The field for the Class 1A Dance State Finals set, The state's top programs ready to showcase their talent

Joliet Catholic Academy dance team competes during the preliminary round at the 2024 IHSA Competitive State Dance Finals. The Angels return to state this weekend for another shot at an elusive state crown.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

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BLOOMINGTON — Thirty of Illinois’ top small-school dance programs will take center stage this Friday at Grossinger Motors Arena for the 2025 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Competitive Dance State Finals. These elite teams earned their spots through five sectionals held across the state, and they now set their sights on bringing back a state trophy to their school.

With high energy, intense competition, and a legacy of excellence on the line, the 2025 IHSA Competitive Dance State Finals promise to deliver another thrilling chapter in Illinois high school dance history.

The road to Bloomington was anything but easy, with each sectional producing standout performances. Jacksonville and Highland took home sectional titles at St. Anthony High School in Effingham, while Morris edged out Providence Catholic and Joliet Catholic Academy to claim top honors at the Mahomet-Seymour sectional. Evergreen Park narrowly defeated Nazareth Academy at Maine East, posting an 85.17 to Nazareth’s 84.33. Montini secured its ticket to state with a razor-thin .73-point victory over Sycamore at the Sycamore sectional.

Members of the Morris Varsity Poms perform their show routine at the 2024 state finals prelims on the way to a second place trophy a day later at Grossinger Motor Arena.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

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Familiar Faces Return to the Finals

Fans attending this weekend’s competition will recognize several programs from last year’s Class 1A state finals, as all ten 2024 finalists are back in the mix. The list includes defending champion Jacksonville, as well as Morris, Providence Catholic, Carmel, Nazareth Academy, Marion, Sycamore, Highland, Clinton, Glenbard South, and St. Viator.

Last year, Jacksonville dazzled the judges with an expressive lyrical routine in the finals, overcoming an initial third-place finish in the preliminary round to secure its second consecutive state title with a score of 90.70. Morris, which finished as runner-up (89.96), will be looking to close the gap this year, while Carmel (89.44), Joliet Catholic Academy (89.01), and Providence Catholic (88.52) round out last year’s top five.

Dancers from Jacksonville perform during the Friday's prelim on last January. The J'ettes went on to win the Class 1A state title.

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Jacksonville’s J’ettes return with hopes of making it three straight championships. Their winning performance last year, set to a lyrical routine in flowing light taupe dancewear, captivated judges with its artistry and emotional depth. Morris, known for its powerful, athletic modern dance style, will try to breakthrough after back-to-back runner-up finishes. Carmel, which wowed fans with an energetic modern dance routine from their 13-member troupe last year, also returns to contend for the title.

A High-Stakes Competition Awaits

With a field packed with talented, seasoned programs, this year’s finals promise to be as competitive as ever. While perennial powerhouses Jacksonville and Morris enter as favorites, teams such as Joliet Catholic Academy, Providence Catholic, and Nazareth Academy have worked hard to improve to improve their precision, musicality, and overall execution, to finish in one of the top three spots.

Event Schedule and Ticket Information

The Class 1A competition kicks off Friday morning, with doors opening at 9:15 a.m. The first performance is set for 10:15 a.m., with the final routine scheduled for 2:21 p.m. The top teams from the preliminary round will advance to Saturday’s finals, with finalists announced at 2:40 p.m.

Providence Catholic dancers execute a stunt in their preliminary round performance. The Dancing Celtic return the state finals looking to improve on their 5th place finish in 2024.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Fans eager to witness the state’s best high school dance teams in action can purchase tickets for $12 per person. Digital tickets are available for purchase online or by calling the City Box Office at 309-434-2777.

Attendees should be aware that Grossinger Motors Arena enforces a clear bag policy. All bags, purses, and personal items will be subject to search upon entry. If an item is prohibited or too large, guests must return it to their vehicle or surrender it at the entrance, as the venue does not provide storage for oversized items.

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Unity edges Pontiac 42-41 in conference clash

PONTIAC - Unity held off a second-half surge from Pontiac to secure a narrow 42-41 victory in Illini Prairie Conference action on Monday. Leading 22-17 at halftime, the Rockets clinched the win, positioning themselves in third place behind Central Catholic (6-0) and Illinois Valley Central (7-1).

Lauren Haas led Unity with 11 points, including six of ten successful free throw attempts in the second half despite going 0-3 from the field. Grace Bickers contributed nine points, while Claire Meharry added seven—all scored in the opening half.

Pontiac rallied in the final quarter, taking 23 shots and converting 14 points. Their aggressive play in the paint resulted in 14 free throw attempts, of which they made nine.

Trinity Miller and Grace Lanning paced Pontiac's offense with 13 points each. The loss drops Pontiac to 3-3 in conference play and 11-13 overall. Lanning shot 4-for-6, and Miller went 3-for-5 from the free throw line.

With consecutive victories under their belt, Unity looks to climb to second place as they host Illinois Valley Central at the Rocket Center on Thursday.

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Man claiming to work for the public health district does not, according to CUPHD

CHAMPAIGN – There is a man going door-to-door in Champaign County, identifying himself as an employee of the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD). The CUPHD issued a press release today urging residents approached at home by anyone claiming to be a health inspector or working for the public health district to call 9-1-1 and report them to the local authorities.

Press Release ~

Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) is alerting residents about a male individual falsely claiming to represent public health while going door-to-door in Champaign County. Both CUPHD and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) have confirmed that they do not have any staff currently conducting door-to-door visits.

Residents are urged to stay cautious. If someone unexpectedly comes to your door claiming to be from public health, do not let them in and immediately call 9-1-1 to report the incident.

Public health officials want to ensure the safety of the community and remind residents that official health representatives will always provide proper identification and will not conduct unannounced home visits.

For any concerns or to verify public health outreach efforts, please contact CUPHD at 217-352-7961 or visit www.c-uphd.org.

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Brooks leads Spartan basketball team in loss to Bulldogs

ST. JOSEPH - Twenty-one of the St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team’s 28 points came from seven 3-pointers by three players, but it wasn’t enough to hold off visiting St. Teresa (10-6) in Monday’s 40-28 loss.

Addison Brooks led the Spartans in the nonconference contest, making four 3-pointers for a team-high 12 points.

Hayden Dahl, who hit 3-pointers in the first and fourth quarters, finished with six points. Kayla Osterbur contributed five points and went 1-for-2 from the free-throw line. Katie Ericksen and Timera Blackburn-Kelley rounded out SJO’s scoring with three and two points, respectively.

Lucy Corley stole the show, scoring 19 points for the visiting Bulldogs. Jalie Eller also finished in double figures with 12 points.

Brooks and the Spartans (9-12, 2-3) travel to Bloomington on Thursday to face Illini Prairie leader Central Catholic. The Saints, undefeated in conference play at 6-0, are 17-7.

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St. Joseph-Ogden Basketball dominates in Illini Prairie Conference road win

CHAMPAIGN - Four St. Joseph-Ogden players scored in double figures as the Spartans cruised to an 85-33 victory over St. Thomas More in an Illini Prairie Conference matchup Tuesday night. The nearly complete team effort propelled SJO to a dominant performance on the road.

Kody McKinney is all smiles after earning his 2025 Christie Clinic Shootout Player of the Game award. On Tuesday, the junior led the Spartans to a conference win over St. Thomas More with 16 points.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

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With the win, the St. Joseph-Ogden basketball team improved to 16-5 overall and remains tied with Unity at the top of the IPC standings, both teams holding a perfect 4-0 record in conference play.

Kody McKinney led the Spartans with 16 points, including six of eight shots from the field and 4-for-6 from the free-throw line. The 5-foot-10 junior also dished out three assists in just 16 minutes of play. Collin Thomey and Nolan Franzen each added 15 points, while Parker Fitch contributed 13 points to round out the top scorers. Franzen also led the team in rebounds with eight, followed by senior Tanner Siems, who grabbed six boards.

The Spartans showcased their depth, with five additional players contributing to a combined team shooting percentage of 51%. Meanwhile, St. Thomas More struggled offensively, making only 14 of 39 field goal attempts and converting just one of nine free-throw opportunities.

SJO will look to continue its strong Illini Prairie Conference campaign when it hosts Monticello (11-9) this Friday at the high school. Despite conference losses to Paxton-Buckley-Loda and Central Catholic, Monticello remains a tough opponent after an impressive victory over Seneca at the Christie Clinic Shootout.

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Indiana pushes notification law for immigration arrests

by Joe Ulery
Indiana News Service

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Opponents of Indiana bill, including civil rights groups, raised concerns about racial bias and confusion for officers in enforcing proposed law.

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INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana lawmakers are advancing a bill which would require police to notify federal authorities about certain arrests.

House Bill 1393 moved forward after lawmakers made significant changes. It applies when police arrest someone and suspect the person is in the country illegally. Officers must notify the county sheriff, who then informs federal agencies.

The amended version raises the standard from "reasonable suspicion" to "probable cause." It also grants civil immunity to officers who act in good faith.

Rep. Garrett Bascom, R-Lawrenceburg, said the bill balances enforcement with fairness.

"I want to be very clear about the determination," Bascom stressed. "The determination is not made just based off pulling a person off of the street. The determination is only made after an individual has been arrested for that felony or misdemeanor."

Opponents, including civil rights groups, raised concerns about racial bias and confusion for officers. Supporters said the bill strengthens immigration enforcement and addresses human trafficking concerns.

Critics warned it could encourage racial profiling and harm immigrants with legal status.

Carolina Castoreno, executive director of the American Indian Center of Indiana, worries it will unfairly target individuals during arrests.

"I'm here to tell you that if you think this will only impact undocumented people, you are wrong," Castoreno contended. "Historically, this has proven to be false. When they tried to do this in the 1930s, the Mexican Repatriation Act, nearly 2 million people were deported to Mexico and nearly 60% of those people were U.S. citizens."

Lawmakers debated the changes before the vote. Some warned it could disproportionately affect refugees and others without standard documents. Despite objections, the bill continues to move forward.

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Farm households will see more tax liability when Trump tax cuts expire

Photo: Steven Weeks/Unsplash

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by Sky Chadde
Investigate Midwest

One of President Donald Trump’s first-term achievements was a major tax cut, which he signed into law in 2017. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act largely benefited the wealthiest families in the U.S.

But farm households also saw their tax rates decrease. 

That means many farms will see their tax liability increase when the tax cuts expire at the end of the year, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture research.

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Currently, farm households have an average credit of about $3,800. Unless Congress acts, it could be about $1,300.

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Congress could extend the tax cuts through legislation, and Trump has said he wants more changes to the tax code.

If the tax cuts do expire, which is scheduled for midnight on Dec. 31, 2025, farm households of varying sizes would be affected in different ways.

Child tax credit

For instance, fewer farm households would receive the Child Tax Credit. The 2017 law temporarily increased this credit and raised the income threshold for eligibility. Under the current law, about 36% of all farm households are eligible for the tax credit. When the law sunsets, about 27% of farm households will be, according to USDA research.

The tax credit amount will also decrease. Currently, farm households have an average credit of about $3,800. Unless Congress acts, it could be about $1,300.

Qualified business income deduction

Another 2017 tax cut that farmers were eligible for was the qualified business income deduction. 

It is for businesses that are not organized as C-corporations, which allows owners and shareholders to separate their tax liability from that of the corporation (such as publicly traded corporations). The new deduction was intended to “provide parity with C-corporations” for farms and other businesses, according to the USDA. 

Almost half of farm households receive the deduction. If the deduction is eliminated, the farms’ average tax bill would increase by 9%, or about $2,500.

Estate tax

Another part of the tax cut that could sunset is the provision related to the estate tax, which applies to the transfer of property after a relative dies. The tax only affects the wealthiest families in the U.S. and has become a persistent target of Republicans, who have labeled it the “death tax.”

Though implemented in 1916, the estate tax has “never directly affected a large percentage of farmers,” USDA researchers wrote. 

USDA researchers estimate that, currently, just 0.3% of all farm households would be eligible to pay the estate tax. If this part of the 2017 tax cut expires, though, 1% of all farm households would be eligible. 

This mostly affects the largest U.S. farms, which generate more than $1 million in annual gross income. 

This article first appeared on Investigate Midwest and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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Going to state! SJO Dance Team advances to Competitive Dance State Finals

A member of the Spartan Dance Team performs at halftime during St. Joseph-Ogden's home basketball game against Warrensburg-Latham at the Christie Clinic Shootout. The Spartan finished fourth at the St. Anthony Competitive Dance sectional on Saturday. Advancing to the state final prelims on Friday, SJO will perform at 10:39 AM for a spot in Saturday's championship round.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

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EFFINGHAM — The Spartan Dance Team secured their third consecutive trip to the Illinois High School Association Competitive State Dance Finals after finishing fourth at the St. Anthony sectional on Saturday.

The eleven-member troupe earned a score of 80.17, placing behind Jacksonville (90.27), the defending Class 1A state champions. Clinton took second place, with St. Anthony finishing third, joining nine other small school programs at Bloomington's Grossinger Motors Arena for the state finals.

Four additional local teams competed at sectionals but did not advance. Villa Grove placed 7th, Unity 9th, and Rantoul 16th at Effingham. Mahomet-Seymour finished 11th in their sectionals, completing the area teams that did not advance.

In Class 2A at Mahomet, Champaign Central finished third behind Bradley-Bourbonnais and Washington. The Maroons are scheduled to perform at 1:49 PM on Friday.

The Spartan Dance Team roster includes Olivia Getty, Reese Wheatley, Adelyn Childers, Abigail Getty, Gracyn Sjoken, Abigail Bello, Alivia Learned, Hadley McDonald, Lilly Sollars, Ava Gallo, and Lilyah Jones. Alyssa Hudson coaches the Spartans, assisted by Kaitlyn Hess.

Tickets for Friday's preliminary competition are $12 at the door and can be purchased in advance online via TicketMaster or by phone at the City Box Office at (309) 434-2777.

Schedule for Friday

SESSION 1 - 1A & 2A Preliminaries

9:15 a.m. Doors open to the State Final venue site
10:00 a.m. Welcome
10:10 a.m. Announcements & National Anthem
10:15 a.m. First Performance (1A & 2A Alternate Performances)
12:15 p.m. Officials Break
2:21 p.m. Last Performance
2:40 p.m. Announcement of 1A Finalists
2:50 p.m. Announcement of 2A Finalists

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Related articles:

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• Spartans and Rockets dance squads advance to state finals
• Photo Gallery | SJO dance team competes at state

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Unity topples SJO in conference meet wrestling showdown

CHILLICOTHE - In a clash between perennial rivals, Unity soared to a commanding victory over St. Joseph-Ogden in a dual meet that showcased the prowess of Unity's senior wrestlers. The match, held on Saturday, January 18, 2025, underscored Unity's dominance as they clinched a decisive 49-17 win over their opponents on the way to the Illini Prairie Conference title.

Unity, boasting a lineup featuring four seasoned seniors who were all state finalists last season, delivered a masterclass performance from start to finish. Leading the charge was Hunter Eastin, the defending state champion who stepped up in weight to 215 pounds for this encounter. Eastin's technical proficiency was in play as he pinned his opponent from SJO, Nathan Phillips, in 2 minutes and 10 seconds, contributing crucial points to Unity's overall score.

Unity's Hunter Eastin is declared winner after his 5-2 win over St. Thomas More's Brody Cuppernell in the 190 pound title match at the 2024 IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals. See more photos from his state victory here. Eastin made short work of St. Joseph-Ogden's Nathan Phillips in their 215 pound match at the Illini Prairie Conference Meet.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Joining Eastin in Unity's formidable senior quartet were Kaden Inman, Holden Brazelton, and Ryan Rink, each bringing their own stellar track records to the mat. Inman, a senior standout who narrowly missed the state title last year, left no room for doubt in his match at 144 pounds, securing a dominant technical fall victory over SJO's Landen Butts with a commanding score of 19-4. Brazelton, who recently transferred to Unity from St. Joseph-Ogden, won his 150-pound match with a convincing tech fall, earning 17 unanswered points against his opponent, Thomas Ware.

Ryan Rink, another integral part of Unity's senior cadre, demonstrated his resilience and skill at 175 pounds, overpowering his counterpart from SJO with an 18-3 tech fall victory. These performances highlighted Unity's depth and experience, underscoring their status as a force to be reckoned with in the conference and beyond.

The dual meet began with early momentum swings, as SJO claimed forfeit victories at 106 and 113 pounds, courtesy of Ben Wells and Jackson Walsh, respectively. However, Unity quickly turned the tide with a series of strategic victories, starting with Zayden Mansfield's hard-fought decision over Camden Getty at 120 pounds, setting the stage for Unity's dominant run.

St. Joseph-Ogden's only bright spot was once again at heavyweight. Sophomore Cameron Wagner stuck Unity's Jaden Dene at 5:45 to give the Spartans their only contested win against the Rockets.

Throughout the match, Unity's conditioning and mental toughness, exemplified by Bryce Martin's controlled decision over Eli Birt at 126 pounds and Taylor Finley's decisive pin at 138 pounds. Keegan Germano and Abram Davidson continued Unity's winning ways with pins at 157 and 165 pounds, respectively, solidifying their team's dominant victory.

As the final whistle blew, Unity celebrated a resounding 49-17 triumph over St. Joseph-Ogden. With the postseason around the corner, Unity looks locked and loaded for another trip to Bloomington for the state team dual championships.

With state-ranked seniors Inman, Brazelton, Rink, and Eastin leading the Rockets, the program is poised take this year's Class 1A team title.

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Box Score

106 - WELLS, BEN (SJO) over Forfeit, (Unity), FORFEIT; 113 - WALSH, JACKSON (SJO) over Forfeit, (Unity), FORFEIT; 120 - Mansfield, Zayden (Unity) over GETTY, CAMDEN (SJO), Decision 14-8; 126 - Martin, Bryce (Unity) over BIRT, ELI (SJO), Decision 11-4; 132 - Forfeit, (Unity) over Forfeit, (SJO), Double Forfeit; 138 - Finley, Taylor (Unity) over HUNDLEY, AIDEN (SJO), Fall 4:28; 144 - Inman, Kaden (Unity) over BUTTS, LANDEN (SJO), Tech Fall 19-4; 150 - Brazelton, Holden (Unity) over WARE, THOMAS (SJO), Tech Fall 17-0; 157 - Germano, Keegan (Unity) over DALY, NATHAN (SJO), Fall 3:55; 165 - Davidson, Abram (Unity) over MOORE, JONATHON (SJO), Fall 3:58; 175 - Rink, Ryan (Unity) over SWISHER, DEVAN (SJO), Tech Fall 18-3; 190 - Winfrey, Desmond (Unity) over Carter, Liam (SJO), Maj Dec 16-2; 215 - Eastin, Hunter (Unity) over PHILLIPS, NATHAN (SJO), Fall 2:10; 285 - WAGNER, CAM (SJO) over Dene, Jaden (Unity), Fall 5:45.

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