Sentinel Article Archive for October 10
Loading posts from this day…
Area IHSA football scores for October 9
Week 8 scores from the Illini Prairie Conference and other Champaign County high school football programs.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
ST. JOSEPH - Sophomores Brock Franzen and Logan Wedig celebrate Franzen's third-quarter touchdown catch in the west end zone at Dick Duval Field during the Spartans' home game against Andrew. Improving to 8-0, St. Joseph-Ogden defeated the visiting Thunderbolts, 62-33.
Illini Prairie Conference Scores
Bloomington Central Catholic 31, Pontiac 28Monticello 21, Prairie Central 8
Paxton-Buckley-Loda 30, Rantoul 26
Unity 64, IVC 24
St. Joseph-Ogden 62, Andrew 33
Other area scores
Champaign Central 12, Bloomington 10Normal Community 55, Centennial 13
Peoria 70, Urbana 7
Mahomet-Seymour 41, Charleston 7
Fisher 49, Arcola 9
Villa Grove 35, Sangamon Valley 14
Oakwood 60, Iroquois West 0
Scores from around the state
Deer Creek-Mackinaw 24, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley 12Coal City 70, Herscher 6
Lincoln 41, Lanphier 12
Maroa-Forsyth 43, Olympia 21
Arthur-Lovington 48, Nokomis 14
Pleasant Plains 73, Pittsfield 28
Salt Fork 50, Georgetown-Ridge Farm 6
St. Teresa 37, Westville 20
Chicago Mt. Carmel 42, Joliet Catholic 14
Calhoun 67, Routt 0
Kewanee 40, Monmouth-Roseville 0
Macomb 43, Illini West 0
Tuscola 42, LeRoy 0
El Paso-Gridley 24, Warrensburg-Latham 0
Benton 55, Pinckneyville 0
Cahokia 47, Highland 14
Carterville 56, Murphysboro 14
Stockton 52, Dakota 6
Lena-Winslow 42, Eastland-Pearl City 34
Johnsburg 48, Harvard 6
Peotone 42, Manteno 13
Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin 42, Momence 14
Stillman Valley 28, Oregon 7
Farmington 22, Seneca 0
Camp Point Central 43, Pleasant Hill 6
Quincy 52, Sterling 28
Homewood-Flossmoor 49, Bradley-Bourbonnais 7
Highland Park 40, North Niles 35
New Trier 35, Glenbrook South 28
Barrington 27, Fremd 25
Stevenson 31, Lake Forest 7
West Frankfort 47, Anna-Jonesboro 7
Carbondale 49, Marion 13
Breese Mater Dei 51, Madison 6
Althoff 63, Mt. Vernon 30
Nashville 42, DuQuoin 19
Belleville East 37, O'Fallon
Jerseyville 31, Waterloo 24
Kankakee 34, Crete-Monee 14
Lemont 53, Bremen 0
Providence Catholic 56, Marian Catholic 14
Friday Night Forecast | Week 8 Illini Prairie Conference football predictions
"Run the ball effectively and they can outlast Andrew." That's what one Illini Prairie analyst says in this week's Friday Night Forecast.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
ST. JOSEPH - It takes three Saints offensive players to keep St. Joseph-Ogden's Cameron Wagner out of the backfield during Bloomington Central Catholic's road Illini Prairie game last week. Eli Peterlin, Carson Whitworth, and Jordan Lewis will have their work cut out for them against when the league's sleeper Pontiac comes to town today. Meanwhile, Wagner and the Spartans hosts Andrew from Tinley Park, a school with four times their enrollment, to Dick Duval Field.
| Frank | Best Look Magazine | Coltrane | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pontiac vs Bloomington Central Catholic | Bloomington Central Catholic 45-13 |
Bloomington Central Catholic 35-14 |
Bloomington Central Catholic 26-12 |
| Illinois Valley Central vs Unity | Unity 28-7 |
Unity 38-14 |
Unity 48-6 |
| Monticello vs Prairie Central | Monticello 28-14 |
Monticello 28-17 |
Prairie Central 28-20 |
| Rantoul vs Paxton-Buckley-Loda | Paxton-Buckley-Loda 28-21 |
Paxton-Buckley-Loda 28-20 |
Rantoul 48-42 |
| St. Joseph-Ogden vs Andrew | St. Joseph-Ogden 42-35 |
St. Joseph-Ogden 28-17 |
St. Joseph-Ogden 48-35 |
| Game Notes: | SJO will win if they continue to have a balanced offense. |
Depth. The players on the depth chart are gonna need to step up and be counted for the Spartans to win this one. |
Monticello is starting to concern me they don’t look as good as they did the first few weeks, they struggled with Wing style formations Pontiac ran on them so I think if PC doesn’t turn the ball over and the prevent big plays from Monticello I think they will win. |
| DoubleJ | The Sentinel | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pontiac vs Bloomington Central Catholic | Bloomington Central Catholic 38-8 |
Bloomington Central Catholic 36-14 |
|
| Illinois Valley Central vs Unity | Unity 42-14 |
Unity 42-14 |
|
| Monticello vs Prairie Central | Monticello 35-14 |
Monticello 28-21 |
|
| Rantoul vs Paxton-Buckley-Loda | Paxton-Buckley-Loda 8-6 |
Rantoul 28-14 |
|
| St. Joseph-Ogden vs Andrew | St. Joseph-Ogden 34-28 |
St. Joseph-Ogden 28-21 |
|
| Game Notes: | SJO will need to control the clock. Run the ball effectively and they can outlast Andrew. |
There is a an old Chinese saying: "Come like lightning. Go like thunder." If SJO get up at least three scores in the first half. They got the W. |
|
Week 7 Results
1. Sentinel ... 5-0 2. Coltrane ... 4-1
2. DoubleJ ... 4-1
2. Best Look Magazine ... 4-1
2. Frank ... 4-1
Friday Night Forecast Leaderboard
1. Sentinel ... 30-4
2. DoubleJ ... 28-6 2. Best Look Magazine ... 28-6
4. Coltrane ... 25-5
5. Frank ... 23-6
6. Bement Bulldogs ... 13-2
7. Sagesrunner ... 11-4
8. SCOTTY P ... 8-2
9. Steve ... 5-0
10. Buddy ... 3-2
11. Laura ... 3-1
11. Naomi ... 3-1
Statistical Leaders
1. Steve ... 100.00% (5/5) 2. Sentinel ... 88.24% (30/34)
3. Bement Bulldogs ... 86.67% (13/15)
4. Coltrane ... 83.33% (25/30)
5. DoubleJ ... 82.35% (28/34)
5. Best Look Magazine ... 82.35% (28/34)
7. SCOTTY P ... 80.00% (8/10)
8. Frank ... 79.31% (23-29)
9. Naomi ... 75.00% (3/4)
9. Laura ... 75.00% (3/4)
10. Sagesrunner ... 73.33% (11/15)
11. Buddy ... 60.00% (3/5)
Week 4 Predictions • Week 5 Predictions • Week 6 Predictions
Week 7 Predictions
SJO soccer suffers loss at home
The Spartans drop home soccer match on Thursday to Manteno, snapping a two-match win streak as postseason approaches.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Spartans' Ainsley Freeman attempts to dribble the ball away from Manteno's Paxton Morin during her team's home game against the Panthers. SJO (12-6-2) scored just one goal in each half to fall 7-2. St. Joseph-Ogden plays their final regular season home game next Tuesday against Watseka.
Area volleyball notes and scores for October 8
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Pontiac's Alexix Legner tries to block a kill from St. Joseph-Ogden's Emerson Williams. Williams led SJO offensive effort with ten kills in the conference loss on their home court.
Area volleyball scores
• Pontiac 2, St. Joseph-Ogden 0 25-20, 33-31 The Spartans battled desparately to hold off the Indians in the second set and push a third-set decider, but came up short. Hadley McDonald led the team defensively with ten digs and Ava Alexander finished with nine of her own. Emerson Williams delivered ten kills while Addi Stevens and Vivian Smith chipped in six more each. Megan Kearney distributed 22 passes.
• Central Catholic 2, Rantoul 0
25-12, 25-17 Kampbell Niepagen led the way for the Lady Saints with ten kills. Kendall Fair finished with 18 of the team's 25 assists.
• Westville 2, Oakwood 0
25-10, 33-31 • Mahomet-Seymour vs Taylorville
not reported • Unity 2, Prairie Central 0
not-reported
Other scores from around the state
• Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond 2, Decatur Unity Christian 1 17-25, 25-23, 25-20 Cameron Brown led the Lions with 12 kills, three blocks and 10 digs in the loss to the state-rank Knights.
• Alleman 2, Geneseo 0
25-20, 25-21 • Carterville 2, Harrisburg 0
25-18, 25-12 • Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin 2, Chrisman 1
25-12, 20-25, 25-19 • Georgetown-Ridge Farm 2, Schlarman 1
25-15, 19-25, 25-20 • Huntley 2, Jacobs 1
25-14, 25-19, 25-12 • Illinois Valley Central 2, Bloomington 0
25-18, 25-15 • Maroa-Forsyth 2, Pleasant Plains 1
25-21, 26-28, 25-19 • Mater Dei 2, Mascoutah 1
26-24, 20-25, 25-15 • Illini West 2, Mercer County 0
25-21, 25-21 • Paris 2, Mt Carmel 1
23-25, 25-23, 25-15 • Providence St. Mel 2, Ellison 0
25-15, 25-15 • Quincy 2, Sterling 0
25-17, 25-21 • Warsaw 2, Payson-Seymour 0
25-19, 26-24
Hey, volleyball coaches ~
Keep your fans and community informed. Send The Sentinel your match scores and player stats to sports@oursentinel.com to be included in our volleyball scoreboard and recaps.
St. Joseph-Ogden tennis ties single-season wins record in first official season
With the postseason just around the corner, St. Joseph-Ogden girls tennis improved to 10-2 with a 9-0 sweep over Schlarman.
DANVILLE - St. Joseph-Ogden’s girls tennis team tied its single-season wins record at 10-2 with a 9-0 sweep of Schlarman, adding another milestone to the Spartans’ first season as an official school sport in 2026-27 on Wednesday. Now in its seventh year under head coach Kevin Martlage, the program reached the 10-win mark by winning all nine pro-set matches against the Hilltoppers.
The Spartans dominated singles play, earning six victories without dropping a match. Madison Farber led the way at No. 1 singles with an 8-0 shutout of Schlarman’s Corrine Rundle. Sophie Schmitz also won 8-0 at No. 5 singles against Yesina Guerrero.
Shelby Warns added an 8-1 victory over Jocelyn Wear at No. 2 singles, while Avarie Dietiker defeated Hayden Miller 8-3 at No. 3. Alissa Knight recorded an 8-3 win over Je’Lanna Tall at No. 4, and Aubrey Profancik closed out singles play with an 8-1 victory against Aniyah Dye at No. 6.
St. Joseph-Ogden carried that momentum into doubles, sweeping all three matches to complete the shutout in the road match.
Nora Buckley and Kenley Ray teamed up for an 8-0 win over Tall and Wear at No. 1 doubles. At No. 2, Ava Bronowski and Korrine Travis defeated Miller and Dye 8-1. Sydney Farber and Audrie Helfrich capped the doubles sweep with an 8-0 victory over Rebecca Smith and Anastasia Devore.
Final match results
Singles:
No. 1 - Madison Farber, SJO def. Corrine Rundle, Schlarman, 8-0
No. 2 - Shelby Warns, SJO def. Jocelyn Wear, Schlarman, 8-1
No. 3 - Avarie Dietiker, SJO def. Hayden Miller, Schlarman, 8-3
No. 4 - Alissa Knight, SJO def. Je'Lanna Tall, Schlarman, 8-3
No. 5 - Sophie Schmitz, SJO def. Yesina Guerrero, Schlarman, 8-0
No. 6 - Aubrey Profancik, SJO def. Aniyah Dye, Schlarman, 8-1
Doubles:
No. 1 -
Nora Buckley / Kenley Ray, SJO def. Je'Lanna Tall / Jocelyn Wear, Schlarman, 8-0 No. 2 -
Ava Bronowski / Korrine Travis, SJO def. Hayden Miller / Aniyah Dye, Schlarman, 8-1 No. 3 -
Sydney Farber / Audrie Helfrich, SJO def. Rebecca Smith / Anastasia Devore, Schlarman, 8-0
No. 1 - Madison Farber, SJO def. Corrine Rundle, Schlarman, 8-0
No. 2 - Shelby Warns, SJO def. Jocelyn Wear, Schlarman, 8-1
No. 3 - Avarie Dietiker, SJO def. Hayden Miller, Schlarman, 8-3
No. 4 - Alissa Knight, SJO def. Je'Lanna Tall, Schlarman, 8-3
No. 5 - Sophie Schmitz, SJO def. Yesina Guerrero, Schlarman, 8-0
No. 6 - Aubrey Profancik, SJO def. Aniyah Dye, Schlarman, 8-1
Doubles:
No. 1 -
Nora Buckley / Kenley Ray, SJO def. Je'Lanna Tall / Jocelyn Wear, Schlarman, 8-0 No. 2 -
Ava Bronowski / Korrine Travis, SJO def. Hayden Miller / Aniyah Dye, Schlarman, 8-1 No. 3 -
Sydney Farber / Audrie Helfrich, SJO def. Rebecca Smith / Anastasia Devore, Schlarman, 8-0
Area soccer scores for October 6
Lucas Stevens led SJO with a pair goals in road match against IVC. Urbana shutouts Peoria behind three goals from Winner Nana.
Area prep soccer scores
• St. Joseph-Ogden 3, IVC 1
Lucus Stevens scored two goals and Nico Harris added another in the conference win. SJO, who plays at home on Thursday, improves to 12-5-2 on the season.
• Champaign Central 5, Danville 3
Four Central players scored five goals for the Maroons. Ahmed Mhaouer scored twice while Henrique Medeiros, Everett Washington, and Bishesh Manandhar added one goal each. Senior Shaw Black scored two goals and Adam Perez buried one in the net for the Vikings.
• Urbana 7, Peoria 0
Winner Nana scored three goals in the Tigers conference win over the Lions. Hayden Barton scored two insurance goal for the victory. Urbana faces Peoria Notre Dame at home on Thursday.
• Mahomet-Seymor 6, Mattoon 3
Kade Smith led the Bulldogs scoring effort with two goals. Xavi Bautista, Noah Crane, Jamie Griffen, and Brock Evans rounded out the scoring effort with one goal each.
• Normal Community 2, Centennial 0
• Monticello 7, Unity 0
• Fisher 3, Oakwood 2
Prep soccer results from around the state
• Moline 4, Alleman 1
• Aurora Central Catholic 3, Montini 2
• Bloom 2, Kankakee 1
• Crystal Lake South 7, Cary-Grove 0
• Huntley 5, Burlington Central 2
• Columbia 8, Centralia 1
• DeKalb 3, Sycamore 2
• Rock Island 4, East Moline United
• Rantoul 6, First Baptist Christian 3
• Geneva 3, WheatonNorth 1
• Grant 3, Highland Park 1
• Hampshire 3, McHenry 0
• Libertyville 5, Zion-Benton 1
• Lisle 4, Reed-Custer 0
• Althoff 6, Maryville Christian 2
• Marion 2, Carbondale 1
Area prep volleyball scores and game notes for October 6
SJO beats PBL in straight sets. Urbana notches conference win over Manual. These and more volleyball scores from around the state on Tuesday.
Area volleyball scores
• St. Joseph-Ogden 2, Paxton-Buckley-Loda 0 25-20, 25-21 A strong defensive effort was the Spartans' key to a conference road victory over the Panthers. Bella Frerichs and Megan Kearney collected eight digs each while Ava Alexander and Hadley McDonald padded their stats with seven each. Emerson Williams powered the offense with 13 kills.
• Urbana 2, Manual 0
25-10, 25-11 The Tigers are on a two-match win streak thanks to a change in focus on the court. "The girls are focused on their own team chemistry and how they as individuals can keep the team as one, focusing more on the team's needs versus their individual needs," said head coach Sarah Fisher. "They work together well and all focus on one goal each game leading them to be a successful and supportive team each game and practice."
• Argenta-Oreana 2, Heritage 0
26-24, 25-18 Hawks' sophomore Piper Fields had 16 digs and five kills in the conference match against the Bombers.
• Arthur-Lovington 2, Fisher 0
Bella Romine delivered two kills and four aces in their conference tournament match against the Bunnies. Annabelle Vanausdoll led the Knights with 10 digs.
• Pontiac 2, Rantoul 0
25-11, 25-18 • Tolono 2, Monticello 0
26-24, 25-20 • Normal Community 2, Champaign Central 0
25-19, 25-23 • Normal West 2, Centennial 0
25-14, 25-18 • Armstrong 2, Tri-Point
25-13, 25-17 • Bloomington Central Catholic 2, St. Thomas More 0
25-13, 25-17
Other scores from around the state
• IVC 2, Prairie Central 0 25-18, 25-17 • Alleman 2, East Moline United 0
25-22, 25-18 • Whitney Young 2, Amundsen 0
25-15, 25-14 • Benton 2, Anna-Jonesboro 0
25-12, 25-12 • Beardstown 2, Camp Point Central 0
25-13, 25-15 • Belleville East 2, Belleview West 0
25-21, 25-13 • Lincoln-Way West 2, Bradley-Bourbonnais 0
25-17, 25-23 • Illini West 2, Bushnell-Prairie City
25-13, 25-15 • Coal City 2, Reed-Custer 0
25-23, 25-13 • Brooks 2, Curie 0
25-20, 25-19 • Pinckneyville 2, DuQuoin 0
25-21, 25-23 • Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin 2, Hoopeston Area 0
25-14, 25-14
Hey, volleyball coaches ~
Keep your fans and community informed. Send The Sentinel your match scores and player stats to sports@oursentinel.com to be included in our volleyball scoreboard and recaps.
Tailgate envy: Chicken kebab recipe perfect for gameday grilling
Whether tailgating or grilling from the comfort of your back deck, here is a kebab recipe that is sure to impress everyone.
Photo: Lalada/PEXELS
Fire Up the Grill for Mouthwatering Chicken Kebabs
Photo: Pixabay
Grilled Chicken Kebabs
Recipe adapted from Dinner at the Zoo Prep time: 20 minutesMarinating time: 1 hour
Cook time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Marinade:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or other vinegar
1/8 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Kebabs:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 orange bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch slices
1 small yellow squash, cut into 1-inch slices
1 red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 wooden skewers
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
To make marinade: In large bowl, whisk olive oil, vinegar, soy sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. To make kebabs: In bowl, toss chicken, bell peppers, zucchini, squash and red onion with marinade. Cover and refrigerate 1-8 hours. Soak wooden skewers in cold water at least 30 minutes to prevent burning. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Thread chicken pieces and vegetables onto skewers, alternating ingredients. Cook 5-7 minutes on each side, or until chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Public servants and candidates see increase in threats during elections
Elected officials see rise in political violence. Threats from constituents could make it hard to find people willing to serve their communities.
by Judith Ruiz-BranchPublic News Service
CHICAGO - A pivotal voting season is underway and research shows threats and harassment against public officials can increase during election periods. More than 50% of elected officials included in a recent Princeton survey said they have already experienced at least one form of hostility this year. Separate findings from the University of Illinois-Chicago show roughly 60% of mayors and nearly half of municipal and county officials have received threats since 2022.
Alexandra Filindra, professor of political science and psychology at the university, said the numbers could be even higher because some officials worry reporting a threat makes the problem worse.
"Elected officials are reluctant to talk about what is happening to them because they're afraid that it will invite more political violence to their door," Filindra explained.
Filindra noted they may also be reluctant to support security measures or policies to address the violence because they think it could be seen as self-dealing rather than a legitimate response to safety risks. She added the intimidation is not necessarily politically motivated but there is a partisan divide in how people perceive the threats.
Her research showed nearly 80% of respondents view safety concerns raised by officials from their own party as legitimate, compared with about 30% for officials from the other party.
Filindra pointed to growing inequality, rising costs and reduced access to healthcare and other government services as factors leaving more people frustrated and in need, sometimes with local officials as their most accessible point of contact. She stressed they need to be hard on the problems, not the people.
"It is perfectly understandable that one gets angry at a decision and that a decision is not fair but threats and doxing and showing up at somebody's home and threatening their kids is not acceptable," Filindra emphasized.
With many local government positions having low pay or even being voluntary, she warned threats could make it harder to recruit people willing to serve in local or state government. In the Princeton report, 76% of surveyed officials said hostility concerns make them less willing to participate in at least one political or civic activity.
Viewpoint | Republicans should be campaigning on wages, housing, health care
The Jack Smith smear reveals a larger campaign of corruption and revenge says guest columnist Van Abbott.
by Van AbbottGuest Contributor
When Sen. Eric Schmitt called Jack Smith a “total dirtbag,” he was offering an insult where evidence should have been. Schmitt came to the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing prepared for a televised execution. He implied that Smith had lied under oath and secretly met with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. The centerpiece was a basketball game Schmitt presented as evidence of Smith's deception. Then the basketball game turned out not to be the game Schmitt thought it was. Schmitt claimed Smith had attended an Atlanta Hawks NBA game in Atlanta on February 3, 2024. Smith had actually attended a women's college basketball game between Iowa and Maryland in College Park, Maryland. Schmitt had confused the Hawkeyes with the Hawks. The supposed perjury evidence disappeared with the correction. Schmitt established neither perjury nor conspiracy, nor did he show that Smith's investigation of Donald Trump was corrupt. He called Smith a dirtbag. The strategy was simple: smear, spectacle, retaliation. The charge lands first; evidence… arrives too late. And the victims are not imaginary. David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, was charged with felony destruction of government property after being accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Prosecutors later received evidence that the damage resulted from a botched contractor installation. The Justice Department moved to dismiss the case. On October 1, a D.C. judge went further, dismissing it with prejudice and preventing prosecutors from bringing the charge again. The judge cited the “exceptional circumstances” and the government's previous errors. A citizen should not need a judge's permanent protection from a prosecution. The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia is more disturbing still. A federal judge dismissed federal human-smuggling charges after finding that the prosecution was brought to punish Abrego Garcia for successfully challenging his wrongful deportation. The judge described the evidence as reflecting “an abuse of prosecuting power.” These cases involve different people and allegations. But they raise the same question: What happens when challenging the government makes you a target of the government? Law and order means evidence before indictment, due process before punishment and equal justice before political loyalty. It does not mean selecting a target first, constructing a narrative second and searching for a charge last. So why the appetite for vengeance? Look at what it protects. The Trump administration is surrounded by continuing questions about conflicts of interest, presidential self-dealing and the influence of wealthy interests. One example is difficult to dismiss as ordinary political fundraising. In 2025, top purchasers of Trump's $TRUMP cryptocurrency were invited to a private dinner with the president. Unlike conventional campaign contributions, purchases of the Trump-linked cryptocurrency could directly generate profits for Trump.
The person demanding answers becomes the target.
That is not merely access to a politician. It is access connected to an asset from which the president's family profits. And the money-for-access model has continued. In 2026, another Trump-linked crypto venture offered investors who locked up $5 million in tokens for six months in what the company called “guaranteed direct access” to members of its business-development team. But they illustrate why transparency matters when presidential power and private financial interests occupy the same room. The administration's response to criticism has too often been deflection: attack the reporter, attack the watchdog, attack the judge, attack the prosecutor. If the accusation cannot survive scrutiny, change the subject. Questions about power are answered with attacks on the questioner. The investigation becomes the scandal. The investigator becomes the villain. The person demanding answers becomes the target. Corruption and retribution are not separate problems when the machinery of government can be used to distract from questions about how power is being exercised. Each ethics question gets a new enemy. Each demand for accountability becomes “persecution.” Each investigation into presidential conduct becomes an opportunity to investigate the investigator. The result is politics in which spectacle replaces scrutiny and loyalty replaces accountability. Republicans should be campaigning on wages, housing, health care, retirement security and the economic dignity of working Americans. Instead, too much of their political energy is consumed by enemies, insults and investigations of those who challenge the president. Fear is cheaper than governing. So the next time a Republican senator calls someone a dirtbag, listen past the insult. Listen for what it is meant to cover: the unanswered question, the missing evidence, the undisclosed favor, the money changing hands. Because when an insult becomes the evidence, the person being smeared may not be the real target. The real target is accountability itself.
About the author ~
Van Abbott is a long time resident of Alaska and California. He has held financial management positions in government and private organizations in California, Kansas, and Alaska. He is retired and writes Op-Eds as a hobby. He served in the Peace Corps in the late sixties. You can find more of his commentaries and comments on life in America on Substack.
Van Abbott is a long time resident of Alaska and California. He has held financial management positions in government and private organizations in California, Kansas, and Alaska. He is retired and writes Op-Eds as a hobby. He served in the Peace Corps in the late sixties. You can find more of his commentaries and comments on life in America on Substack.
What do you think?
Whether you agree, disagree, or want to build on the ideas in this piece, we’d love to hear your voice. If you have an opinion you’d like to share — on this topic or any other — you can find our submission guidelines here: Sentinel submission guideline. We welcome a wide range of viewpoints and would be glad to consider your perspective for publication on OurSentinel.com. Send your letter or commentary to editor@oursentinel.com and help keep the community conversation moving forward.
Whether you agree, disagree, or want to build on the ideas in this piece, we’d love to hear your voice. If you have an opinion you’d like to share — on this topic or any other — you can find our submission guidelines here: Sentinel submission guideline. We welcome a wide range of viewpoints and would be glad to consider your perspective for publication on OurSentinel.com. Send your letter or commentary to editor@oursentinel.com and help keep the community conversation moving forward.
Editorial | Secret NDAs and data centers: Why Illinois needs government transparency
Secret nondisclosure agreements between government officials and private data center developers are raising questions about transparency and the public's right to know. An editorial argues Illinois should prohibit such agreements when officials are conducting the people's business.
by Sentinel Editorial TeamElected government officials should be barred from signing nondisclosure agreements with private companies when performing official duties for their city, office, department or the state. I don't know about you, but the idea of an elected official signing a nondisclosure agreement with the sole purpose of working behind the backs of the people who elected them and whom they represent seems shady. Tolono, and now Mahomet, have been targeted by data center developers. In both cases, when the community learned that its elected officials were doing them dirty behind closed doors and through nondisclosure agreements, the response and uproar have been significant. According to KUTV, a survey published in August by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania found that 61% of U.S. adults oppose data center construction in their area — a 12-percentage-point increase over four months. It is only logical that you don't need to hide projects that are good for the community. So why proceed with negotiations for a project the public will object to — and behind their backs? Let's be clear: Elected officials and members of government should not be able to legally sign NDAs with private companies when doing the people's business. Bills to ban NDAs for data centers have been introduced in several states, including Michigan, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Ohio. Frankly, Illinois needs to do the same. In an article published July 8, 2026, by Deanna Noël of Public Citizen, she describes several instances where NDAs have been used by data center developers and technology companies to keep communities and elected officials from learning about plans for proposed facilities until key approvals, subsidies or permits have been secured by the companies. Developers and shell companies do the dirty work, hiding the identity of the actual company that will eventually occupy the facility. In that article, Noël's research showed that in Virginia, home to the world's largest concentration of data centers, 80% of localities with proposed or existing data centers have NDAs in place. Sad. Over in Mahomet, the data center developer modus operandi was running smoothly and quietly until Dani Tietz of the Mahomet Daily caught wind of rumors that a tech company was interested in building on land just outside the village limits. Her story, which ran a week ago, brought to light how three village officials signed NDAs and engaged in preliminary negotiations on a development deal worth $17 million that had started 10 months earlier. The developer, Clean Cloud Energy, wants an area of about 340 acres of farmland in unincorporated Mahomet Township, west of Champaign. The property is outside current village limits but falls within Mahomet's extraterritorial jurisdiction under the village's planning and subdivision authority. Tietz, investigating further, put together a thorough outline of Clean Cloud's methodology and a timeline of its efforts for a possible Mahomet facility. Days later, Mahomet citizens rallied together and began fighting the proposed facility while demanding further transparency. It recently came to light that if Mahomet annexes the proposed site, Clean Cloud Energy can evade a Champaign County-enacted 12-month moratorium on large-scale data centers — those with 10,000 or more square feet of processing area. This is the pushback that data centers and developers fear, justifying their use of contractual hush agreements. The Illinois General Assembly needs to pass legislation that prohibits public employees and officials from signing NDAs. The law should impose individual civil penalties not only on the employee or official individually but also on each representative of the company executing the agreement. Finally, the bill must require advance public notice in communities whenever local governments take action on a development application, including rezoning, tax incentives or utility use. It's clear Illinois, like other states, needs strict transparency laws to protect families and their communities from overly ambitious village board and council members engaging in discreet negotiations with private companies.
What do you think?
Whether you agree, disagree, or want to build on the ideas in this piece, we’d love to hear your voice. If you have an opinion you’d like to share — on this topic or any other — you can find our submission guidelines here: Sentinel submission guideline. We welcome a wide range of viewpoints and would be glad to consider your perspective for publication on OurSentinel.com. Send your letter or commentary to editor@oursentinel.com and help keep the community conversation moving forward.
Whether you agree, disagree, or want to build on the ideas in this piece, we’d love to hear your voice. If you have an opinion you’d like to share — on this topic or any other — you can find our submission guidelines here: Sentinel submission guideline. We welcome a wide range of viewpoints and would be glad to consider your perspective for publication on OurSentinel.com. Send your letter or commentary to editor@oursentinel.com and help keep the community conversation moving forward.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)