Southern Illinois farmer to run for the Governor's seat

Southern Illinois farmer and State Senator Darren Bailey, who has been outspoken about Governor J.B. Pritzker's handling of the state's pandemic policies, announced last Monday that he will seek the state's Republican nomination for Governor.

Bailey, who is a third-generation farmer and with his sons, owns and operates Bailey Family Farm. The Republican lawmaker from Xenia, was born and raised in Louisville. He has an A.A.S. in Agricultural Production from Lake Land College in Mattoon.

In a press release he said he "has always lived by the motto of faith, family, and farming."

The 54-year-old's hat is now in a ring along side that of Republican and former Senator Paul Schimpf who announced his candidacy for early last month.

In front of a crowd of hundreds of supporters at the Thelma Keller Convention Center in Effingham, he said that Governor Pritzker and Illinois Democrats have failed the people of Illinois and it was time for it to stop.

"There’s nothing that’s wrong with Illinois that can’t be fixed by some conservative common sense. I’ll fight for the working people, not the political elites. Today, there is a political class that is ignoring our values and harming American families. Illinois needs a leader that is one of us," said Bailey, confident that his conservative approach to governing will cure the state's ills.

Bailey is known as a pro-life, pro-Second Amendment conservative, his campaign announcement highlights his previous fight against tax hikes, reckless spending, abortion access expansion, and sanctuary state legislation. Elected to the state legislature in 2018, he is making the reopening of Illinois' economy and schools among his top priorities.

"Illinois is in trouble. We have a massive deficit, some of the highest tax burdens in the entire nation, and skyrocketing unemployment. Add to that career politicians who have used a pandemic to destroy our local economy," he said. "The same people on both sides of the aisle have failed us for decades. They are the elites—the rich and powerful—who have put their interests in front of us; the farmers from downstate, the mechanics from the south side, the hard-working families that have built this state. We can do better."

Endorsed by Republican U.S. Rep. Mary Miller - who was in the political hot seat and forced to issue a public apology after telling the audience at a rally supporting now ex-president Donald Trump that "Hitler was right on one thing — that whoever has the youth has the future", Bailey is being strategically positioned as the Downstate Messiah. Sworn in as state senator in January, he previously served as a state representative from 2019 to early 2021.

Meanwhile Miller's husband, Republican state Rep. Chris Miller, told the crowd at the rally, "If Darren Bailey is governor of Illinois, then there is a God in Heaven."

Bailey's name became known nationally while challenging Governor Pritzker’s statewide stay-at-home order almost a year ago last May. With the help of a sympathetic court, Bailey won a temporary restraining order freeing himself only from the restrictions. The decision was later overturned and the case eventually dismissed by a Sangamon County judge in November after it was consolidated with several other challenges to the state's emergency management and public health directives.

The father of four and grandfather to 10 said:

For far too long, citizens of Illinois have been left without a voice. People in Illinois have been divided. We’ve been used. We’ve been mocked. We’ve been marginalized. People in Illinois have been ignored based on their race. They’ve been ignored based on their class. Their ZIP Code. Or by special interests. All while a political class has done absolutely nothing but enrich themselves, while destroying our state and robbing our children and our grandchildren of our future. Friends, this has got to change. And it has got to change today.

The Republican primary election for Illinois Governor will be held on March 15, 2022.

Who wouldn't want their student debt eliminated?

by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator

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The average college debt among student loan borrowers in America is $32,731, according to the Federal Reserve. The majority of borrowers have between $25,000 and $50,000 outstanding in student loan debt. There is an increasing number of student loan borrowers who owe in excess of $100,000. Some, who have spent many years in graduate schools may owe closer to $200,000.

Overall, Americans owe over $1.71 trillion in student loan debt, spread out among about 44.7 million borrowers.

Senate leader Chuck Schumer of New York, along with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and other Democrats have put forward a resolution calling on President Joe Biden to forgive $50,000 in student debt. The plan would cancel all of the debt for 80% of federal student loan borrowers.

President Joe Biden campaigned on a platform that included changes for higher education as well as relief for student loan borrowers. On Biden's first day in office, he extended the student loan payment pause through Sept. 30, 2021.

President Biden officials, on Jan. 8, reiterated the President's support for Congress to "immediately" cancel $10,000 of federal student loan debt per person as part of Covid-19 relief. That could wipe out debt completely for nearly 15 million borrowers who owe $10,000 or less, according to federal data. The majority of student loan borrowers (roughly 67%) have more than $10,000 in debt.

On February 19th, a group of 17 state Attorney Generals called on Biden to forgive $50,000 in federal student loans per borrower through executive action. The group asserted Biden has the authority to do so under the Higher Education Act.

Professions that pay bigger salaries are worth more the college cost and debt if necessary.

If you have federal student loan debt you are surely hopeful. Who wouldn’t want to have $10,000 to $50,000 of student debt eliminated? However, is this fair for the millions of Americans who spent many years working hard, repaying their loans? What about all the parents who helped their children through school? They worked hard. Do all of America’s graduates and parents receive checks – with interest? Is it fair to penalize the people who worked, scrapped and struggled? Essentially, we are asking the same hard working people who paid for their education to pay for everyone else's education.

The majority of Americans who paid their way through school and paid off all their debt the hard way are not sympathetic to simply waving away the same college debt for others that they worked hard to pay off.

Colleges are much of the problem. For years public Universities have financially lived way beyond their means. Auburn University, Alabama, recently fired head football coach Gus Malzahn and paid him $21.45 million in contract buyout.

Students are poorly advised by high school and college counselors. You will almost never be able to pay back a $50,000 student loan working as a cashier at a fast food restaurant. College students need to look at the earning power of their degree. Professions that pay bigger salaries are worth more the college cost and debt if necessary.

Consider going to a community college your first two years. Federal Pell grants are currently $6,495 a year and may cover almost all the cost of your first two years. You typically don’t have to pay these back. Therefore, the government is already doing a lot.

If your career pursuit pays a reasonable living then consider a going to a University that has a more reasonable tuition cost. And, don’t count on somebody else to pay your loan. However, who knows for sure, maybe Biden will.

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Dr. Glenn Mollette is a syndicated American columnist and author of American Issues, Every American Has An Opinion and ten other books. He is read in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization.

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This article is the sole opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of The Sentinel. We welcome comments and views from our readers. Submit your letters to the editor or commentary on a current event 24/7 to editor@oursentinel.com.

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Your life matters

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by Gail Strange
Presbyterian News Service

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In recognition of Black History Month, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) celebrated Wednesday with a soulful online worship service.

The service began with a virtual rendition of the iconic Michael Jackson/Lionel Richie song, "We Are the World." The song was performed by members of the historic Morgan State University choir. Morgan State University is one of the 107 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

The theme for the service this year was adapted from Maya Angelou’s poem of liberation and survival, "Still I Rise."

In a powerful call to worship alternately led by Jewel McRae, the Rev. Carlton Johnson, the Rev. Alexandra Zareth and the Rev. Dr. Alonzo Johnson, (other worship leaders included the Rev. Lee Catoe, Destini Hodges and Angela Carter) worshipers were invited to participate in the service by taking part in the traditional African practice of call-and-response using the term "ase" (or às̩e̩ or ashe; pronounced ah-shay). The term is a West African philosophical concept through which the Yoruba of Nigeria conceive the power to make things happen and to effect change.

We love Jesus because he took thorns upon his head.

There were poignant readings throughout the call to worship. During this portion of the service Johnson said, "In this season the nation’s character is at stake! In Black History Month help us to realize that Black history is all our histories. May the day come when these stories are so widely taught that no month need be separately divided."

Other moving words during the call to worship included this reading by McRae: "Guided by God, we believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Ours is a faith that says … you are a woman, and your life matters. You are gay or lesbian, and your life matters. You are transgender, and your life matters. You are bisexual, and your life matters."

The preacher for the morning was the Rev. Michael Moore, Associate for African American Intercultural Congregational Support in the office of Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries. The focal Scripture for his message was Psalm 27: 1-6.

"In these unprecedented times we get disoriented," Moore said. "How do we find our way back? When I think about Black history and the journey of African American people, I think it is one of the most incredible things."

"It’s this paradox, this paradigm to … the message of tremendous struggle Blacks had and at the same time, we’re able to praise," said Moore. "David’s life is emblematic of it as well. If you think about the life of David, he was a man after God’s own heart. David went through so many different trials, fractured family and being hunted down by Saul. And yet David also had this something in his life that allowed him to go through his struggles and trials and get back up."

"That’s the question I want to ask. What is the something that helps us all in the midst of our struggles, our trials, even our traumas that helps us get back up?" he asked.

Moore went on to relate stories of two significant events in his own life. He shared of a time when he was about 13 and his mother was at the time nearly 50. "I remember being on the corner of Edmondson and Monroe [in Baltimore] and tanks coming down the street. I ran into the house and I saw my mother sitting in the chair and she was watching the news of the assassination of Dr. King," he said.

"I must tell you: I don’t think I had ever seen my mother so hopeless, depressed and in despair. I’ll never forget that moment. The fact is when I actually began to start thinking about Black history and as a people, what it all means, I’m encouraged."

Forty years later, on his mother’s 90th birthday, Barack Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States. "I remember walking to the house and prior to the election of Barack Obama, my mother declared this country will never elect a Black president. I remember walking in the house that night and when I came in, she was watching when Barack Obama and Michelle Obama walked out on stage, this Black family. People were celebrating and in tears and cheering and what a celebratory moment."

"She was sitting there. I’ll never forget that moment," Moore said, "that moment in Black history where my mother, for the first time, it’s almost as if she had adopted Barack and Michelle Obama and saw her own children. And that all the struggles of our own life were coming to this intersection and that she was watching this family walk out. She put a smile on our face, and she was so happy. She was so joyous it was almost as if she felt like perhaps there is hope."

"That’s the kind of legacy that I think about when we start looking at Black History Month," he said. "When we start thinking about all the dynamic heroes and heroines that came before us who left a foundation for us now to stand on, I realize we sometimes get discouraged and down. But when I think about the journey of so many who have gone before us, who made a road for us to be in the place that we are, I can’t be so discouraged. When you think about your fore parents, your family members, those who paved the way for you and made a sacrifice so that we can be here, I can’t be so discouraged at all," Moore said.

Moore reminded worshipers that as we’re going through this pandemic, which includes racial uprising, tension, political chaos and perhaps feelings of discouragement, there’s "still something."

"I believe the something is the age-old story," Moore said. "It’s not unlike Maya Angelou’s poem where she says, ‘Out of the huts of history’s shame I rise. Up from a past that’s rooted in pain I rise. I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide, welling and swelling I bear in the tide. Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear I rise.’"

Moore says rising can also be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

“We don’t make the cross the center of our faith for no reason. We don’t love Jesus because he’s white or Black or this or that,” Moore said. "We love Jesus because he took thorns upon his head. We love Jesus and make the cross central to our lives. We love Jesus because he put the cross on his back and walked up to Calvary."

"We make the cross central to our faith, not because of our different cultures, not because of where we live, not even for what we think," Moore said. "We love Jesus because he took nails in his hands and nails in his feet. We love Jesus because he hung on a cross — and Jesus rose too."

Five area teams on the court tonight

Both Unity and St. Joseph-Ogden's girls basketball squads face league rivals tonight to kick off the final month of prep basketball.

The Rockets host St. Thomas in a varsity only line-up tonight at the Rocket Center. The game will be available via internet streaming on the NFHS Network. A JV game is not scheduled at this time.

With just four games in the book, the Sabers have a record of 2-2 with wins over Rantoul and Illinois Valley Central (IVC) and nursing to losses, one to St. Joseph-Ogden and the other to Bloomington Central Catholic.

Meanwhile, this week's Basketball Player of the Week Taylor Wells and the St. Joseph-Ogden varsity are on the road tonight at IVC, 1-5 in the IPC and 3-6 overall, looking to end a two-game losing streak. The JV game is slated to start at 5:30pm and the varsity game to follow at 7pm. Unfortunately, neither contest is scheduled for live streaming this evening.

In their last outing, the Spartans varsity squad fell 55-45 in a non-conference bout against Paris on Saturday. Wells, who led the team's scoring effort with nine points along with baskets from eight other players wasn't enough to push past the host Tigers.

Now carrying a record of 4 wins and 1 loss, SJO (5-3 overall) is currently #2 in the Illini Prairie Conference. Bloomington Central Catholic sits at the top with a perfect 6-0 record. The Spartans and BCC will are scheduled to cross paths on March 11.

On the boys side, the Spartan varsity team start the backstretch of this season's and the month at home against the Saints (2-3), who needed two extra sessions to squeak by St. Thomas More 84-74 for their only conference game and win so far this season.

After dropping a heartbreaking 56-54 thriller to Prairie Central on Friday, the Spartans quickly regrouped to pull off a 58-29 non-league win over Paxton-Buckley-Loda on Saturday. SJO's 3-1 IPC record is good for third place at the moment and is lined up behind Monticello (3-0) and IVC (5-1).

Here are tonight's schedule and direct links to the live streams:

St. Joseph-Ogden Boys Junior Varsity Basketball vs Central Catholic | 5:25 PM Central

St. Joseph-Ogden Boys Varsity Basketball vs Central Catholic | 6:57 PM Central

Unity Girls Varsity Basketball vs St. Thomas More | 7:00 PM Central

If you are not already a subscriber, follow this link sign up for a monthly or annual subscription to watch SJO or Unity sports via live stream or archived by the NFHS Network. Monthly passes are just $10.99 each or save 47% and purchase an annual subscription at $69.99.