Kaitlyn Copley

Kaitlyn Copley

  • Joined: August 2, 2023
  • Articles: 2294

Redbirds split with Lewistown

Red Birds

The Virginia Redbird junior high basketball teams split a pair of games with Lewistown last week, losing a heartbreaker in the seventh-grade contest.  

Virginia was in command of the opener until the final frame, taking a 6 to 1 lead after one quarter and a 17 to 7 lead at the half.  An eight all tie in the third quarter left the lead at ten at 25 to 15 going into the fourth.  That’s when the wheels came off for the Redbirds and the Indians rallied to outscore them 14 to 3 to win 29 to 28.  Paxton P. had nine points, Tylan C., and Cooper L. each had six, Dace M. had five and David B. had two in the very tough loss.

Triopia Junior High hoops

Basketball

A couple of tough losses on the road at Mendon were quickly put in the rearview mirror by the Triopia Junior High basketball team with two resounding home wins over Havana.  

Against Unity in the seventh-grade game, the Colts jumped out of the gate and took a 13 to 0 lead after a quarter.  It was 23 to 7 at the half in favor of Mendon.  The Colts continued to stretch the lead in the second half and cruised to a 38 to 17 win.  Werries scored four, while Howe, Seymour and Lomelino all scored three and Crews added two points in the loss.

Lady Bluejays are on fire

Lady Bluejays

The PORTA-AC Central Lady Bluejays stayed red hot and moved to 14-0 on the season with three wins in the Riverton Christmas Tournament last week.  PORTA-AC destroyed Litchfield and Pana then defeated North Mac by twelve points, their closest game in a month.

Losing streak for Lady Tigers

The Beardstown Lady Tiger basketball team is hoping to use the Christmas Holiday to regroup and then get hot and make a run in the Lady Tiger Classic.  

The break comes at just the right time for BHS as they are on a five-game losing streak and have already played seventeen games just thirty-eight days into the season.  Road losses to Brown County and Williamsville and a home defeat at the hands of Quincy Notre Dame has dropped the Lady Tigers below .500 on the season with eight wins and nine losses.

Lady Trojans bring home two wins

Basketball

Two wins for the Triopia-Meredosia-Virginia girls basketball team last week over Payson-Seymour and Liberty pushed their record to 7-4 as they prep for this week’s Lady Tiger Classic.  The Lady Trojans made a second half push to defeat the Indians 48 to 29 and held on in the fourth to beat the Eagles 40 to 36.

New Year, New Day, Fresh Start! 

Woman Studying

Ways to bring in the New Year this January! Rewarding resolutions that won't require a major commitment of time: Much like money, time does not grow on trees. That reality is all too familiar to busy adults juggling multiple responsibilities at work, at home and other places where they spend their time.

Investigation continues in Ashland mass shooting

The mass shooting in Cass County last week has left area residents shocked and trying to answer the question “why?” Shown above are three of the victims from left to right are Alaria Bell, 16, her mother, Christina Bell, 53, and Autumn Bell, 19, another daughter of Christina Bell. The photos were taken from the GoFundMe page for the victims. Brein Pena, 20, was the fourth victim of the shooting and is currently in the ICU at an area hospital. The suspected shooter was Ronald L. Cobren, 62, who died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The investigation continues in a mass shooting in Cass County last week that has shaken area residents.

Cass County Sheriff Devron Ohrn released Tuesday autopsy information regarding the shooting on December 14.

Autopsies performed Monday, December 18, resulted in the following; Christina Bell, 53, and Alaria Bell,16, both of Ashland,  died Thursday, December 14 in Ashland. Preliminary autopsy findings suggest they died of gunshot wounds.

Police Chief addresses stabbing

Police Badge

Ashland Police Chief Martin Fanning spoke on a recent stabbing that took place in Ashland during last Wednesday’s meeting of the village board. 

Fanning said the alleged perpetrator had multiple recent arrests but could never be kept in jail. He said the perpetrator was released after each arrest because he did not meet the criteria for detainment under the SAFE-T Act. He said police are doing what they can, but policing is made much harder by the new detainment criteria.

Man arrested for gun possession

Tyler J. Dambacher

A dispute between a tenant and a landlord ended with a man going to jail on Tuesday, December 12.

Cass County Sheriff’s Department, assisted by Beardstown Police Department, responded to the call 4:14 p.m. at Lauderbach Trailer Court, south of Beardstown on Route 100/67.

According to Cass County Sheriff Devron Ohrn, tenant Tyler J. Dambacher was arrested for unlawful use of weapon and possession of firearm ammunition by a felon for pointing gun at the landlord. He was lodged in Schuyler County Jail.

41st Annual Lady Tiger Classic

For the 41st time since 1982 (the tourney was cancelled due to COVID in 2020) Beardstown will host the Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic girls’ basketball tournament over Christmas break.  It will tip off on Tuesday, December 26.  Twenty-four teams will be in town and over 40 games will be played in two gyms over four days.  Havana and West Prairie will get things started bright and early at 9:00 a.m. in the middle school gym, while action in the high school gym tips off at 9:30 a.m. with Illini Central taking on Roanoke-Benson.  The Rockets, from just northeast of Peoria, are new to the tourney this year, taking the place of another Rocket team, Jacksonville Routt, who surprisingly cancelled their season due to a lack of players.