Spartan cross country team places 2nd, Unity comes in 4th

Carson Maroon, Charlie Mabry and Brandon Mattsey finished within six seconds of each other to lift the St. Joseph-Ogden boys cross country team to a second place finish at the St. Teresa Sectional last Saturday. For Spartan harriers finised in the top 20.

Maroon, SJO's top finisher, crossed over in 12th place at 16:31. Mabry and Mattsey finished with a .1 of second split 14th and 15th. Meanwhile, not far behind Logan Wolferberger's 19th place in 16 minutes, 43.6 seconds helped the team pull away from Monticello, who finished in third place. Six runners later, Elijah Mock rounded out St. Joseph-Ogden's top five finishers to tabulate a total of 82 points.

Unity finished in fourth place behind fellow Illini Prairie Conference Monticello with 120 points. Led by senior Connor O'Donnell, the Rockets' squad crossed 11-17-21-47-49 after running their second consecutive weekend at Hickory Point Golf Course in Maroa.

O'Donnell's ran the three-mile course in 16 minutes, 28.8 seconds good for an 11th place finish. Twelve second later, teammate Ben Gavel finished at 16:40.3 as the 17th finisher of the Class 1A boys race. Thomas Cler rounded out the effort of Unity's top three runners nearly a minute later at 17:37.9.

Both the Spartans and Rockets would have advanced to the next race hosted by the Illinois High School Association this weekend under normal circumstances. Due to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, the IHSA canceled this year's race making sectional titles will be the highest honors for cross country during the current academic season.

2020 St. Teresa Sectional Results -

11. Connor O'Donnell (Unity) 16:28.8, 12. Carson Maroon (SJO) 16:31.0, 14. Charlie Mabry (SJO) 16:37.0, 15. Brandon Mattsey (SJO) 16:37.1, 17. Ben Gavel (Unity) 16:40.3, 19. Logan Wolfersberger (SJO) 16:43.6, 21. Jarrett Cox (Unity) 16:44.9, 25. Elijah Mock (SJO) 16:56.6, 40. Luke Stegall (SJO) 17:29.8, 44. Spencer Wilson (SJO) 17:34.2, 47. Thomas Cler (Unity) 17:37.9, 49. Clayton Jamison (Unity) 17:39.3, 103. Bryson Denny (Unity) 19:43.9.

Photo of the Day - November 4, 2020

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Home field advantage

Students in the Maroon Platoon cheer for the St. Joseph-Ogden football team during the final minutes of their home opener on August 28, 2017, against St. Thomas More. The fans had over 50 good reasons to celebrate as the Spartans rolled to a 54-7 win over the visiting Sabers from Champaign.

(Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Photo of the Day - November 3, 2020

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SJO wins softball invite

Spartan Dana Peters looks over her shoulder after beating a tag at home plate in her team's tournament game against Schlarman High School. SJO plated two more additional runs on the play thanks to errors by the Hilltoppers to win the tournament title back on May 9, 2009.

(Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Photo of the Day - November 2, 2020

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Running in the rain

With less than 100 yards to go on a rain-soaked track, St. Joseph-Ogden's Josh Dees stay ahead of Tremont's Park Thompson as they approach the finish line in heat one of the 800-Meter run at the Illinois High School Association Boys Track & Field State Finals in 2009. Thompson overtook at the finish line to finish .29 of a second ahead of the SJO senior who clocked in at 1:58.81. Both runners qualified for Saturday's Class 1A championship race. Dees went on to finish seventh for the Spartans in the event.

(Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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We need to look for the sun

By Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator

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The Sun is shining today and will rise tomorrow. For more years than we know the Sun has followed this same pattern.

The rising Sun is a good pattern for all of us. We know each day we can count on the Sun. Somedays the Sun is hidden by clouds but it's there. Too often we forget to notice the Sun. Often it feels too hot or we wish it would warm up. We are never completely satisfied with the job the Sun does. Too hot, not hot enough. Too bright. Through all of our life's discontents with the Sun's performance, the Sun keeps performing. Throughout my lifetime I don't know of a day that the Sun has let me down. It just keeps on glowing regardless of the day or world events.

I remember the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. His death was one of the darkest days I can remember as a child but the Sun never ceased to shine.

When Americans came home from Vietnam in boxes and thousands of funerals were held around the country, we mourned but the Sun kept shining.

I've buried a wife and a baby and it seems like looking back that for a period of time I doubt that I even noticed the Sun was shining. Often life's traumas block the Sun from our eyes even if we are starring right into its rays.

Millions of Americans are unhappy with the election, and some aspects of American life. We don't like Covid-19, unemployment nor the unrest that is all over our country. We sadly have become alienated from good people who have different opinions than we do and this is tragic.

Today we need to look for the Sun.

The Sun is not political. The Sun shines on the Democrats and the Republicans. The Sun shines on sinners and the righteous. The Sun takes care of the planet providing our warmth, growth and our very lives. We take the Sun for granted. So often we don't even pay attention to all the Sun does and provides. However, we need the Sun. We do hear about the importance of clean water and air but are you grateful for the good air and water that you do have?

Take time to notice the Sun today. A clear day or a cloudy day will find the Sun shining. Another day of life means another day to enjoy all that God has created and made. I've never known a day of life without the Sun. I've never known a day that I couldn't find good people with whom to talk. I've never experienced a day that I didn't feel there were people to love and people who cared about me.

God has provided the Sun and as long as our creator wants it to shine it's going to shine. Today, let the Sun shine on you.

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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 PhotoNews Media. We welcome comments and views from our readers.

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Photo of the Day - November 1, 2020

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Knipfer stretches his wings

Ben Knipfer winds up for a pitch in the St. Joseph-Ogden baseball team's home game against Schlarman on May 9, 2009. The Hilltoppers knock off the host Spartans 6-3 to win the third place game at the Spartan Baseball Invite. Earlier in the day, SJO lost to Tuscola 4-1 in the tournament opener while Schlarman lost to Driscoll Catholic 10-1 in their first game of the day.

(Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Rockets runner-up at sectional cross-country meet, SJO finishes 5th

The top five places at Saturday's IHSA sectional cross country meet in Forsyth was dominated by the Illini Prairie Conference.

The Unity girls cross country team tallied 69 points for a second-place finish at yesterday's sectional cross country meet at Hickory Point Golf Course on Saturday. The St. Joseph-Ogden contingent placed 5th with 150 points. Monticello won the sectional title scoring 51 points.

It took the Rockets' Erica Woodard, who was The Sentinel area's top finisher, 38 seconds longer to complete the course she ran seven days earlier. The freshman standout crossed the finish line sixth place at 18:59.9. Meanwhile, senior Taylor Joop, the second Unity runner to finish, turned in a nearly identical time to last week's regional run at 19:18.5. Woodard was sixth overall and Joop was the 11 runner to end her prep cross country career.

Rounding out the Rocket's top three was another frosh harrier, Caelyn Kleparski, who circumvented the course in 19 minutes, 24.8 seconds good for 13th place.

The Spartans' top three finishers crossed in the same order as they did on their previous journey around the familiar course.

Junior Ava Knap led SJO's effort clocking in at 19:37.3 with only a four second difference between this and the previous weekend's performance. She finished 19th out the field of 117 runners.

Helene Jones (19:49.7) and Chloe Burkhalter (20:25.2) finished in 23rd and 36th place, respectively, for the Spartans.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic there will be no IHSA state meet this season.

2020 St. Teresa Sectional Results -

6. Erica Woodard (Unity) 18:59.9, 11. Taylor Joop (Unity) 19:18.5, 13. Caelyn Kleparski (Unity) 19:24.8, 19. Ava Knap (St. Joseph-Ogden) 19:37.3, 21. Olivia Shike (Unity) 19:44.6, 23. Helene Jones (St. Joseph-Ogden) 19:49.7, 27. Elizabeth Hulick (Unity) 20:06.3, 28. Malia Fairbanks (Unity) 20:07.3, 29. Briana Ritchie (Unity) 20:10.8, 36. Chloe Burkhalter (St. Joseph-Ogden) 20:25.2, 38. Malorie Sarnecki (St. Joseph-Ogden) 20:32.2, 51. Kailyn Ingram (St. Joseph-Ogden) 20:53.5, 65. Ashlyn Lannert (St. Joseph-Ogden) 21:35.9, 70. Addie Allen (St. Joseph-Ogden) 21:47.1.

Small businesses could end up pay more with new "fair" taxing plan

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by Bryce Hill, Senior Research Analyst
Illinois Policy

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COVID-19 and state-mandated restrictions already damaged Illinois small businesses, but the extra challenge of a 50.3% marginal income tax rate awaits if Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s “fair tax” is added to their state and federal income tax burdens.

Despite wide-spread agreement that you should not raise taxes during an economic downturn, Pritzker insists Illinois needs his $3 billion income tax hike now more than ever. But massive job losses and stubbornly high unemployment rates mean there might not be a worse time for a tax hike. Hiking taxes during a recession, or just as the economy attempts to get back on its feet, would be a clear policy mistake. One reason is the income tax hike would hit the state’s largest job creators – small businesses – the hardest.

Small businesses are responsible for 60% of the net job creation in Illinois and are the businesses most at risk from the economic fallout of COVID-19. Changing to a progressive income tax in Illinois could mean a massive tax hike for these businesses and create marginal income tax rates in excess of 50% when all state and federal income taxes are included. Research has shown an increase in the top marginal tax rate is associated with a decrease in hiring activity of entrepreneurs and lower wages for their employees.

When considering all of the layers of income taxes Illinoisans face, small businesses – who pay taxes as individuals – could be left paying 50.3% of their top-end income in taxes. Total marginal income tax rates would range from 31.6% to 50.3% thanks to federal income tax, Social Security tax, Medicare tax, state income tax, and Illinois’ Personal Property Replacement Tax.

The increase in the state income tax from the current flat rate of 4.95%, to up to 7.99% under the progressive income tax, would mean that some small businesses would face a state income tax hike 5 times larger than big businesses.

Progressive income tax hike could be nearly 5 times higher for small businesses than large

While the total corporate income tax rate – including the Personal Property Replacement Tax – will be hiked by 10% (from 9.5% to 10.49% when including the replacement tax), the tax hike for pass-throughs could be up to 47% (6.45% to 9.49% when including the replacement tax).

Research from April showed fewer than half of all U.S. small businesses expected to re-open this year if the crisis lasted more than four months. For the small businesses that do manage to survive, the last thing their owners and employees need is a tax hike to crush them while they’re attempting to get back on their feet.

Small businesses such as S-corps, partnerships, LLCs, and sole proprietors make up a large majority of business establishments in Illinois, representing 71% of all private for-profit businesses, totaling more than 210,000 establishments. These small businesses also employed nearly half of Illinois’ private for-profit workforce prior to the COVID-19 downturn, or more than 2.3 million Illinoisans.

Contrary to the governor’s claims, a progressive income tax hike is the exact opposite of what Illinois lawmakers should be doing in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.

Nearly 700,000 Illinoisans remain out of work as a result of the pandemic. That is after the first year on record in which Illinois lost private-sector jobs amid a national boom.

Imposing marginal tax rates exceeding 50% for Illinois’ largest job creators during the current economic crisis would be a painful mistake.

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Originally published by Illinois Policy on October 8, 2020. Published by permission.