softball

Tri-County ready to defend World Series title – Fundraiser set for May 18

The Tri-County Thunder District 17 Senior Softball Team has officially started gearing up to defend their 2023 World Series Championship.  

Following a World Series appearance in 2022, the Thunder and Coach Tom Orr broke through and won it all last year.  With nine girls returning from last season there is every reason to believe that back-to-back titles are within reach.

Track

Bluejays sweeps last chance track meet

The PORTA-AC Central track and field teams wrapped up their regular season competitions by sweeping to team victories in both the boys and girls meets at their own PORTA Last Chance Meet last Monday. 

For the boys, Jacob Vogel won the 100 and placed second in the 200, Noah Hardy placed second in the 400, Daxton Trueblood won the 800, Justin Zimmerman finished third in the 800, Kade Parker won the 1600, Logan Baker was second in the 110 hurdles, Avery Jockisch was third in the 110 hurdles, Bryson Schachtsiek won the 300 hurdles and the long jump, Owen Gilbert placed third in the discus, and Isaac Rennecker won the high jump and the triple jump. The 4x200 relay team of Hunter Stroupe, Schachtsiek, Rennecker and Jacob Vogel, the 4x400 relay team of Stroupe, Quincy Stuhmer, Cael Cotner and Trueblood and the 4x800 relay team of Justin Zimmerman, Stuhmer, Parker and Trueblood all won first place in their races.

track

Four Jr. High Tiger tracksters headed to State

Four Beardstown Junior High track and field athletes have qualified for the IESA State Track and Field Finals May 17 and 18 at East Side Center in East Peoria.  

Seventh graders Wade Gaffney, Ashten Guzman, and Ola Quigley and eighth grader Kellen Brown qualified by virtue of their performance at the Class 3A Sectional in Maroa last Saturday. Gaffney placed second and met the qualifying height in the high jump, Guzman placed third in the pole vault and met the qualifying height, Quigley placed third in the long jump, meeting the qualifying distance and Brown won the pole vault to advance.

Tigers Huerta and Kanda qualify for State

Two Beardstown Lady Tiger high school tracksters have qualified for the IHSA State Track and Field Championships to be held starting Friday, May 17 at Eastern Illinois University.  

The Lady Tigers traveled to Metamora last Wednesday for the Class 2A sectional and finally lucked out with some good weather. Against some very tough competition, the Lady Tigers did a great job of representing Beardstown in their first appearance in Class 2A track.

The Beardstown defense is well positioned as an ominous storm cloud closes in on the soccer field. Photo by Brockschmidt

Winning season for Tiger Soccer

The Beardstown girls’ soccer team won their final game of the regular season to move to 10-8-2 on the season and guarantee a winning record for the third straight year. After the program started its existence with eight consecutive losing seasons, the Tigers will finish above .500 for the third straight time. New coach Francisco Hernandez will lead the Lady Tigers into post season play at 10:00 a.m. May 11, this Saturday, at Monmouth-Roseville against the Depue Coop.  

Triopia Scholastic Bowl team is shown bottom left to right: Aiden Johnson, Nate Doyle, Alex Schild, Brady Seymour; far left middle: Gavin Canada; top row left to right: Tripp Thompson, Gavin Hutson, Brooks Birdsley, Owen McCoy, Sammy Cromer and Faith Wingert

Triopia Scholastic Bowl  competes in national tournament – Owen McCoy named All-Star

The Triopia Scholastic Bowl Team narrowly missed making the playoff rounds in a recent national quiz bowl tournament.  Triopia was one of twelve Illinois teams competing at the National Academic Quiz Tournaments’ Small School National Championship Tournament in Chicago.  There were 142 teams from around the nation in Chicago contending for top honors.

Beardstown City Hall

Beardstown Police Department to have body cameras by end of year

Beardstown Police Chief Martin Coad approached the Beardstown City Council‘s May 7th meeting to discuss the  Safety Accountability, Fairness and Equity – Today (SAFE-T) Act.This new law makes changes to the Law Enforcement Officer-Worn Body Camera Act to require all law enforcement agencies to implement the use of body cameras within a prescribed timeline. Chief Coad said Beardstown’s timeline is December 31, 2024. That means, the cameras must be purchased, in place and operational by that time or the department will be out of compliance with this new state law.

Bible and lily

Focus on Faith – Set apart from the world

Much of Jesus’ New Testament teaching points toward humility. An admirable quality then and now. Of course we know that Jesus came from humble beginnings. Born in a lowly stable in Bethlehem, raised in a backwater town called Nazareth. Jesus was humble and lowly.

Boy Scout of America Logo

Boy Scouts of America changing its name to Scouting America

The Boy Scouts of America today at its National Annual Meeting announced that it will be changing its name to Scouting America. This change reflects the organization’s ongoing commitment to welcoming every youth in America to experience the benefits of Scouting. The name change will go into effect on February 8, 2025, the organization’s 115th birthday.