<strong> </strong> <strong>Mr. Samuel J. “Sam” Jiardina, age 59 of Anna, died at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at the Union County Hospital in Anna. He was born June 16, 1953 in Springfield, Illinois, the son of Salvatore and Genevieve Harverstick, Jardina. He married Cheryl Earley on December 23, 2011 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.</strong>
<strong>Mr. Avon Merle Stark, age 93 of Festus, Missouri, formerly of Southern Illinois, departed this earthly life at 6:03 p.m. Sunday, March 17, 2013 in Festus, Missouri. He was born February 20, 1920 near Rantoul IL, the son of Roy and Nancy Hammer Stark.</strong>
<strong> Avon is survived by his brother, Harold (Jean) Stark of West Peoria; sever nieces and nephews; other relatives and many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; and brothers, Charles, Roy and infant brother.</strong>
Much of the old Union County Courthouse is now a heap of rubble following demolition work during the past week. Rock and concrete from the old building will be used by the county highway department to fill eroding creek banks.
Four persons have been arrested in connection with an alleged battery case which happened Saturday, March 9, in Anna.
The incident was reported to have left a 16-year-old Union County male subject with injuries that required hospitalization.
The Anna Police Department reported the arrests. The incident was reported to have happened at approximately 7 p.m. Saturday in a municipal parking lot in the 300 block of South Street in Anna.
The Geneva Davie Wiggs Memorial Scholarship is offered by the Union County Historical and Genealogy Society as a tribute to the longtime photographer and historic preservationist.
Mrs. Wiggs, of Wolf Lake, died in September 2004.
The scholarship is open to any Union County public high school senior who plans to major in history, the social studies with an emphasis on history, or in photography at either a two-year or four-year college or university in the fall of 2013.
The Anna City Council continues to work on drafting a budget for the fiscal year which begins May 1 and runs through April 30, 2014.
The budget was on the agenda at a regular meeting of the city council which was held Tuesday evening, March 19. The meeting was at Anna City Hall.
Budget action is scheduled to continue on April 2. The council is scheduled to meet and give tentative approval to the new budget.
The Chester Yellowjackets high school boys’ basketball team captured its first regional title since 1975 on Friday, Feb. 22.
Chester defeated Trico 69-48 to win the championship game at the Class 2A Murphysboro regional.
There is a local connection to the Chester basketball team.
The head coach of the Yellowjackets is former Dongola High School player Brad Norman.
Chester, 21-8 this season, was scheduled to play 28-1 Harrisburg on Wednesday at the West Frankfort sectional.
Anna-Jonesboro Community High School softball coach Kevin Stevens has a positive attitude heading into the spring season.
“I think we’ll have a really good season,” he said. “They’ve been working really hard” in practice, he added.
Stevens gives a lot of credit for any success during the season to assistant coach Krystal Emrick for her efforts throughout the year.
<strong>Mr. Weldon Clinton Lingle, age 92 of Anna, died at 11:25 p.m. Friday March 15, 2013 at the Illinois Veteran’s Home in Anna. He was born December 1, 1920 in Union County, the son of George and Minnie Knupp Lingle. He married Margaret Louise Goodman May 5, 1951.</strong>
The Anna-Jonesboro Community High School baseball team opened its season with a pair of losses.
Marion 10, A-J 4: Zach Parr was 2-for-3 with an RBI to lead the host Wildcats at the plate in the non-conference loss Saturday, March 16.
Evan Hughey was 1-for-2 with an RBI for A-J and Alex McRaven was 1-for-4 with an RBI.
Parr, Marcus Taylor and Colton James pitched in the loss.
O’Fallon 12, A-J 5: Tyler Vaughn and Brock Goforth pitched in the loss in A-J’s season-opener Thursday, March 14. The game was played at Rent One Park in Marion.
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