Retiring Du Quoin fire chief Rennie Bedar ends 20 years
Rennie Bedar, 53, steps down as Du Quoin fire chief after 20 years 4 months 20 days. Assistant Chief Donald Brayfield named acting chief. Bedar plans meditation fishing and time for his four personal fire trucks and fire equipment sales business. He will remain a volunteer firefighter and recalls meeting celebrities at the Du Quoin State Fair.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Rennie Bedar
Cairo
Dorothy
du Quoin
Donald
Cotton
Brayfield
Bedar
du Quoin State Fair
Jimmy Durante
Coal Belt Fire Protective Association
Egyptian Firefighters Association
Illinois Firemen’s
Coal Belt Association
Du Quoin fire chief Bedar retires at 53 to fish
Du Quoin Fire Chief Bedar retires at 53 to pursue fishing after a 20 year career marked by four fire deaths and major blazes. He recalls incidents with a burglar on a drugstore roof and a 1971 Salem train derailment. The department grew from two to six paid staff and added trucks and volunteers.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
du Quoin
Bedar
Phyllis Diller
Phyllis
Salem
Midwest Building Corp
Miners' lawyer presses dismissal over courtroom condition
Barbara Schechter reports that attorney Charles Geittmann seeks dismissal of charges against nine Southern Illinois coal miners after listing Massac County Courthouse as antiquated and acoustically poor. He argues the 38 year old room hampers private talks and simultaneous hearing, urging trial relocation to Franklin County.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Barbara Schechter
Southern Illinoisan
Southern Illinois
Metropolis
Massac County
Charles Geittmann
Geittmann
Rend Lake board adds three new members after long fight
Merrill Perlman reports the Rend Lake Conservancy District appoints three new directors Charles Prather J C Livingston and George Heidenreich effective Thursday. The gains bring the seven member board to full strength for the first time in 22 years with five year terms for the newcomers and 1981 expirations for the others.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Merrill Perlman
Southern Illinoisan
Rend Lake
Prather
Chuck’s Steakhouse
Christopher
Angelo Bione
Livingstone
Livingstone Pharmacy
Mt. Vernon
Frank Feltmeier
Heidenreich
Bione
Feltmeier
General Assembly
Jefferson and
Franklin County
Charles Dawson
Franklin County Board
Jefferson County Board
Paul Dickerson
Dawson
Franklin County Housing Authority
Second Circuit Lewis Appointed Circuit Judge
Loren P. Lewis, 35, a former Franklin County state’s attorney, was sworn in as a circuit judge for the Second Judicial Circuit to serve until the November general election. He replaces the late Judge Frank P. Hanagan and is the sole November ballot candidate for the six year term. Lewis may be stationed in Franklin County or Benton, with one Benton-stationed circuit-wide judge currently in place.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Morris
United Mine Workers of America
Geittmann
Franklin County
Geitzmann
Second Judicial Court Circuit
Massac County
First Judicial Circuit
Robert Chase
Alexander County
Robert Landsen
Loren P
Larry’’ Lewis
Lewis
Frank P. Hanagan
Benton
Robert Hill
Illinois Supreme Court
Benton Law Firm
Caldwell, Lewis and Troutt
Cook Coal Terminal Inspection Sought
Illinois Department of Mines and Minerals seeks a state inspection of the Cook Coal Transfer Terminal at Metropolis. Operator AEP must respond by Feb 3 or face legal action. federal OSHA already conducts some oversight.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cook
Metropolis
Illinois Department of Mines and Minerals
Brad Evilsizer
Christopher
American Electric Power Service Corp
Ohio River
AEP
United Mine Workers of America
Evilsizer
Department of Mines
Illinois
U. S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Snow Fears and Funny Plan From a Snow-Soaked Old Timer
In a humorous Sunday piece Ben Gelman records an elderly man venting over winter shoveling. He rails against snow’s hard work and clinging ice while joking about his plan to keep shoveling until death, letting his wife handle the death certificate details.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ben Gelman
Southern Illinoisan
Florida
Sonny
Rascal
Old Timer Debates Death and Snow Shovels
An elderly speaker recalls how a death would be recorded and remembered, joking about a town doctor, a widow, and a funeral, then brushes off aluminum shovels as unsuitable for a “real man.” The交流 passes through a feed store scene with rustic humor and gendered bravado.
Valier sixsome clears snow from the streets
From 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday and Tuesday six men cleared snow in Valier, aided by a circa 1940 road grader. Despite equipment failures they worked late into Friday to repair it. Participants included Bob Burgess, Dean Mercer, Bill Klingle, Jim Mayti, Gary Crocker, and John Gamrat.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Valier
Sarah Burgess
Also Mentioned on This Page
By Karen Rothe
The
Green
IGA
National Coal
David Johnson
James Thomas
Herrin
Vernon Morris III
Steve Thorn
Ronnie Karroll
West Frankfort
General Telephone Co
Carbondale
Charles Martin
Richard Rene
Lora Jean Janick
Gary
Ind
Butch Nevious
du Quoin Firehouse
Rend Lake Board
Wayne DeLap
County Housing Authority
Jack Woolard
Charles Covington
John Douglas
William O’sullivan
West City
O’sullivan
Loren P. Lewis
Cook Coal Terminal Inspection
Byline
B.G
Valier Sixsome