Effective June 1 this summer, Illinois high school students who are eligible to vote can take an excused absence from school to perform their civic duty.
The new law, signed by Governor JB Pritzker on Wednesday, allows students who are 18 years of age or older to leave school for up to two hours on the day of the election or 15 days prior to cast their ballot in a primary, general, special, or any election in Illinois at which propositions are submitted to a popular vote in the state.
Now, high school students who want to participate in the voting process no longer have to mail-in votes, request permission to leave close campuses, attempt to rush to their polling during a short lunch period or after school or miss a team practice if they are an athlete.
Given the effective date, students will not be able to take part in the upcoming primaries on March 17. However, they will be able to take full advantage of the new measure in November's general election.
"With this new law, our voting-eligible young people will have the freedom to fit voting into their school day without fear of repercussion for engaging in the very civic education we should all be proud to encourage," said Governor Pritzker in an statement after signing in the new law. "The young people who advocated for this legislation recognized how important it is not only to vote, but to make the act of voting as accessible for all who can vote as possible."
The legislation gives school administrators the option to enforce specific hours when voters may leave school grounds.
The measure passed 74-40 in the House and 40-10 in the Senate.
Taylor Wells leads Spartans past Sabers
After trailing by three points at the half, the St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team rallied back to notch another conference win at home. In a noteworthy second half defensive effort, the Spartans held St. Thomas More to just six points in the final two quarters of their Illini Prairie Conference shindig to win, 42-25.
Taylor Wells, who went 2-for-2 from the free throw line, led the SJO charge with 12 points. The sophomore starter was the only player to reach double digits and the only player to score more than four points in the last half of the contest on January 6.
Ashlyn Lannert came off the bench to finish the night with eight points. Payton Jacob rounded out the top three scorers for the Spartans contributing six points.
Meanwhile, freshman Kennedy Ramshaw led visiting St. Thomas More with six points. Teammates Tatum DeVriese and Sarah Gibas scored five points apiece in the Sabers' loss.
Box Score
| St. Joseph-Ogden | 7 | 9 | 19 | 17 | - 42 |
| St. Thomas More | 4 | 15 | 2 | 4 | - 25 |
Scoring
St. Joseph-Ogden: Ashlyn Lannert 8, Payton Jacob 6, Taylor Wells 12, Atleigh Hamilton 2, Katie Cramer 3, Abby Behrens 2, Taylor Barnes 4 and Ella Armstrong 5.
St. Thomas More: Sarah Gibas 5, Maddie Swisher 2, Bridget Delorenzo 2, Ava Dickerson 4, Tatum DeVriese 5, Alaina Bowie 1 and Kennedy Ramshaw 6.
Izard scores 21 in Williamsville game
Chance Izard led St. Joseph-Ogden to victory with a 21-point performance in his team 50-22 win over Williamsville on January 7. Izard also snagged a game-high six steals for the Spartans in the non-conference matchup.
Ty Pence added another 15 points and five steals to the SJO effort. The Spartans' solo freshman player on the varsity squad this season was a threat both in the paint and from outside the arc. When the game resumed after halftime, the two teams returned to the floor with SJO nursing a 12-point cushion on the scoreboard. Pence went on to tally an 11-point third quarter that helped pile on a huge 43-14 advantage over the Bullets. Williamsville's Sam McCoy, also a freshman, led the Bullets in the scorebook with 10 points.
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Payton Grimsley slides across the floor after trying to scoop up a loose ball in SJO's home game against Williamsville. The senior was scoreless in the game but spearheaded a great defensive effort by the Spartans who held the Bullets to just ten points in the first half. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)
Ty Pence added another 15 points and five steals to the SJO effort. The Spartans' solo freshman player on the varsity squad this season was a threat both in the paint and from outside the arc. When the game resumed after halftime, the two teams returned to the floor with SJO nursing a 12-point cushion on the scoreboard. Pence went on to tally an 11-point third quarter that helped pile on a huge 43-14 advantage over the Bullets. Williamsville's Sam McCoy, also a freshman, led the Bullets in the scorebook with 10 points.
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St. Joseph-Ogden seniors Conner Hodge and Payton Cain fight to keep the ball away from Williamsville's Brendon Bishop during first half action. Cain and Hodge combined for just six points in the SJO victory on January 7. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)
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Senior Jordan Kelly brings the ball down the floor in the second half of the second home basketball game of the new year for the Spartans. So far in 2020, SJO has outscored opponents, 118-73. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)
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Head coach Kiel Duval keeps an analytical eye on his team late in the fourth quarter as his Spartans pick up their second win of the year and advance to a 10-4 record for the season. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)
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Despite Williamsville's 6-2 freshman Sam McCoy's attempt to block, Conner Hodge puts the ball back up strong after snagging a rebound during first quarter action. McCoy led the Bullets' scoring effort against the Spartans with ten points. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)
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With the bench players on the floor and the game well in hand, SJO seniors (left to right) Jordan Kelly, Payton Cain, Chance Izard, Payton Grimsley and Braydon Rupert flash winning smiles. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)
Box Score
| St. Joseph-Ogden | 8 | 14 | 21 | 7 | - 50 |
| Williamsville | 6 | 4 | 4 | 8 | - 22 |
Scoring
St. Joseph-Ogden: Beyers 2, Cain 4, Coursey 1, Hodge 2, Hutcherson 3, Izard 21, Kelly 2 and Pence 15.
Williamsville: Hyson 4, McCoy 10, Riley 4, Smith 2 and Walbert 2.
Wells delivers buckets of points
Taylor Wells came off the bench Monday to lead all scorers in the St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team's second home game of the year. The sophomore led all scorers with 12 points to help SJO roll past St. Thomas More, 42-25.
After a dismal first quarter, the Sabers showed a brief spark of scoring brilliance, dropping 15 second quarter points building a modest lead three-point lead at the half, up 19-16.
The Spartans returned to the floor to match STM's first half scoring output under the leadership of Wells and her six points along with the combined efforts of four other SJO players in the third quarter.
Sabers' Maddie Swisher tapped a solo field goal in the same period making it all her team could muster against the 15-4 Spartans, who also picked up their second conference win of the season. Held to just six points in the second half, St. Thomas More dropped to 0-2 in the conference and 3-9 overall.
After Wells' contribution, St. Joseph-Ogden's top three scorers were sophomores Ashlyn Lannert with eight points, Payton Jacob with six and Ella Armstrong added another five to the mix. The Spartans received 33 of their scoring total from five of the six sophomores on this season's varsity roster.
Box Score
| St. Joseph-Ogden | 7 | 9 | 19 | 7 | - 42 |
| St. Thomas More | 4 | 15 | 2 | 4 | - 25 |
Scoring
St. Joseph-Ogden: Ashlyn Lannert 8, Payton Jacob 6, Taylor Wells 12, Atleigh Hamilton 2, Katie Cramer 3, Abby Behrens 2, Taylor Barnes 4 and Ella Armstrong 5.
St. Thomas More: Kennedy Ramshaw 6, Alaina Bowie 1, Tatum De Vries 5, Ava Dickerson 4, Bridget Delorenzo 2, Maddie Swisher 2 and Sarah Gibas 5.
65 freshman make SJO 2nd quarter Honor Roll
Sixty-five members of the freshman class at St. Joseph-Ogden High School earn honor roll recognition during the second quarter. Forty-one of them earned High Honor Roll status.
In all, a total of 252 students made this quarter's academic list which was led by the Class of 2020 with 71 students who earned a grade point average of 3.25 or higher on the school's 4.0 scale. Students whose GPA soared above 3.74 are recognized as High Honor Roll students.
SJO Honor Roll Student-Athletes
Freshman
High Honor Roll
Alyssa Acton,
McGwire Atwood,
Kaytlyn Baker,
Olivia Baltzell,
Maddux Carter,
Yamilka Casanova,
Ariana Chambers,
Cale Coursey,
Aiden Cromwell,
Zachary Dahman,
Emily Elsbernd,
Leah Finley,
Joselyn Frerichs,
Kennedy Greer,
Andrew Guelfi,
Mikyla Haley,
Maya Hewkin,
Taylor Hug,
Shayne Immke,
Emily Jeffries,
Cameran Kelley,
Jacob Kern,
Aaron Lane,
Collin Livesay,
Haleigh Maddock,
Aidan McCorkle,
Kyle Meccoli,
Teagan Miller,
Blake Morgan,
Allegra Pearman,
Ty Pence,
Ellen Place,
Jack Robertson,
Kirsten Schaefer,
Johanna Schmitz,
Jack Setterdahl,
Paige Siegmund,
Trinity Tapia,
Taylor Voorhees,
Alayna Wagle and Maggie Ward.
Honor Roll
Morgan Cramer,
Madison Adams,
Canyon Alwes,
Ethan Blackburn,
Tyler Burch,
Bryce Collins,
Aleah Dial,
Abigail Dow,
Alex Funk,
Hallie Harms,
Jonas Hutcherson,
Peyton Jones,
Hunter Ketchum,
Eleni Krall,
Carter Mabry,
Courtney Myren,
Jacob Newman,
Ava Northen,
William Page,
Emma Rydell,
Isabel Sexton,
Katharine Short,
Mallory Wagner and Emma Ward.
Sophomores
High Honor Roll
Addison Allen,
Tyler Altenbaumer,
Kailyn Anderson,
Ella Armstrong,
Madison Atwood,
Abigail Behrens,
Ella Besson,
Andrew Beyers,
Brandie Bowlin,
Mara Burkhalter,
Kennedi Burnett,
Angela Chahine,
Braden Clampitt,
Anastasia Conerty,
Deanna Cummins,
Benjamin Cunningham,
Sidney Davis,
Zander Dressen,
Ashley Eldridge,
Jared Emmert,
Hannah Fox,
Zella Fuqua,
Brennan Haake,
Liam Hamer,
Lauren Harper,
Payton Jacob,
Alison Kearney,
Olivia Klotz,
Ava Knap,
Ashlyn Lannert,
Wyatt Loghry,
Sophia McDade,
Coby Miller,
Conrad Miller,
Elijah Mock,
Jett Morris,
Jessica Palmer,
Emma Parkinson,
Hope Rajlich,
JoLeena Reynolds,
Kendra Riddle,
Taryn Sexton,
Alyssa Shoviak,
Luke Stegall,
Rebecca Steinbach,
Mackenzie Trame,
Cole Weinmann and Taylor Wells.
Honor Roll
Nicolas Anzelmo,
Alanna Bensyl,
Mackenzie Fulk,
Avian Gerdes,
Alyssa Hamilton,
Claire Huffman,
Kailyn Ingram,
Jacey Lewis,
Kelsey Martlage,
Ava Meyer,
Ava Miller,
Jackson Place,
Griffin Roesch and Regan Uden.
Juniors
High Honor Roll
Isabelle Brooks,
Crayton Burnett,
David Bytnar,
Taylor Campbell,
Kylie Duckett,
Hanna Eastin,
Nadirah Edwards,
Emily Fisher,
Dakota Franzen,
Emily Froman,
Bella Getty,
Atleigh Hamilton,
Emmy Houston,
Lukas Hutcherson,
Logan Ingram,
Vania Kaenzig,
Cailer Kellenberger,
Shelby Kofoot,
Ethan Lane,
Madigan Loman,
Tyson Madsen,
Sophia Martlage,
Garren Meeker,
Abigail Moberg,
Samantha Naylor,
Alec Painter,
Erin Patton,
Aidan Roberts,
Indira Robinson,
Mazie Ronk,
Evan Schmitz,
Max Shonkwiler,
Tessa Smith,
Payton Vallee,
Nora Walden,
Brayden Wendt and Logan Wolfersberger.
Honor Roll
Hunter Brooks,
Rylee Clements,
Raegan Crippen,
Makayla Duckwitz,
Jacob Dwyer,
Britney Evans,
Alex Frerichs,
Mariska Harshbarger,
Camden Hesterberg,
Spencer Lahners,
Aiden Livesay,
Alyssa Maddock,
Brandon Mattsey,
Flannery McCorkle,
Jackson Rydell,
AJ Wagner and Mitchell Whitlock.
Seniors
High Honor Roll
Lindsey Aden,
Jenna Albrecht,
Mallory Ames,
Taylor Barnes,
Katelyn Berry,
Emily Bigger,
Kaylee Blackburn,
Ginny Bytnar,
Payton Cain,
Trevon Carr,
Brendan Cooperider,
Kristen Costa,
Drew Coursey,
Kathryn Cramer,
Andrea Cunningham,
Faith Dahman,
Hannah Dukeman,
Bode Gebbink,
Payton Grimsley,
Lucas Grindley,
Erica Guelfi,
Emily Hardimon,
Chance Izard,
Cody Johnston,
Lacey Kaiser,
Danielle Kelso,
Nathan Maier,
Ava Mills,
Carson Mills,
Allison Monk,
Nolan Peacock,
Taddy Pettit,
Eric Poe,
Hannah Rajlich,
Jenna Schaefer,
Joshua Sexton,
Rylee Stahl,
Kenly Taylor,
Stephanie Trame,
Anna Tranel,
Isabelle Vliet,
Brayden Weaver,
Samuel Wesley,
Zoey Witruk and Jackson Wooten.
Honor Roll
Joseph Acton,
Michara Allen,
Kendall Ayers,
Kolton Batty,
Ross Booker,
Erin Bridgewater,
Payton Clements,
Bailey Dowling,
Asjah Fonner,
Clayton Frederick,
Jaiden Freeman,
Sam Gonzales,
Brayden Grimsey,
Ethan Hinrichs,
Conner Hodge,
Tyler Jones,
Aubrey Kern,
Eliza Lewis,
Mason McLain,
Alivia Norem,
Dyllan Price,
Luke Renfrew,
Lexi Ribbe,
Joshua Vice,
Anna Wentzloff and Karsyn Wetzel.
SJO alumni earn over 30 spots on fall Dean's List
Over 600 students at Parkland College were recognized on the institution's fall 2019 Dean's List this week. Thirty-one of them, students who listed their hometown as Ogden, Royal or St. Joseph, were included on last semester list.
Students from Ogden who earned honor roll status in the fall semester include John Acklin, Zach David, Adam Frerichs, Caleb Johnson, Devon Miezio and Katelyn Smith.
Mickaela Fleming, who was standout high school pitcher for the SJO softball team, was the solo Royal student named to the fall semester list.
In addition to the seven alumni from Ogden and Royal, 24 St. Joseph residents also were recognized on the Dean's List. The former Spartans include: Melanie Broch, Abigail Burnett, Julie Burnett, Rebecca Campbell, Erin Christians, Elena Cotter, Avery Edwards, Tenneal Frerichs, Justyn Fruhling, Dylan Heck, Gabriell Jones, Kaitlyn Landis, Caroline Moore, Allison Morenz, Brendan Olauson, Kristen Polizzi, Megan Schumacher, Nora Slater, Kaitlyn Taylor, Keisha Taylor, Mitchell Thompsen, Hannah Watson, Sarah Wiseman and Nicole Woller.
Students must earn a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 grade scale to earn Dean's List recognition at Parkland College. Those who take fewer than 12 credit hours during the semester can make the Dean's List by achieving a 3.5 cumulative GPA for 12 or more hours in the academic year.
Mickaela Fleming runs the course at the 2011 Kickapoo Kickoff Klassic cross country meet on August 30. Fleming was named to the Parkland College Dean's List for her academic performance this past fall. Fleming, also a pitcher on the Spartan regional champion softball team last spring, finished 48th in the girls' race at 26:47.0 to help St. Joseph-Ogden win the meet's team title. PhotoNews file photo.
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St. Joseph announces 2020 meeting schedule
The St. Joseph Village Board has released their biweekly meeting schedule for 2020. The first meeting of the year is scheduled for next Wednesday, January 14.
Meetings are held at the St. Joseph Municipal Building located at 207 East Lincoln Street and start 7pm. Residents are welcome to attend.
Minutes from past village board meetings are available online here. Upcoming agendas are available here online.
| January 14, 2020 | Regular Meeting |
| January 28, 2020 | Regular/Study Session Meetings |
| February 11, 2020 | Regular Meeting |
| February 25, 2020 | Regular/Study Session Meetings |
| March 10, 2020 | Regular Meeting |
| March 24, 2020 | Regular/Study Session Meetings |
| May 12, 2020 | Regular Meeting |
| May 26, 2020 | Regular/Study Session Meetings |
| June 9, 2020 | Regular Meeting |
| June 30, 2020 | Regular/Study Session Meetings |
| July 14, 2020 | Regular Meeting |
| July 18, 2020 | Regular/Study Session Meetings |
| August 11, 2020 | Regular Meeting |
| August 25, 2020 | Regular/Study Session Meetings |
| September 8, 2020 | Regular Meeting |
| September 22, 2020 | Regular/Study Session Meetings |
| October 13, 2020 | Regular Meeting |
| October 27, 2020 | Regular/Study Session Meetings |
| November 10, 2020 | Regular Meeting |
| November 24, 2020 | Regular/Study Session Meetings |
| December 8, 2020 | Regular Meeting |
| December 22, 2020 | Regular/Study Session Meetings |
SJO hosts Christie Clinic Shootout on Saturday
St. Joseph-Ogden High School will host 13 varsity and junior varsity basketball teams on Saturday for this year's Christie Clinic Shootout.
The all-day basketball bonanza at the high school tips off at 11am with Crete-Monee squaring off against Mahomet-Seymour and concludes with the final contest between Farmington and host St. Joseph-Ogden at 8pm.
Varsity games will be played in the main gym while the JV installments will take place in the school's practice gym across the hall.
Admission fee for spectators is just $5 for the entire day. For fans who want to follow other games and teams at this year's event, all seven games will be broadcasted on the air live via WPXN 104.9 FM.
Here are the teams and approximate varsity start times:
11:00 AM: Crete-Monee vs. Mahomet-Seymour
12:30 PM: Kankakee vs. Danville
2:00 PM: Rich Central vs. Champaign Central
3:30 PM: Cissna Park vs. Monticello
5:00 PM: Pleasant Plains vs. Notre Dame La Salette
6:30 PM: Maine South vs. Normal Community
8:00 PM: Farmington vs. St. Joseph-Ogden
12:30 PM: Kankakee vs. Danville
2:00 PM: Rich Central vs. Champaign Central
3:30 PM: Cissna Park vs. Monticello
5:00 PM: Pleasant Plains vs. Notre Dame La Salette
6:30 PM: Maine South vs. Normal Community
8:00 PM: Farmington vs. St. Joseph-Ogden
Jacob leads SJO in IVC rout
Payton Jacob and Katie Cramer teamed up to score 24 points, enough to have beat Illinois Valley Central on their own in the St. Joseph-Ogden girls first home game of 2020.
"We tried to make sure we stayed calm and not focus on their record," said Jacob about their Illini Prairie Conference foe. The Grey Ghost had only one win on the books heading into their bout against SJO. "If you just looked at their record it would have been easy to go out and assume we had the win." Not wanting to take IVC lightly, the Spartans concentrated on their execution to dominate nearly every facet of the game. "We made sure we were focus on our game and not on the way they were playing," said Jacob. Taylor Wells came off the bench yet again this season for yet another solid output on both sides of the court. In addition to the sophomore's eight points, she battled under the rim snagging four defensive boards and a pair of offensive ones for a total of six. Payton Vallee led the team in rebounds with 11 on the day. Even with a 29-10 first half advantage fueled by Jacob's 11 points, the Spartans kept their foot on the gas adding another 18 points in the third quarter before coasting to the final buzzer. Remarkably, IVC sent the Spartans to the free throw line just once in the 32-minute affair with Jacob capitalizing on both shots in the third-quarter. "She's been really working on her shot and some other things," said head coach Kevin Taylor about Jacob. "Today, it paid off. It's nice to see was rewarded for the extra work she has been putting in." In typical fashion this season, the rout was built on a balanced scoring effort. Abby Behrens and Ashlyn Lannert distributed five assists apiece allowing 10 different players to put points on the scoreboard. "We're excited to get conference play going and wanted to start the right way," said Taylor after leading SJO to their 14th win of the season. "Overall it was a good effort by the girls to start conference." Next up, Jaoob and Cramer face St. Thomas More at home on Monday. Varsity tip-off is slated for 7pm.
Jacob, a sophomore, led all scorers with a game-high 14-point performance. Cramer finished with 10 points.
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After a quick dive, Ella Armstrong scoops up the ball in SJO's home game against Illinois Valley Central. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
"We tried to make sure we stayed calm and not focus on their record," said Jacob about their Illini Prairie Conference foe. The Grey Ghost had only one win on the books heading into their bout against SJO. "If you just looked at their record it would have been easy to go out and assume we had the win." Not wanting to take IVC lightly, the Spartans concentrated on their execution to dominate nearly every facet of the game. "We made sure we were focus on our game and not on the way they were playing," said Jacob. Taylor Wells came off the bench yet again this season for yet another solid output on both sides of the court. In addition to the sophomore's eight points, she battled under the rim snagging four defensive boards and a pair of offensive ones for a total of six. Payton Vallee led the team in rebounds with 11 on the day. Even with a 29-10 first half advantage fueled by Jacob's 11 points, the Spartans kept their foot on the gas adding another 18 points in the third quarter before coasting to the final buzzer. Remarkably, IVC sent the Spartans to the free throw line just once in the 32-minute affair with Jacob capitalizing on both shots in the third-quarter. "She's been really working on her shot and some other things," said head coach Kevin Taylor about Jacob. "Today, it paid off. It's nice to see was rewarded for the extra work she has been putting in." In typical fashion this season, the rout was built on a balanced scoring effort. Abby Behrens and Ashlyn Lannert distributed five assists apiece allowing 10 different players to put points on the scoreboard. "We're excited to get conference play going and wanted to start the right way," said Taylor after leading SJO to their 14th win of the season. "Overall it was a good effort by the girls to start conference." Next up, Jaoob and Cramer face St. Thomas More at home on Monday. Varsity tip-off is slated for 7pm.
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Abby Behrens dribbles the ball down the court with pressure from Illinois Valley Central's Lilly Madl. Behrens was held to just one field goal in the victory and was credited with five assists. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)
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Anna Wentzloff makes a pass during second half action against the Grey Ghost. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)
"I've been off kind of lately. It is kind of nice to be back in the rhythm of things." ~ Senior Katie Cramer
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Payton Jacob keeps the ball away from Grey Ghosts' Marley Williamson. Jacob scored 11 of her game-high 14 points in the first quarter. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)
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Ella Armstrong takes a shot over IVC's Aynna Johnson. Armstrong, who finished with six points, was one of 10 SJO players that put points on the scoreboard on Saturday. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)
Box Score
| Team 1 | 17 | 12 | 18 | 8 | - 55 |
| Illinois Valley Central | 6 | 4 | 8 | 1 | - 19 |
Scoring
St. Joseph-Ogden: Ashlyn Lannert 4, Payton Jacob 14, Taylor Wells 8, Atleigh Hamilton 2, Katie Cramer 10, Abby Behrens 2, Taylor Barnes 3, Payton Vallee 2,
Ella Armstrong 6 and Anna Wentzloff 4.
Illinois Valley Central: Johnson 2, Williamson 5, Madl 1, Wolf 5 and Palmer 6.
Ladies basketball team get conference win
After snagging an defensive rebound, Spartan Anna Wentzloff looks for an open teammate to pass the ball during the her team's first home game in 2020. The senior finished with four points in St. Joseph-Ogden's 55-19 drubbing over visting Illinois Valley Central today. St. Joseph-Ogden, who finished 5th at this year's State Farm Holiday Classic basketball tournament, moves forward with their 14-4 record to face St. Thomas More in Illini Prairie Conference action at home on Monday. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Basketball team starts new year with a victory
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