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Panther Effort Couldn’t Keep Devils Down
By Dennis Bowling It was without a doubt going to be a memorable night for Peotone senior Mady Kibelkis. Although not feeling well prior to the game with rival Manteno, Kibelkis walked on to the Panthers’ court, and she could feel her ailments momentarily disappear. That was truly bad news for Manteno on February 2!…

PJHS Presents: Robin Hood
The Peotone Junior High drama club will present the classic tale of “Robin Hood.” Performances are on Saturday, February 25, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, February 26, at 2 p.m. Tickets will be sold at the door at $5 for students and senior citizens or $10 for adults.

Devils Take a Loss then Move on to Trounce Lisle
By: Dennis Bowling The Peotone girls basketball team is a very close knit team. Following their first loss of the season to Prairie Central, the Blue Devils proved they are a very resilient group and rebounded in style by beating Lisle on January 30. Senior Mady Kibelkis, a 5′-8″ shooting guard, finished with 16 points,…

Priest Sentenced to Prison for Sexual Assault
Recently, a Kankakee County Judge sentenced Richard Jacklin, 70, to 18 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections following his conviction for sexually assaulting a resident of Shapiro Developmental Center (“SDC”) in Kankakee. Under Illinois law, that sentence is to be served at 85 percent. Richard Jacklin was a local priest who was contracted to…

Crash Shut Down Traffic For Hours
On January 25, an accident at the at I-57 southbound ramp and Peotone/Wilmington Road occurred at 4:39 p.m. Peotone Police and Fire were dispatched to a semi vs. passenger car accident. Occupants from the passenger car were all transported to local hospitals, but the driver from the semi-truck was uninjured. The semi-truck went off the…

Devils Pull Out Win Over Momence
By Dennis Bowling Peotone sophomore Brandon Weiss was not about to let a painful left leg achilles issue keep him from his appointed rounds. Weiss turned in a very gutsy effort on January 27. Weiss, a very promising point guard, with exceptional accuracy, registered a team-high 21 points, which included five treys, through three quarters…

Bobcat Boys Basketball Moves to 15-1
By Dennis Bowling Beecher junior Jack Hayhurst is a two-sport sensation. During this past fall, Hayhurst emerged as one of the top golfers in the State of Illinois. Currently, Hayhurst is one of the best three-point shooters, with dead-on accuracy, and that was especially true on January 3. Hayhurst, a 6’-4” dynamic guard, made five…

Bobcats Fall to Cyclones
By Dennis Bowling Beecher Coach Tyler Shireman knew the Bobcats would be up for a challenge when playing Chicago High School Agriculture Science, but the Bobcats’ offense really struggled against the Cyclones on January 26. Beecher’s bright spot was junior Ethan Rydberg, a 6-foot guard, who led with eight points and had three assists, as…

Beecher Pulls Out a Win Against the Raiders
By Dennis Bowling Beecher Coach Adam Keen knows freshman Ava Pattenaude has a very bright future with the Bobcats. Without a doubt, she is mature beyond her years and did an exceptional job on January 24, including in the waning moments of the game against Iroquois West. With little time left in the game, Beecher…

Devils Simply Devoured the Tigers
By Dennis Bowling Peotone senior Jenna Hunter, prior to the game with Illinois Central Eight Conference foe Herscher, was able to gather her thoughts. Hunter, who was mentally focused, simply devoured the Tigers on January 23. A 5’-11” power forward, Hunter scored a season high 26 points and hauled down 14 rebounds, to help Peotone…

Beecher Seeking Second Regional Title in School History
By Jeff Vorva Since Christmas, life around the Beecher boys basketball team has been anything but normal. When the freezing weather helped cause a pipe to burst and flooded the high school’s main gym, the floor was ruined and unusable, and the Bobcats had to adapt with practices and home games off campus. That set…

Time To Renew Golf Cart Registrations In Manteno
By Stephen Nelson At the January 17 Manteno Village Board Meeting, which lasted 13 minutes from beginning to end, Mayor Tim Nugent announced that it’s time to renew registrations for golf carts that use village streets. The mayor said, “everyone who registered last year will be getting a renewal form in the mail.” Anyone interested…