Rockets slip by Sages in postseason opener

TOLONO - Noah Bryant slides to force the ball away from Monticello's Smith Glauner during their Class 1A first-round regional soccer match on Tuesday. The Rockets prevailed 3-1, advancing to Fisher semifinal at Kellar Field on Saturday.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

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A threat to democracy, fighting back against voter suppression and intimidation

SNS - The right to vote is legally protected from intimidation and harassment. Federal law makes it a crime to intimidate, harass, or deceive voters at home or at the polls.

Voter suppression is any attempt to prevent or discourage certain Americans from registering to vote or casting their ballot. It is any act that deliberately restricts or discourages certain groups from voting, undermining electoral fairness. You may not be threatened, coerced, frightened, assaulted, compelled, or discouraged to vote one way or another, or not to vote at all. The right to vote necessarily includes the right to be free from intimidation and harassment.

“A true democracy is where every person has the desire, the right, the knowledge, and the confidence to participate,” said Becky Simon, president of the League of Women Voters of Illinois. “We encourage you to join the League of Women Voters of Illinois in our fight to support everyone’s freedom to vote.”

After the Civil War, African Americans in the former Confederacy were able to exercise their newly won rights to vote; to run for local, state, and federal offices; and to serve on juries. These rights were given and protected by federal laws and the 14th and 15th Amendments. The laws, adopted to curtail white supremacist violence, specifically criminalized the terrorist activities of white supremacist organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan and authorized the use of federal troops to protect polling stations and suppress white supremacist violence.

Over time, white supremacists found other ways to control voting in their towns, counties, and states without direct physical violence. Political parties have used five key methods to suppress voting by targeted groups: voter ID laws, gerrymandering, voter purges, felony disenfranchisement, and criminalizing voting through the arbitrary enforcement of oppressive, unfair laws.

Today, experts warn that voter suppression and intimidation trends are moving to the digital spaces, becoming embedded in technology.

"It might include robocalls and social media posts that provide incorrect information about where to vote or promote the false idea that voters' personal information or ballot choices will be shared with the government, the public, or law enforcement," wrote the League of Women Voters of Illinois in a recent statement.

The League of Women Voters of Illinois (LWVI) is fighting voter suppression and intimidation by mailing thousands of Get Out the Vote postcards, deploying nonpartisan poll watchers throughout the state, observing public testing of voting equipment, and actively fighting misinformation and disinformation.

According to the ACLU, "More than 400 anti-voter bills have been introduced in 48 states. These bills erect unnecessary barriers for people to register to vote, vote by mail, or vote in person."

What should you do if you witness voter suppression or intimidation? Document incidents thoroughly using your phone (outside the polling place) or by taking notes. If your voter registration is denied at your polling place, you may ask a poll worker to double-check your registration, and you may still cast a provisional ballot.

The LWVI recommends that you avoid engaging with groups or individuals who are actively trying to intimidation fellow voters and immediately reported to the Illinois State Board of Elections at 217-782-4141 or the Election Protection Hotline:

English: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)
Spanish: 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682)
Asian Languages: 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683)
Arabic: 844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287)

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St. Joseph-Ogden edges Unity for Illini Prairie XC title

RANTOUL - St. Joseph-Ogden’s depth paid off a week ago today as the Spartans claimed the Illini Prairie Conference boys cross country title with 62 points, narrowly defeating Unity, which finished second with 84 points. The Spartans placed all five of their scoring runners in the top 18, holding off a strong individual performance from Unity’s Camden Fairbanks, who won the race.

Fairbanks, a junior, took the individual title, finished the course in a personal-record 15 minutes, 33.1 seconds. Fairbanks beat his previous best by over 11 seconds, adding another stellar result to his season, which includes a 15:44.7 at the Spartan Classic last month. Unity’s second finisher, junior Eli Crowe, placed seventh with a time of 16:04.3, just shy of his personal best of 15:19.7 from the Spartan Classic.

While Unity boasted the top individual, St. Joseph-Ogden’s pack running proved the difference. Junior Lance Retz led the SJO, finishing sixth overall with a personal-best 16:03.0, improving his time by 18 seconds from his previous PR. Sophomore Colin Burnett also set a new personal record, finishing 11th in 16:20.2, a substantial improvement from his earlier season performances.

St. Joseph-Ogden’s next three finishers — sophomore Nate Farney (13th, 16:24.3), senior Jack Fisher (14th, 16:26.9), and senior EJ Beckett (18th, 16:37.7) — ensured the team maintained its edge over Unity. Their tightly packed grouping helped secure the team’s first-place finish, with just 34 seconds separating the Spartans’ top five.

Pontiac rounded out the top three in the team standings with 88 points, led by junior Peyton Beebe’s third-place finish (15:53.4).

Unity’s runners, while putting up solid performances, couldn’t overcome the overall depth of St. Joseph-Ogden. Behind Fairbanks and Crowe, UHS’ next finisher was junior Collin Graven, who finished 12th in 16:22.1. But the Rockets’ final two scorers, Carter Tiemann (29th, 17:16.0) and Ryan Akers (35th, 17:33.0), left them with too much ground to make up.

The meet, held at Brookhill Golf Course, saw four runners finish under 16 minutes, with the next four narrowly missing that mark. Unity’s Fairbanks set the pace from the start and maintained a strong lead to claim the victory, but SJO’s ability to keep their top runners close together proved decisive in the team competition.

Team Standings:
1. St. Joseph-Ogden – 62
2. Unity – 84
3. Pontiac – 88
4. Illinois Valley Central – 102
5. Monticello – 120
6. Prairie Central – 161
7. Central Catholic – 169
8. Rantoul – 175
9. St. Thomas More – 213
10. Paxton-Buckley-Loda – 231

Top 10 Individual Finishers:
1. Camden Fairbanks, Unity – 15:33.1
2. River Derby, Monticello – 15:41.6
3. Peyton Beebe, Pontiac – 15:53.4
4. Cam Fenton, Pontiac – 15:57.2
5. Aiden Duhs, Illinois Valley Central – 16:00.5
6. Lance Retz, St. Joseph-Ogden – 16:03.0
7. Eli Crowe, Unity – 16:04.3
8. Tim Sikorski, Monticello – 16:05.8
9. Wade Cloninger, Rantoul – 16:14.0
10. Philip Lee, St. Thomas More – 16:20.0

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