Memorial Health Athletic Trainer Emily Gorenflo works on the shoulder of Marysville Police Sergeant Doug Ropp recently at the department. For more than a year, Gorenflo has been holding office hours at the department to help first responders work through injuries in order to reduce the number of days they miss work. (Journal-Tribune photo by Chad Williamson) The duty belt has a tremendous impact on the overall health of police officers. Weighing up to 30 pounds, the belt carries implements to help protect an officer’s life, but at the same time the bulk can be murder on a person’s back…
Author: Chad Williamson
When the pandemic set in, the five-year financial forecast for Marysville schools took a hit. A picture that had the district in the black through 2025, darkened as reductions in state payments threatened to shave a year from the financial solvency of the district. But a recent turnaround in the economy, paired with some one-time payments and cost reductions, has put the district back on solid ground through 2025. At Thursday night’s Marysville Board of Education meeting, Treasurer Todd Johnson updated the recent boost given to the forecast. About $1 million was withheld from state money earmarked for the district…
While Marysville juniors and seniors will have a prom this year, it won’t take place in the elegant ballroom of the Bridgewater Event Center in Powell, shown above. District officials have opted to hold the prom on May 1 in the high school field house, broken into individual session for juniors and seniors. Students will also be asked to remain with one group of 10 friends throughout the night. (Photo submitted) Event will be held in field house Marysville juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to have a prom next month, even if it doesn’t quite resemble events of…
I’ve always liked Bigfoot. Maybe it was triggered as a child when I watched the Six Million Dollar Man fight the big shaggy beast, eventually ripping his arm off. Maybe it was because in the 1980s Union and Logan counties were a hotbed of reported Bigfoot sightings. National media attention blanketed the area as five sighting were reported over a two-week period in June, all within a five-mile radius near the border of the two counties. The descriptions of the creature were very similar — a 7-foot tall harry creature that walked with bent knees and its palms facing forward.…
Despite no change in rates or increased water usage, some residents of North Lewisburg may see an increase on their utility bills in the coming months. The reason is that the residents were being improperly billed, on the low end, due to faulty metering equipment. “You got a break,” Village Water and Sewer Superintendent Trevor Clark said. “You just didn’t know it.” Clark told village council Tuesday night that he is in the process of switching over numerous water meters in the village which aren’t working properly. About 50 meters have been switched over so far, with a total of…
We are living through an interesting time here in Union County and it has nothing to do with a virus. In my 30 years of covering local news, this is the first time the two most prominent governmental boards in the area have thrown out their rubber stamps and are having real debate. The Union County Commissioners and Marysville City Council are each experiencing uncommon dissension and I can’t get enough of it. Not because I am some Jerry Springer fan, drawn to conflict like a hog to mud, but rather because we are getting a refreshing peek behind the…
While all the details aren’t in place yet, Marysville’s plans for getting students extra help during the summer are starting to come into focus. In a video presentation at Marysville’s Board of Education meeting Thursday, District Personalized Learning Director Ashley Thompson outlined how schools are preparing to push learning opportunities to students in need during the spring and summer months. Thompson said a variety of programs are in place for the remainder of the year, such as before and after school tutoring, additional remediation time during the school day, tutoring availability at the Hope Center and Bunsold After School Enrichment…
As Marysville students are now starting to return to class on a more regular basis, district officials are working to make sure the senior year celebrations also return. Marysville’s two high school principals announced to the board of education at a meeting Thursday night that seniors will have a prom on May 1 and an in-person graduation, with limited attendance, at the football stadium on May 22. “It’s exciting to be able to give some positive news,” Marysville High School Principal Tom Cochran said. The COVID-19 pandemic stomped on the Marysville graduating class of 2020 at the end of last…
Regina Morris, RN, Employee Health nurse at Memorial Health, delivers the COVID-19 vaccination to David Gleeson, Director of Respiratory Therapy, during the first-round administration in December. (Photo submitted) Memorial Health, Marysville schools detail process so far Local entities near the front of the line for the COVID-19 vaccine distribution have had positive experiences, but not everything about the rollouts has been perfect. The Marysville School District is reporting strong participation in the program, while Memorial Health’s experience was a bit more layered. Memorial employs about 1,000 individuals system wide. About, 120 of those are at Memorial Gables and those staffers…
The North East Champaign County Fire Department will be getting a new pumper truck. North Lewisburg Mayor Cheryl Hollingsworth updated village council on the department’s search for a new vehicle at Tuesday night’s meeting. The department, which operates out of the village municipal building, also covers the surrounding areas, including Woodstock. Hollingsworth said the department’s 21-year-old pumper truck recently lost its ability to move water. Replacing the pump would have cost about $80,000 so the department decided to replace the entire vehicle. The mayor said department officials have reached an agreement to lease a new pumper truck from the Sutphen…
When I saw his stifled grin, I knew there would be no need for coffee on Tuesday morning. My blood was going to be pumping plenty fast on its own. Mac Cordell knows me well, so his amusement could only mean that I was about to hear something in which I would find no humor. As is common, I asked about the happenings of the previous night’s meetings while taking my seat behind my desk. He’s worked with me long enough that I knew his first word was a warning – “Welllllllll.” That was enough to get me to look…
Officials in the Marysville School District are pleasantly surprised with the resiliency of local students despite nearly a full year of virus-impacted learning. A presentation at Thursday night’s Marysville School Board meeting presented data that showed students are on par academically with previous years, despite months of remote learning to close out last school year and operating this year in a hybrid classroom schedule. K-4 students in the district return to school four days per week starting today, with older students to follow in the coming weeks. The goal is to have all students back in class, with safety precautions,…
Bear with me on a small rewind of the last 12 months in the United States. A virus hit – Stoked by misinformation, the Coronavirus created a rift in the U.S. as the populations drew battle lines over masks, vaccines and freedom. Those who chose to believe in science were called sheep. Those who argued for personal liberties were called uneducated. Candidates seized on the divisive nature of the situation to lure voters, ensuring that the journey out of the virus’ shadow would be politically fueled. George Floyd was killed – Most agreed that the act itself was law enforcement…
A North Lewisburg resident seeking to raise chickens in the village returned to plead her case to council Tuesday night, armed with facts and figures. Angela Myers first approached council in January seeking to change a village code enacted in 1993 which prohibited livestock, including chickens, from being raised in North Lewisburg. Council was not receptive to the idea but told her to her she could submit additional information to village officials. Tuesday night, Myers returned and provided members of council and the village administration with a packet of information including statistics and recommendations from the United States Department of…
Marysville will be funding more than a $1 million in improvements to the Marysville High School gymnasium, thanks in part to rising revenue from special taxing districts. District treasurer Todd Johnson told the Marysville Board of Education at a Thursday meeting that the improvements will include a new gym floor and bleachers, as well as replacing a troublesome HVAC unit with one that includes air conditioning. He said work is planned to begin in the spring. Johnson said the floor and bleachers will be obtained through a state collective purchasing group which allows districts to secure low prices on equipment…