Christmas greetings and letters to Santa Pages 25-37 Sparta settlement Page 3 Decorated houses Serving The Area With Local News Since 1980 Page 9 Santa in C’ville Page 17 © Copyright 2013, County Journal www.countyjournalnews.com Volume 34 Number 51 40 Pages Your Local News Leader Thursday, December 19, 2013 60¢ Sparta Steeleville appears Merry Christmas approves split on tax vote sports Steeleville has become the latest school board to approve a resolution that asks the conference Randolph County clerk to place a 1 percent sales tax in- Sparta High School is in the crease question on the March River to River sports confer- primary election ballot next ence, but will it stay there? year. Monday night, the school That makes it a virtual cer- board took up the subject and tainty that Randolph County found that within the board residents will again have the and the sports department, opportunity to vote on the there are differences of opin- measure. ion—just as there will be in the To be placed on the ballot, community. school boards representing at The degree of competition, least half of the county’s stu- time on the road and student dent population must approve involvement were all dis- a resolution asking the cussed. county board to put the tax Athletic director Rich Will- hike on the ballot. There are iams said Sparta has been in- more than 4,100 students en- vited to become a member of rolled in the county’s public the Black Diamond conference schools this year. starting with the 2015-16 That means school boards school year because Elverado representing about 2,070 stu- is getting out. He said Elver- dents would have to adopt the ado is dropping football and resolution before the tax hike will co-op with Du Quoin on can go on the ballot. the gridiron. Steeleville’s action Monday In the River to River Missis- Like a Rockwell painting night gets those in favor of sippi conference, Sparta plays The December snowfall helped paint a delightful scene in Ellis Grove. This sleigh the increase about 409 stu- Pinckneyville, Nashville, Du has Lloyd Schoenbeck of Ellis Grove in control. In the sleigh with Schoenbeck are dents closer to that goal. The Quoin, Carterville and Anna- Gianna and Aleah Eggemeyer and Brystal Stellhorn. They are being pulled by horses Sparta and Coulterville school Jonesboro. If it switches to the that belong to Lloyd’s daughter Amy Stellhorn. The Ellis Grove area had 12 to 18 boards have also passed the Black Diamond, Sparta would inches of snow in the recent storm. See story inside this edition. Information and photo resolution, giving the propo- play Trico, Chester, Sesser- provided by Frankie Eggemeyer and Amy Stellhorn. Valier, Zeigler-Royalton, Continued on Page 5_______ Christopher and Goreville in basketball, volleyball, softball and baseball. Two arrested December 11 In football, Sparta would play Christopher-Zeigler- Royalton, Sesser-Valier, Sparta police say more drug raids coming Chester, Vienna-Goreville, Johnston City, Carmi, Mc- Armed with a search war- getting information about Leansboro, Fairfield and rant, the Sparta Drug Task- Wallace’s illegal activities. Eldorado. force raided a house at 513 Several weeks ago, police Williams presented some of Miller Street December 11. were told that he was going his findings to the board. He When they were finished, to be getting in a shipment said dues would be about the they had allegedly found of drugs. same, $500 for the Black Dia- $8,000 to $10,000 worth of “When we knew he was re- mond, and without Steeleville cocaine and marijuana. ceiving them, we obtained for football, Sparta would be Charged with illegal posses- the search warrant,” said a 2A school. sion a controlled substance Jones. (cocaine) and marijuana with The taskforce has been in Would restore Sparta- intent to distribute are Gary existence for about a year. Wallace Jr., 34, and Natalia Last week’s arrests made up Chester rivalry Monroe, 28, both of Sparta. its 12th case. Wallace is also charged with “One of the others was that “My concern is that we are possession of a firearm by a of Clifton Bardo,” said Jones. not getting any bigger, and felon. They were taken to jail. “Last week he was sentenced our pool of athletes is shrink- Sparta police officer Ralph to 24 years in prison.” ing,” said Williams. Jones, the taskforce supervi- Jones said the taskforce is He noted that the River to sor, said besides the drugs, still investigating other drug River is one of the top confer- police confiscated another cases, and more arrests are ences in the state. Sparta $10,000 worth of vehicles and coming. joined in 1993. firearms. “Drugs are a major con- Since then, Sparta has had Drugs were found not only cern in Sparta, just like in Sparta police at the house on Miller Street 10 girls cross country cham- in the house but in some other towns,” said Jones. pionships and 17 boys cham- other vehicles, which were “Sparta, however, is at the us,” said Jones. “We haven’t cases, including a specially pionships, eight girls golf searched with the help of a top of the list.” had a conviction like that of equipped vehicle, surveillance championships, four girls police dog. Jones said Randolph Bardo’s in years. Jeremy is ea- equipment and computers. He softball championships and “This was one of the largest County State’s Attorney Jer- ger to work with everybody, said that kind of equipment four girls and nine boys track search warrant seizures we emy Walker is one reason the and we really applaud his ef- will help get more drug con- championships. have ever carried out,” said taskforce feels good about forts.” victions. Sparta has had no confer- Jones. “Wallace was a major what it can now do. Jones said Sparta is also plan- “We haven’t lost a case yet, ence championships in foot- drug dealer.” “The state’s attorney has ning to get some special equip- even those we have given to ball, boys basketball or base- Jones said police had been been phenomenal in helping ment for drug search warrant the feds,” said Jones. ball. One drawback to joining the Black Diamond would be the travel time. Belleville man killed in Route 154 crash School board member Mark North, the retired high school Roads covered with sleet, track and cross country coach, freezing rain and snow Fri- said there would be more travel day afternoon are blamed for expense in the Black Diamond many accidents in the local plus a loss of some traditional area, including one fatality. It rivalries such as Pinckneyville occurred at about 3:30 p.m. and Du Quoin. on Route 154 at Plum Creek In a handout he prepared, between Sparta and Houston. North noted that to play at State police said a car driven Goreville, it would be a 179- by Myron Hughes, 21, of mile round trip. He said play- Belleville was westbound ing a River to River schedule when his car went into the results in 363 miles for road eastbound lane and struck a games compared to 582 miles tractor-trailer truck driven by for the Black Diamond sched- Shawn Lever, 41, of St. Louis. ule. The truck collided with the He said the Black Diamond car on the driver’s side, de- is weaker, and it would not molishing the car. Hughes prepare Sparta for a state se- was thrown out of his vehicle ries in any sport. and was pronounced dead at North also wondered about the scene. community support for the According to Randolph This photo shows the passenger side of the Hughes car. It was demolished, spreading change. He said many Chester County Coroner Randy debris all over Route 154. fans still do not like the Dudenbostel, a witness said change they made to the Black Hughes had passed him at a cording to police. way home. Mankiewicz, 24, of Evansville Diamond. high rate of speed and began Lever had non-life-threat- Just before the fatal accident, went out of control on the icy However, with Sparta join- to swerve. He hit the creek ening injuries and was taken a two-vehicle crash occurred on road, slid sideways and struck ing the conference, it would guardrail then went into the to the Sparta hospital where Route 4 near Roseborough a pickup truck driven north- again set up a Sparta-Chester other lane where his car was he was treated and released. Road south of Sparta. bound by Mark Barnett, 52, of hit by the truck. The icy road Hughes worked in Sparta Police said a small SUV driven Continued on Page 5_______ conditions were a factor, ac- and apparently was on his southbound by Jonathan Continued on Page 5_______ Page 2 County Journal December 19, 2013 Accused Randolph thief County has been court The following cases have been terminated in arrested Randolph County cir- cuit court. A Washington Coun- Timothy Rushing of ty man faces charges Adrian T. Brand Chester, aggravated un- in Perry County after lawful restraint, guilty, he was arrested for tion of Cottontail and three years in prison, stealing a car Decem- Galum Church roads. restitution and court ber 12. The investigation costs. The vehicle was re- eventually led police to Sara Gregory of Til- Steeleville accident ported stolen from a Adrian T. Brand, 22, of den, retail theft, dis- An Ava man was injured in a two-vehicle accident in Steeleville residence at 212 West Nashville. He was ac- missed. December 18 around 3:08 p.m.