Local residents and church leaders gather around the flagpole at the Carterville Civic Center Plaza for a time of worship and focused prayer The Carterville Ministerial Alliance hosted the event as part of the nationwide observance Community members gather in Carterville for the National Day of Prayer event Thursday morning Members of the Carterville Ministerial Alliance emphasized unity across denominations and the power of prayer to uplift individuals and communities participants join in silent prayer during the National Day of Prayer event in Carterville Community members came together Thursday at the Civic Center Plaza in Carterville for a time of shared prayer and reflection as part of the annual National Day of Prayer CARTERVILLE — Community members came together Thursday at the Civic Center Plaza in Carterville for a time of shared prayer and reflection as part of the annual National Day of Prayer organized by the Carterville Ministerial Alliance drew a mix of residents and local church leaders who formed a circle around the flagpole Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content Reach Paul Wilcoxen at pwilcoxen@thesouthern.com Email notifications are only sent once a day Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInCARTERVILLE (KFVS) - Kampers Supply announced that they will celebrate 50 years of business with an open house on May 2 & 3 The open house will be held at Kampers Supply at 400 W The public is invited to the two-day event that will feature light refreshments and door prizes as well as special pricing and presentations from vendors Marvin and Shirley Oetjen opened Kampers Supply in Carbondale in 1975 they have earned numerous awards from vendors as well as Carterville Chamber’s Business of the Year award CARTERVILLE — The Lions softball train continues to roll smoothly down the tracks with less than two weeks remaining in the regular season Carterville is now 20-2 overall and have won 16-straight games The Lions finished a perfect 8-0 in the Ohio Division of the River-to-River Conference Attendees line up for freshly spun cotton candy during a previous Carterville Block Party behind City Hall The annual event offers free treats and activities for families from across the region Community members stroll through vendor tents and activity areas as a large American flag hangs from a Carterville Fire Department ladder truck a tradition at the city’s annual Block Party A young girl gets her face painted by a volunteer during a past Carterville Block Party one of several free activities offered throughout the evening The 16th Annual Carterville Block Party will take place Friday from 5 to 7 p.m It’s an annual event offering an evening of free food live entertainment and a unique way for kids to connect with local leaders CARTERVILLE — The 16th annual Carterville Block Party will take place Friday from 5 to 7 p.m City Clerk Khrissy Hollister said the event’s roots go beyond fun — it’s about building stronger community ties Murphysboro junior Izzy Doerr scored two goals in the Red Devils’ 5-0 win over conference foe Carterville Tuesday Carterville freshman Creighton Goetz stops the ball just in time to prevent Murphysboro junior Josselin Mateo from stealing it in Tuesday’s home conference loss to the Red Devils CARTERVILLE — Two goals in the final seven minutes of the first half propelled Murphysboro’s offense to a 5-0 win over Carterville in conference action Tuesday night The Red Devils moved into sole possession of first place in the Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference Mississippi Division with a 6-0 conference record during Tuesday’s Carterville city council special meeting Carterville Building Codes Inspector Ralph Graul holds up a rendering of the building a citizen received tentative approval to construct in town at the Carterville council meeting reads over a proposal during Tuesday’s special meeting of the Carterville City Council the Carterville City Council approved hiring Kendall Hollister as the city’s new police chief CARTERVILLE — During a special meeting Tuesday night The decision came after the Public Safety Committee reviewed applications and conducted interviews ultimately recommending Hollister for the position Carterville girls basketball coach and high school principal Todd Rogers takes with the Lady Lions during a time out Saturday at the Carbondale Mid-winter tournament the boys basketball team will host a benefit for girls assistant coach and teacher Eli Gunther an assistant coach for the Carterville Lions is welcomed back to the sideline earlier this month during Carterville’s game against Sesser-Valier has received overwhelming support from both communities CARTERVILLE — Carterville High School will hold an “Orange Out” fundraiser on Feb 1 to support assistant coach and teacher Eli Gunther as he faces a battle with acute myeloid leukemia centered around the boys’ basketball game against Benton is designed to raise funds and show solidarity with Gunther as he undergoes treatment deputy chief Mike Flaningam is sworn in at a city council meeting as chief of police for the city of Carterville the city has decided to not renew Flaningam's contract deputy chiefMike Flaningam is sworn in at a city council meeting as chief of police for the city of Carterville the city has decided to not renew Flaningam’s contract CARTERVILLE – Mayor Brad Robinson announced Tuesday that Carterville Police Chief Michael Flaningam’s contract will not be renewed Robinson thanked Flaningam for his service to the department and the community emphasizing that his departure was not due to any wrongdoing but was instead a decision to take the department in a new direction Carterville senior pitcher Parker Poole threw 5 1/3 innings Friday against Massac County giving up three runs on five hits with five strikeouts Massac County second baseman Zach Maurer puts a tag on Carterville baserunner Camden Wright to catch him stealing in Friday’s road conference loss to the Lions Massac County’s Ryan Musselman slides headfirst into third base after the throw went across the diamond to first base in Friday afternoon’s road loss to Carterville Carterville's Alex Kimbrough takes a wide turn at third base while being waved home by head coach Reid Cure in Friday afternoon's home conference win against Massac County CARTERVILLE — Senior pitcher Parker Poole was efficient on the mound for Carterville as the Lions picked up a huge conference win over Massac County Poole allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits with five strikeouts and four walks Jonathan “Jon” Cook says he understands why Carterville citizens would be skeptical of the motivations of a 25-year-old outsider who has been picked to administer their city “I love doing the right thing for people.” He says he’s aware that the city’s had persistent problems With a new public works director and whole new public works staff Cook says he’ll “give the people a three-to-five-year plan of what to expect – where their streets He also promises to be open with the public “Transparency is the best way to rebuild trust,” he says Cook says he appreciates Mayor Alan Griffin for picking him he started attending City Council meetings without being introduced Sitting in the audience in a suit raised some questions He officially became the new city administrator on Oct Cook says he brings experience to the job and a desire to be a public servant that goes back to when he expressed an interest at age 5 to become the president That led to thoughts of continuing in law enforcement He next worked at the wastewater plant in Miami where he says he learned a lot and became a certified operator “I really thought that’s what I wanted to do.” he says he likes making positive change happen even though he rose to a supervisory role he realized “I’d have to be there 50 years” to change that big organization His next step headed him in the direction of city administration He worked two and a half years with the city of Joplin as an engineer’s assistant utilities coordinator and right-of-way technician for “showing a lot of grace to a young kid who wanted to do things differently.” He summarized his office conversations as a lot of Cook is taking online classes through the University of Missouri to get his master’s degree in public administration Cook is filling the vacancy left when Will Cline He started as police chief and became the city administrator Griffin says Cline “got so good at writing grants that he’s now writing grants for the Harry S Truman Coordinating Council Carterville has received two $500,000 grants in a row for street construction in the low-to-moderate income-level area west of Pine Street streets north and south Main Street in that area were paved Cook says he’s not taking credit away from Cline for obtaining the second grant – it’s his responsibility to see the city gets its money’s worth Cook says Lewis and Daugherty streets will be paved between Carter and Pine Streets and Fountain Street will be paved from Main to Sharon Drive Tennessee Avenue and Poplar Street are also on the wish list Carterville took a big step toward a more reliable water system by constructing a second well Getting a second water tower is the goal now Cook has been on an unofficial listening tour to find out what residents are dissatisfied about “We’ve all got to get together,” with him exhibiting persistence Cook says it will be challenging to prioritize them both Sharing that challenge with him will be a new public works director, Justin Hilgenberg, and an all-new staff of four employees Hilgenberg also comes from Joplin and Miami where he worked 18 years in building maintenance equipment operation and facilities management Griffin says both Cook and Hilgenberg “have a heart to serve.” They’re not the only recent additions to Carterville’s City Hall Griffin and Cook have hired Lisa Ruprecht as city clerk She brings 10 years of experience as city clerk of Galena Missy Roughton is the rather new city collector Court clerk Carol Feathers has been in her position since 2020 “I’m proud to be the mayor of Carterville.”  The Webb City Sentinel isn’t a newspaper – but it used to be This “newspaper” seeks to carry on that tradition as a nonprofit corporation CARTERVILLE — Defending Class 2A state champion Carterville is The Southern’s choice for top softball team in our coverage area this week The Lions presently stand 11-2 and just posted key wins this past week over previously unbeaten Anna-Jonesboro and then Tolono Unity Rain showers this evening with clearing overnight Faces of Spring photo shoot at the News-Gazette in Champaign on Sunday And the Unity boys finished in a close third place along with a full day on the ball diamonds the Sages (10-3) couldn't get into a groove offensively Ike Young was solid over six innings on the mound only allowing two runs and four hits while striking out 10 Andrew Fleming pitched five shutout innings with seven strikeouts out of the bullpen to lead the Panthers (5-2) to a win but Braeden Fox drove in three runs with his one knock to make the most of it Calahan Binion and Maxton Boddy combined for a solid pitching performance for the Knights (5-6) The Bulldogs' (7-4) two games with Effingham ended with one win and one loss as Cam Heinold and Mason Orton each notched two hits Gavin Bailey led the charge in the second game with two hits and Max Young pitched five innings to earn the win the Eagles (4-5) rallied to score six and steal a win over the Warriors (4-10) Yovanny Solorzano led Rantoul's offense with two hits and two RBI Connor Musgrave had three hits and three RBI for Tuscola The Spartans (12-2) started the day with an 8-1 win over Tremont on the back of Parker Fitch's 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball and 10 strikeouts on the mound Will Haley and Kodey McKinney each had two hits Game two ended 6-1 over Williamsville thanks to Earley's five innings of one-run ball and seven strikeouts and Bryson Houchens and Asher Pruemer added two hit apiece A 7-6 win over Notre Dame Private got the Rockets (9-5) going Ryan Cunningham and Brady Parr each had two hits and Nolan Remole turned in four innings of one-hit ball with zero earned runs Game two ended in an 11-6 victory over Carterville Brayden Henry went 3 for 3 at the plate and got the win on the mound Emmerson Bailey had two hits and four RBI and Tyler Henry added two hits The Tigers (5-7) had their way with their Big 12 Conference rival in a doubleheader sweep Urbana scored 10 runs in both the first and third innings of game one to set the tone Isaac Armstrong notched two hits and three RBI while Dylan Pettit added three more RBI to lead the offense in the first game Haley Helm and Maisie Bowers combined for a four-inning no-hitter Bowers also had a good day at the plate with three hits and three RBI Kaitlyn Helm went 4 for 4 with a pair of triples and three RBI Molly Kloeppel and Kennedy Hedrick added three hits apiece and combined for six RBI Brooklynn Kellems led the Bunnies (5-3-1) to a 10-4 win over St Teresa with three hits and two RBI to get the day started and Addison Schulze had one hits and three walks Game two saw Argenta-Oreana (4-7) lead 1-0 heading into the last inning Peyton Murphy tied the game with an RBI single and Kellems scored the winning run on a bunt by Peyton Schoonover Schulze pitched a complete-game beauty to keep the Bunnies in it Elyssa Armstrong did the same for the Bombers and also had two of their three hits at the plate The Raiders (3-6) scored eight runs in the first two innings to take control Kyla Dewitt led the offense with three hits and Leah Honeycutt and Cameron Bork had two hits apiece Avery Hyatt drove in two runs for the Falcons (7-5) and Jillian Rosendahl pitched 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball in relief Everything was working for the Panthers (14-1) in their doubleheader sweep of the Redskins (8-6) Jacey Hageman tossed a complete game to improve to 8-0 in the circle to get the day started and Khloe Builta ran her record to 4-1 after the second game Hageman and Annie Conn all had two hits in game one Carr's three hits paced the effort in game two and Mennenga and Hageman added another two hits each Aeralyn Thrasher drove in both of Sullivan's runs in the first game The Sages (12-2) held off a late-inning comeback effort to eke out a win Isa Beery and Ali Weidner each homered and accounted for all six of the team's RBI Cassidee Stoffel was great once again in the circle Big win for the Comets (5-6-1) over the Panthers (3-9) on the backs of a few impressive performances Caydence Vermilion was solid in the pitching circle tossing a complete game and striking out 13 batters and Gracie Hanner had two hits and four RBI The Bearcats (7-3) fell just short despite getting two hits and two runs apiece from Kami Muehling and Jossalin Lavicka and another two hits and three RBI from Lillie Harris the Rockets (11-2) took a 10-7 win over Carbondale and a 5-3 loss to Carterville Game one saw Jenna Adkins collect three hits and two RBI and Maegan Rothe record two hits and three RBI Lindy Bates only allowed two earned runs in the circle but the offense could only muster five hits The Tigers hosted the 13th-annual Urbana Invitational which featured four area teams in the eight-team field Mahomet-Seymour (4-3-1) had the best showing of area programs finishing runner-up to Peoria Richwoods in a 2-0 championship game after besting Urbana 7-0 and Mattoon 1-0 Centennial (6-4-1) finished fourth after a 4-0 loss to Richwoods a 5-1 win over Uni High and a 2-1 loss to Bradley-Bourbonnais The Tigers (2-3) beat the Illineks (0-10) 1-0 in the seventh-place game after both teams lost their first two games Area All-Tournament Team honorees included M-S's Paislee Welge and Erika Johnson Urbana's Savannah Finley and Uni High's Ellie Rosch Unity came just 11 placement points away from winning the Carterville Invitational but instead settled for third place Individual event winners for the Rockets included Garrett Richardson in the 200-meter dash (22.88 seconds) and Brock Schlittler in the 400 (50.54) They also won the 400 relay with Richardson Ryan Rink and Schlittler (43.14); the 1,600 relay with Carter Mette Alex Mowrer and Schlittler (3:30.60); and the 3,200 relay with Ryan Akers Collin Graven and Camden Fairbanks (8:27.10) Prairie Central won the Rantoul Outdoor Invitational with a team score of 160 Urbana in ninth with 21 and Schlarman in 10th with nine Winners for the Hawks included Kolton Wright in the 100-meter dash in 11.36 seconds and the 400 in 51.55 Tagen Fehr in the 110 hurdles (15.39) and 300 hurdles (40.36) Fehr and Ault (43.06) and the 1,600 relay of Wright Griffin Tredennick and John Traub (3:35.80) Victorious for the Maroons were Abel Koritz in the 3,200 (10:15.97) and Jack Webb in the high jump (6-0) Earning wins for the Sages were River Derby in the 1,600 (4:34.53) Will Trimble in the shot put (44-11) and discus (137-7 1/4) and the 3,200 relay of Ayden LeGrande The host Eagles got a win from the 800 relay team of Romiel Mcgee Arlin Orr nabbed the Tigers' lone event win in the 800 (2:01.45) If you thought Unity's run of success was coming to an end The Rockets won the Carterville Invitational with a team score of 167.5 Leading the way were event winners Ashlyn Denney in the 800 (2 minutes Emily Decker in the 1,600 (5:08.89) and 3,200 (10:58.85) Lauren Shaw in the shot put (33-1) and discus (102-8) and Kendal Zerrusen in the pole vault (10-6) Unity also won all four relays with combinations of Emma Swisher Champaign Central competed at the Chuck Danner Invitational and came away in a tie for sixth place as a team but they did get runner-up finishes from Julia Bilsbury in the 400-meter dash (59.97 seconds) Aliyah Landis in the 100 hurdles (16.33) and 300 hurdles (49.61) and Audrey Allender in the pole vault (10-8 3/4) Zach Piatt covers high school sports at The News-Gazette. His email is zpiatt@news-gazette.com  Faces of Spring photo shoot at the News-Gazette in Champaign on Sunday How to watch Illinois high school boys basketball: Benton vs Benton High School plays on the road against Carterville High School How to watch Benton vs. Carterville high school boys basketballBenton and Carterville will hit the court on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. CT. Don't miss out on any of the action with NFHS Network The NFHS Network gives you access to live high school sports around the country Follow your favorite team and never miss a game Watch Carterville vs. Benton on NFHS! Watch Benton High School all season long on NFHS! Team schedules reflect available data from NFHS and may not include every upcoming game All NFHS Network events are available to watch online at www.NFHSnetwork.com and through the NFHS Network Mobile Apps for iOS and Android and TV Apps for ROKU UPDATE: Suspect earns additional charges for attacking a nurse and a WCSO Deputy while being evaluated at a Perry County Hospital Burke is now in the custody of the Williamson County Jail a Williamson County Sheriff’s Office Deputy was fueling a marked patrol vehicle and was summoned for assistance by a store clerk at Huck's convenience store located at Route 13 and Greenbriar Road in Carterville The deputy observed the male subject causing a disturbance while arguing and becoming aggressive with the clerk outside the stores entrance had thrown an object at a parked vehicle causing damage While the Deputy was speaking to witnesses Burke forced his way through the patrol car’s transport cage Burke then drove the patrol vehicle directly at the Williamson County Deputy who fired a single round at the suspect Neither the deputy nor Burke were injured and then Burke fled in the patrol car Assisting units from multiple law enforcement agencies joined a pursuit which reached speeds more than 100 mph the vehicle departed the roadway and came to rest in a wooded area in rural Perry County Burke was taken into custody without further incident Burke had no obvious injuries but was transported to an area hospital out of an abundance of caution and is being cited on numerous charges Note: Additional information from the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office can be read below The single round fired by the Deputy struck the driver’s door post between the windshield and door; merely an inch away from striking the suspect Criminal Damage To State Supported Property Upon medical clearance Burke will be transported to and remanded into the custody of the Williamson County Jail The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Johnston City Police Department and Williamson County State’s Attorney Ted Hampson for their assistance Carterville Elementary students focused in March on the word responsibility They learned that they could be responsible by… taking care of school supplies Logan College in Carterville will celebrate cultural diversity through music and cuisine at its upcoming World Music and Food Day The event will highlight the rich culinary and musical traditions from around the globe and community members an opportunity to explore international flavors and rhythms “Food and music are universal languages that unite people,” event organizer April Martinez said “This day is about transcending borders and sharing the joy of cultural expression.” a renowned musician from West Africa known for his captivating performances on the kora Kouyate has earned acclaim for his ability to blend storytelling with complex melodies delivering a musical experience rooted in centuries-old traditions There will also be a performance by the JALC Choir and the Cobden High School Folkloric dance team will perform traditional Folkloric dance — State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick announced today that his office has started a petition audit of the City of Carterville The audit was initiated by residents of the city who gathered 203 certified signatures to officially request the review of city operations “The good people of Carterville took the time and effort to request a closer look at how their city government is performing and this is a responsibility we take very seriously My office will conduct an audit that can help the city identify potential weaknesses as well as give it a blueprint for becoming more accountable and transparent in the future,” said Fitzpatrick “I know residents of Carterville are eager for answers but I want to remind everyone that an audit of this nature will take time to complete We will work as efficiently as possible to do our work in a timely manner.” This marks the first time the State Auditor’s Office has conducted a petition audit of the City of Carterville The audit officially commenced with an entrance meeting with city officials on Tuesday Residents were required to gather 200 signatures to initiate the audit and submitted 203 signatures that were verified by the Jasper County Clerk Individuals may provide confidential information for consideration during the audit of the City of Carterville to the State Auditor’s Whistleblower Hotline at 800-347-8597, by email at moaudit@auditor.mo.gov or by visiting www.auditor.mo.gov/hotline Jason Smith poses outside of his new store Cardfather Sports Cards Aug Cardfather Sports Cards offers both current and vintage baseball and football card packs Kenny Ford (left) and his six-year-old son Brooks Ford sort through a value pack of basketball cards at Cardfather Sports Cards Aug Maddie Koonce plays an arcade version of NBA Jam at Cardfather Sports Cards Aug Paul Turner (left) negotiates with store owner Jason Smith over a Stan Musial card at Cardfather Sports Cards Aug Six-year-old Brooks Ford sorts through a vintage bubble gum baseball card pack during a game of “Pack Wars” with store owner Jason Smith at Cardfather Sports Cards Aug An assortment of cards ranging from current to former players of several sports are available for purchase at Cardfather Sports Cards Six-year-old Brooks Ford reveals a Frank White card as part of a vintage bubble gum baseball card pack at Cardfather Sports Cards Aug Ernie Banks and Ted Williams cards on display as two of the most valuable individual cards for sale at Cardfather Sports Cards in Carterville CARTERVILLE — Whether it’s for a collection meticulously built over years or just something to have for the fun of it card collecting has always had a place in popular culture Southern Illinois has a new place to celebrate that hobby: Cardfather Sports Cards faculty and staff at Carterville Junior High School invited veterans to attend an lunch Friday morning This is the 15th year the school has held a lunch to honor veteran and Ray Tholen enjoy their time at Friday’s Veterans luncheon at Carterville Junior High School This is the 15-year school that has welcomed veterans to lunch with students Students from the student leadership council at Carterville Junior High School serve a pair of veterans who were at the school enjoying lunch Friday It’s the 15th year the school has honored veterans Carterville Junior High School honored veterans at the 15th annual Veterans Day luncheon a special event honoring local veterans for their service to the country CARTERVILLE — Carterville Junior High School honored veterans at the 15th annual Veterans Day luncheon According to Gabe Herbst with the school’s leadership council It’s a valuable chance for students to learn and show appreciation for the sacrifices of those who served