January 2012

Several former area high school softball players are competing at the collegiate level this spring.

Former Cobden High School athlete Taylor Orsburn is a member of the Southern Illinois University Carbondale squad.

Orsburn’s former teammate DaCota Knop is a member of the John A. Logan Community College team. 

Orsburn is a returning Missouri Valley all-conference selection. Knop is a returning Great Rivers Athletic Conference pick.

The Shawnee High School baseball team will stress hitting in hopes of a successful spring.

“We’ll have to hit a little better against teams,” Shawnee baseball coach Chad Pitts said. “Someone will have to step up.”

The other ingredients for success for the Redskins is already in place.

“Our big strength will be our pitching and defense,” Pitts said. “We have a lot of returners.”

The Redskins return all starters from last fall’s 10-1 squad.

Shawnee Community College is planning to host an annual job fair Wednesday, April 4.

The job fair will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Edward M. Smith Center on the college's main campus near Ullin.

The event is being held by the college in cooperation with the Shawnee Development Council, the Shawnee Community College Small Business Development Center and SMART Transportation.

Thirty-five businesses plan to be at the fair.

Transportation to the event is available through SMART.

Operation of a muncipal swimming pool could become an unaffordable luxury for the City of Anna.

The cost of operating the pool was on the agenda at last week's regular meeting of the Anna City Council.

The meeting was Tuesday evening, Feb. 21, at Anna City Hall.

City clerk Chris Jones shared a presentation about city pool policies, procedures and fees which he had drafted.

Jones and city administrator Steve Guined shared several key issues of concern about the pool.