Easter Egg Hunting in Cass County
Photos from The Cass County Health Department in Virginia, Porscha Stone, Kaitlyn Copley and Connect.
ashland
Bluejays sweep track meet
The boys and girls track teams for PORTA-AC Central both dashed to first place finishes in a six-team meet last week in Havana.
Bryson Schachtsiek brought home first place in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles and the long jump. Isaac Rennecker won both the high jump and the triple jump. Kade Parker won the 1600-meter run and Justin Zimmerman was second. Daxton Trueblood won the 800-meter run and Quincy Stuhmer was second. Jacob Vogel finished second in the 100 and third in the 200 and Noah Hardy placed third in the 400 meters.
Lady Bluejays flying high
The PORTA-AC Central softball team continued their impressive play, moving to 8-2 on the season with three wins in four games last week. The Lady Bluejays won a tight one, 4 to 2 on the road at Taylorville last Wednesday. They played host to Rochester, Warrenburg-Latham, and Liberty in the Bluejays Spring Slam at the University of Illinois-Springfield on Saturday. They lost 5-0 to the Rockets but knocked off the Cardinals 8 to 0 and the Eagles 17 to 4.
High hopes for Bluejay Baseball
Returning all but three players from last year’s sixteen-win team, this year’s PORTA-AC Central baseball team has high hopes for the season. Head Coach Brett Leischner along with assistants Doug Blakeman, Rick King, Devon Roach, Jared Canterbury, and Dave Leischner are eager to build on a successful 2023 campaign. Coach Leischner knows it won’t be easy but feels the pieces are there to push towards twenty wins, improve on a 4-4, fifth place conference finish and make some hay in the postseason. According to Leischner, “there are high internal expectations this season. The schedule is very competitive, and the Sangamo Conference is one of the best small school conferences in the state. This year could prove to be a great one if we can stay healthy and pull together as a team.”
Lady Jays are on the rise
With their top three hitters and their top pitcher returning from last year’s 16-13 team, the PORTA-AC Central Lady Bluejays are looking to take the next step forward this season. Fourth year Coach Andrew Biermann (39-33 overall record) and asistants Mike Logsdon and Kassidy Johnson are hoping to improve on a 4-4 record and fifth place finish in the Sangamon Conference, push towards the twenty-win mark and make some postseason noise.
Ashland Fire District purchases armor
The Ashland Fire District Board voted to purchase body armor for firefighters at last week’s board meeting. The purchase is for four sets of armor at a cost near $8,400. At the suggestion of former fire chief Tylor Latham, they also voted to purchase extra trauma pads at a price of $1,000.
Boy Scout Troop 125
Over the first few months of 2024, two members of Troop 125 have traveled to Jacksonville to appear before their respective boards of review to be evaluated to determine whether or not they would receive the rank of Eagle Scout. Troop 125 is elated to report that Connor DeFord (Chandlerville) passed his Board of Review on January 17 and Evan Bell (Virginia) passed his Board of Review on March 6.
Lady Bluejays stay hot
Three wins in four games last week pushed the PORTA-AC Central softball team’s record to 5-1 for the season. The Lady Bluejays trounced Jacksonville Routt and Springfield Lanphier and snuck by North Mac before the season opening win streak was rudely snapped by Springfield High School.
Two wins for Bluejay Baseball
The PORTA-AC Central Baseball Team got off the schneid after losing their first two games of the season, winning twice last week over Havana and Payson Seymour before falling to North Boone to move to 2-3 on the season.
Ashland purchases body cameras
The Ashland village board voted at last week’s meeting to purchase two body cameras for the police department, an action mandated by the state. The purchase is for two cameras immediately and a refresher of two new cameras in two years. The motion has a not-to-exceed limit of $12,500 and will be paid with funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.