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Inside This Issue
Perry County’s News Source. Locally Owned. Locally Staffed.
Volume 17 Number 14
The Weekly-Press is the successor newspaper of the Du Quoin Weekly and Pinckneyville Press.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
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Perry County Board Approves School Bus Crash Lawsuits Solar-Related Projects Commissioners Take No Action Conclude on Personnel Item
Ranger Power Assistant Development Manager Ashton Merbach speaks about a proposed battery storage facility within the Great Plains Solar footprint during last Thursday’s meeting of the county board.
By Pete Spitler Weekly-Press PINCKNEYVILLE – After meeting in executive session for about an hour and 15 minutes during last Thursday’s regular meeting, the Perry County commissioners took no action on a possible motion to employ personnel.
Just prior to the session, Board President Bruce Morgenstern requested County Treasurer Jodi Koester and labor attorney Rhett Barke to be present. Supervisor of Assessments Yvonne Morris and Circuit Clerk Tricia Chandler both asked to be part of it as well, but were
denied by Morgenstern. About 45 minutes into executive session, Koester returned to the meeting room and informed those who were waiting for the commissioners to return that she had been asked to leave. The original agenda for the meeting listed “Elected county officials
(treasurer, assessor, county clerk, circuit clerk)” under the discussion portion of the agenda, which was later amended to show that no discussion would be taking place. During the open portion of the meeting, the county board heard a pair of solar-related proposals from Ranger Power Assistant Development Manager Ashton Merbach and New Leaf Energy Project Developer Tom Ryan. Ranger Power, which was formed in 2017 out of Chicago, already operates the Prairie State Solar facility near Swanwick and is currently building the Great Plains Solar facility near Coulterville. Ranger Power’s newest proposal is to construct a 100-megawatt battery storage system on 10 acres of privately-owned land within the Great Plains Solar footprint. The project is targeting an early 2027 construction start date with completion late next year or early 2028. Continued on Page 3
Pinckneyville FFA Conduct Drive Your Tractor to School Day
The Pinckneyville FFA conducted one of its most popular activities on March 31, with 16 students driving their tractors to school that day. Perry County Young Leaders provided drinks and donuts, while the Perry County Sheriff’s Office provided logistical support. Photo by Dan Herbst.
PCHS Prepares Next Year’s Budget By Jeff Egbert Weekly-Press PINCKNEYVILLE – The Pinckneyville Community High School District 101 Board of Education authorized Superintendent Andrew Dagner at the March 26 board meeting to begin the budget development process for the 2026-2027 school year. Additionally, Dagner will post the budget hearing notice and authorize district spending beginning July 1 until the formal adoption of the district budget at the September 2026 board meeting. In other business: The Board conducted the first reading of the proposed Student Handbook changes for the 2026-2027 school year. Approval was given for an overnight/outof-state trip request for the PCHS cheerleading team to travel to Orlando, Florida, from July 27-31. The board approved the renewal of the district’s membership with
the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) for the 2026-2027 school year. The board approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Pinckneyville High School Education Association regarding Susan Cannon. Brandon Hardin was approved as a volunteer baseball coach. The board agreed to hire Ryan Bruns as assistant girls track coach and Dennis Heape was approved as the head fishing coach. Superintendent Dagner shared the following information with the board: Dagner thanked all the local businesses and community members who continue to support our Sunshine Cart. Dagner complemented the cast, crew, parent volunteers, and local business partners along with Mrs. Nichols and Mrs. Filkins, for making the school production of “The Addams Family” a tremendous success.
The superintendent thanked everyone who came out to donate blood at the PCHS blood drive on March 25. Dagner congratulated the PCHS Archery Team on qualifying for state. Five team members qualified individually, with 19 students competing in Bullseye and 15 in 3-D. Dagner stated he is continuing to develop a plan to upgrade the security camera system at PCHS. As part of this effort, CTS is installing cameras at the new concession stand. The superintendent is currently developing the Consolidated District Plan and will seek Board approval at its next meeting. This plan outlines how the district will utilize federal Title funds (including Title I, II, and IV) to support student achievement, align with district goals, ensure compliance with federal requirements and guide the implementation and evaluation of programs
and services. The first phase of the facilities upgrade included the construction of a new concession and restroom facility at the south end of the football field and track, which is now complete. This addition improves access to concessions and restrooms for students, spectators and community members, while eliminating the need to enter the building during events, enhancing safety, accessibility and overall convenience. The second phase of the facilities upgrade included resurfacing the football field to provide a state-of-the-art turf surface. According to Dagner, this project has now been completed. Dagner stated the district is now moving into Phase 3 of the facilities plan, which includes developing a multipurpose facility and an open commons area to support a variety of student and community needs. Continued on Page 2
By Pete Spitler Weekly-Press PERRY COUNTY – A trio of lawsuits involving the Catholic Diocese of Belleville in connection to the November 9, 2023 school bus crash concluded last year. According to Perry County court documents, the Diocese agreed to a $140,000 settlement with Du Quoin Mayor Josh Downs - on behalf of one minor child - in one case and a $15,000 settlement on behalf of another minor child in the other. The third lawsuit, filed by Nicholas Hirsch on behalf of a minor, was dismissed with prejudice last March upon request of Hirsch’s attorney, Kurt
Harris. The Hirsch case, in which the Diocese had been accused of two counts of negligence in relation to the crash, had been seeking a damage award in excess of $50,000. On November 9, 2023, 15 St. Bruno Catholic School students were heading home on U.S. Highway 51 for the long Veterans Day weekend when the school bus they were riding in rear-ended the step-deck trailer of a semi, causing a large gash down the driver’s side of the bus. According to the Illinois State Police, who were notified of the wreck Continued on Page 3
By Pete Spitler Weekly-Press PINCKNEYVILLE – The Perry County Historical Society will be presenting a “Dining in History” event at St. Paul UCC on May 2 that will historians speaking on Southern Illinois and the American Frontier. The event is being planned as part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. “I hope people participate in this, because there’s a wealth of information nobody really knows about our county and city and I hope people make an effort to come,” said Cheryl Bigham of the Perry County Historical Society. Historians Ray Porter, Rhonda Shubert and David Sprehe will be speaking. The event, which is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., is $30 per person and includes a meal by Kitten’s Catering and a silent auction. Reservations are required by April 22 and can be made by calling 618-357-0075. The event is to benefit the historical society. “We’ve kinda rebranded ourselves from COVID and different things where we’ve been remodeling the museum and the exhibits that we have and we’re focusing more on Perry County,” Bigham said. “We are also focusing on the fact that it was an 1871 sheriff’s residence and jail. There’s hardly any left. “Some of the rooms are going to be reflecting
the Victorian era.” Porter will be speaking about George Rogers Clark, Colonel Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Chief Jean Baptiste Ducoigne and the Revolutionary War patriots who are buried in Perry County. Clark, sometimes referred to as the “father of the western country,” is best known locally for capturing Kaskaskia on July 4, 1778 without firing a shot. Clark’s march to Vincennes in the winter of that year and the siege of British-held Fort Sackville - often regarded as the greatest military achievement of his career - is also notable in that it was accomplished without support from the regular Continental army in either men or funds. “My presentation will be the history of him coming to Southern Illinois during the Revolutionary War days and tie it into Perry County,” Porter said. “I’m glad they’re doing it and I’ll be glad to do my part.” Shubert will be portraying a figure who may not be as well known to Perry County residents: Elizabeth “Eliza” Lucas Pinckney. Eliza was the mother of Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, whom Pinckneyville is named after. Born on Antigua, an island in the British West Indies in the Caribbean, Eliza later moved to the United States with her family after her grandfather’s passing bequeathed three plantations in South Continued on Page 3
Perry County Historical Society Presents ‘Dining in History’