The Daily Egyptian - April 29, 2026

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2026

ISP confirms investigation of ‘an allegation’ of Cambria’s top cop

BRAYDEN GUY bguy@dailyegyptian.com

The Illinois State Police have confirmed an investigation into “an allegation” involving Cambria Police Chief Phillip Boss.

In an April 23 email, ISP Public Information Office Deputy Chief Lt. Brian Lavin told the Daily Egyptian that the Illinois State Special Investigations Unit is investigating an allegation regarding Boss.

ISP did not provide further information regarding the investigation nor the allegation. Boss did not respond to a request for comment.

The DE previously reported that the police chief admitted he shared a photograph with other people, and he shouldn’t have done it, village records show. “I think I know what this is about and it’s about the photograph and I

Interim provost search proceeds with new committee, 3 candidates

CARLY GIST

cgist@dailyegyptian.com

SIU Carbondale is restarting its internal search for an interim provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs after a lastminute addition to the position’s search committee led all original members to resign and raised questions about the university’s commitment to transparency and inclusivity.

Sheryl Tucker, who has served as provost since July of 2023, is departing the role in June and will remain a chemistry professor at SIU.

A search committee to identify potential replacements was formed on March 18 and quickly planned to begin interviewing candidates on April 17. While the committee featured an array of constituency groups on campus, the Black Staff and Faculty Council said it did not accurately reflect SIU’s racial demographics.

David Shirley, Lane’s chief of staff, said in an email to the Daily Egyptian that to increase diversity, Chancellor Austin Lane added representation from four constituency groups to the committee on April 8 — nine days before interviews.

The original committee members announced in a letter sent to Lane and distributed by email April 15 to SIU faculty and civil service LISTSERVs that they were resigning “en masse.” The committee said that while they value inclusive participation, the timing of the addition “compromised the transparency, credibility, and integrity of the search process.” They requested that the process be paused and a new committee formed.

Shirley said the search was paused and invitations for new members were sent.

He said the search resumed on April 21, and the new committee is working to hold interviews with candidates this week.

According to an April 13 email provided to the DE, five people applied for the interim position. Three SIU deans are moving forward to the next round: Xiaoqing “Frank” Liu (College of Engineering, Computing, Technology, and Mathematics), Robert Morgan (College of Health and Human Sciences) and Marc E. Morris (College of Business and Analytics). Shirley confirmed one candidate dropped out. It is not clear why the fifth candidate did not move forward.

A virtual public forum for Liu was held Tuesday, April 28. Virtual public forums for Morgan and Morris are on April 29 and April 30 respectively, both set for 3 to 4 p.m on Microsoft Teams. Links to access the forums were provided in a campuswide email from HR.

The interim will be allowed to apply for the permanent position, Shirley said.

Transparency issues preceded the search

According to documents obtained by the Daily Egyptian through a Freedom of Information Act request, Tucker, the incumbent provost, planned to announce her departure from the role in November of 2025, but Chancellor Lane told her in an email not to do so, saying that he would announce the departure after her contract ends in June 2026.

The DE previously reported that Tucker’s

realize I shouldn’t have shown it to the others,” the chief told the village board, according to minutes from its Jan. 6 meeting.

Williamson County Sheriff’s Office records show that on Oct. 16, 2025, Boss responded to a call involving a woman who was naked in her neighbor’s vehicle.

Two additional Williamson County law enforcement agencies also responded.

The woman was subsequently taken by

ambulance to Herrin Hospital. Craig Ward, the woman’s neighbor, said in a Facebook comment on the DE’s original story that he had sent a photo of the woman to Boss during the incident out of concern for her.

The board in January voted to allow village attorney Webb Smith to investigate Boss’ conduct. There is no evidence, however, that the investigation has been conducted. Smith refused to

comment on the investigation for the DE’s initial April 14 story. Since then, the village’s government has faced turmoil. Three village officials resigned, and the village board found itself deadlocked over a vote in February to terminate Boss — a tie that was broken by then-Village President Ron Modglin and resulted in the chief being retained.

Why did the snake cross the road?

crossing the road. Olivia Luesing | oluesing@dailyegyptian.com

Caracas to Carbondale:

Julio Guerrero’s path to SIU Baseball stardom

NOAH PETSCHKE npetschke@dailyegyptian.com

Centerfielder Julio Guerrero hit a walkoff home run on March 27, his fourth long ball in the last five games. The surging Junior was greeted with excitement by his teammates and showed love for his family in the stands.

Guerrero hails from Caracas, Venezuela’s capital city, and made his way to the United States in 2022. After

moving countries, Guerrero started playing in a spring baseball league in Florida before dominating in his two years at North Central Missouri College.

The Salukis scouted the talented and upbeat centerfielder, and Guerrero made his way to Southern Illinois University to play Division I baseball in 2025.

experience with JuCo, but you can see the difference between JuCo and D1.”

After meeting with Guerrero, head coach Lance Rhodes praised his presence on and off the field, which made him a prime target to bring to Itchy Jones Stadium.

“It was an amazing transition,” Guerrero said. “I loved my

“You can just immediately tell that he is a good human,” Rhodes said. “He can do everything on a baseball field really well,

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The Daily Egyptian, the student-run news organization of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is committed to being a trusted source of news, information, commentary and public discourse, while helping readers understand the issues affecting their lives.

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Threats to journalists are rising worldwide — and here, too

DAILY EGYPTIAN EDITORIAL BOARD editor@dailyegyptian.com

In the last few years, the Daily Egyptian has emerged as one of the leading sources of investigative journalism in southern Illinois, a place teeming with stories to tell, and hardly anyone to tell them.

Whenever you see an in-depth report about any malfeasance in this region, it likely came from our journalism school – whether from a professor or a student.

While we pour hours into storytelling, we’re also studying for finals, working second jobs, contributing to student organizations and engaging with our community.

We’re not complaining — this is what we signed up for. This is what we are paying thousands of dollars to do. We put extensive time and effort into producing and consuming news, and we’re passionate about it — that is a fact. But facts come with risks.

According to the U.S. Press

Freedom Tracker, journalists this past year have experienced over 100 incidents of arrests, targeting, chilling speech and more. Unfortunately, these aren’t abnormal occurrences for a career in journalism. This is to be expected, even for us.

Student newsrooms are not excluded from this chilled environment — the Indiana Daily Student faced doxxing and censorship, The Alestle at SIU Edwardsville reported belittling from the university’s administration and the Columbia Daily Spectator in New York saw federal scrutiny, censorship and administrative pressure while garnering national attention during a year of historic protests.

This being a nationwide issue means it’s happening here, too.

Recently, after the Daily Egyptian factually reported on a chaotic civic situation unfolding in small town America, someone asked us to remove a newsstand from their

office. At that office, attached to the newsstand, we found a photo of a reporter with a red “X” across their face. Our professors thought it was a serious enough threat to file a police report.

Putting a red “X” over someone’s face in response to their reporting is nearly the textbook definition of the chilling effect, or something that is intended to intimidate, influence and silence reporters and their sources.

Perhaps this was meant to be a joke. But jokes are supposed to be funny, and there’s nothing funny about this. A red “X” over someone’s face carries a violent connotation. It means elimination. Cancellation. Whatever word you want to use, it’s something along those lines, and it’s not a joke.

We have never published a single story that we did not go over with a fine tooth comb. Every article is reviewed extensively by a team of editors. We even have lawyers review the tough ones

before publication.

When we do make mistakes, which happens, we correct course. We apologize, admit our errors and update our stories with revisions. We want to learn and do better.

We welcome all the smoke and feedback from our community. If you take issue with our reporting, please criticize us. It helps us grow, which is why we’re here.

But there is a fine line between criticism and attacks, and that line has been crossed.

Our newsroom is a learning lab for young students to immerse themselves in journalistic practices in order to leave here flourished. The bodies in this newsroom are always changing — experienced seniors graduate and a new wave of freshmen come in to learn, and the cycle begins again.

Despite the constant turnover, our newsroom takes our role in the community seriously, because doing good work here builds the basis of our career, and there are not nearly enough people pursuing the journalism path

in this polarized political climate. Many folks in our newsroom were born and raised in this area. We serve this community not just to gain experience, but because this community is important to us. We care.

Our young student reporters have also landed bylines in organizations like The New York Times, ProPublica, Reuters and Capitol News Illinois. Students are interning in cities around the world in order to hone our craft and bring that knowledge back home to this very newspaper.

As World Press Freedom Day approaches on May 3, we ask our southern Illinois readers to show us compassion. We welcome you to constructively critique us — not send us petty threats — and if you have any ways we can improve, or maybe even a story tip, you know where to reach us.

The Daily Egyptian Editorial Board consists of Carly Gist, Lylee Gibbs, Jackson Brandhorst, Peyton Cook, Emily Brinkman and David Starr-Fleming.

Former Salukis McClendon, Geelen keep NFL dreams alive

Even though neither of them heard their name called in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the NFL draft, both former Saluki football Cornerback Jeremiah McClendon and former Saluki kicker/punter Paul Geelen signed with NFL teams in the hours that followed.

McClendon signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent almost immediately after the draft ended.

“I’m coming into mini-camp head first,” he told StrongDawgs in

an interview later that night. “Every time I step onto the field, I want to take advantage of the opportunity that I have to show my best talent. I’ll play every snap like it’s my last snap.”

McClendon played both the 2024 and 2025 seasons at SIU after transferring from Florida International. McClendon got both national and conference hardware after the 2025 season.

He was voted a second team FCS All-American by both Stats Perform and the Associated Press, while also garnering third team recognition from FCS Football Central.

McClendon was also the lone Saluki to make the All-Missouri Valley Conference first team.

McClendon made his mark in the SIU record books in 2025 when he tied the SIU record for pass breakups in a season with 14.

Geelen received an invitation to Denver Broncos rookie minicamp, which takes place in early May. He served as both the placekicker and the punter for SIU, but is trying out as a kicker for the Broncos.

“I don’t care whether I’m going to be a kicker or punter or both, but in this case they were looking for the kicker position,” Geelen said

to StrongDawgs. “I’m very excited, very grateful for the opportunity.”

Geelen played both the 2024 and 2025 seasons in Carbondale after spending the first two years of his collegiate career at Division II William Jewell.

Geelen was voted a second team All-Missouri Valley selection in 2025, while adding a Stats Perform third team All-American honor and AP All-American honorable mention to his award shelf.

He went 15-17 on field goals in 2025, with both misses being from over 50 yards, and was perfect on PATs.

Geelen is also eligible for the International Player Pathway Program as a native of the Netherlands, which means the Broncos can use an extra spot to keep him on the practice squad. There are currently two former Salukis in the NFL, as safety Jeremy Chinn is currently on the Las Vegas Raiders and safety PJ Jules is currently a member of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Sports Reporter Eli Hoover can be reached at ehoover@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @hoovermakesart

CAMBRIA

In late February, the village clerk and village president — who are married — resigned from their positions. Without a president to break tie votes, the six village trustees’ 3-3 votes to elect a new village president have ended in a stalemate.

The DE sent several Freedom of Information Act requests to the village in February and March, requesting records regarding the photo, village officials’ correspondence about the photo, investigative files, and case logs regarding the call for service from which the photo was allegedly taken. The village provided public meeting minutes and a response from the chief to the DE’s FOIA requests. In the response to a March 3 FOIA request,

PROVOST

Boss wrote that Cambria PD “only assisted the Carterville ambulance service,” and there was no “criminal complaint that would create a report.”

The DE in March filed a request for review with the Public Access Bureau, a part of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office that ensures compliance with FOIA. An attorney with the bureau contacted the village seeking a detailed description of the efforts the village took to search for the records.

The village attorney, village clerk and Boss responded to the Public Access Bureau on April 21, regarding “the status of the requested information and why it was not previously produced.”

In the letter addressed to the bureau, Boss wrote that the photograph referenced in the DE’s FOIA requests was sent “to a

departure became an open secret on campus for months. Lane said he followed protocol and that he would not announce it without a letter of resignation or documented departure agreement. But members of the Faculty Senate, the representative body of SIU faculty, expressed concern about what the delay would mean for current initiatives and the search for a new provost.

The Faculty Senate Executive Council and Lane met on Feb. 17. Khalid Meksem, faculty senate president, requested Lane create search committees for identifying and recommending suitable candidates for the interim and permanent provost. According to the report, Lane said he would commit to the council’s request, and that he is committed to shared governance and will consult with faculty before selecting either position.

During the meeting, Lane said his legal counsel and Tucker’s legal counsel had ongoing transition negotiations, and that once it was settled, a formal announcement would be made. Lane later announced Tucker’s departure on Feb. 20 in an email to campus.

On March 17, a nonbinding resolution regarding campus instability was unanimously passed by the Faculty Senate. The resolution stated that the original decision to not announce the provost’s departure until June violated the faculty’s right to a timely and collaborative search for a new provost, and suggested that interim leaders be appointed through collaboration with faculty and other constituencies.

Diversity efforts and timing concerns

In early March, various groups on campus were invited to submit nominees to serve on the interim provost search committee. On March 18, a committee of seven members, each from different constituencies, was formed. Jennifer S. Sherry (Faculty Senate) served as chair; the other members were Hannah Brenner Johnson (Dean of Simmons Law School), Rachel Frazier (AP Staff Council), Matthew Romero (Tenure and Tenure Track Faculty Association), Anahit Amiri (Graduate Assistants United), Mike Olsen (Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association) and Thomas Becker (Civil Service Council).

department-issued phone” and that the photo was removed from the device.

“At the time of the incident, no criminal complaint was filed,” Boss wrote. “As a result, those photographs were not retained as evidence and were subsequently removed from the department-issued device in the normal course of operations. Therefore, those photographs are no longer in the possession of the Cambria Police Department and cannot be produced.”

In his response to the bureau, Boss also provided a Cambria Police Department case log that showed he had answered Ward’s call on Oct, 16 2025.

Meeting mayhem

Since these allegations surfaced, village board meetings that would previously only garner a handful of residents in the community’s board room have now

According to an email between Shirley and the committee, the objective of the committee was to help narrow down candidates for the role of interim provost. After completing the interviews, the committee would make recommendations, which Lane would evaluate. Lane would then interview the candidates and make a selection of the interim.

In an interview with the DE, Romero and Olsen, who serve as Faculty Association presidents for tenure/tenure track and non tenure track respectively, said the committee was under a compressed timeline but working effectively. They held two meetings the week following the creation of the committee, as well as one to finalize candidate questions on April 3.

“Over those first two meetings, we laid out the job description, the timeline,” Olsen said. “We had set pretty quickly a target date of doing interviews by April 17 with the position opening to close on April 13.”

A meeting between Lane and the Faculty Senate Executive Council took place on April 7. Shirley, Lane’s chief of staff, said that Lane shared “the need for SIUC to be steadfast in its commitment to expand diversity and representation on all searches — including the search for the Interim Provost role” during the meeting.

The next day, Shirley alerted the search committee that members from four Board of Trustees-confirmed constituency groups — Black Staff and Faculty Council; LGBTQ+ Faculty and Staff Council; Asian Pacific Islander Faculty Staff Council; and Hispanic/ Latino Staff and Faculty Council — were added to the search committee, according to an email provided to the DE with the new members’ names redacted.

Romero and Olsen said they believe the constituency groups should have been on the committee from the beginning, but that adding them during a late stage compromised the autonomy of the committee and the fairness of the search.

“It’s important to note that the norm on campus is that hiring committees are autonomous; that once formed, the committee goes and does its work,” Romero said. “We know our jobs, that’s exactly why we all fell in line. Then we report back either a choice or a recommendation to the hiring manager. That’s where the confusion came in — how can we be an autonomous group if we’re being augmented at this late stage in the process?”

Olsen said that after this change, the original committee members met on April 10 to discuss their concerns.

“The point that we kept coming back to was that we didn’t understand how we could function by adding so many members at such a late stage, given that those members were not a part of the conversations, forming the questions, the discussion that took place in the initial committee,” Olsen said.

“The new members lacked any of that context, and we felt that it would be sort of unjust and unfair to the new members but also to the candidates themselves who would be interviewed by a committee that had been altered at such a late stage.”

The committee’s resignation letter emphasized that they do not oppose the inclusion of more constituency groups but rather the timing, which Romero and Olsen reiterated.

been moved to the larger cafeteria, at times devolving into chaos from wall to wall. The DE previously reported that trustees described meetings as toxic and divided, with disputes spilling beyond the allegations themselves into conflicts over residency, past conduct and political loyalties.

Some residents and community leaders have rallied behind the chief, urging trustees who supported an investigation into the incident to step down.

Trustee Marshall Brown has met allegations that his property is outside the village limits. Brown has said a village ordinance annexed his property into the village in 1996.

In a special meeting on April 21, the village board addressed agenda items from previous meetings that were tabled because

“Those constituency groups could have, and arguably should have, been on the committee from the very beginning,” Olsen said.

In their letter, the committee recommended “pausing the process and forming a new committee with full representation from the outset” in order to protect the institution’s and search’s integrity.

The Daily Egyptian sent a request for comment over email to all original committee members on April 17. Jennifer Sherry, the chair, said that she had no further comment about the resignation. The other original committee members did not respond.

The DE also reached out over text to Lane and Jeff Harmon, chief communications and marketing officer at SIU.

“As we have said before, we will be inclusive and have diversity for our searches,” Harmon said in response. Administrators, faculty respond to resignation

At the SIU Board of Trustees meeting on April 16, SIU System President Daniel Mahony said that throughout his 40-year career in higher education, he has never seen a search committee for an administrative interim position.

“I am not sure if there are many or any other chancellors or presidents in the country who would be as accommodating as (Lane) has been,” Mahony said. “So you can imagine my feelings when I saw the resignation from the search committee, when Chancellor Lane listened to other groups who were not a part of the original search committee, who represent diverse groups on campus and diverse voices, who wanted to be included and so he decided to bring those diverse voices to the committee…Particularly given the moment we are living in in history, opposing more inclusion, one of the three words that are frequently banned today, seems to be perplexing, strange and frankly disappointing.”

In the late afternoon of April 24, the executive board of the Black Faculty and Staff Council sent a letter regarding interim provost search committee concerns to Lane, with Shirley, Sherry and Nick Wortman, associate vice chancellor of human resources, copied.

In the letter, the group raised concerns about the foundational reasoning behind the resignation.

“As an institution that embraces inclusivity and diversity, the original committee lacked representation of all BIPOC groups and members from diverse ethnic and minority communities,” the group wrote. “This raises immediate concerns regarding inclusion, representation, and the integrity of the search process itself. Historically, hiring search committees are required to include representation from the recognized constituency groups.”

In the letter, BSFC said that they understand the timeline concerns, but that the resignation has broader implications. They said they did not receive an update from the committee regarding timeline and candidate material until April 13, and that the members’ resignation came without notification.

“It is disheartening that the committee did not communicate their concerns directly with the additional BIPOC constituency groups,” the group wrote.

BSFC also pointed to various benefits of a diverse hiring committee, including reducing biases, improving the quality of decision-making and

of how long the meetings had been lasting.

The village board considered and voted on applicants for village president from the public. No applicants received enough votes from the trustees to become the village president, leaving the position vacant. The board carried a motion to pay for a survey of Brown’s property to determine if it is in village limits.

The board on April 21 went into the executive session to discuss the last agenda item, “discuss threatened litigation.” The nature of the threatened litigation was not clear. Executive sessions are closed to the public, although public bodies can enter to discuss topics like personnel issues and litigation.

Staff Reporter Brayden Guy can be reached at bguy@dailyegyptian.com

creating more equitable hires.

“Students, particularly those from historically marginalized backgrounds, look to institutional leadership as a reflection of their belonging and value within the campus community,” the group wrote. “What message does it send to these students when representation is contested rather than embraced in decisions as significant as a provost search?”

In an April 27 joint statement to the Daily Egyptian, Romero and Olsen said that both Faculty Associations have reached out to the BSFC and other constituency groups regarding the resignation.

“We welcome the opportunity to listen to their concerns, share our experiences on the committee, and to find common ground for the health of our organizations and SIU broadly,” they wrote. “The original committee members felt strongly that the additional constituencies should have been included at the onset of the search. Had their voices been included from the beginning, we feel it would have led to a different — and likely better — outcome and a more productive search.”

Members of BSFC could not immediately be reached for comment.

Search will finish with new committee

In an email to the DE, Shirley, Lane’s chief of staff, wrote, “As requested by the now resigned committee, the process was paused, and an invitation for new members was sent to the groups (also adding Undergraduate Student Government and Grad Council). The groups were informed that if they could not provide a nominee, that their group would be offered an opportunity to interview candidates during the interview day that would be set for each candidate.”

Shirley said the following groups provided nominees: Graduate Council; Graduate Assistants United; Undergraduate Student Government; AP Staff Council; Civil Service Council; Black Staff and Faculty Council; Hispanic/Latino Staff and Faculty Council; LGBTQ+ Faculty and Staff Council; and Asian Pacific Islander Faculty Staff Council.

The Faculty Senate and both Faculty Associations elected not to provide a nominee.

Olsen said that he declined to send representation because he believed that the recommendation to pause the committee hadn’t been taken seriously. He received the email asking for representation just four hours after the committee had sent their resignation letter.

Romero said he declined to send representation because he saw the process as polluted. “I wasn’t going to subject somebody else to it,” he said.

Shirley said the new committee resumed on April 21 and were holding interviews throughout the following week. He said this will allow Chancellor Lane “time to evaluate the feedback and make an announcement of the new Interim Provost in early May.”

Romero and Olsen said that while they feel the process was mishandled, they are ultimately glad that the new committee is diverse and wish them the best.

The Daily Egyptian will update this story online as it develops.

The inner workings of an airport

RILEY SEMBLER rsembler@dailyegyptian.com

Amidst farm fields sits a 1,200 acre airport with echoes of planes whizzing above. Terry Maddox, a maintenance technician for Crucial MRO works on various maintenance jobs on planes in the hanger.

The Southern Illinois Airport is located between Carbondale and Murphysboro, and is home to a handful of operations: including plane maintenance, SIU flight training and restaurant St. Nicholas Brewing Company Co. More than 500 flights take off at the airport daily.

Crucial MRO, a maintenance company located in the airport strips down planes, repairs and modifies them. The planes that they work on are commercial and corporate jets. Before some of these planes came into Crucial MRO, they sat in the desert in the southwest. Lines of planes sit in the desert in a uniform pattern waiting to be flown to be fixed before being flown to Crucial.

In order to get them to the hangar they use a special ferry flight permit that allows

the plane to fly on very strict and specific restrictions. Decommissioned planes are often stored in desert areas to prevent corrosion and rust while they’re out of commission. Each plane takes up to 90 days to complete.

The airport is also home to the SIUs aviation department. Through the aviation program students are able to get hands-on experience with flying and maintenance of planes. Students are also able to get involved with The Flying Salukis, which is a student organization that gives students an opportunity to compete in aviation based competitions that span from regional to the national level.

St. Nicholas Brewing Co. brings flavor to the airport serving food and drink for guests. Unique decorations line the walls with large windows facing north towards the runway where visitors can watch airplanes takeoff and land.

Staff Photographer Riley Sembler can be reached at rsembler@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @riley_sembler

22 snake species cross Snake Road for the summer

OLIVIA LUESING oluesing@dailyegyptian.com

Every spring, as the weather warms up and the flowers begin to bloom, the snake species of Southern Illinois begin to stir from hibernation deep in limestone bluffs. They peek their heads out of crevices, slowly gaining more energy and courage to move toward swampy land for the rest of the summer, where they will feed, mate and store fat before the next hibernation.

Come fall, the snakes do it all over again, moving from the swamps back to the bluffs as temperatures continue to decline.

Forest Service Road 345, located in the LaRue-Pine Hills area of the Shawnee National Forest in Union County, Illinois, closes to vehicles biannually to protect the snakes that migrate across it every spring and fall.

Dubbed Snake Road, it is home to 22 snake species that move between the bluffs and swamps that line either side of the road. The closure attracts tourists and snake hobbyists from across the country to witness this biannual movement of diverse snake species.

Zoologist John Palis is one such visitor who has had a lifelong interest in herpetology, and often makes trips to Snake Road to hike its full 2.5 miles and observe the migration.

As an SIU alum who graduated in 1979, Palis has always been fascinated by amphibians and reptiles.

“Oh, they’re beautiful.

Amphibians are probably my first love,” he said. “But I really do like snakes a lot, too. Though I can’t explain why.”

Palis saunters down the road, keeping an eye on the surrounding environment for

camouflaged snakes. He even ventures off the beaten path and up to the bluffs, shining a light into crevices to reveal piles of snakes still waiting to move.

He takes note of every snake he spots, writing down its species, size and approximate age. Palis shares his data with U.S. Forest Service employee Mycah Scoggins.

Scoggins is one of the only two wildlife biologists who overlook the Shawnee National Forest. She is also one of the leaders of the Snake Road sentinel workshops, where she trains volunteers on snake identification and how to collect data at Snake Road.

Held twice a year, the Snake Road sentinel program is in partnership with University of Illinois Extension, and offers in-person and online training

A timber rattlesnake is seen March 22, 2026 poking its head out of the limestone bluffs that line one side of Snake Road in Union County, Illinois. Timber rattlesnakes are a state threatened species in Illinois due to their low reproductive rate and the fear that is associated with venomous snakes. Olivia Luesing | oluesing@dailyegyptian.com

Kovich reads

Road April 17, 2026 from the information board that’s

other reptiles and amphibians. Olivia Luesing | oluesing@dailyegyptian.com

for volunteers. Alyssa Macuiba, wilderness technician and volunteer coordinator, and Anne Townsend, the program coordinator for U of I Extension, work together with Scoggins to lead the workshops.

“I love teaching and educating. (Volunteer) training is one of my favorite parts of the year,” Scoggins said.

When visiting Snake Road, volunteers are taught to record how many visitors they see and the amount of snakes they spot, including the species, amount, age, size and if it’s injured or has a disease.

The U.S. Forest Service is using the data to develop a long-term data set that shows statistical evidence of the snakes and pinpoints the exact dates that they start moving across the road.

Among the countless tourists

who visit the road each year, Snake Road sentinel volunteers are out there monitoring the road and reporting their data back to the forest service.

Scoggins asks the volunteers to travel by foot only, and to not harass the snakes or flip over any logs and rocks. According to the U.S. Forest Service, the handling or collection of snakes is not allowed and is prohibited by law. A more in-depth list of rules is available on the Forest Service’s website.

The road is currently closed to vehicles until May 15, and closes again in the fall from Sept. 1 to Oct. 30.

This story was produced for JRNL-412 Intermediate Photojournalism.

Staff Photographer Olivia Luesing can be reached at oluesing@dailyegyptian.com

road

as the

| oluesing@dailyegyptian.com

Point April

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Mycah Scoggins laughs with some volunteers of the Snake Road sentinel workshop February 28, 2026 as they walk down Snake Road in the LaRue-Pine Hills region of the Shawnee National Forest in Union County, Illinois. Olivia Luesing | oluesing@dailyegyptian.com

John Palis uses binoculars to look for snakes up in the bluffs March 22, 2026 that surround one side of Snake Road at the LaRue-Pine Hills area of the Shawnee National Forest in Union County, Illinois. Palis has a lifelong interest in herpetology, but didn’t hear about Snake Road until he attended SIU in the 1970s, where he graduated in zoology. Olivia Luesing | oluesing@dailyegyptian.com

Faith Kovich cups her hands in a pool of tadpoles April 20, 2026 at Snake Road in Union County, Illinois. Olivia Luesing | oluesing@dailyegyptian.com

A cottonmouth is seen swimming March 22, 2026 away from the shore of the swamps that surround Snake Road in Union County, Illinois. Olivia Luesing | oluesing@dailyegyptian.com

A group of volunteers who attended the Snake Road Sentinel Spring 2026 Workshop in Jonesboro, Illinois walk down Snake Road February 28, 2026 in Union County, Illinois. The group just completed their training and went out to the road to get familiar with the area. Olivia Luesing | oluesing@dailyegyptian.com

Saluki Softball battles to a 1-1 split with Racers

AARON CARNAHAN acarnahan@dailyegyptian.com

Sophomore first baseman Hayden Kurtz dug into the box in game one of a doubleheader on the road against Missouri Valley Conference rivals, the Murray State Racers, on Tuesday, April 21.

The Salukis trailed by a run with no one out and the tying run at second. With a powerful swing, Kurtz sent a drive to the left field corner. The ball smacked the foul pole with a loud ping, and Kurtz put the Salukis past the Racers with a big-time home run in the top of the sixth

APRIL 21: SIU 4, MURRAY 3

The Saluki offense struck first in the top of the third inning when junior designated player Emily Williams crushed a double to center field. Sophomore left fielder Sage Grann came all the way around from first base to score on the Williams double, and

GUERRERO

CONTINUED FROM 1

and when you combine his skillset with who he is as a person, it’s as good as it gets.”

Jacob McKenzie, an SIU catcher and Guerrero’s roommate, also values his interactions with him.

“We start talking about the game, life, and anything that’s going on. We just communicate like brothers,” McKenzie said. “How he is with people, how he treats people, he’s just a great guy.”

From March 20-28, Guerrero went on an offensive tear, notching five home runs and driving in 11 runs.

“I was just seeing the ball and hitting the ball well,” Guerrero said. “I was feeling really good that week.”

McKenzie also found a lot of success during that six-game stretch, driving in seven runs in a span of two games. The pair of roommates tallied 11 RBI in the three-game series at UIC.

“That was awesome. It was just see ball, hit ball, and it just felt good,” McKenzie said. “The first at

the Salukis were ahead 1-0.

The Racers responded in the bottom half of the third with an RBI single up the middle that knotted up the game at 1-1.

Junior center fielder Mikaela Coburn hit an infield single to shortstop with Kurtz on second base. SIU capitalized on an errant throw to third base, and Kurtz came across home plate to score while Coburn advanced to second on the error.

The Racers took their first lead of the day on a two-run home run to left field in the bottom of the fifth inning. The long ball left the Salukis trailing the Racers 3-2 after five innings.

Junior third baseman Amanda Knutson lined a double down the left field line to start the top of the sixth inning. Kurtz stepped into the box with the tying run on second base and no outs. Kurtz jumped all over a pitch and sent

bat, I grounded out, then after that I was like ‘let’s go, turn it on’ and then we started hitting well.”

Amidst that stretch of home runs, Guerrero hit a walk-off home run on a particularly special night.

“It was amazing. It was my first career walk-off home run,” Guerrero said. “My family was there and got to see it, so it was amazing. When they have the time, they come to support me, and I love them, and it was a really cool experience.”

While that week stands out on the stat sheet, Guerrero has been a consistent, high-level hitter during his time at SIU.

“He can hit for power and hit for average,” Rhodes said. “He’s a professional baseball player; he’s got what it takes.”

Guerrero is tied for the most stolen bases (18) among MVC hitters, despite playing 14 fewer games than the player tied for the lead.

“He’s got such a good feel for stealing bases that we just trust him once he’s on,” Rhodes said. “He’s one of the fastest kids we’ve had. So, not only does he have great instincts, but his foot speed

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a moonshot to left field that hit the foul pole and left it rattling. That two-run go-ahead home run was Kurtz’s sixth long ball of the season. The Dawgs now lead the Racers by a score of 4-3.

Freshman pitcher Brooklyn Danielson took the start in the circle for the Salukis. Danielson pitched four and one-third innings, allowing seven hits and three runs while obtaining five strikeouts of Racer hitters.

Danielson threw 92 pitches in her start and exited the game in the fifth inning.

Junior Pitcher and this past week’s MVC pitcher of the week, Emily Delgado, entered the game. Delgado threw two and two-thirds innings, not allowing a hit or run, and just one Racer reached base on a walk. Delgado’s scoreless outing was good enough to lead the Salukis to a 4-3 victory. Delgado received the win and moves to 9-4

is tremendous.”

Along with his speed, Guerrero said he also works constantly to improve his base-stealing skills.

“I’m fast, and people know that I’m fast,” Guerrero said. “I work on my speed all the time. I practice those details that people don’t see, but work in the games.”

Not only does he display excellent speed and base-running abilities, but Guerrero also plays defense at an elite level.

“It’s hard to say because you don’t see everybody else every day, but I can’t imagine there is a better defensive centerfielder in the league than him,” Rhodes said. “Having him in centerfield is a pretty good feeling.”

Guerrero said he has his eyes set on big goals for himself and the Salukis.

“My goal is to win with the team, win the conference, and everything that you can win,” Guerrero said. “Personally, I want to be the MVC player of the year.”

Sports Reporter Noah Petschke can be reached at npetschke@dailyegyptian.com

this season.

APRIL 21: MURRAY 3, SIU 0

The Saluki offense struggled, breaking a streak of 14 straight games without being shut out. SIU hit 5-26 in the game, a 0.192 batting average as a team for Southern Illinois in the game. However, leadoff hitting was a bright spot. Saluki hitters leading off an inning went 3-7 in the contest.

The Dawgs just couldn’t seem to find a clutch hit with runners on, hitting 1-13 with runners on base. Three Saluki baserunners were stranded on base in the last two innings, and that was the difference in the game.

Knutson led the way for SIU, going 2-3 at the plate. Coburn, Williams and Senior second baseman Erin Lee each had a hit as well. Those five hits were the only hits of the ballgame for Southern Illinois.

Freshman pitcher Hailey Lucas

was the Saluki starter in the circle for game two. Lucas pitched four and one-third innings, surrendering seven hits and two earned runs. Delgado relieved Lucas in the fifth and pitched twothirds of an inning, allowing two hits and an earned run. Delgado takes the loss and falls to a 9-5 record on the year. Sophomore pitcher Emma Gipson pitched a scoreless inning in the bottom of the sixth.

The Salukis fell to the Racers by a final score of 3-0. The Dawgs’ record is now 29-15 overall, and 18-6 in the MVC. Murray State is now 19-22 on the season and 11-9 in MVC play.

The Salukis return home on Wednesday, April 29, to play one game against SIU Edwardsville.

Sports Reporter Aaron Carnahan can be reached at acarnahan@dailyegyptian.com

Dawgs can’t halt the Racers, drop series 2-1 to Murray State

Coming off a sweep of Bradley University in their last Missouri Valley Conference series, the Salukis faced the first-place Racers of Murray State University on April 24-26. The three-game home set went back and forth, but a late rally in the final game gave the Racers a 2-1 series victory over the Dawgs.

APRIL 24: MURRAY 13, SIU 1

Pitcher Andrew Evans got the start for the Salukis. The righty got through a first-inning bases-loaded jam without surrendering a run to the powerful Racers’ offense.

The second inning was not as fruitful for the Dawgs, allowing an RBI single and another packed basepath. The Racers delivered a huge knock for a grand slam, giving the opponents an early 5-0 lead.

Designated hitter Kyle Mager got the Dawgs on the board with an RBI single in the bottom of the third inning.

The Racers answered immediately after with a 3-run inning in the top of the fourth.

A run in the top of the sixth and four more in the top of the seventh inning made it a 13-1 ballgame. The Salukis needed to score three runs in the bottom half of the inning to avoid a mercy-rule loss.

Murray State’s pitching blanked the Salukis, and the game finished in seven innings, in favor of the Racers.

APRIL 25: SIU 7, MURRAY 6

Reigning MVC Newcomer of the Week Troy Shepard led the charge for the Salukis in the second game

of the series.

The crafty left-hander worked through the first two innings without much trouble.

An RBI fielder’s choice and an RBI groundout put the Racers ahead 2-0 in the top of the third inning.

After not getting an at-bat since March 31 due to injury, centerfielder Julio Guerrero stepped up and deposited an RBI single through the left side, putting the Dawgs on the board.

Two innings later, Guerrero knocked in the tying and goahead runs with a two-run double, making it a 3-2 affair in favor of the Salukis.

A run in the sixth, two in the seventh and another in the eighth inning gave the Racers a 6-3 lead late in the game, putting the Salukis at risk of dropping the series.

Shortstop Tim Simay eased the damage with an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Pitcher Jack Macintosh got through the top of the ninth inning without any runs allowed, and it was up to the Saluki offense to make a comeback.

Pinch hitter Jacob McKenzie, also coming back from injury, drew a walk to get the bottom of the ninth inning underway. Left fielder Kristian Sprawling knocked a single into left-center, and the Dawgs were in business.

Mager came in to pinch hit, and the powerful bat came through, hooking a double down the right field line, bringing the Salukis within a run. With no outs, Guerrero drove in his fourth RBI of the game with a game-tying bloop single. Pinch hitter Bryce Habuda chopped a ball to second base, and the winning run came home on a misplay by the Racers.

The Salukis rushed the field and celebrated the come-from-behind victory. The walk-off win made the following game on Sunday the deciding factor for the series victors.

APRIL 26: MURRAY 7, SIU 5

Pitcher Meade Johnson got the start for the Dawgs in the rubber match of the series. The righty faced bases loaded with no outs in the top of the first inning, but escaped after allowing a run.

First baseman Cecil Lofton came up in the bottom of the first inning and gave the Salukis a 2-1 lead with an RBI single.

A two-run triple in the top of the second inning gave the Racers a 3-2 lead.

Pitcher Blake Kimball came in to

relieve Johnson but surrendered a pair of fourth-inning runs. Before the Racers’ insurance runs, Lofton was removed from the game with a leg injury after stretching for an incoming throw. First baseman Kaleb Hall took over for the remainder of the contest.

Pitcher Charlie Miller came in and delivered 4.1 innings of scoreless ball for SIU.

Hall made an immediate impact by driving in a run on a double in the bottom of the fifth inning, getting the Dawgs within two runs. Neither team could push across a run till the bottom of the eighth inning. McKenzie drew a two-out walk, and third baseman Jaden Flores put runners on second and third with a double. Second baseman Gabe Petrucelli came up with the clutch knock, a double that drove in both runners and tied the game.

The Racers started a rally that resulted in two ninth-inning runs, giving the opponents a 7-5 lead.

The late runs were too much for the Dawgs to overcome, dropping the game 7-5, and the series two games to one.

With this series loss, SIU falls to 17-25 with an 8-7 MVC record.

The Racers improved to 26-18 with an impressive 12-6 record in conference play. Coverage of the Salukis’ road game against the Lindenwood University Lions on April 28 can be found on the Daily Egyptian website.

Catwalking into a best dressed show

DAYLIN WILLIAMS dwilliams@dailyegyptian.com

SIU hosted its annual fashion show on April 26, 2026 in SIU’s ballrooms with talented designers and models. Designers ranged from freshman to seniors who all created at least one original outfit. The designers expressed their experience leading up to the event.

Designer Anna Niemeyer said, “As designers, we start from the very beginning of the year, like concept boards and writing papers about what we want our line to be.”

Designers get to choose their models who bring their designs to life. Designers build a special connection with their models to better suit their aesthetic, creating outfits that match their line and their models as well.

Model Derrick Rios describes his experience as, “The experience of being a model, I think it’s surprisingly more committed, or has a lot more commitment than you think it takes, because there’s a lot of measurements, there’s a lot of fittings, there’s a lot of rehearsals that goes into it”.

Some models practice gender fluidity, modelling outfits in the show that goes against gender norms and inspire creativity.

Model Christian Graham describes his experience as, “it’s the idea

that I’m presenting as something that doesn’t necessarily outwardly represent me, because I want to say that I am not necessarily a feminine person.…that I do I present more masculine. And being able to, in a way, present a little bit more femininely is nice. It gives me a little bit of perspective. It makes me feel bonita, dare I say, even while I am perfectly happy just being masculine, being feminine, for even, for like a day or a couple of days while rehearsing this is enlightening . It’s very nice”.

Director of the show, Dr. Laura Kidd describes her experience as, “Generally, my experience with doing these shows has been positive. Although it takes a lot of time, the end result is usually very satisfactory and enjoyable. There is quite a bit of responsibility that goes along with producing the fashion show, which also means there is a lot of stress involved. But I look at it as just another job and try to do the best I can”.

Dr. Kidd and the designers face similar challenges throughout the year while producing this fashion show. Dr. Kidd says that, “the biggest challenge in doing this event is that each year there are different designers involved, with different skill levels and different

Southern Illinois University

TRIO Project Upward Bound Project 2026 Summer Program Positions

visions. Although each designer only has to worry about their individual line, I have to supervise and be on top of every one of their lines. And, of course, all of us wish we had more time!”

Senior designer Noah Eaton says that one of his biggest challenges is, “juggling school and designing everything. A lot of professors are really demanding, and so you’re trying to spend time outside of

class to get everything finished. Our major is one of those where you’re in the studio, like 24/7 trying to pump work out. And I think it really is just balancing everything; personal life, school, and also just being an artist”.

Senior designers participated in their last fashion show this year and have plans after they graduate.

Senior designer Chantelle Tompkins will continue her education at SIU,

going into marketing with the hopes of starting her own business. On the contrary, senior designer Noah Eaton will be heading out to New York following graduation, living out his dream as a designer, creating new pieces as often as he can.

Staff Photographer Daylin Williams can be reached at dwilliams@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @photosbydaylin

Gus Says:

The Project Upward Bound (PUB) Program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale is an educational assistance program funded by the U.S. Department of Education. It is designed t assist qualifying high school students in developing the skills and motivation necessary f successful completion of post-secondary education or training. Services are provided t participants throughout the academic year and during six weeks in the summer Summer Teaching Positions Available Foreign Language (Spanish or Japanese) Architecture Engineering

Teachers will provide instruction Monday-Friday for 5 weeks, including pre/ test assessment Teachers will provide skill-based curriculum using core stan and real life situations Law Business Med-Prep

Counselors Overnight Monitors

Counselors will live in dormitories with students monitoring and coordina student activities

Counselors receive room/board, meals, and 6 week living allowance This is not an hourly w

Residential Staff Minimum Qualifications

Teachers: Bachelor 's Degree, teaching experience

Counselors: Junior college standing, leadership skills

Overnight Monitor: Must remain alert and awake to monitor students from 10pm-6am

To ensure full consideration, materials must be submitted by May 8th.

Questions?

Email Ms. Dominick at erica dominick@siu.edu or call (618) 453-3354 Visit projectupwardbound@siu.edu

ACROSS

1- Small piece of paper

6- Pet adoption org. 10- Self-defense spray

14- Suspect’s story

15- Captain hunting Peter Pan 16- Captain hunting Moby Dick 17- Judge’s hammer

18- Black and white marine predator

19- Resident of Belgrade

20- Cool ___ cucumber

21- Green 53D in an animated movie series

23- Chess and poker, for example

24- Cartoon Captain keeping the earth clean

26- Work hard

28- Superman foe Luthor

37- End of a university URL

38- Desserts often served a la mode

39- Mattress company

40- Make a scarf or sweater, perhaps

41- They check your luggage: Abbr.

29- Captain on children’s television for 29 years

33- Place to say “I do”

36- Reaches a bubbling temperature

42- Gasoline and diesel, say 43- Waits

44- Captain in the Avengers

46- Sick

47- Place for a relaxing soak

48- Cap’n on a cereal box

51- Happening 54- Brief

56- Application on a squeaky hinge

58- Corporate symbol

59- Singer Guthrie 60- Not working smoothly

62- Captain on the bridge of the USS Enterprise

63- Submarine Captain living 20,000 leagues under the sea 64- “Shucks!”

65- Some

pub offerings

66- Work station

67- A long time

DOWN

1- It’s a long story

2- Necklace fastener

3- Competitor

4- “Honest” prez

5- Pale lager named for the city where it was first brewed

6- Brief 7- Tiny openings in the skin

8- Drinks made by mixologists

9- Initials on a wanted poster

10- Tikka ___ 11- Attention getting utterance

12- Give a darn

13- Recedes 22- Witch’s curse

23- Musician’s jobs

25- “Sadly ...”

27- Merely

29- Australian eucalyptus climber

30- Tear

31- Garfield’s canine housemate

32- Info on a baseball scoreboard

33- Fitting

34- Mona ___

35- Group of players

36- Plant that sounds like it grows by the seaside

39- Business attire

40- Oven for clay

42- Greek house on campus, for short 43- Colorful crested bird

45- Reading material on a Kindle

46- Tax org.

48- Swindler

49- Dance done in a line

50- Walker on a nature trail

51- ___-Seltzer

52- Ruin, as an evil plot

53- See 21A

55- Stately shade trees

57- Cleaning chemicals that sound untruthful

59- Additionally 61- Amazement

Your guide to upcoming local events over the next 7 days!

*To play Sudoku, fill a 9x9 grid with digits 1 through 9 so that each row, each column, and each 3x3 subgrid contains each number exactly once.

Sudoku #9

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