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.

Woman Studying

New Year, New Day, Fresh Start! 

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.

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.

Investigation continues in Ashland mass shooting

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 Badge

Police Chief addresses stabbing

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.

Tyler J. Dambacher

Man arrested for gun possession

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.   

Brandon Figueroa goes up for Beardstown in junior high action against Triopia.

Big week for young Trojans

Both the 7th and 8th grade Triopia boys’ basketball teams swept their way to three wins in three games last week.  The young Trojans beat Pleasant Hill, Beardstown, and Rushville/Industry.  The 7th grade is now 9-4 on the year while the 8th grade sits at 11-3 for the season.

Bradley Locklear pins his man for the win for the Tigers in home wrestling action.

Beardstown Wrestling results

The Beardstown Tiger wrestling team hosted a triangular meet last Thursday and lost two close matches to Pittsfield and Macomb.  

Against the Saukees, Pittsfield prevailed over the Tigers by a score of 40 to 30.  Winning Beardstown wrestlers were Luis De La Cruz by fall at 0:43 at 138 pounds and Maddox Medrano by fall at 1:19 at 144 pounds.

BJHS Basketball results

Facing two tough teams last week, the Beardstown junior high boys’ basketball teams lost all four contests.

On Monday at Macomb, the Bomber seventh grade squad knocked off the Tigers 44 to 24.  Beardstown fell behind early, 12 to 3 after a quarter and fought hard to stay in the game in the second quarter as the lead was 22 to 11 at the half.  A tough third quarter put the Tigers down 32 to 13 heading to the final frame.  Beardstown did get six guys in the scoring column with DeWade Gaffney netting seven, Ashten Guzman scoring six, Brayden Piotrowski and Tucker Sorrells each notching four, Oliver Davis getting two and Uriel Gil hitting a free throw for one.  Individual scoring was not available for the eighth-grade game, but the Tigers took it on the chin by a score of 39 to 13.

Red Birds

Redbirds sweep Spartans

The Virginia Redbirds’ junior high basketball team made the most of their one opportunity on the hardwood last week, sweeping to a pair of victories over the North Greene Spartans.