Clinton County Board approves tentative budget for 2026
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- Written by: Matt Wilson - Breese Journal Reporter
Brad Knolhoff The Clinton County Board approved a tentative budget for 2026 during its monthly meeting on Monday, Oct. 20.
Board chairman Brad Knolhoff said, as of right now, the county is showing a deficit in the tentative budget of $510,000.
Knolhoff said that deficit exists because the county is transferring $1 million to the building fund for future building needs, specifically they hope to eventually remodel the control center in the jail.
Board member Ken Knolhoff asked Brad Knolhoff about the salaries on the tentative budget. He said some people have gotten a lot bigger raise than others. Brad Knolhoff said the salaries are just there for reference and are set by contracts, by ordinance, and union employees are set by the collective bargaining agreement. There are very few salaries the county board has any say over.
Ken Knolhoff said in the Sheriff's Department, some of the telecommunication people got 8% raises. Brad Knolhoff said a lot of that is contractual with their step, so when they go from year one to year two they get a larger increase.
"It is just odd that a few of them get a larger increase than the rest of them," Ken Knolhoff said. "Most of them are 2 or 3 percent, but there are quite some big jumps."
The budget is available to everyone for their viewing on the Clinton County website on the treasurer's page.
The final budget will be voted on during a hearing prior to the regular county board meeting at 6:45 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 24.
In the radio portion of the meeting, board member Curt Haselhorst updated the board on the emergency radio tower project. All of the towers and shelters are in place at their locations. Antennas will start going on towers next week. They hope that everything is on the antennas and ready for a test by mid-January. The project is slated to be completed by the end of March.
In the road and bridge portion of the meeting, county engineer Dan Behrens said the contractors have finished pouring all of the concrete for the Walnut Street project in Breese. They still have to stripe the median. He said the project should be wrapping up shortly.
Mater Dei ties school record in 65-39 win over St. Teresa
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- Written by: Jeremy Chawgo - Breese Journal Sports Editor
Turning the corner — Mater Dei senior tail back Brett Hilmes gets the edge for Mater Dei in the second quarter of their rout over St. Teresa on Friday in Breese. Hilmes had 31 yards rushing and one reception for MD. PHOTO BY JEREMY CHAWGO The Mater Dei Knights football team kept their brief playoff hopes alive after a record-tying win on Friday with their 65-39 win over visiting St. Teresa.
The 65 points ties the school record from 2021 against Alton Marquette. The Knights are now 3-5 on the season and will need to upset Mt. Zion on Friday at home to have a chance to crack the playoffs.
Mt. Zion is the state’s fourth-ranked team in Class 4A with a 7-1 record. Their lone loss is to state power house Rochester.
As for Friday’s win, the start was not what head coach Jim Stiebel envisioned as the Bulldogs took the opening kickoff back to the house for a 98-yard touchdown.
Mater Dei was forced to punt on their opening possession after just three plays, setting up another St. Teresa scoring drive.
The Bulldogs needed just six plays to go 45 yards when Gavin Paul hit Eli Etchason for a three-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead just three minutes into the contest.
“We didn’t start out real great and we have to get better than that,” said Mater Dei head coach Jim Stiebel. “We have to have better composure out of our seniors. I’m not real happy with the way they carried themselves tonight.”
Jump ball — Mater Dei senior Beckett Wade elevates for a pass against the defense of St. Teresa’s KJ Kenison in the first half of the Knights 65-39 win over the Bulldogs on Friday. Wade had 68 yards receiving. PHOTO BY JEREMY CHAWGO The Knights righted the ship from there, outscoring the Bulldogs 65-25 behind sophomore quarterback Hunter Hochbaum.
Mater Dei got on the board on their third possession of the football when Brett Hilmes ran in from eight yards out to get MD within 14-7 with just over four minutes left in the opening frame.
After the next St. Teresa drive stalled at midfield, Mater Dei needed just one play to get even when Hochbaum hit Reed Pingsterhaus on a 49-yard touchdown pass to get the game at 14-14 entering the second quarter.
Mater Dei had their best quarter of the season in the second frame when they put up 30 points.
Their first score was a nine-play drive that was capped on a 15-yard touchdown completion from Hochbaum to Bentley Nicklin for a 21-14 lead.
“He gets better each week and there are still things that he can improve on,” added Stiebel. “Hunter tries to make something out of nothing some times and needs to just throw it away.”
St. Teresa got the game back tied for the final time when Paul connected with Reid Douglass on a 48-yard touchdown pass for a 21-21 score with 5:49 left in the first half.
Cougars end with perfect conference season
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- Written by: Jeremy Chawgo - Breese Journal Sports Editor
Conference champs — Central senior tail back Cole Davis runs for an 18-yard gain in the Cougars’ 41-6 win at Columbia on Friday. The win allowed the Cougars to have a perfect Cahokia Conference season. PHOTO BY CRAIG HUEGEN For the second-straight season, the Central football Cougars ran the gauntlet and claimed a perfect 5-0 Cahokia Conference, Mississippi Division title.
The title was their fifth in the last six seasons. After their 41-6 win over Columbia on Friday, the Cougars sit at 7-1 on the season with a home match up with 0-8 Herrin on Friday at 7 p.m. The Cougars beat Herrin last season 50-6.
In Friday’s 41-6 win at Columbia, the Cougars pounded out 141 yards rushing and threw the ball for another 222 yards for a 363 yard evening compared to 229 yards for Columbia.
The Cougars got the lone score of the opening quarter when sophomore Owen Kehrer connected with Bryce Wieter for a 42-yard touchdown down the sideline for a 6-0 lead with just 2:20 left. The PAT was missed.
Central put up three scores in the second quarter with Wieter and Kehrer connecting again for another score from 34 yards out with just two minutes gone in the second quarter for a 14-0 lead after a Conlan Haar two-point run.
Have a night — Central wide receiver Bryce Wieter extends to catch a 42-yard touchdown in the first half of the Cougars’ 41-6 win over Columbia on Friday. Wieter had four catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns. PHOTO BY CRAIG HUEGEN The Cougars’ ground attack went to work from there when senior Kameron Biggs ran in from eight yards out for their third score and Cole Davis cashed in from 14 yards out to get a 28-0 lead entering halftime in Columbia.
In the third quarter Haar ran in from the “Donkey Formation” from three yards out to make it 34-0 after the PAT was missed again with half the third quarter gone.
Xavier Voegele hit Ricky Prater for a 43-yard touchdown completion for the Eagles’ lone score of the contest. The PAT was missed.
Davis capped out the evening with a three-yard touchdown run with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Kehrer ended 13-of-23 for 222 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He also ran the ball four times for 29 yards.
Davis ran the ball 12 times for 62 yards with two touchdowns, while Biggs had 11 carries for 39 yards.
Wieter had four catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns, while Haar had four catches for 75 yards receiving to go with a TD run. Nate Behrmann added three catches for 40 yards.
Davis led the team with nine tackles and a fumble recovery. Jackson Kampwerth added seven tackles. Brody Beckmann had eight tackles
Voegele was 9-of-25 for 147 yards with one touchdown. They ran the ball for 64 yards.
Clinton County hosts inaugural SoberFest Oct. 9 in Carlyle
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- Written by: Kelly Jo Ross - Breese Journal Reporter
One of the top, fun games at SoberFest was Root Beer Pong. The organizations of Clinton County that support recovery were proud to present the very first SoberFest Thursday, Oct. 9, at Hazlet Olympic Shelter in Carlyle.
This family-friendly event invited the community to come together for a Rural Recovery Revolution — a day dedicated to celebrating recovery, honoring local non-profits and meeting leaders, and strengthening connections within the community.
Organizer Nellie Paskavich opened the event, adding that during that evening, she gave everyone who attended a "gold coin" so they knew how special it was to her.
Nellie Paskavich speaks at the very first SoberFest that was held Oct. 9 in Carlyle. "(Some of you) may never know what it means to get one (a gold coin)," she said. "What you don’t understand about the power of a coin when you’re in a recovery program is that this coin symbolizes the very first day of a new life. It means that you are changing your life; you are getting your life back."
Paskavich has been on the recovery path for 24 years, and her recovery is ongoing. She is currently active with recovery programs in the area, including Take Action Coalition of Clinton County and also is an intern social worker with Coping 4 Life.
Paskavich introduced Stephanie Zimmermann, who also helped with organizing SoberFest.
Zimmermann runs SMART Recovery meetings every week. SMART Recovery is a support group that helps individuals with substance dependencies through peer connection and practical, self-empowering tools.
Zimmermann has been in recovery since 2023. She said she struggled with depression as well as trying to get clean, but something clicked inside her when she met Nellie.
Three groups come together to improve Cox Bridge parking lot
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- Written by: Matt Wilson - Breese Journal Reporter
Volunteers used a mini excavator and skidloader to make repairs to the Cox Bridge parking lot at the Carlyle Lake State Fish and Wildlife area in Vandalia. Volunteers from the Carlyle Waterfowlers Association, Mississippi Valley Duck Hunters of Illinois and the Delta Waterfowl Carlyle Lake Chapter took time out of their weekend on Saturday, Oct. 11, to do necessary repairs to the Cox Bridge parking lot.
There were around 10 volunteers doing the work. They spent about eight hours doing the improvements.
Cox Bridge is located in the Carlyle Lake State Fish and Wildlife area in Vandalia.
"The three groups working together are a major improvement and without all three working together these improvements are harder to accomplish," Carlyle Waterfowlers Association president Vince Deichmann said. "It is a major improvement just being able to bring all three groups together."
The boat ramp at Cox Bridge is retained by the state of Illinois. A few years ago when the US Army Corps of Engineers did a bunch of work and were using the ramp, the state had told them not to mess with anything because they were going to replace the ramp with an improved ramp area that would be more accessible during high water.
For several years when it would flood and the water would go down, the state would go down there and scrape the mud off and push it off to the side of the parking lot area. After several years of that, the area of the ramp was being encroached upon where they would push the mud.
People were unable to get down there and pull a truck and a boat in and straighten it out to use the ramp the way they used to be able to.
Vintage Voices 100 Tour stops in Breese to interview centenarian for podcast
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- Written by: Matt Wilson - Breese Journal Reporter
The Villas at St. James residents LeRoy Raeber, FRONT, LEFT, and his sister Glady, FRONT, RIGHT, were interviewed for the Vintage Voices 100 Tour on Monday, Oct. 20. Photos by Matt Wilson A brother and sister at The Villas at St. James in Breese will be featured on a documentary featuring centenarians.
Jack York is going around the country on the Vintage Voices 100 Tour, which is a nationwide storytelling initiative produced by TaleGate, LLC in collaboration with Dash Media.
The tour made a stop in Breese on Monday, Oct. 20, and York interviewed 105-year-old LeRoy Raeber and his 95-year-old sister Glady.
LeRoy and Glady both told their stories while riding in the Vintage Voices van that was equipped with GoPro cameras. During the van ride, LeRoy and Glady reminisced about their lives and families. It was the first time ever the Vintage Voices Tour had a brother and sister in the van.
The tour visited Meridian Senior Living communities across Missouri and Illinois on Oct. 20. They stopped at The Assisted Living at the Meadowlands in O'Fallon, Missouri, before heading to The Villas at St. James. The Meadowlands hosted a visit to the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post to honor a veteran centenarian's service.
LeRoy is a World War II veteran and is believed to be the oldest living male in Breese.
"There really is no secret to getting the age I am at," LeRoy said. "You just have to stay off the booze and cigarettes and live a normal life."
LeRoy said he has enjoyed living at The Villas at St. James.
"Everything is new here and it's a good place to be," he said. "There are lots of people to talk to."
LeRoy said he enjoys eating and going outside and watching the cars go by.
The Vintage Voices van started down Jamestown Road where both LeRoy and Glady pointed out the house where their mother was born in 1898.
