by Bruce Hixon
for the Breese Journal
State champs (top photo) — The Highland bass fishing team claimed their second state title last weekend at Carlyle Lake. The Bulldogs also claimed the title back in 2012 followed by second place finishes in 2015 and 2016. They have placed seven times in school history. Pictured from left is Evan Sutton, Levi Weak, Tyler Woll, superintendent Mike Sutton and coach Jon Rinderer. Bottom photo: The Carlyle bass fishing team had their school’s best effort last weekend when they caught 17 pounds, 12 ounces of bass at Carlyle Lake on Friday and Saturday. They finished with the fourth place trophy, the best finish in school history. It was the fourth time the Indians advanced to the state tournament. Pictured from left is driver Trey Johnson, Keegan Kampwerth, Hunter Rose, Mason Lucas and Brandon Schneider. (Photos by Bruce Hixon) It was for different reasons, but it was a historical performance by the Carlyle Indians and Highland Bulldogs at the 11th annual Illinois High School Association state bass fishing finals held at Carlyle Lake on Friday and Saturday.
Carlyle’s team of Keegan Kampwerth, Hunter Rose, Mason Lucas and Brandon Schneider caught the maximum five fish in each day of competition and finished with a combined total of 17 pounds, 12 ounces.
That figure was good for a tie for fourth place with Morris High School. It also gave the Tribe its best finish at state. The previous best finish at state for the Indians came in 2013 when they finished 17th. If there was one downer for the Tribe, it was only the top three teams received plaques.
“I’m really pleased with the performance by our kids. We caught the maximum number of fish each day and that is quite an accomplishment for Carlyle Lake. You can’t select what fish you catch,” said Carlyle coach Brian Jansen. “Our future should be very bright. Each of the four boys who competed for us at state are sophomores. Our other kids who fished for us this year are freshmen. Coming into this season only Hunter and Mason had fished with us last year.”
Meanwhile Highland became the first school to win the state title twice as the crew of Tyler Woll, Evan Sutton and Levi Weak posted a two-day total of 21 pounds, 1 ounce.
The Bulldogs, who also won the championship in 2012, led wire-to-wire as they had a huge first day of competition when they caught the maximum five fish that had a weight total of 16 pounds, 6 ounces.
Melissa Weiser It's been 10 years this Memorial Day weekend when news rocked Clinton County of a fatal accident that killed four and left several others severely injured.
Melissa Weiser, 37, is currently in the Decatur Correctional Center with a projected parole date of August 2026.
She is serving a 20 year prison sentence after pleading guilty in April 2010 to 32 counts of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs after she caused a two-vehicle crash May 24, 2009, at the intersection of Emerald Road and Keyesport Road in Keyesport.
The crash caused the deaths of Weiser's friend, Chaz Sargent, 28, of East Carondelet; Derek Garrison, 21, of Germantown; Justin Haar, 21, of Beckemeyer and Blake Thole, 21, of Aviston.
In addition, the crash injured four others— Crystal Fuehne, then 21, of rural New Baden; John Lampen, then 21, of Breese; Casey Athmer, then 21, of Damiansville and Elisha Engelmann, then 20, of Albers. All four survived the accident.
On Sunday, May 24, 2009 at approximately 12:07 a.m., Weiser, driving a 1996 Pontiac Grand Am, along with passenger Chaz Sargent, was northbound on Emerald Road when she failed to stop at the intersection of Emerald and Keyesport roads and collided with a 2004 Cadillac Escalade, which was westbound on Keyesport Road.
Garrison, Haar, Thole, Lampen, Athmer and Engelmann were passengers in the Escalade along with driver Fuehne.
Prior to the crash, Weiser allegedly consumed alcohol and smoked cannabis while camping with Sargent and other friends at Carlyle Lake. It was reported that several people at the campsite said Weiser was too drunk to drive and Sargent had offered to drive.
At the time of her sentencing hearing, Judge Dennis Middendorff said that if a horrible outcome such as the fatal crash wasn't enough to deter others from drinking and driving, then a stiff sentence was needed to deter others from making the same mistake and imposed the 20-year sentence on Weiser.
Vincent Thole’s photos from Camp Huckstep near Cairo, Egypt. Thole and other young Clinton County men served in the Quartermaster Depot Supply Company in World War II. Carol Thole Nativi’s attempt to catalog the time her father spent as a soldier in World War II led her to discover hundreds of photographs featuring not only her father, Vincent Thole, but also many other Clinton County men. While most of the men pictured are now deceased, Nativi has learned of their story through her father’s narrative and wants to share it with the soldiers’ families.
In the group photo on the upper left are some of the Quartermaster Depot Supply Company stationed in Cairo, Egypt. Front row, from left: Vincent Thole, Alphonse Eversgerd, Charlie Carter, Vic Rehkemper, Walter Aper; back row from left: Erwin Rolves, Ray Eversgerd, Armin Kaemper, John Brennon, Merl Walters, Ed Wolters, Bill Beckmann. In the dress uniform photo on the bottom left are, front row, from left: Alphonse Eversgerd and Vincent Thole. Back row: Bill Laux, Bill Beckmann and Ed Wolters. Posing next to the sign is Alphonse Eversgerd. Vincent Thole wrote “And how!” on the back of this photo. In the photo on the bottom right are Ed Wolters, Ray Eversgerd, and Erwin Rolves.
Vincent Thole was part of a group of over 40 men who reported to the Carlyle draft board on Nov. 18, 1942. Thole and the others completed basic training at Camp Gruber in Oklahoma, where they filled out a company of 186 men who eventually were stationed at Camp Huckstep near Cairo, Egypt. They were the Quartermaster Depot Supply Company.
Though Thole died in 1999, his daughter, Carol Thole Nativi, is determined to keep his memory alive.
Armed with narrative from her father and hundreds of photos of his time in the war, Nativi set out to create an album following her father’s time in World War II. But while doing so, Nativi realized she had another mission; sharing the lives of her father’s compatriots with their families.
“Most, but not all of these men have died. But their families survive and may not know their father or grandfather’s story. They may not have pictures from this time,” said Nativi. “I would love to share the photos that I have with the families of these men.”
Nativi reached out to the Breese Journal to share some of her photos with the Clinton County community; images of hard work, fun times and a bond shared only by men fighting together for a cause.
Nativi said she would like to contact the families of the men of the Quartermaster Depot Supply Company, both to find out what they did after the war and to share her knowledge and pictures of their time serving with her father.
“When I started out on this project, I thought it would take just a few hours to finish ... I started out just planning to make flashdrives for my siblings. But as I sorted and scanned (the photos) I fell in love with these handsome young men and their story. I saw my dad mature from a boy into a man,” said Nativi. “Many of the pictures may have been lost through the years. I know I treasure these pictures and I think others will too.”
Interested parties may contact Breese Journal editor Melissa Wilkinson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (618) 526-7211 to be put in touch with Nativi.
| Fri., May 7 |
445.97 |
| Sun., May 9 |
445.77 |
| Tues., May 21 | 445.62 |
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