Carissa Litteken of Aviston crowned 2026 Miss Clinton County Fair
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- Written by: Kelly Jo Ross - Breese Journal News Editor
Congratulations to 2026 Miss Clinton County Fair Queen Carissa Litteken of Aviston. Litteken was pictured Saturday being crowned by retiring fair queen Amanda Brink and 2026 Miss Illinois County Fair Queen Krista Phillips.Carissa Litteken of Aviston was crowned 2026 Miss Clinton County Fair Queen this past Saturday, July 18.
The pageant was filled with entertainment, excitement and emotion as the 11 contestants vied for the crown.
Held at Kaskaskia College Auditorium in Centralia, the event began with the introduction from the Mistress of Ceremonies Candace Schomaker (2022 Miss Clinton County Fair Queen).
Following that, retiring Miss Clinton County Fair Queen Amanda Brink and the contestants — Drew Drummond of Keyesport, April Wilken of Germantown, Carissa Litteken of Aviston, Daisy Brammeier of Carlyle, Isabelle Gilomen of Damiansville, Makenna Reckling of Carlyle, Jacie Persing of Carlyle, Karleigh Twitchell of Carlyle, Samantha Heinzmann of Carlyle, Makenna Budde of Damiansville and Kylie Detmer of Aviston — performed a dance routine inspired by songs as part of the pageant theme, “An American Summer.”
The contestants took part in a series of competitions in pursuit of the 2026 Miss Clinton County Fair.
The categories of competition included beauty and physique in swimwear, formal speaking and evening gown. The judges hosted the interview portion of the competition prior to the pageant.
After a great deal of anticipation, the judges announced Litteken as 2026 Miss Clinton County Fair Queen.
Overwhelmed with emotion, the new queen embraced her fellow contestants and graciously accepted the crown from Brink and 2026 Miss Illinois County Fair Queen Krista Phillips of Effingham.
Eleven lovely ladies competed for the title of fair queen during the annual pageant held Saturday afternoon at Kaskaskia College Auditorium. Chosen as first runner-up was Makenna Budde of Damiansville. Karleigh Twitchell of Carlyle was chosen as second runner-up. Budde was also named “Miss Congeniality.”Carissa is the daughter of Mark and Jenny Litteken of Aviston. She is a 2023 graduate of Mater Dei Catholic High School and a 2026 graduate of Kaskaskia College, with a degree in nursing. She plans to continue her education with a four-year degree and pursue a career as an ER nurse while also serving in the local ambulance service.
In her free time, Litteken enjoys being outside in the barn with her animals.
When she has time to relax, she enjoys coloring and spending time with her family and friends.
Her 11 years of dedication to 4-H has led her to become an active member of the Young Leaders Farm Bureau, where she is proud to represent Clinton County. In high school, she was proud to achieve perfect attendance, was honored to be chosen prom queen, and was elected as the first FFA president at Mater Dei Catholic High School.
Litteken’s platform is agricultural safety, which is a “case close to her heart and the community” after losing a fair board member in a farming accident last year. She serves in her community through leadership with the Young Leaders Farm Bureau as well as a Eucharistic minister at her church.
Litteken said she is inspired most by her dad, as he never fails to make time for their family and involves himself heavily in the community to make sure Clinton County stays the great place we all know and love.
The new queen is sponsored by Greenville Livestock, Litteken Electric of Breese and Pawadise+ in Breese.
During her one-minute speech, Litteken centered around the color blue, signifying three important key roles in her life — blue scrubs, blue jeans and blue skies.
“Blue is the color of big skies, big dreams and even bigger possibilities,” she said, adding that blue is the color that follows her through every part of her life.
“Nurses are typically recognized by their blue scrubs,” she said. “Those scrubs represent kindness, compassion and those who wake up everyday to make a difference.”
Blue also is the shade of her best loved denim.
“Whether you are working all day on the farm, going to help the neighbor or showing pigs at the county fair, blue jeans are comfortable, dependable and have always achieved blue ribbon status,” she said.
In addition, as a proud daughter of a first generation farmer, Litteken said blue is the color of the skies above every field and every dream planted along the way.
Residents voice concerns over proposed tower on Marydale Road
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- Written by: Matt Wilson - Breese Journal Reporter
David Gazda Jr. speaks to the Clinton County Board about a potential cell tower on Marydale Road. A group of area residents spoke to Clinton County board members about concerns regarding construction/placement of a proposed telecommunications facility (cell tower) on Marydale Road in rural Carlyle. The residents spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting on Monday, July 20.
David Gazda Jr., who lives across the road from the proposed tower site, said his biggest concern was that he thought there was a “lack of transparency” throughout the process.
Gazda Jr. said only a few residents received letters on June 13 informing them of the proposed tower and parcel location. After obtaining a copy of the zoning application from the Clinton County Zoning Office, residents found that the application, submitted by Kimley-Horn Consulting, indicated that all adjoining property owners had been notified.
According to Gazda Jr., the applications were signed June 2, but the notification letters were dated on June 8, and not received until June 13.
“So to me, they lied on the application that all adjoining property owners were notified,” Gazda Jr. said.
Gazda Jr. said residents contacted Sen. Jason Plummer’s office, where they were provided with an Illinois statute governing the placement of telecommunications towers near other properties. He said there was a Section 2 in the statute that states that the county board may give its approval after one public hearing on the proposal, but only by a favorable vote of the majority of the members present at the meeting, and held no later than 75 days after submission of a completed application by the telecommunications carrier. If the county fails to act within that time frame, the application is automatically approved.
Gazda Jr. then questioned whether a public hearing had been scheduled for the tower.
Residents also expressed concerns about how the proposed tower could affect nearby property values and resale value of their property.
Gazda Jr. cited information from the National Association of Realtors website that cell phone towers can impact property values, but the amount varies greatly from 7 to 30%. He said any amount is unacceptable.
“None of the adjacent landowners approved this tower, nor asked for it,” Gazda Jr. said. “We did not buy our properties and make our upgrades to them so the equity could be canceled out by a cell tower.”
Gazda Jr. said the landowner of the property in the proposed location lists his home address 20 miles from the site of the tower, therefore not impacting his resale value at all. Gazda Jr. said everyone chose to live on Marydale Road to live in a serene country setting, so why would they put a 260-foot tower right on the edge of the road. The height is equivalent to an 18-22 story office building at the height of the Statue of Liberty’s crown. The tower is one thing, but then there will be a fence and generators ruining the country setting.
Gazda Jr. said the Journal of Real Estate Finance Economic states homes close to towers sell for a discount of up to 7.6% and that any noticeable effect disappears at 1,500 feet. The proposed location is 315 feet from Gazda Jr.’s bedroom window.
Gazda Jr. said the residents are concerned about the safety hazards of a tower so close to their homes. According to reports, living close to a tower could cause higher cancer rates, biochemical changes and radio frequency symptoms. Children are vulnerable because their bodies absorb more of that radiation and their brains are still developing and are more sensitive to harm. Experts recommend at least 1,500 foot setbacks from homes to buildings to reduce risks.
“If there are any concerns about safety hazards with cell towers, why should we be the guinea pigs for such an experiment?” Gazda Jr. asked.
Gazda Jr. said the county board’s job is to establish policy on key areas such as property, public safety, and maintenance of county highways. He said the project could negatively impact their property and safety. He said they likely can’t stop the project from moving forward but asked the board’s assistance in pushing the location back off the road and within the perimeters of a 1,500 foot setback from any adjacent residents. The landowner owns 213 acres at the location, and the proposed site has a field road adjacent. The site being pushed back to the field road would allow an easy access point and give the residents of Marydale Road some peace of mind with the tower not looming over their homes.
“We will help you help us in any way we can,” Gazda Jr. said. “If you need more support against the location of this tower we can get a signed petition from residents in the area. Our Clinton County board has done well for a long time in limiting the solar and cell structures in our county, please don’t back down now.”
Clinton County Board president Brad Knolhoff asked Gazda Jr. about the state statute he referenced. Knolhoff said that was something he was not aware of and asked if Gazda Jr. could provide him with that statute.
Knolhoff said the information the county board has been given up to this point is in 2015, the state took away a lot of local regulatory authority on towers and that is what they have been relying on. Knolhoff told Gazda Jr. that the board concurs with everything he said and they have been fighting the “solar stuff” for years.
Zoning administrator Jami Staser said no building permit has been issued on the proposed tower. Towers used to be a special use permit, but the state changed its statute to towers being a “permitted use” in 2015.
Chadd Thompson has property on Marydale Road and operates an internet service on their property. They use a tower on their property about 1,500 feet from the proposed tower and they use their tower to provide wireless internet services to several people in the area and about 400 Clinton County residents. They have had their business since 2003 and all the equipment they use is super low power. Cell phone towers are hundreds of watts of power and while it may not be on an overlapping frequency as the equipment they use, just the high power could crush their business.
David Gazda Sr. asked if Clinton County has written plans for health issues related to cell phone towers; would Clinton County be ready if emergencies such as lightning happened near the tower; what happens if the tower falls and it lands on a vehicle and kills occupants; and if the tower falls on electric power lines when it is cold outside? He asked what effect does radiation have on people with respiratory problems? He asked about the rainwater that runs off the tower and floods his farm ground. He asked if the county checked how the water flow is now.
“The people of Marydale Road are concerned and it doesn’t seem fair they can come in and take over the peacefulness we have,” Gazda Sr. said. “I have owned my property for 53 years and have worked hard my whole life to enjoy retirement and the peace and quiet of the country.”
Barb Hempen said her family was approached to put the tower on their property. At first, they thought that would be something they wanted. She said she is not opposed to the tower, except for the location. She said it should be far away from everyone’s home to make it comfortable for everyone.
“It is a concern about the placement,” Hempen said.
Also during the meeting, radio committee chairman Curt Haselhorst said the emergency radio project is at a standstill due to interference between the transmitter and submitting. The delay pushes them back and the project will not be ready by August.
“It is good news and bad news,” Knolhoff said. “The bad news is it will be a little longer than what we initially hoped. The good news is the company is catching it and are going to make it right.”
Aviston dominates their way to the 5th Division crown
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- Written by: Jeremy Chawgo - Breese Journal Sports Editor
That’s a winner — The Aviston Express steam rolled their way to their third-ever 5th Division Tournament title by sweeping the field 20-1 in two games, along with a forfeit to advance to the State Tournament this week in Aviston. For just the third time in franchise history, the Aviston Express are the 5th Division Tournament champs and will represent the division in the State Tournament this week.
The Express, winners of the 5th Division in 2022 and 2023, finished out the pre State Tournament campaign with wins over Orient and Alton to claim the title and rest with a 20-2-1 overall record.
“Every player on this team has done something to contribute to a win this summer,” said Aviston head coach Alex Elsing. “Our core guys are doing what we’ve asked and they are great leaders. It means a lot in Clinton County to bring home any type of championship.”
Alton will also represent the division in the State Tournament as the runner-up in the 5th Division Tournament.
“This is why Drew (Frey) and I are here,” said Elsing. “We wanted to be a part of this franchise and I hope and expect the same type of effort from our guys next week. I think we are playing our best baseball right now, which is ideal.”
On the sweet spot — Aviston’s Bryce Wieter sends a ball to the left side in the first inning of the Express’ 11-1 win over Orient on Thursday in the 5th Division Tournament in Steeleville. Wieter is hitting .390 on the season. Aviston 9, Alton 1: The Express left no doubt in their final game in Steeleville on Saturday afternoon.
“Top to bottom in the order, everyone played a key roll and did their job,” said first-year head coach Alex Elsing. “Drake went out absolutely shoved and did what we needed out of him. He hit almost every spot I called and you can’t ask for more than that.”
After a scoreless first, the Express took over on offense from there and starting pitcher Drake Curry took care of the rest.
Curry retired Alton in order in the top of the first inning before Clayton Gaetti was stranded on base in the bottom of the first inning with no score.
Curry retired the side in the second inning before the Aviston bats went to work in the bottom of the inning.
After the first out was retired, Bryce Wieter walked on five pitches before the second out was retired. Craig Schroeder singled through the left side to score Wieter for a 1-0 lead.
Jack Reynolds followed with a single to center to bring up leadoff hitter Benny Lehman. After fouling off four pitches, the lefty hit a three-run bomb over the right-field fence for a 4-0 lead.
“It’s really important to get out to a lead in a game like this,” added Elsing. “I always tell the guys that I want at least one run each inning, and Benny’s shot was a little icing on the cake there to get our offense going.”
Gaetti followed with his second single of the game before Rowdy Sussenbach chased him home with a double to the gap for a 5-0 lead. Sussenbach scored from second on a wild pitch for a 6-0 lead entering the third inning.
After another perfect inning from Curry, Aviston made it 7-0 in the third inning when Wieter singled and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Schroeder.
Look it in — Aviston middle infielder Conlan Haar looks in a grounder in the Express’ 11-1 win over Orient on Thursday in Steeleville. The Express won their third-ever Division Tournament with a pair of victories. Abe Kribs ended Curry’s perfect game with a ground-rule double to right field before he got the next two hitters to end the threat.
Aviston got two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning when Conlan Haar led off with a walk and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Curry for an 8-0 lead.
Wieter scored on a wild pitch to lead 9-0 before Reynolds smashed a double to the gap where Schroeder was thrown out at the plate trying to score which would have ended the contest.
Alton got three-straight singles and a sacrifice fly to avoid the shutout with a solo tally in their final at bat.
Curry pitched a complete-game gem with seven innings of work where he allowed four hits and no walks while striking out six in a 79-pitch effort.
Lehmann homered and had three RBI while Gaetti was 2-for-4 with two singles, a run scored and three stolen bases.
Schroeder was 2-for-3 with two singles and a run scored with one RBI while Reynolds was also 2-for-3 with a double, a single and a run scored. Wieter added two stolen bases.
Aviston 11, Orient 1 (5 innings): The Express won their 5th Division opener on Thursday in Steeleville.
The Express scored in four of their five at-bats to secure a quality win over Orient.
Aviston took the lead in the bottom of the first inning when Benny Lehman led off with a single before being erased on a fielder’s choice from Clayton Gaetti.
Rowdy Sussenbach made it runners on the corners with a single to the right side before Gaetti scored on a single from Miles Browne for a 1-0 lead after the opening inning of action.
After Sussenbach retired the side in order in the top of the second, the Express put the game away as the first six hitters reached base.
Barreled — Aviston utility man Johnny Hilmes sends the ball up the middle in the Express’ 11-1 win over Orient on Thursday in the 5th Division Tournament in Steeleville. The Express will enter State at 20-2-1. Bryce Wieter and Craig Schroeder each singled before Johnny Hilmes walked to load the bases. Lehman singled up the middle to score two runs before Sussenbach added an RBI single for a 5-0 lead after two innings.
After a scoreless third inning, Orient got their lone tally on two walks, a single and a wild pitch to get within 5-1.
Aviston got a break in the bottom of the inning with two outs when Sussenbach singled and Browne reached on a fielding error. Conlan Haar smacked a double to the gap to chase both runners home with a 7-1 lead after four innings.
Aviston ended things in the bottom of the fifth inning when Wieter led off with a single and Schroeder walked. Jack Reynolds stroked a 2-run double off the fence in center field before a double from Lehman made it 10-1, chasing Reynolds. Lehman scored on a sacrifice fly from Gaetti to end the contest.
Lehman was 3-for-4 with two singles, a double, two runs scored and three batted in. Sussenbach had three singles and an RBI.
Haar was 2-for-2 with a single, a double and two batted in to go with a walk and a stolen base. Schroeder and Gaetti each scored a pair of runs.
Sussenbach was the winning pitcher as he went three shutout innings and allowed one hit and struck out four batters. Lehman allowed one earned run on one hit, two walks and five strikeouts over two innings of work.
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