Back in the Day 5-27-20
10 years ago
June 2, 2010
Tuscola school’s Superintendent Joe Burgess left District 301 to take a job at Geona-Kingston School.
Tuscola’s Colleen Lehmann was chosen as a guest speaker for the Memorial Day observance ceremony at Tuscola Township Cemetery.
Anthony Morrison was chosen as the Boys State Representative for Tuscola High School and Claudia Christy and Hannah Leese were chosen as the Girls State representatives. Blake Stokes was also chosen as a Boys State representative, but he was unable to attend the event.
The Tuscola Warriors softball season ended in their Sectional match against Catlin. The girls ended their season with a 17-15 final record.
The boys track relay team of Alex Kemp, Jordan Baird, Jerrod Baird, and Gunnar Edwards took home a fourth-place finish at the State Track meet with a time of 1:30.10.
The 2010 Warrior Track and Field Award winners included: Jerrod Baird and Laura Knight for Warrior Spirit, Gunnar Edwards and Lindsay Troike for Most Outstanding Track Athlete, Jud Weinke and Gabrielle Rodmaker for Most Outstanding Field Athlete, and Jordan Baird and Lindsay Troike for Most Valuable Performer.
20 years ago
May 30, 2000
Mortar boards were flying high as 70 members of the TCHS Class of 2000 were officially graduated Friday evening, May 26. Crystal Obrecht, Casey Roberts, Janeen Sutherland, Jenny Gensler, and Jessica Hughes provided the valedictory speeches.
The City of Tuscola, which held the option on the old North Ward property, agreed to give the Tuscola school district $100,000 toward the new elementary school construction project.
Tuscola resident John Best, a psychology professor at Easten Illinois University, received the Ringenberg Award from EIU for his outstanding performance during the recent school year.
Individual award winners at the TCHS spring sports banquet included Dan Bridge as MVP and Darren Lewis for Most Improved Player for baseball; Karie Foster as MVP and Most RBI, Amy Hettinger as Highest Batting Average, and Marissa McCumber as Most Improved Player for softball; Aja Kolbecker as Most Outstanding Track Award, Janeen Sutherland as Four-Year Track Award, Jenna Weinke as Outstanding Field Award, Megan Quick as Most Improved, and Kacey O’Brien as Four-Year Award for girls track and field; and for boys track and field Matthew Montavon Outstanding Performer; Asif Azhar, Four-Year Track Award; Kenny Hogue, Outstanding Performer; and Beau Wilson, Four-Year Field Award. Hogue took home two medals in the state track meet, with a fourth-place finish in the triple jump and a ninth-place showing in the long jump.
30 years ago
May 29, 1990
The audience that packed county board chambers sat in stunned silence as board members voted 6-1 against a proposal by Strategic Health Planners Inc. to save the financially strapped Douglas Jarman Memorial Hospital. The vote meant that the hospital would be closing June 1, 1990.
TCHS senior honor students who were guests of the Tuscola Rotary Club included Kristy Leamon, Sarah Coatney, Jennifer Plaszynski, Jamie McDonald, Mike Holt, Jon Roedder, Jeff Buraglia, and Eric Alexander,
New officers installed recently for the Tuscola ABC club were Dave Robinson, secretary; Alan Batts, second vice president; John Pangburn, first vice president; Steve Hilgendorf, president; Mike Humphrey, treasurer; Myron Pangburn, sergeant-at-arms; and directors Jake Groves, Dave Lecher, and Darrell Ford.
The Tuscola Warriors baseball dropped a 6-3 heart-breaker to Jamaica in the Unity Regional. J.J. Donnals led the Warrior attack with three hits in four trips to the place, with Mike Taylor contributing two hits.
40 years ago
May 27, 1980
Five Norweigans toured Central Illinois for the past six weeks–including a day spent in Tuscola with Rotarians Jack Allen, Bob Hastings, and Steve Winans–through an exchange program sponsored through Rotary International.
The Rev. K. Belmont Metzger and Mrs. Tracy Carpenter were ringing the church bell at Tuscola United Methodist Church each day at noon, a practice that would continue in recognition of the 53 hostages still being held in Iran.
Tuscola High Schooler Colby Decker was the second-best discus thrower in the State of Illinois, with his silver-medal-winning toss of 168-10. Hank Hill of Robinson won gold with his throw of 171-10.
50 years ago
June 4, 1970
Donors gave 140 pints of blood when the American Red Cross bloodmobile came to town recently. Among the 12-gallon donors were Reeve Norton, Garland Strohl, Lee Allison, Margaret Wetzel, Mary Albin, Duane Bruce, Glenn Benson, Paul Flesor, Ada McGuire, Roscoe Humphreys, Bill Rogers, and Martha Shanks.
Two cows belonging to George Weaver of Villa Grove, valued at $200, had to be destroyed after they were struck by a 19-year-old driver from Kankakee who was traveling along Route 130 near Villa Grove at 2 a.m. Damage to the car was estimated at $450.
Scoring points in the Okaw Conference track-and-field meet held recently at Unity High School were Rick Izquierdo, Greg Hastings, Lyle Tingley, Jim Cox, Larry Ring, Gary Foltz, Kenny Burke, Randy Owen, Greg Sebens, Rick Welborn, Tom Gossett, Mark Owen, Rick Reinhart, and Bill Anderson.