Clinton County communities receive OSLAD grants for future park improvements
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- Written by: Kelly Jo Ross - Breese Journal Reporter
The New Baden Park Boosters is a recipient of a $247,800 Open Space Land Acquisition and Development, or OSLAD, grant. The Park Boosters, along with the Village of New Baden and members of Unlimited Play celebrated receiving the grant, along with state Rep. Charlie Meier and Rep. Kevin Schmidt. Front row, from left, Whitney Marlow, Lexi Kanteres, Hailey Garcia, Kailee Conner, Julie Hoffman, Natalie Mackay, Shannon Columb, Chuck Nielsen. Back row, from left: Ali Wiedau, Angela Peters, Kayla Gentz, Rep. Charlie Meier, Galen Mahle, Rep. Kevin Schmidt, and Justin Dunning. Submitted Photo Several Clinton County communities are the recipients of the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development, or OSLAD, grants.
The village of New Baden, Aviston Park, the city of Carlyle and the city of Centralia were all awarded through this grant for recreational projects.
The four were out of 111 total which received funding for local park projects, totaling $54.9 million in grants.
This is the 37th year for the program, which is administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).
Since OSLAD was established in 1986, they have awarded nearly $585 million for park projects throughout Illinois, including the most recent awards.
In Clinton County, Aviston Park District received $100,000, the city of Carlyle received $600,000, the city of Centralia received $600,000, and the village of New Baden received $247,800.
The village of New Baden plans to use the funds to build an all-inclusive park, something that the community has expressed for years now.
"This grant will be put towards an all-inclusive playground that will be located in the New Baden Village Park," said Kayle Gentz with the New Baden Park Boosters.
She added the New Baden Park Boosters have teamed up with Unlimited Play to make this playground inclusive for all.
The New Baden Park Boosters thank the grant committee, including Gentz, and along with Whitney Marlow and Angela Peters, New Baden Village Administrator Galen Mahle and New Baden Village Clerk Teri Crane for their work.
Cougars hang on for 40-38 win over Carlyle in a battle of state-ranked squads
Big bucket — Carlyle guard Lera Schmienk connects on a big three-pointer in the late minutes of the fourth quarter in their loss to top-ranked Central on Thursday. Schmienk had 10 points for Carlyle in the loss. PHOTO BY JEREMY CHAWGO The much anticipated matchup between top-ranked Central and undefeated Carlyle in girls basketball action did not disappoint on Thursday night in a packed Harriss Gymnasium.
The Cougars outlasted a fast start from the Lady Indians in front of a great home crowd where Central escaped with a 40-38 win.
Carlyle could not have scripted a better start with two Central turnovers resulting in a deuce from Lera Schmienk and a three-pointer from Sophia Hoffmann for a 5-0 lead and a Nathan Rueter timeout.
Things went south from there for the Indians as Central caught fire from sparks off the bench from Ella Nettemeier and Lexy Santel.
Claire Albers got the Cougars on the board with their first bucket two minutes in which ignited a 15-0 run the rest of the way.
“That game seemed to have a little bit of everything,” said Central head coach Nathan Rueter. “We were fortunate to come out on top. It was a good game with a great environment. I’m happy for our kids, 
Transition deuce — Central senior guard Kaydence Schroeder puts in an easy bucket in the first half of the Lady Cougars’ 40-38 win at Carlyle on Thursday. Schroeder had two points and four rebounds in the victory. PHOTO BY JEREMY CHAWGOI just wish we would have played a little cleaner. But at the end of the day, we got a win against a very good basketball team on their home court.”
Cece Toennies and Nettemeier each hit short-range jumpers before sophomore Taylor Trame hit a three-pointer from the baseline. Santel followed with two jumpers while senior Kaydence Schroeder added a transition bucket as Central led 15-5 after eight minutes of play.
“That five stayed strong on the scoreboard there,” said first-year head coach Cindy Hoffmann. “But give our girls credit, we battled back all night long against a great team and a great basketball program.”
Santel struck again with a three-pointer in the opening 10 seconds of the second quarter with Central leading 18-5.
Carlyle showed their grit by battling back over the final 24 minutes of play.
“We had several sloppy turnovers that kept them in the game,” added Rueter. “Some things just didn’t go our way in that second half.”
Schmienk hit a driving bucket for Carlyle before Santel hit another three-pointer for their biggest lead at 21-7 with seven minutes left in the half.
Darren Bailey makes campaign stop in Trenton
Darren Bailey addresses a small crowd gathered outside of Hank's Bowl in Trenton on Oct. 18, one stop on his People's Tractor Tour of Southern Illinois this month. Photo by Bryan Hunt Louisville farmer Darren Bailey returned to Clinton County on Oct. 18, on the campaign trail once again.
Bailey, 57, is staging a campaign to unseat incumbent Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro) for his 12th Congressional District seat.
Bailey launched the first leg of his People's Tractor Tour, a listening tour, throughout southern Illinois on Oct. 16, with a stop at Hank's Bowl in Trenton last Wednesday.
The tour began at the Marion County Fairgrounds in Salem on the 16th and made a stop in Effingham that night.
There were stops in Fairfield and Mt. Vernon on Oct. 17, Shiloh Community Park after his stop in Trenton on the 18th, stops in Franklin and Williamson counties on Oct. 19, and stops in Monroe and Randolph counties on Oct. 20.
Bailey will face Bost, 62, in the Republican primary on March 19, 2024, ahead of the Nov. 5, 2024, general election.
Bost is chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.
Bost has been in his current position since Jan. 3, 2015.
The 12th Congressional District covers 34 counties, including a large portion of Clinton County.
Bailey was a member of the Illinois Senate from 2021-2023; before that he served as a state representative from 2019-2021.
On his Trenton stop, Bailey met between 30 and 40 supporters inside and outside of Hank's Bowl. Outside, Bailey spoke briefly to the gathering of 20 people.
Attendees were invited to sign Bailey's Allis-Chalmers tractor, a focal point of his gatherings, hence the name "tractor tour."
"I love my quiet life on the family farm, and I know you guys love life here in Southern Illinois, in Clinton County and beyond.
"But right now, our country is in trouble. Question is what do we do about it?"
Bailey said, in turning on the news, "all we see is chaos and dysfunction coming out of Washington, D.C."
He said a Congress "filled with career politicians, that can't even agree on a speaker, much less come up with a budget — the one thing that they know they have to do every year."
Bailey was referring to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's ouster from the position on Oct. 3.
The California Republican's ouster was followed by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise dropping out of the push to fill the position.
But the Louisiana Republican failed to secure enough support for his bid and has since bowed out of the running.
Next, afer losing his third vote, Ohio Republican Jim Jordan dropped his attempt at becoming House Speaker.
Subsequently, nine other politicians have joined the race to become House Speaker.
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