THE
Daily Egyptian SERVING THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1916.
DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
InsiDE
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2026
SIUE limits student paper reporting, Pages 3, 9
SIU football loses season opener, Page 10
VOL. 110, ISSUE 4
Twilight Parade kicks off Du Quoin Fair, Pages 6-7
Former teacher’s aide accused of exploiting child in online ‘cult’ Faces 2 felony counts, denied bail until trial MOLLY PARKER Capitol News Illinois MARIAH FLETCHER Saluki Local Reporting Lab
Tina Rivero Winfield, AFSCME Local 141 President, receives a standing ovation during her speech at the Choate town hall on Wednesday, Aug. 26 at Anna-Jonesboro High school in Anna, Illinois. Jackson Brandhorst | @jacksondothtml
Pritzker defends Choate layoffs, lawmakers call to reverse course JACKSON BRANDHORST and Choate employees have of Choate’s entire general disabilities program and other Staff Reporter condemned the state’s decision, residential program for state offices on the campus are
More than a month after the state announced plans to significantly scale back various components of Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in Anna, the fight over the facility’s future is intensifying. Several southern Illinois lawmakers, community leaders, health care professionals
however, the Illinois Governor remains confident that the plan devised from his Department of Human Services is the best course of action. On July 23, IDHS announced that layoffs and sweeping operational changes are expected at the state-run facility in the coming months, including the elimination
Murphysboro bans feeding of wild animals KRISTIN BORCHERS Staff Reporter After complaints from residents about large groups of raccoons gathering where a Murphysboro resident was feeding them, the City Council banned the feeding of wild animals, including feral cats on July 28. The council later reversed course on feral cats after feedback from animal rescue groups. One resident who has fed raccoons and possums for years is disappointed with the rule. Many residents voiced their concerns to City Council, citing their love and passion for wild animals, others made note of complaints citing a domestic cat being killed by a raccoon and trash sifted through. Tara Nelsen of Murphysboro is one of many who enjoy feeding and tending to the nocturnal animals of the town like raccoons
and possums. Now, due to the ordinance, Nelsen is forced to set aside one of her greatest passions. The ordinance proposal arose after a neighbor of Nelsen’s sent a complaint to Mayor Will Stephens claiming raccoons were causing a disturbance. Stephens said the complaint noted a distempered raccoon blocking an alleyway preventing a child from passing through. ‘A lifesaver’ For Nelsen, who’s been feeding roughly 20 raccoons for seven years, said she sees them as an extension of herself. Over time, she learns each animal’s personality, and feeds them snacks like peanuts, hot dogs, grapes and sweet treats like marshmallows. Nelsen said the nocturnal raccoons and possums began to feel safe in her backyard ANIMALS | 5
people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The department will end those general I/DD units by Sept. 30 and phase out all 75 civil mental health beds at Choate by March 2027 while expanding psychiatric capacity at Madden Mental Health Center near Chicago. Choate’s 40-bed forensic developmental-
expected to remain. AFSCME, which represents most Choate workers, says about 250 of the facility’s roughly 524 employees could be laid off. Over the past several weeks, southern Illinoisans have rallied against the decision, protesting on Tuesdays, CHOATE | 4
A Carbondale Community High School teacher’s aide allegedly cultivated an online relationship with an underage girl, sending her money and gifts while repeatedly encouraging her to make sexually explicit videos of herself, according to a federal criminal complaint and an FBI affidavit. Austin Knoob, 32, of Carbondale, who is also the former owner of Levels nightclub, faces two counts of sexual exploitation of a child. He pleaded not guilty last week in federal court in Benton. Judge Reona Daly on Monday denied Knoob’s pretrial release; he will remain in custody while his case is pending. The case originated in Boston and quickly led to Knoob’s arrest after he admitted to the FBI that he had been talking to the girl, who said she was 12 when they first met online, according to a sworn affidavit filed last week by FBI Special
Agent Samuel J. Sukovich, who investigates violent crimes against children from the FBI’s Marion office. Later, Knoob allegedly recruited the girl into an online group whose members encouraged her to share videos of her harming herself. She was then added to an even more extreme group she described as a “cult” that included members sharing videos of people committing suicide and other bizarre acts, the affidavit alleged. Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Bloodworth asked the court to keep Knoob in custody, saying the allegations against Knoob suggest a “deep-seated, heavily rooted sexual deviancy.” While the government’s charges involve one minor victim, Bloodworth said there may be additional victims identified as the investigation unfolds. Knoob’s attorney said Knoob did not have a prior record, noting he would use an ankle monitor and said his dad had offered to ensure he had no internet access. But FELONY | 3
Saluki soccer sets program record again in 8-0 win over Bulldogs AARON CARNAHAN Sports Reporter Forward Penny Warner scored a natural hat trick, three consecutive goals without any other scoring in between, against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs on Sunday, Aug. 30, at the Lew Hartzog Track and Field Complex in Carbondale. Warner scored her first goal at the 43rd minute, right before the conclusion of the first half. Warner followed her first goal with another score at the 47th minute, and a third goal a minute later. Warner’s natural hat trick accounted for three of the Salukis Celina Pinelli (24) and Dana Nadda (10) run towards the ball while Ryan McLemore (12) eight goals in an 8-0 home victory over the Bulldogs. SIU’s hits the ball with her hip Aug. 30, 2026 at Lew Hartzog in Carbondale, Illinois. SOCCER | 10 Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual
‘Opportunity is just a short ride away’: Pritzker commences SIMMS grand opening MORRIGAN CAREY Staff Reporter Carbondale hosted a grand opening of the Southern Illinois Multimodal Station, SIMMS, Friday, Aug. 28, hosting partners in the state and federal government who
helped make the new station a reality, including Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, and Illinois U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth. The event took place inside the new train station building,
which features an open public space. There were roughly 30 seats for attendees, and despite a section of the building being sectioned off for regular Amtrak passengers, the roughly 100 attendees could comfortable fit in the half of
the building designated for the event, not counting city staff or media, under a large mural of the building itself. It began with a performance from SIU Jazz Band and a few brief words from Mayor Carolin Harvey introducing
the city’s partners in the SIMMS project and thanking attending citizens for their support. After speaking, Harvey invited Governor Pritzker to the stage, who retold the history and purpose of SIMMS.
“The Southern Illinois Multimodal Station… is a perfect representation of the focus on southern Illinois families and the economic vision and development that we have been hoping for, and that SIMMS | 2
Page 2 | News
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Contact Us
Email: editor@dailyegyptian.com Editor-in-Chief: Carly Gist
Deputy Editor: Orion Wolf
cgist@dailyegyptian.com
owolf@dailyegyptian.com
News Editor: Brayden Guy
Sports Editor: Noah Petschke
bguy@dailyegyptian.com
npetschke@dailyegyptian.com
Design Chief: Yasmin Martinez-Powell
Photo Editor: Peyton Cook
ymartinezpowell@dailyegyptian.com
pcook@dailyegyptian.com
Faculty Adviser: Alee Quick
Business Manager: Amy Dion businessmanager@dailyegyptian.com
Follow Our SOcials
For Daily News visit our website
aquick@dailyegyptian.com
About Us
Published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale on a weekly basis in print, and every day on dailyegyptian.com. Fall and spring semester editions run every Wednesday. Free copies are distributed in the Carbondale, Carterville, and Springfield communities.
Mission Statement
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.
Publishing Information
The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale and functions as a laboratory for the School of Journalism in exchange for the room and utilities in the Communications Building. The Daily Egyptian is a non-profit organization that survives primarily off of its advertising revenue. Offices are in the Communications Building, room 1259, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Ill., 62901.
Copyright Information
@2026 The Daily Egyptian. All rights reserved. All content is property of the Daily Egyptian and may not be reproduced or transmitted without consent. The Daily Egyptian is a member of the Illinois College Press Association, Associated Collegiate Press, College Media Advisers Inc. and the College Business and Advertising Managers Inc.
Submissions
Letters and guest columns must be submitted with author’s contact information, preferably via email. Phone numbers are required to verify authorship, but will not be published. Students must include their year and major. Faculty must include rank and department. Others include hometown. Submissions should be sent to editor@dailyegyptian.com
Durbin brings Water Advocate Award to Paul Simon Institute TAY ACREE Staff Reporter
More than five decades after a chance meeting in West Frankfort began Sen. Dick Durbin’s relationship with Paul Simon, Durbin returned to southern Illinois on Friday with an award recognizing his work inspired by his longtime mentor. Durbin appeared Aug. 28 at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute’s first open house of the semester at Southern Illinois University. The gathering also became a celebration of Simon’s legacy and the work Durbin carried forward after his death. Interim Director of Paul Simon Public Policy Institute Linda R. Baker opened the event by reflecting on Durbin’s connections to southern Illinois and the people gathered in the room. Baker pointed to neighbors, former campaign volunteers and families whose children had interned in Durbin’s o$ce. She described Durbin as someone who “meets you where you are” and helps people get where they need to go. Baker also highlighted his advocacy for immigrant students and his connection to Simon, who became an early mentor to Durbin. Durbin then took the audience back to where that relationship began. As a student at Georgetown University, Durbin interned in the o$ce of U.S. Sen. Paul Douglas of Illinois. After returning to Illinois, Durbin became involved in Douglas’ reelection campaign and was eventually sent to West Frankfort, where he was told to find a man with glasses and a bow tie named Paul Simon. Durbin recalled accompanying Simon through businesses, bowling alleys and beauty shops as Simon handed out campaign literature. Their relationship grew, and Simon later offered Durbin his first job after law school. Durbin also reflected on Simon’s career as a writer and journalist, which he said was Simon’s passion. Simon wrote a weekly column, Durbin said, and closely reviewed
SIMMS
Who is Gus Bode?
Gus Bode was first introduced into print April 13, 1956 when the Daily Egyptian was just the Egyptian. Gus is the DE mascot, but he is also more. Gus is meant to be a voice for us, an outlet for us students when we can’t say what we want to say.
CORRECTIONS
In the Aug. 26, 2026 edition of the Daily Egyptian, an incorrect cutline and byline ran with the top left photo in the story titled “Bottles, beers and borgs: Solar Bear in photos.” The caption for the photo, taken by Daylin Williams, should read, “Students play pool inside of Levels Nightclub Aug. 22, 2026 in Carbondale, Illinois.” In the story titled, “‘No one’s selling anyone’s water’: Fear, speculation follow southern Illinois water district consolidation proposal,” the pull quote incorrectly identified Paul Jacobs as District 118 State Representative. He is the 59th District State Senator. In the Aug. 12, 2026 edition, Gus Bode’s Restaurant Guide incorrectly stated that Pagliai’s Pizza has wood-fired pizza. Their pizza is cooked in an oven.
Puzzle Answers
CONTINUED FROM 1
we have been pursuing all across the state of Illinois, which is all about investing in transportation infrastructure, creating jobs, and ensuring that our people and our businesses can get to and from one another and to the rest of the state and to the rest of the world,“ Pritzker said. SIMMS represents a decade of planning and cooperation between Carbondale, the state government and the federal government, as well as $26 million spent collectively on the project, $18.4 million from federal sources and $7.6 million from state and local sources; Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi called on the memory of former Carbondale resident and SIU professor R. Buckminster Fuller, who, among other things, is famous for redefining and popularizing the term “synergy.” Fuller’s memory is honored with architectural tributes and a display case full of pictures and artifacts of his life in the SIMMS foyer. “His idea was a systems approach to solving problems,” Biagi said. “All of the systems, whether that’s federal down to the local, whether that’s transportation or housing,
writing produced by those who worked for him. Durbin joked that staff members were lucky if even a semicolon survived Simon’s edits. One of Simon’s concerns — access to clean water — would continue to influence Durbin long after Simon’s death. Durbin discussed Simon’s writing about the role water could play in the 21st century and his concern over future access to clean water. After Simon died, Durbin said he wanted to pursue something in his honor. That effort led to the Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act in 2005. Durbin said the initiative later became the Paul Simon Water for the World program and has helped provide clean drinking water to an estimated 76 million people. Durbin recalled seeing the impact firsthand during a visit to Haiti following a cholera epidemic. At a hospital, a doctor showed him a source of clean drinking water that Durbin learned had been made possible through a grant bearing Simon’s name. “You can have great ideas, you can pass great legislation, but you wonder if anybody even notices,” Durbin said in an interview. For Durbin, seeing people who had endured the cholera epidemic gain access to safe drinking water showed that the work had reached beyond Congress. Durbin received recognition for his clean-water work earlier this year. Rather than keeping the Water Recognition Award, he decided it belonged at SIU. “The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, more than any other place, has been dedicated to his memory and to keep his ideals alive,” Durbin said. “And that’s why I think this is the right place to support this.” The decision comes as Durbin prepares to leave the U.S. Senate after three decades in the chamber. During his remarks, Durbin said he has been looking for other lawmakers to take on issues that
have been important to him. He pointed to U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada as someone interested in continuing the work surrounding the Paul Simon Water for the World Act. “Seventy-six million people got clean drinking water because of the program, which I helped to fund,” Durbin said. “I want to make sure more people have that same chance.” Sheila Simon, Paul Simon’s daughter and a former Illinois lieutenant governor, also spoke during the open house, reflecting on Durbin’s role in continuing her father’s legacy. Simon told Durbin he “couldn’t have been a better successor” to what her father wanted to accomplish, particularly his efforts to engage people who had not previously been part of the political process. She said her father would have been thrilled by Durbin’s work. For SIU students, Durbin said Simon’s story carries a lesson beyond politics. Asked what he hoped students who see the award or learn about Simon’s work would take away from it, Durbin pointed to the impact one person can have. “Don’t underestimate your own power to make a difference,” Durbin said. It is a lesson reflected in Durbin’s own path, from a young campaign worker meeting Simon in West Frankfort to eventually succeeding his mentor in the U.S. Senate. When asked what Simon’s greatest influence was on the kind of senator Durbin became, Durbin did not point to legislation or political strategy. “He was an honest man, first and foremost,” Durbin said. Durbin contrasted Simon’s example with what he described as corruption in Washington today, saying Simon represented a different standard for those in public o$ce — one he believes Americans should continue to demand.
commercial development, all of those systems, you have to take it to that scale, and then get things done on the spot… What you’re seeing is that when we engage in cooperative action, when we pull on the rope in the same direction.” Stratton explained the state government’s overall plan of improving Illinois’ economy starting with infrastructure and transportation. “This is more than about transportation, it’s about people,” Stratton said. “It’s about a student choosing to continue their education at an institution like SIUC because there’s an easier way to get to and from campus. An entrepreneur choosing to open a business in downtown Carbondale because of downtown’s revitalization efforts. A family taking a trip for the first time because they have access to and can afford boarding an Amtrak bound for Chicago. Illinois doesn’t just believe in helping move people from point A to point B, we believe in moving Illinois families and their communities forward.” Duckworth, who uses a wheelchair herself, praised the design of the station for its accessibility accommodating people with visual, hearing or mobility impairments, such as ramps and open platforms which are easier to navigate when
congested. Duckworth cited the curb-cut effect in her speech, a design concept where making something more accessible for the least able will simultaneously make it more convenient for the rest of the community. “Accessibility isn’t just about making transit work for people with disabilities,” Duckworth said. “It’s about making transit work for everyone… The improvements here in this station will make the entire experience better for everyone who comes through these doors, and that’s exactly what good government is supposed to do, what it should do, remove barriers instead of creating them. Investments in public transportation are investments in people.” Also in attendance was SIU Chancellor Austin Lane, who said that SIMMS will be a boon for students coming from upstate or other parts of the country. “This is a great example of when the city works with the state and the folks in Washington,” Lane said. “It’s going to be great for the university, and I’m excited for our students who will be using it along with our new welcome center.”
Staff Reporter Tay Acree can be reached at tacree@dailyegyptian.com
Staff Reporter Morrigan Carey can be reached at mcarey@dailyegyptian.com
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
News | Page 3
SPLC, FIRE send SIUE letter to stop limiting student newspaper reporting BRAYDEN GUY News Editor
After two years of building tension between the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s student newspaper, The Alestle, and its administration, the student journalists are hoping for change. Due to the director of communications demanding her presence for a July 17 interview, the Student Press Law Center and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression sent a letter to the university requesting a substantive response by Aug. 20. The deadline passed without SPLC, FIRE or The Alestle receiving a response. Reporter Lily Berkenbile emailed the assistant director of online student services to set up an interview on July 17. The Marketing and Communications Director, Nicole Franklin, replied instead, informing Berkenbile that she would be attending the interview. Franklin had attended and recorded a previous interview on July 9. The Alestle, anticipating the response, had outlined questions to ask from the SPLC. Berkenbile asked what the reason for Franklin’s presence was, if the interview was contingent on her presence and if she would record. The entire email chain is viewable from The Alestle’s reporting. In the same email chain, responding to The Alestle’s Program Director, Tammy Merrett, Franklin wrote that her presence in interviews was “non-negotiable” and that the “interviews granted require
FELONY
CONTINUED FROM 1
Judge Daly sided with the government in keeping him in custody, saying that despite hearing numerous child pornography cases, “I have never seen anything like this.” The girl was interviewed July 28, and the FBI’s Boston o$ce referred the investigation to agents in Marion on Aug. 6. Six days later, agents interviewed Knoob at his home. Knoob, who the girl knew as “Frank” online, was taken into custody two days later. One count stems from an Aug. 12-13, 2025, exchange in which “Frank” asked the girl whether she had any new material. After she said she did, he wrote, “I definitely wanna see lol.” She then sent him a link to a video of herself masturbating, according to the a$davit. One count stems from an Aug. 12-13, 2025, exchange in which “Frank” asked the girl whether she had any new material. After she said she did, he wrote, “I definitely wanna see lol.” She then sent him a link to a video of herself masturbating, according to the a$davit. The second stems from an April 9 exchange in which “Frank” asked her to “spoil me with any new things she has taken.” After she said she had “a lot,” he told her, “My last day of work is tomorrow,” then wrote, “I need a lot.” The girl sent six images and nine videos of herself, most of which the FBI identified as child pornography under federal law. “I love you,” he wrote after receiving them. He then suggested he might visit her soon and the two could “Make our own videos.” FBI: Girl reported Knoob said he bragged about other victims Carbondale Community
my presence.” Franklin also wrote that she had been sitting in on interviews since fall of 2024 and that this was common practice in the industry. SPLC Senior Legal Counsel and co-author of the letter to SIUE, Mike Hiestand, said in an Aug. 27 interview that this was not the industry standard for a public institution. “Maybe in some deep levels of corporate America that sort of stuff is standard, but definitely not at a public university working with student media,” he said. “No, no, no, that is not standard.” In the email chain, Merrett claimed that Franklin’s required presence was equivalent to prior review — viewing student media before it is published — which is illegal for a public university. “The fact that she is wanting to see questions ahead of time, sitting in and kinda being the minder in these interviews. I think it’s fair to characterize that as a form of prior review,” Hiestand said. Hiestand said that the di$culty would be finding
someone to challenge the rule. The ideal candidate would be an employee whose rights have been violated and is not afraid of retaliation. “Finding somebody to actually challenge these things, even though I think it’s clearly illegal, can be di$cult,” he said. The Daily Egyptian reached out to Franklin for an interview via email, but she declined. Alestle Editor-in-Chief Dylan Hembrough said the stories sat in on were not damning investigative pieces. “They were really nonconsequential stories too. They weren’t investigative in nature,” Hembrough said. “It seems like this is a blanket thing that they’re trying to do.” Despite Franklin’s assertion that she has been sitting on interviews for a while, Hembrough said there hadn’t been incidents like this before. “We haven’t had any incidents like this, but our struggle with administration has been building up for about two years now,” he said.
Foreshadowing FIRE had previously sent a letter to the university about speech and expression in August of 2024. The letter was in regard to The Alestle’s story about the University Housing’s media policy and employees speaking out against it. The policy requires employees to tell their supervisors of all media inquiries. The Alestle also received some backlash from the administration for the story. Senior System Counsel Phyleccia Reed Cole, in her letter response to FIRE, wrote that the article inaccurately portrays the university. “I emailed (Cole), and I asked what was inaccurate so we could fix it. Her response was, ‘That’s all I have to say about this,’” Hembrough said. “That ended up being pretty foreshadowing of the next two years.” A similar instance of administrative backlash would come after the breaking report on March 31, 2025, on the salary sweeps directed by Chancellor James Minor. Salary sweeps move the salaries of vacant paid positions elsewhere. Some of this money went toward the SIUE deficit, according to The Alestle’s reporting. A month later, The Alestle received a memo from the Interim Executive Director of Marketing and Communications with corrections to their story. The memo corrected numbers that The Alestle had underreported and wrote that the term deficit had been conflated with debt in their reporting. Hembrough said that The
High School Superintendent Daniel Booth said Knoob was hired as an aide in August 2025 and resigned effective April 10, one day after the text exchange underlying the second federal charge. The period documented in the a$davit largely overlaps with his employment at the high school. The girl told investigators that Knoob sometimes solicited sexual content from her while he was bored at work. Booth said he was unaware of the allegations against Knoob or his arrest last week until contacted by Capitol News Illinois on Sunday. He said Knoob submitted his two week’s notice in a letter dated March 30 and told co-workers that he was leaving to pursue a different job. Booth stressed that no one from the FBI or any other federal authorities have contacted him, and that he has no information to believe any Carbondale High students are involved. But he encouraged anyone with information to reach out to the district or federal authorities. The girl told the FBI that before Knoob became a teacher’s aide at Carbondale High, he had told her he previously worked as a teacher in another district but was fired. The resume he provided Carbondale High listed substitute teaching in the neighboring Murphysboro school district as his only prior educational experience, according to records obtained by CNI. She said he claimed to have had sex with multiple students, as well as his girlfriend’s 15- or 16-yearold cousin, according to the a$davit. It does not say whether investigators independently verified those claims. The a$davit cites Carbondale Community High School Board minutes showed Knoob was employed as a teacher’s aide for the 2025-26 school year but provides no other information
about his employment history. Illinois State Board of Education records show Knoob was licensed as a substitute teacher in November 2023. In July 2025, he obtained a license to teach social science and history in grades 9-12. His licenses were registered in two regional o$ces of education spanning nine Southern Illinois counties: Alexander, Franklin, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Perry, Pulaski, Union and Williamson. In a statement to CNI, a spokesperson for the FBI’s Springfield Field O$ce described the case as an “active investigation” and “per Department of Justice policy, we are unable to comment on active investigations.” However, the FBI said it will alert any relevant public or private entities if suspected abuse in those locations occurred; these notifications would also include the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services if warranted. The girl told investigators she began talking with Knoob on Snapchat roughly four years ago, when she was about 12. Knoob told investigators he believed the girl was about 15 when they met online and acknowledged knowing she was underage. He said he had never met the girl in person. Knoob acknowledged asking her for sexually explicit images and videos and said he “might have” coached her in making them. Knoob also told investigators they would find child sexual abuse material on his computer and admitted searching for it online and participating in groups where it was shared, according to the a$davit. He also told investigators he was sexually attracted to underage children though would not want to “go below 15,” according to the a$davit. The girl told investigators
that Knoob’s Snapchat accounts were repeatedly banned and that he sent her child sexual abuse material involving other children, some she estimated were as young as 4. She said he wanted her to recreate what she saw, according to the a$davit. She also told investigators he wanted to get her a dog because he wanted her to do “things” with it. Girl pushed into violent, online extremists groups She said Knoob later added her to a Telegram group where child sexual abuse material was shared. She also told investigators Knoob knew she was harming herself and added her to another Telegram group whose members wanted photos and videos of her hurting herself. After she sent the self-harm group a video, members asked her to recruit female friends to make similar videos. When she refused, she said, members threatened to show her family images and videos that Knoob had sent to the group. Members posted her home address and the full names of her mother, father and grandmother and threatened to hurt her family unless she continued sending content, she told the FBI, according to the a$davit. She said she was later added to another, more extreme online group she described as a “cult.” She said members posted images and videos showing writing in blood on walls, people killing animals and live viewings of people committing suicide. She also described content showing people selling their skin and drinking acid. The a$davit does not say whether Knoob allegedly added her to this second group. “764” a growing online concern The girl told the FBI that members pressured her to cut herself and wanted her to
The Alestle team poses for a photo. Photo provided by The Alestle newspaper.
Alestle had sent questions and tried to verify information before the initial story was published, but the administration did not answer. The Alestle also stood by some of its reporting in the memo. Hembrough rea$rmed in an interview and in a reply to the memo that the SIUE swept millions of dollars without providing an appeals process until after $5.4 million was spent. Minor quoted the statement in his reply to the memo, writing that the “insistence on doubling-down on something that is patently false is completely shocking,” and that the burden of proof for correcting factual errors is on the journalist and not on the one calling for corrections. Minor ordered his team to disengage from communication on the chain. Minor was also critical of a story published on Feb. 7, 2026. about SIUE receiving a cease and desist for unfair labor laws from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union. “I continue to be disappointed by The Alestle’s predictably poor, inaccurate, and incomplete reporting,” he wrote in a memo to University Leadership on Feb. 10. The DE emailed Minor for an interview, but Minor declined. “Predictably Poor” FIRE has a ranking system where schools are scored for how their policies and campus impact free speech. SIUE ranks 198th out of 257 Illinois institutions with an overall grade of an ‘F.’ SIUC ranks
even worse at 223rd, also with an ‘F.’ FIRE’s rankings are determined by student surveys, policies of the schools and free speech incidents that occur at the school, according to the FIRE website (rankings.fire. org/methodology). The student journalists at SIUE are especially feeling the pressure from their school. “It makes me feel trapped sometimes, because these people are giving us funding to operate,” Managing Editor Gavin Quinlan said. “It’s just the thought that, if they don’t like what you’re saying, what if they pull the plug at any minute?” “The salary sweeps did directly affect (The Alestle) as well. That’s why our print went down from once a week to every six weeks … we’re never gonna get back up to weekly print.” Hembrough said “I cannot say I am proud to be a student at SIUE anymore,” Hembrough said. Silence SIUE didn’t respond to the letter from SPLC and FIRE by Aug. 20. The organizations voiced their disappointment in a letter to the editor and extended the deadline to Sept. 1. Hiestand said it’s up to the students what the next move is, but that the overall goal was to bring the heat down. “We’re looking for a deescalation,” Hiestand said. Hembrough said the students were uncertain about their next steps and that legal action would “be a last resort.”
carve the group’s identifying numbers into her stomach. She remembered those numbers as “Seven something Four.” When she refused, she said, members threatened her, and she eventually sent the group videos of herself cutting her thigh. The a$davit does not identify the group. But in recent months, the FBI has warned parents, guardians and caregivers about a group known as 764, which it has described as a loose network of violent online groups that exploit children and other vulnerable people. In February, the FBI’s Boston o$ce issued a warning to parents about what it described as a “sharp increase” in activity involving 764 and similar violent online networks. The bureau said members connect with children online by first establishing a trusting or romantic relationship. Then, they coerce them into producing child sexual abuse content or engaging in animal cruelty, self-harm and other violence. At the time, the FBI said it was investigating more than 350 people nationwide tied to 764 and similar networks. All 56 FBI field o$ces were involved, and federal prosecutors have already brought several major 764 cases. Last week, Kyle Spitze, of Tennessee, received 77 years in prison, the longest federal prison sentence ever imposed on a nihilistic violent extremist, according to the Justice Department. Neither the criminal complaint nor the supporting a$davit alleges that Knoob was part of 764. But months after the Boston o$ce issued that warning, the same field o$ce became involved in the investigation that led agents to Knoob. During her July 28 interview, the girl gave investigators a phone number she said “Frank” used to communicate with her. Agents
found an iMessage thread with that number on her laptop containing about 720 messages exchanged between July 30, 2025, and May 21, 2026. Verizon records obtained Aug. 7 identified the subscriber as Knoob. An FBI agent drove by Knoob’s Carbondale home that day and saw two vehicles registered to him. Agents interviewed Knoob there five days later. Knoob previously owned Levels, along with his father, Greg Knoob, who originally operated it as Carboz. Greg Knoob also ran other popular college bars, including Callahan’s Irish Pub and Stix Bar & Billiards. The family was entangled in years of disputes with the city over underage drinking and fights at their establishments, especially at Levels, which Austin Knoob assumed ownership of in 2015. He ran it until 2020, when the city revoked his liquor license. Levels and Stix were sold to new owners this year. At a detention hearing held Monday, Knoob was denied pretrial release and remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals pending trial. The FBI encouraged anyone with information to report concerning Knoob to contact the bureau at 1-800-CALL-FBI and make a report, referring to this specific incident.
News Editor Brayden Guy can be reached at bguy@dailyegyptian.com
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. Staff Reporter Mariah Fletcher can be reached at mfletcher@dailyegyptain.com or through Instagram @mariahonrecord
Page 4 | News
CHOATE
CONTINUED FROM 1
marching at the Du Quoin State Fair and painting the region in green calling for Choate to be expanded — not scaled back. That effort culminated on Aug. 26 when more than 100 people gathered at AnnaJonesboro High School for a town hall organized by a group of southern Illinois lawmakers in which they discussed the decision and advocated for it to be reversed. Neither Pritzker nor a representative from IDHS attended. State Rep. Patrick Windhorst, R-Metropolis, who moderated the meeting, said both had been invited. “This is not a minor change,” state Sen. Paul Jacobs, R-Pomona, said during the town hall. “This is a fundamental dismantling of services at a facility that has served southern Illinois for generations.”
State Rep. Scott Doody, R-Anna, argued the state should be adding treatment capacity at Choate, particularly as criminal defendants found unfit to stand trial continue to wait in county jails for psychiatric beds. “I’ve asked twice to expand the 40-bed forensic unit at Choate and been denied that,” Doody said. State Rep. Dave Severin, R-Benton, urged Choate employees and supporters to pressure lawmakers and the governor directly. “Politicians don’t like people opposing them. They get nervous,” Severin said. “So if you want to make them nervous, make the phone calls.” State Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville, who has spent years fighting reductions at the Murray Developmental Center in Centralia, said Choate already has much of what the state needs. “We have that facility, we have the employees, we have the workforce, and we have the people around here that want it,” Meier said. ‘There is nothing else like it’ The opposition has not been entirely partisan. Homer “Chip” Markel and Tamiko “TC” Mueller, Democratic candidates for the Illinois General Assembly, have also criticized the reductions and attended the town hall. Two days later, during the Aug. 28 grand opening of the Southern Illinois Multimodal Station in Carbondale, Pritzker said that his administration does not intend to reverse course, pointing to a decadeslong movement among disability-rights advocates that has veered away from large state institutions. “The advocates for the developmentally disabled, actually, are the ones who have told us this is what they want for the developmentally disabled in the state of Illinois,” Pritzker said. “We’re one of the last states in the country to actually get out of state-owned developmental centers — centers like Choate,” he said. “Other states did this years ago because the better setting for people is in community homes.” The Arc of Illinois, a statewide advocacy organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, supported the state’s 2023 decision to begin moving people out of Choate’s large institutional setting and into smaller community-based placements. That move was part of a broader three-year transformation plan launched by Pritzker’s administration after years of documented abuse, neglect and failures to protect residents at Choate’s developmental center. The plan sought to reduce the number of people with developmental disabilities living at Choate,
Wednesday, September 2, 2026 improve safety and expand community-based care, while also bringing in the SIU School of Medicine to study how the remaining Anna campus and its services could be repurposed. Equip for Equality, Illinois’ federally designated protection and advocacy organization for people with disabilities, has called for all people with developmental disabilities to ultimately leave Choate and called the state’s latest decision to eliminate its remaining general I/DD units “a positive step forward.” ‘There’s nothing else like it in southern Illinois’ Choate has been operating in Anna — a town of roughly 4,100 people — for 153 years. It is one of the town’s largest employers and is one of only seven state-operated developmental centers in Illinois. One side of the Choate campus is a state-operated developmental center serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, or I/DD. Those are disabilities beginning early in life that can affect learning, communication, decision-making and the ability to live independently. The other is a psychiatric hospital treating people with serious mental illnesses. Choate also operates Illinois’ specialized forensic developmental-disabilities program for people with I/DD who have become involved in the criminal court system and require secure treatment. Those populations can overlap, but they are not interchangeable. Pritzker’s argument for community homes principally addresses people with developmental disabilities, but the 75 beds being eliminated on the other side of campus are civil psychiatric beds for people with serious mental illnesses. When asked specifically why those beds are also being removed, Pritzker pointed to efficiency and demand. “We haven’t had the population that wants to live in an SODC like this one that we may have wanted or thought we would need,” Pritzker said. “It’s about efficiency,” he
Gov. Pritzker answers questions about Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center on Aug. 28, 2026 after the ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony of the new Southern Illinois Multimodal Station in Carbondale, Illinois. Olivia Luesing | oluesing@dailyegyptian.com into treatment. “This is not a random occurrence,” Tripp said. “This is the norm, folks. This is what we deal with every day with every case.” He argued that the state is reducing beds at the same time judges, prosecutors, sheriffs and jail staff are already struggling to find places for people with serious mental illness who need inpatient care. “Dignity and well-being for everyone is not achieved by creating a mental health care desert in the bottom third of this state,” Tripp said. Harry Brocca, CEO of Deaconess Illinois Union County Hospital, said Choate fills a role that short-term psychiatric hospitals cannot. “At the end of the road, though, in continuity of care, we need residential mental health services, and that’s what Choate provides,” Brocca said. “There’s no place else in southern Illinois doing that right now.” Laura Herzog, Southern Illinois Healthcare’s system director of behavioral health, said the same distinction is often lost in discussions about psychiatric capacity. “Every level of care in behavioral health has its place, and the level of care that is
and staff who know them. “Choate is very important to everybody,” Harris said. “Not only for people that work there now or the residents that live there now, but for the future, because there’s always going to be somebody.” ‘What happened to the rest of the vision?’ The questions surrounding the psychiatric reductions are further complicated by the state’s own three-year transformation plan for Choate and its partnership with the SIU School of Medicine. IDHS said in its original July announcement that these reductions at Choate are a result of the “success” of that threeyear plan, which was launched in 2023 to repurpose the facility. As part of the partnership, SIU evaluated how Choate’s campus, workforce and programs could be used differently as the state reduced its developmentaldisabilities population. SIU’s initial recommendations did not envision simply winding down the Anna campus. They included preserving and retraining existing employees, retaining and potentially expanding civil mental health services, adding forensic psychiatric care and converting
workforce needs. As recently as May, IDHS’ 2026-2030 Strategic Planning Roadmap continued to describe increasing mental health bed capacity as one of the four objectives of the Choate transformation. Two months later, the department announced those same 75 civil psychiatric beds would be eliminated. State Sen. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, said that reversal raises questions about how much of SIU’s broader vision the administration ultimately embraced. “In that 40-page report, it was almost as if the governor’s administration and DHS was checking a box,” Bryant said of the SIU study. “Legislators want a study done. Check. And then they ignored the 40-page report that said not only should we not decrease the beds there, but we should increase the beds there.” Bryant also challenged IDHS’ continued characterization of the reductions as an outgrowth of its work with SIU. “When IDHS tells us today that it worked with SIU ... and implemented recommendations, I think we have every right to ask what happened to the rest of the
“Dignity and well-being for everyone is not achieved by creating a mental health care desert in the bottom third of this state.” - Tyler Tripp Union County State’s Attorney
said. “The efficient thing to do is to have people living in other facilities or, more importantly, for people to choose, if they want to, to be in community homes.” IDHS has separately said that the need for psychiatric beds is greater in northern Illinois. The state plans to transfer Choate’s 75 civil beds to the Madden Mental Health Center near Chicago, a move the town hall speakers strongly oppose. Union County State’s Attorney Tyler Tripp said that people ordered into state psychiatric treatment are already sitting in county jails waiting for space, including defendants who have been found unfit to stand trial and cannot proceed through the court system until they receive treatment. Tripp said hundreds of people are waiting in jails across Illinois for placement in state-run psychiatric facilities, many of them despite court orders requiring their transfer. In Union County alone, he said, IDHS had been held in contempt and sanctioned twice in the previous month for failing to comply with court orders directing defendants
provided at Choate is singular,” Herzog said. “There’s nothing else like it in southern Illinois.” Patients at SIH’s Mulberry Center in Harrisburg stay an average of about nine days, Herzog said. At Choate, the average is closer to 90. Melanie Sanders, SIH’s system director of emergency services and patient logistics, said removing those beds would push more people into emergency rooms, jails and other facilities that cannot provide the same long-term treatment. “Those patients don’t go away,” Sanders said. “Those community members that need this care, they don’t go away. That doesn’t fix things.” Clinton County Sheriff Dan Travous described one man with significant developmental disabilities who spent weeks isolated in his jail because an appropriate placement was not immediately available. “I’ll be honest with you, a jail can’t take care of that,” Travous said. Christina Harris, a Choate nurse of about 13 years, said keeping treatment in Anna also keeps patients near the families
unused space for step-down treatment, crisis services, housing and other community programs. The first phase of SIU’s Choate Transformation Report was published in July 2023 and said two additional phases were planned. Phase 2 was expected to focus on the safety of people receiving care and Choate employees, while Phase 3 was expected to examine Illinois’ broader systems of care for people with developmental disabilities and serious mental illness. Neither appears to have been released publicly. Still, IDHS continued to cite SIU’s work as the transformation progressed. In October 2024, the department announced it would increase Choate’s psychiatric capacity from 50 beds to as many as 75, calling the additional capacity “much needed” and saying the decision was “informed by recommendations” from SIU. The agency said SIU was also continuing to shape the transformation through recommendations on campus repurposing, staff training, safety, patient care and
vision,” Bryant said. Dr. Kari Wolf, chair of psychiatry at SIU School of Medicine, provided new insight into that partnership during the town hall and said that SIU’s work continued beyond the first publicly released report. Wolf said the first phase focused on “how to really build up the services at Choate” — not only improving what already existed, but developing a broader system of care for people with developmental disabilities and mental illness. A second part of the work, she said, involved going “facility by facility or building by building” across the campus and making recommendations for how Choate could be repurposed for inpatient care, community services and workforce training. “If you are expanding services in southern Illinois for individuals with developmental disabilities and mental illness, you need to train more people to do that work,” Wolf said. “The third element of the work that we did was to create a comprehensive safety program,” Wolf said. She said Choate employees have since implemented many
of those recommendations and that some of the safety practices developed through the partnership have been expanded to other SODC’s. Bryant questioned how a transformation process that repeatedly discussed expanding, repurposing and strengthening services at Choate ultimately resulted in the elimination of its general developmentaldisabilities program and all 75 civil psychiatric beds. “I think the campus can continue serving some of our state’s most vulnerable, while expanding critical mental health services for southern Illinois,” Bryant said. “And I’m not willing to accept the only answer that Springfield can come up with is to walk away.” ‘I’ve never seen this area so mentally ill’ Employees at the town hall argued that the state’s reductions are particularly frustrating because they believe Choate still has both the workforce and demand to do more. Amy Casper, who has worked at Choate for 30 years, said the facility gave her the ability to raise her children, earn a degree and build a career. “This job has given me the opportunity to raise my children, further my education, and have job security until now,” she said. Ona “Tina” Rivero Winfield, president of AFSCME Local 141, said workers have spent years adapting to shortages and changing demands. “This is about the care that we have given and what we want to continue to do,” she said. Choate social worker Jessica Grigsby, who evaluates forensic patients in jails throughout southern Illinois, said what she sees does not resemble a region with declining need. “I’ve never seen this area so mentally ill ... in six years,” Grigsby said. “It is alarming.” Public service administrator Ricky Borders said Choate has routinely accepted patients other facilities could not handle. “We have the capacity, we have the drive, we have the love of caring for them,” Borders said. Pritzker, however, said his administration believes mental health care has expanded across southern Illinois overall and that Choate must be viewed within a larger change in how Illinois provides care. “This is one facility with one set of issues,” Pritzker said. “And I said this a couple of years ago, that if we couldn’t resolve some of the challenges there, that the only option that we really would have is to stand down that facility.” Staff Reporter Jackson Brandhorst can be reached at jbrandhorst@dailyegpyitan.com and on Instagram @jacksondothtml
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
ANIMALS
CONTINUED FROM 1
late at night, when she often can’t sleep herself. “I have been the one people have called so often to come and get the possum out of their garage or the raccoon out of the garage so that they don’t have to call an exterminator who will kill them,” she said. “Animals to me are very sacred and special and I have seen some amazing things.” Nelsen, who is a southern Illinois native, grew up with a passion for living things. In the ‘90s, she attended SIU to study environmental science and zoology. She said it’s humans who are encroaching on animal habitats rather than wild animals invading our space. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, when she was without a job and looking for a glimmer of hope, she started a YouTube channel titled “Taracat’s Wild Life Kingdom.” Over the years, her channel has garnered over 1,000 subscribers. Nelsen shared videos of feeding raccoons, possums and feral cats. It was here she found people commenting how the videos made their bad day just a little bit better. “During COVID-19, it really was like a lifesaver for me,” Nelsen said. ”If a new neighbor moved in, I’d talk to them like, ‘Hey, one, I have cats, you know, heads up. If you hear me in the yard at like 2 in the morning yelling at somebody, but it looks like I’m not yelling at anything, I’m just telling everybody to behave.’” As cityscapes increase, raccoons continuously adapt to an urbanized lifestyle. A 2022 National Geographic report suggests raccoons are becoming smarter as humans upgrade into raccoonproof tech like trashcans. These city raccoons adapt and learn unique avenues to feed their wide-ranging diet, which includes nearly anything. From fruits, insects to someone’s unwanted leftovers. Suzanne MacDonald, a psychologist who studies urban raccoon cognition said some will live in a 3-block radius around a steady food source.
Public health concerns “I had another neighbor in the similar neighborhood message me and say that their domesticated cat had been killed by a raccoon in the middle of the day and that they had had to start feeding all of their dogs indoors,” Stephens said. The original ordinance, considered at the July 28 Murphysboro City Council meeting, outlawed the feeding of raccoons, possums, deer and feral cats, exempting birds and squirrels. Feral cats were removed from the ordinance at the Aug. 11 meeting after local shelters like St. Francis Care and Wright-Way Rescue advocated in opposition to their inclusion. Stephens invited representatives from Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Jackson County Animal Control and U.S Fish and Wildlife Service who all testified at the Aug. 11 city council. The representatives unanimously agreed in favor of adopting. “It is rare, there may only be one or two cases of rabies in Jackson County a year, but the health department here does not keep rabies vaccines on hand,” Stephens said. “If you get rabies, it’s very expensive. It’s a series of like a dozen shots that you have to get and you’re going to have to just deal with that while they order it and it’s shipped here. That was some other thing that I did was talk to those various agencies. So it wasn’t just my opinion or overreacting neighbors or whatever. ‘It was the experts’ In 2021, the Illinois Department of Public Health made a statement after a man in Lake County, Illinois, died after contracting rabies; the most recent human case of rabies in Illinois. IDPH stated that although rabies cases are rare, with one to three cases in the U.S reported each year, roughly 60,000 people receive the vaccine after being exposed. Without treatment, rabies is fatal as it affects the central nervous system causing disease in the brain. Center for Disease Control and Prevention
News | Page 5
Tara Nelsen poses for a portrait in her sunflower garden Aug. 19 2026. Kristin Borchers | kborchers@dailyegyptian.com reported two confirmed cases of rabid animals in Jackson County between 2019 and 2023 from bats. According to the CDC, wild animals account for more than 90% of positive cases of rabies. The most common occurrence is in bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes. “This was a very extreme circumstance where people’s quality of life was being negatively impacted by another person’s actions,” Stephens said. “I felt and still feel that I represent people, voters, residents. I don’t represent wildlife. I mean, they are a part of the community. They exist here. But someone’s right to protect their property and their investment is a much higher priority to me than someone’s recreational enjoyment of feeding wildlife.” Raccoons who may have rabies could exhibit signs of aggressive behavior, disorientation, frothing and drooling at the mouth and even minimal reactions to noise. Stephens said if a resident sees a raccoon acting out of the normal, they should contact Jackson County Animal Control or the Police Department. “I want to emphasize that we haven’t hired three additional people to drive around at night with spotlights and make sure nobody’s feeding wild
animals. But this does give us something to where if we receive a complaint, and we determine it to be legitimate where we can respond,” he said. Possums, on the other hand, are unlikely to carry rabies due to their low body temperature. While possums carry minimal disease, they can carry zoonotic diseases which arise from bacteria, fungi and parasites that can transmit to humans. ‘Trap, neuter, release’ Diane Daughtery, the founder and owner of St. Francis Care in Murphysboro, said there is a huge problem with cat owners not spaying and neutering their pets, which can lead to an excess population of feral cats. “The feral cats, they’re only feral because we failed them. That’s what I spoke of at city council, it’s like we failed them. They’re not like some alien, and they’re here because we’ve let them reproduce. So it’s our responsibility to help them. No cat becomes pregnant because they want to be,” Daughtery said. “They can have two to three litters a year. So you can understand how the population keeps growing. It can be overwhelming.” St. Francis, which is a no-kill shelter, takes in unwanted animals. Each animal they rescue
receives spaying and neutering, vaccines and gets microchipped. St. Francis is often stretched thin, reaching their max capacity of 200, filled with puppies, kittens and adult dogs and cats. “The solution to feral cats is… TNR; Trap, neuter, release. And with dogs, it’s just simply getting them fixed. I’m sure there are some wild dogs somewhere living in the country, but not like feral cat colonies,” Daughtery said. Feral cats are often hard to trap as they become defensive and distrusting of humans after being dumped or mistreated, which both Daugherty and Nelsen agreed upon. Stephens said Murphysboro is looking into a TNR program to assist with their population levels, similarly to a Herrin organization. Groups like Herrin Feline Fixers and St. Francis Care are nonprofit organizations operating solely on donations, which means they can only help a limited number of animals. “My saying is always, if you come in and adopt from us, you save two. Because you’re saving the animal that you take, and you’re saving the one that gets to come in and take their place,” Daughtery said. Nelsen said she and a neighbor, who have both lived in Murphysboro for 20 years, tend to stray cats in
the area. Between the two, they have taken a handful of cats to get spayed and neutered, preventing them from reproducing. Murphysboro’s wild animal ordinance is taking a toll on Nelsen. One of her greatest passions and nightly routine will have to come to an end. Throughout her years of feeding raccoons and possums, she’s seen generations of families swing by in the safety of her backyard. Nelsen said she’s had one raccoon and one possum die in her arms after they’d been coming to her house for years. She recalls telling them to come home when they knew it was their time. “Any major researcher of animals, of wild animals, has story upon story of how certain animals connect to them,” Nelsen said. “These guys have spirits. They have souls. They have personalities. So the closing of Taracat’s Wild Life Kingdom is not sitting well. I’m not dealing with it well, but also, now that there’s an ordinance, there’s not much I can do.” Nelsen said she will continue to feed her raccoons and possums as she weans them off of their usual routine of nightly feedings. Staff Reporter Kristin Borchers can be reached at kborchers@dailyegyptian.com
Page 6 | Entertainment and Culture
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
A snapshot of the Du Q
Gunner looks towards a concession stand from a Pepsi truck Aug. 28, 2026 at the Du Quoin State Fair in Du Quoin, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual
Saluki Silks member and DE Sales Executive Makenzie Ostrander swings her flag down for the school song Aug. 28, 2026 at the Du Quoin State Fair in Du Quoin, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual
Winner of Little Miss Du Quoin Azle Wintermann looks towards her mom a water bottle in the float for her Aug. 28, 2026 at the Du Quoin State Fa Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual
Drum Major, Dillion Smith conducts for the DuQuoin Middle School band Aug. 28 2026 in DuQuoin, Illinois. Soph Levinson | @hpos.artz
Kaia pours a little of her water into the cap to drink before the Tw the Du Quoin State Fair Parade in Du Quoin, Illinois. Peyton Cook
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Entertainment and Culture | Page 7
Quoin State Fair Parade
Miss Perry County Fair Queen, Faith Trail, waves to some kids in the street of the DuQuoin State Fair Aug. 28, 2026 in DuQuoin, Illinois. Soph Levinson | @hpos.artz
m Arriane Wintermann while she is placing air in Du Quoin, Illinois.
wilight Parade starts Aug. 28, 2026 at k | @cookmeavisual
Tamiko “T.C.” Mueller, who is running for the State Senator of the 59th District, gives a thumbs up to a potential voter Aug. 28, 2026 in DuQuoin, Illinois. Soph Levinson | @hpos.artz
Page 8 | Advertisement
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
• LOCAL, ORGANIC, FAIR TRADE • WELLNESS • BULK • GROCERY • DELI • FRESH PRODUCE • CRAFT BEER & WINE •
Neighborhood Co-op Grocery Open daily 8am - 9pm
In the Murdale Shopping Center • 1815 W. Main Street, Carbondale IL • (618) 529-3533 • www.neighborhood.coop
tart Online salessts Aug. 1 . 25! g u A e r o t s n i or
Sept. 12-13, 2026 Meet local farmers, see demos, learn, taste and take tours of Southern Illinois farms in two distinct regions!*
our y e s o o h C cess c a t e g r day o ekend! all we
Saturday: Eastern Region • Sunday: Southern Region
*Passes are available for single days ($20) or a multi-day pass ($30) for all weekend. For car passes, full map, participating farms, and more, scan the QR code or visit:
www.neighborhood.coop/farm-crawl Thank you to our sponsors:
The Farm Crawl is a fundraiser for
Food Works
Food Works is a non-profit organization facilitating the development of a sustainable food economy in Southern Illinois.
EVERY SUNDAY! TOTAL PURCHASE WITH COLLEGE ID
5% OFF
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Opinion | Page 9 EDITORIAL
SIUE leaders, stop attacking student press DAILY EGYPTIAN EDITORIAL BOARD Our sister newspaper is in trouble. For two years, staff of !e Alestle at SIUE have faced pushback from university administration. Most recently, the director of communications said she will be sitting in on all interviews conducted by journalists — a practice !e Alestle’s adviser claims is akin to prior review. Prior review is defined by the Student Press Law Center as when school officials view student media before it is distributed. Under Illinois law, this is illegal. !e College Campus Press Act states, “Campus media, whether campussponsored or noncampussponsored, is not subject to prior review by public officials of a Statesponsored institution of higher learning.” !e Daily Egyptian stands by !e Alestle and strongly condemns this practice. !e issue started on July 17, when Lily Berkenbile, a reporter at !e Alestle, emailed the assistant director of online student services to set up an interview about the university’s Wedge AI Learnathon Series. She received a response from Nicole Franklin, SIUE marketing and communications director, instead, informing Berkenbile that she would
be attending the interview. Berkenbile replied to Franklin, asking what the reason for her presence was, if the interview was contingent on her presence and if she would record. In response, Franklin said that she would record and that she tries to make all interviews between press and SIUE staff, but did not acknowledge the first two questions. Berkenbile reasonably declined her request to join the interview. Franklin then replied again, reiterating that she would join, and copied The Alestle faculty adviser Tammy Merrett. Merrett stood by her students, writing to Franklin, “!e reporters have enough to worry about getting right with interviews, they don’t need someone from the administration there to intimidate them as well.” Franklin then responded, “!e students will go on to post-graduation/ off-campus work as journalists to see this is common practice with organizations. !e director of communications, public relations professionals, or communication teams are present for interviews-even sometimes taking the pre-interview before the subject is introduced to the conversation.” Franklin isn’t inherently wrong. It *is* common for PR and communications professionals to join
interviews with reporters. We’ve seen it when interviewing political leaders and national organizations. !ey often provide us with additional or corrected information to help our stories. But just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s always appropriate. SPLC Senior Legal Counsel Mike Hiestand said it might be the standard in the corporate world, but “definitely not at a public university working with student media.” In 2024, two housing employees at SIUE spoke to The Alestle against a department policy that required them to direct all media inquiries to the director of university housing for approval prior to speaking with reporters. One employee said they understood the department’s point of view, but that it allowed them to control the narrative, a power that could be abused. Fearing retaliation, the employees requested to remain anonymous in the story. !e Alestle contacted five other current or former housing employees. !ey reported that two RAs turned down an interview for feeling afraid or uncomfortable with speaking. A third RA spoke on the record for a separate story, but requested their quotes be removed prior to publication, stating they
didn’t want to get in trouble. !at policy sti$ed the speech of university employees — and now SIUE is letting history repeat itself. Requiring a university official to attend interviews with journalists has the potential to indirectly censor both parties involved. Reporters may feel like they can’t ask hard-hitting questions, while interviewees may feel like they cannot answer truthfully. In the end, it creates a chilling effect, and we lose indepth, truthful news. !e Alestle’s job is to keep the SIUE community informed and produce hardworking journalists. Why is the university trying to prevent that? SIU Carbondale isn’t perfect. It can be hard to get in touch with university officials, and sometimes even harder to get detailed statements. But Jeff Harmon, our director of communications on the Carbondale campus, is helpful, not demanding. He has never forced himself into an interview with our staff. And Carbondale Chancellor Austin Lane is too classy to run a smear campaign against a student publication, which SIUE Chancellor James Minor did in March, when he publicly criticized !e Alestle in a letter to “University Leadership.” Minor called their
Dena Rendleman | @dena.rendleman
reporting “predictably poor, inaccurate and incomplete,” without pointing out any inaccuracies or offering constructive feedback. It appears that SIUE administrators are not supportive of their students or of free speech. Maybe this isn’t their intention. But when !e Student Press Law Center and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression sent a letter to Paula Bridges, SIUE’s executive director of marketing and communications, requesting the university no longer require a “media minder” to attend
interviews and provide their availability for a meeting, no one responded by the Aug. 20 deadline. !e DE urges SIUE leaders to respond to SPLC and FIRE, and to work with them to create a policy that benefits both !e Alestle and the administration without restricting free speech. !is starts with being transparent when asked for feedback or clarification. If your student journalists can do it, why can’t you? The Daily Egyptian Editorial Board can be reached at editor@dailyegyptian.com
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
RESTAURANT REVIEW
Speak up about gender inequity in SIU leadership
1869 Grille is quick and cheap, but kind of mid
Hello, Gus Bode, the campus legend. My man! I read your “Meet SIU Administrators” column in the August. 12 issue. Eighteen of them listed. Sixteen men, two women. Years ago I spoke before the SIU Board of Trustees about this very same statistic. Men here, men there, men everywhere. And one now even has the title of Vice Chancellor of Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “Gus thinks diversity is vital to the success of all things ever,” you said of yourself, Gus Old Boy. I agree with you. But who at SIU will ensure that woman administrators are represented here in the same percentages that they are in the general population? !at they do in the student
and alumni populations? Would it be Paul Frazier, the Vice Chancellor of DEI? SIUC Chancellor Austin Lane? !e top guy himself, SIU System President Daniel Mahoney? Gus, I remember you from the 1980s when I joined the SIU staff. A woman. More of us then. I remember that fact now when the main man at the SIU Foundation sticks out his hand into my path and asks for a contribution. (The same man who spent $2 million just to get out of a contract to build new student housing. Him.) Speak up about this inequity, Gus! You can do it, son. I am counting on you. Laraine Wright Carbondale, Illinois
Have an opinion you’d like to share with the Daily Egyptian’s audience? Email editor@dailyegyptian.com to submit a letter to the editor. Submission Policy: Letters and guest columns must be submitted with author’s contact information. Phone numbers are required to verify authorship, but will not be published. Students must include their year and major. Faculty must include rank and department.
GUS BODE Campus Legend When I heard that the 1869 Grille was finally opening up in the Student Center, I knew I would have to give it the old college try. After all, I’ve been here since 1956. !at was almost five years before the Student Center was dedicated, so I’ve been around for all its changes — the expansion in the early ‘70s, the renovation of the fountain and courtyard for its 50th anniversary, the recent opening of the England Lounge, and, unfortunately, the closing of Steak ‘n Shake in 2019. I remember how the university quickly came up with a plan for the empty space: an original burger restaurant. But, as we all know, a lot has happened since 2019. And by a lot, I mean the COVID-19 pandemic, which left the university and the food service industry with closures, staffing shortages and financial issues. Still, SIU remained steadfast in its commitment to building what would become the 1869 Grille, a burger joint named after the year the university was founded. It took six years — and we lost our Chickfil-A and Subway along the way — but the Grille is now up-and-running, providing students with quick meals, good prices and a fun selection of menu items. It was hard to decide what burgers to try, because
the names were all so fun. !ere was, for example, the Saluki Burger topped with pickle, ketchup and mustard, and the plantbased Dopple Burger with pickle, ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise. Whoever came up with those seriously deserves a raise. I ended up choosing the namesake 1869 Original and the Big Dawg Burger. !e cool thing about the Big Dawg Burger is the beef is grown at the SIU Farms, meaning it’s straight from the source. It’s topped with tomato, onion, pickles and “special sauce.” I’m not sure what the sauce exactly is, but it gave the burger some muchneeded $avor. At $6.99 and $7.75 respectively, the burgers are reasonably priced, but I found them to be a bit bland. !e patties lacked seasoning, and while the toppings helped, the meal wasn’t a standout. I found myself rather thirsty afterwards, so I decided to try a Cherry Pepsi dirty soda. For those with a sweet tooth, there’s a wide range of the fun drinks, made by mixing soft drinks with $avored syrups and cream, and there’s also an ice cream menu. !e drink I had, however, tasted more cherry than Pepsi and left me with a weight at the bottom of my stomach. !e fries, however, were hot and seasoned to perfection. Since no burger is complete without them,
I got a large fry for under $4. !e serving size was so big that even after sharing the fries with two friends, we still had leftovers! I’d say the fries rival Five Guys, a burger chain that hasn’t yet reached the Carbondale area. If you aren’t a beef or fry person, the Grille has chicken options and a variety of sides, like mac ‘n cheese, onion rings and cheese curds. For those with a sweet tooth, there’s a wide range of dirty soda and ice cream options, too. I tried a dirty soda When I stopped by the Student Center with only 30 minutes for a lunch break, I was worried I wouldn’t have enough time to get the Grille. (Can you blame me? !e Chick-fil-A line was always crazy!) But thanks to a fancy self-ordering kiosk and fast-moving workers,
!ompson Woods and many outlets, I might have unlocked a new favorite study space on campus. I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to eat at the Grille, but if I’m in the Student Center and looking for a quick bite, I might consider it. I wish it was open during dinner time, but with the food court closing at 3 PM, a 5:30 PM close time is pretty good. I loved having chains on campus as much as the next guy, but I have to admit, it is pretty cool to have an independent restaurant at our school, especially one with spacious seating, short wait times and cheap options. I don’t think it competes with the Carbondale food scene, but it’s a solid choice for Salukis. Overall Rating — 6/10
I got it in under 10 minutes (and this was right around noon, often the busiest time at the Student Center!) I was pleasantly surprised to see the seating area, which starts at the Grille but extends to the Marketplace Food Court seating. With booth and James Jamason table options, a view of @XTOMIC_COMIC
Page 10 | Sports
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
SIU football surrenders season opener, loses 34-31 to UWF NOAH PETSCHKE Sports Editor
SIU Football opened up its season on the road in Pensacola, Florida, taking on the Argonauts of the University of West Florida on Aug. 27. Facing a newly added Football Championship Subdivision team, the Salukis looked to start off the 2026 campaign in the win column. But after a long back-and-forth battle, the Dawgs fell short of a late-game victory, starting the season off with a 34-31 loss. In April, UWF announced that all of its teams would go from Division II to Division I, with the football team joining the United Athletic Conference. The Salukis were first in line to take on the Argonauts in 2026. The Salukis received the kickoff to start the game, but could not advance the ball and punted after just two minutes of possession. The Argonauts fumbled, and Linebacker Ben Fiegel recovered the ball, giving the Salukis another chance to open up the scoring. After an eight-play drive, kicker Seth Adams cashed the field goal, putting the Dawgs up 3-0. It took just four minutes for the Argonauts to answer with
the first touchdown of the game, putting UWF up 7-3. The running game came into play for the Dawgs at the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second. Quarterback DJ Williams and running back Chandler Chapman combined for 49 rushing yards in one drive to put SIU in field goal range. Adams drilled his second field goal of the game, bringing the Salukis within one point. The Argonauts pounced on the Saluki defense, scoring their second touchdown of the game. In the middle of the second quarter, Williams went down with a leg injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the game. Quarterback Jake Curry came in as a substitute for Williams, but threw an interception on his first drive. The interception was quickly converted into an Argonaut touchdown, and UWF went up 20-6 with little time left in the first half. Adams nailed his third field goal of the game, a 47-yarder, and the Salukis entered the half down 20-9. The second half began with nine minutes of scoreless play. The Argonauts broke the drought with another touchdown, putting them up
Photo provided by Saluki Athletics.
27-9. After failing to score on their drive, the Dawgs recovered a fumble, giving them another chance to score. A 17-yard dime from Curry to wide receiver Allen Middleton gave the Salukis their first touchdown of the season. After a successful SIU two-point conversion, the Argonauts held a 27-17 lead going into the final quarter.
After a long Saluki drive, Curry rushed for 19 yards and dove into the pylon to secure the touchdown. A successful point-after-touchdown brought the Dawgs within three points. Once again, the Salukis failed to stop the strong Argonauts’ offense, and fell behind 34-24 with two minutes left in the game. The Dawgs were not ready to
give up, and Curry connected with wide receiver Kyle Thomas for a late-game touchdown, making it a three-point game with just over a minute left. The Salukis stopped the Argonauts in their final drive, but an interception sealed the deal, and UWF won its first game of the season. With this loss, the Salukis fall to 0-1 to begin their 2026
campaign. The Argonauts get off to a strong start in their new conference at 1-0. The Salukis will continue their road trip down south with a game against the Samford University Bulldogs on Sept. 3, in Birmingham, Alabama. Sports Editor Noah Petschke can be reached at npetschke@dailyegyptian.com
Saluki volleyball surges to a season-opening sweep in Texas NOAH PETSCHKE Sports Editor
The Salukis started their 2026 season in Commerce, Texas, to compete in the Lion Invitational from Aug. 2830. The three-game weekend slate featured matches against the University of LouisianaMonroe Warhawks, the East Texas A&M Lions and the Texas Southern University Tigers. The Salukis went undefeated over the weekend, starting their season off 3-0 before heading back to Carbondale. Aug. 28: SIU 3, ULM 1 Set 1: SIU 25, ULM 21 A pair of attack errors and a service ace from setter Ella McFarland put the Dawgs up 3-0 to start the first set. The set was back-and-forth with five ties before the ten-point mark was reached, but an emphatic kill by opposite hitter Ella Swansiger put the Salukis in double digits first. The neck-and-neck affair persisted, but a couple of attack errors sealed the deal, and the Salukis took their first set of the season 25-21. Set 2: SIU 26, ULM 24 With the score tied at three
points each, the Salukis and Warhawks were in the midst of another close set. However, a four-point run, fueled by four kills, gave SIU an early advantage. The Warhawks were not out of it by any means, tying the game at 12-12 with an influx of strong offensive attacks. Back-to-back aces from middle blocker Chloe Anderson brought the Dawgs within one point late in the set. Kills from Swansiger, outside hitter Carlota Mora, and outside hitter McKenzie Moeller put the exclamation point on a dramatic second-set victory for SIU. Set 3: SIU 15, ULM 25 With a sweep on the horizon, the Dawgs looked to close out the first match of the season in three sets. The Salukis began the third set with a lead off of more Warhawks’ attacking errors and two more aces off the hand of McFarland. Following the hot start, the Salukis never fully found their footing. The Warhawks put up three service aces paired with an impressive offensive display to cruise to a 25-15 Set 3 victory
SOCCER CONTINUED FROM 1
eight-goal performance sets a new program record for the most goals scored in a single game. This is the second time in the 2026 season that the Salukis have set a new single-game goal record. The new program record came just two weeks after the Dawgs scored five goals to set the previous single-game goal record in a home victory over Western Illinois. The match began at 10 A.M., and at the fourth minute, midfielder Dana Nadda scored. Senior Nao Katamoto and freshman Kayla Grain assisted on the goal. Southern Illinois led Alabama A&M 1-0. At the 13th minute, forward Celina Pinelli scored to build the Saluki
to avoid the sweep. Set 4: SIU 25, ULM 20 Moeller hit her stride to begin the fourth set, putting up an impressive four kills within the first eight SIU points. After sprinting out to an early 10-3 lead, the Dawgs never looked back. Numerous Salukis got their hands in on the scoring, and the Warhawks failed to clean up the errors, tallying nine of them in the fourth set. Although the Warhawks sparked a late-game six-point run, the early lead the Salukis established was too much to overcome, and the Dawgs walked away with a set and match victory. Aug. 29: SIU 3, ETAMU 1 Set 1: SIU 25, ETAMU 27 The Salukis faced some earlymatch adversity in the first set against the Lions. Three early service aces and a relentless front row dominated the Dawgs out of the gate. Moeller continued to shine in her first few matches as a Saluki, this time racking up three more kills in the first set. The Salukis clawed back with a shocking six service aces, but the Lions ultimately ran away
advantage to 2-0. Katamoto was credited with her second assist on the Pinelli goal. SIU scored again at the 30th minute, with a goal from forward Victoria Hassan. Nadda assisted on the score. Warner scored the next goal at the 43rd minute. Midfielder Londyn Soto picked up the assist, and Southern Illinois was up 4-0 at halftime. Within the first three minutes of the second half, Warner scored her second and third goals. Midfielder Aylie Haycock assisted on Warner’s second goal. On Warner’s third goal, Katamoto assisted her. The Salukis broke the program’s single-game goal record and led the Bulldogs 6-0. Southern Illinois continued to add to the lead, scoring again at the 52nd minute. Katamoto assisted on her
with the first set 27-25. Set 2: SIU 25, ETAMU 22 Three kills by the new faces of Saluki volleyball got SIU off to a strong start. Mora, middle blocker Beatriz Piaia, and opposite hitter Natalie Vance set the tone early from the front row. The Lions maintained a small lead, but a nine-point Saluki run, fueled by kills and Lions’ offensive blunders, flipped the momentum. Despite some late-game drama, Vance and Moeller mashed the ball to secure a 2522 win for SIU. Set 3: SIU 25, ETAMU 21 Similar to the first set, both teams duked it out for the first half of the set. Another strong midgame run, with the entire SIU front row attacking efficiently, propelled the Dawgs to an 18-14 advantage. The Lions pushed back following the run, but Swansiger’s four kills were enough to squeak out a Set 3 win. Set 4: SIU 25, ETAMU 19 The Salukis eyed their second consecutive four-set contest on Saturday evening. A service
error on the first play of the set got the Salukis off on the wrong foot, but a pair of Vance kills and a Piaia ace put the Dawgs right back on track. The fourth set was another close one, but numerous kills from Swansiger, Mora, Anderson and Moeller drove the Salukis to yet another fourset match victory. Aug. 30: SIU, TSU Set 1: SIU 25, TSU 21 Looking for a weekend sweep, the Salukis took on the Tigers on Sunday. After a messy beginning to the set, Vance and Moeller found themselves in the heart of the action, racking up kills to push the Dawgs ahead. A midgame run caused by numerous Tigers’ errors tied the set 17-17, and SIU went on an offensive spree to secure the first-set win. Set 2: SIU 25, TSU 14 Everyone contributed to begin the second set; blocks, kills, aces and opposing errors made for a dominant 7-1 start for the Dawgs. The Salukis continued to play solid all-around volleyball and maintained the lead. The strong SIU defense led the
Tigers to commit 15 errors in the second set. A Swansiger kill and a Moeller ace secured the Salukis’ victory in Set 2. Through two sets, libero Jillian Shaneyfelt racked up an impressive seven digs and three service aces, solidifying the back row. Set 3: SIU 25, TSU 21 The Salukis were on the verge of a sweep and an undefeated weekend heading into the third set. Back-to-back service aces from Mora got the Dawgs off to a hot start. The Salukis continued their run with three kills and another ace, upping the SIU lead to 8-3. Once they had the lead, the surging Salukis kept their foot on the gas and swung their way to a 25-21 third-set victory. With these wins, the Salukis sit at 3-0 and headline the Missouri Valley Conference standings. The Dawgs are back in action on Sept. 4-5 at home for the annual Saluki Bash. Sports Editor Noah Petschke can be reached at npetschke@dailyegyptian.com
fourth goal of the match, and Nadda scored her second goal. At the 87th minute, the Dawgs scored for the eighth time on a goal from midfielder Edin Abougzir. Goalie Reagan Miller played 60 minutes. R. Miller made two saves and allowed a goal. Freshman goalie KK Miller played 30 minutes, making one save and not allowing a goal. The Salukis defeated the Bulldogs by a final score of 8-0. SIU moves to 2-2 on the season. Alabama A&M falls to 1-2. The Dawgs will play next on Thursday, Sept. 3, against Lindenwood. The match will begin at 6 p.m. at Lew Hartzog Track and Field Complex in Carbondale. Sports Reporter Aaron Carnahan can be reached at acarnahan@dailyegyptian.com
Mckenna Garrett (20) runs towards the ball as Alabama A&M runs behind Aug. 30, 2026 at Lew Hartzog field in Carbondale, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Entertainment and Culture | Page 11
Runners erupt into color for a cause OLIVIA LUESING Staff Photographer
Clouds of color erupted over Marion, Illinois on Saturday, at the Colors for CASA of southern Illinois race at The HUB Recreation Center, where participants started their morning with a unique workout. The annual 1.5-mile color run and walk is open to all ages, with the promise of a race full of messy fun. Each registration supports Court Appointed Special Advocates of southern Illinois, a nonprofit organization that trains volunteers to advocate for children in the child welfare system. Organizer Olivia Morgan explains that the race is community-focused. She said she loves to see the interaction among participants. Morgan is the marketing and business development coordinator of The HUB, and has organized events for CASA of southern Illinois in the past, but this is the second year of the color run. As participants make their way to the finish line, teams of volunteers file along the course, equipped with bottles of cornstarch-based colored powder to shower the athletes in. Participants emerge from the plumes of color with a rainbow-lined grin and attire turned colorful. Each athlete received a swag bag and a white Colors for CASA T-shirt, and had the opportunity to tie-dye a T-shirt after the race. The top three finishers: Nicholas Steinberger, Hayan Caudle and William Kaszubski were awarded gift baskets. Colors for CASA of southern Illinois brought Marion a joy-filled event centered around community and support.
A participant of the Colors for CASA of Southern Illinois run/walk finishes the race in a cloud of color Aug. 29, 2026 in Marion, Illinois. Olivia Luesing | oluesing@dailyegyptian.com
Staff Photographer Olivia Luesing can be reached at oluesing@dailyegyptian.com
Participants of the Colors for CASA of Southern Illinois run/walk tie-dye t-shirts August 29, 2026 after the race in Marion, Illinois. Olivia Luesing | oluesing@dailyegyptian.com
Abby Moake runs through plumes of color August 29, 2026 during the Colors for CASA of Southern Illinois run/walk in Marion, Illinois. Olivia Luesing | oluesing@dailyegyptian.com
Page 12 | Puzzles
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Weekly PUZZLE PAGE
"Cards" by Myles Mellor
Across
1
1. Arts degrees, abbr. 4. ___ Tai 7. Dunk in holy water 12. Movie channel (abbr.) 13. "Quantum of Solace" Bond girl Kurylenko 15. Orange-tree orchards 16. Circle piece 17. Tiny piece of matter 18. City in Oregon 19. Slots game, 3 words 22. ___ fixe 23. "Young Frankenstein" heroine 24. More tranquil 28. Mauna Loa, e.g. 33. Extreme, as opposites 35. Jessica of "Fantastic Four" films 36. They're wild when in a pack, 4 words 42. Roulette bet 43. It doesn't hold water 44. Ridiculed 48. Portion of investment money 52. Olympic fencing sport 54. Goatee's locale 55. High poker cards, 3 words 60. Shoddily made 62. Beat setter 63. Part of college e-mail addresses 64. Like the Badlands 65. Clip 66. "Get the picture?" 67. Young pig 68. Photo ___ (P.R. events) 69. Sounds of hesitation
12
13
16
17
Down 1. Indian dishes 2. Rub down 3. Goal-oriented sport
2
3
19
4
5
6 14
9
10
11
15
20
Answers on page 2
21 23
24
25
26
27
33 37
28
29
34
30
31
32
49
50
51
35
38
39
42
40
41
*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.
43
44
45
46
47
52 55 60
8
18
22
36
7
48 53
54
56
57
61
64
58
59
62
63
65
66
67
68
69
38. Sedona maker 39. Songbird 40. HRH part 41. Actress, Mendez 45. Home on the range 46. Big name in printers 47. Narc's org., abbr. 49. Sardo or Havarti 50. Cut across 51. Goes on from 53. Heels, for example 55. Dynamic start 56. Shopper's vehicle 57. Bond opponent, 2 words 58. Bon mot 59. Strike callers, abbr. 60. The "eye" in broadcasting 61. Derisive laugh
4. Extinct birds 5. Anita Baker, for one 6. Stravinsky or Sikorsky 7. Savage 8. Theater box 9. Continuously 10. Rep.'s counterpart 11. Compass point, abbr. 14. ____dextrous (can use both hands) 15. Start, 2 words 20. Guards 21. Ltr. holder, abbr. 25. ___'wester 26. Chicago trains 27. Big Italian broadcaster 29. Intonation 30. Bass, e.g. 31. Cheers network 32. Hardwood type 34. T.L.C. givers, abbr. 36. Dad's namesake, abbr. 37. Resetting setting
Check out The Daily Egyptian Newsletter
Weekly Event Calendar Your guide to upcoming local events over the next 7 days!
September
2
3
4
5
6
7
WED
THURS
FRI
SAT
SUN
MON
!"#$"%&'& !"#$%&'"()
5))467* !"#$%&'"()
!"#$"%&'& !"#$%&'"()
3A7* !"#$%&'"()
C2$)D)&'E$@%E')47
!"##$%&$'()$*"+,$-$."/0$ 1'"'%2&$!"##$3"&45$6$07/7 8"+"2,)5$9$07/7
8"+"2,)5$9<=>$07/7
(=++>-&B"*09=>>6"#5%& R$J)/0(%E$C%:('5$ 6$07/7
!"#$"%&' !"#$%&'"()
()*+&,)%-*+& .)/&--0)1*-& "#2&314 !"#$%&'"() 3%&:25$;$07/7$
K2B"@$K):)&4E5$V$ 07/7 WG)@%&:$W)B,E$-$ CH$LHXS.$Q$07/7
3A7* !"#$%&'"()
5%-<*&5%)+0-%* 6/#81.-$%#%
U+%D%"5$9$07/7
U+%D%"5$9$07/7
(=++>-&B"*09=>>6"#5%&
(=++>-&B"*09=>>6"#5%&
c%&:$C%:('$5$I$07/7
L(+%E$L"/&)EE5 $6$07/
E)1+-&GH 3(705(() C"')$N+"("/$"&4$ U%/)$c(%')f2+45 $6$07/7
!"#$"%&'& !"#$%&'"() $K2E'$L+2EE$MGG@5$3"4$ N(2E'$O$10%@@P"A5$ Q<=>$07/7$ RSB2'2&)5$T>$07/7
3A7* !"#$%&'"() $KL$I>'($"'$*8YE<$Z"&E$ *+)4"'2+$[$U.\L81$ [$3%+'($[$S&42+0(%&E$ ]12L"@^5$T>$07/7 C/&&D0-&E"=>* !"#$%&'"()
K2E'$L+2EE$-$U()$ L20A+%:('E5$FB'%2&$J"&5$ C%:('E2%@$L22@%)E5$U2A$ L2Pa2A$O$WCF$X%a+"'2+E5$Q<=>$07/7
3A7* !"#$%&'"() KL$I>'($"'$*8YE<$K%B,$ JA$3G''$"&4$3"@@E$[$ 3)4E0%&$[$W)"4$2+$ F@%D)E5$Q<=>$07/7
(=++>-&B"*09=>>6"#5%& H0)&$J%B$&%:('$P%'($ !2&$c2d$2+45$6$07/7
F>+)&@=#-6"%2* 9(+%,:"-eD"E$!2(&5$b$07/7
(=++>-&B"*09=>>-& 6"#5%& J"''$3"E@)+5$6$07/7
F>+)&@=#6"%2* 9(+%,:"--
W%4_%'E5$;<=>$07/7
Z"+D)E'$`)E'%D"@<$L)@)a+"'%&:$=9$A)"+E5$TT$"7/7
5>1-&?;6& @=#-6"%2* 6"7"&'"
,-"+0-%&!=>> !%$')&
FB2GE'%B$HD)+'2&)E5$ I$07/7
KL$I>'(<$*8YE$a+G&B($ E(2P$P%'($3G###"+4$[$ L+))0)+$3G4$[$ZG:($ W)C)"@5$Tb$07/7
H@$J22E)<$U"E'%&:$.22/5$ b$07/7 3+GB)$3@)P<$U()$X%&)A"+45$b$07/7$
,)%&8)%-&-9-#+*&:0-:;& )1+&)1%&<-4*=+-&
*"&+,+%,-)),.%/#,)0)&+, 1)#)2, 34"5(, )4%'2+?4"%@A):A0'%"&7B2/
8 TUE 3A7* !"#$%&'"() H0)&$J%B$C%:('5$;$07/7