rizik's philanthropy included renovating the boys and girls locker rooms and fixing showers that didn't work buying new scoreboards and basketball hoops sanding and sealing the basketball gymnasium floor and filling in a pool that hadn't been used in two decades to create an auxiliary gym in the complex The businessman from Oakland County then turned his efforts to raising money to reopen the high school construction crews have been cleaning out the Depression-era structure and prepping it for the renovation project whose founder was the industrialist and early GM board member Charles Stewart Mott the $10 million grant toward the Beecher revitalization project represents 12% of its $82.7 million in grantmaking in the Flint area in 2024 and 6% of its $164.4 million in total grants awarded last year a former superintendent of Ecorse Public Schools said the foundation sees the Beecher project as an opportunity to create a "destination" school in the Flint area “You need to have kids in a place where they feel excited to learn,” Parker said it’s an opportunity to be supportive of a project that’s going to be great for kids." More: 'Haves and have-nots': A Rocket Mortgage executive is trying to save Flint Beecher school Like a lot of urban and high poverty school districts in Michigan the financial hurdles to maintaining buildings often dictates what programs can be offered When the middle and high school programs were consolidated in a financial crisis in the mid-2000s music and art classes were among the first electives to get axed Beecher will have the space to be able to offer those classes again “That is one of the things we are moving forward on in regards to making sure we bring back the arts so we can really support all of our students' interests which also ties into their academic achievement," Gardner said Younger students in Beecher's combined seventh through 12th grade building are excited about the prospect of having their own space “If I'm a high school student and I'm in my own high school building as opposed to sharing it with middle school students Matthew Poitras and Johnny Beecher are roommates on the road and at home in Boston take a look at how they spend their time away from the rink including where Poitras has Beecher in his "Chel" lineup President Buu Nygren’s deputy chief of staff has been appointed as the new attorney general of the Navajo Nation following the removal of former Attorney General Ethel Branch the Navajo Nation Council voted 13-6 to remove Branch from her position Nygren recommended Beecher to assume the role holds a law degree and a master’s from Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and the W.P He has experience at a national law firm and has returned to serve his community “I’m honored and humbled to serve the people of the Navajo Nation in this capacity,” Beecher said We still have so much more to accomplish.” Nygren expressed confidence in Beecher’s ability to continue advancing justice for the Navajo people “He’s been right there with us and knows what needs to be done.” Beecher’s appointment now awaits confirmation by the Navajo Nation Council Deputy Attorney General Heather Clah will serve as acting attorney general More weather » Tuba City: US 160 at SR-264 Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress IN)- Due to the Dearborn County Clearinghouse being closed from the flooding the Beecher Presbyterian Church will be open tomorrow April 8 The church is open every Wednesday from ten to four Tomorrow they will be open in support of anyone in need in Aurora that cannot access food and groceries from the Clearinghouse.  The award is giving for excellence in dual credit instruction The drive has delivered more than 1.82 billion pounds of food the past 30 years Report missing stats and scores to news@eaglecountryonline.com Chelsie playing Rascal Flatts - Banjo 11 meeting of the East Longmeadow Town Council Deputy Fire Chief Christopher Beecher was promoted to the position of chief Beecher is filling a vacancy left by the retirement of former Chief Paul Morrisette Town Manager Tom Christensen praised Beecher when making his recommendation and the council unanimously voted to approve him Ralph Page and Jonathan Torcia posed for a photo with the new chief.Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen I would like to receive emails from The Reminder Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.