Shawnee

Enyart meets with student flooding experts

WOLF LAKE — As he continues a tradition set by his predecessor to get young people politically educated and active, U.S. Rep. Bill Enyart’s said he visit Tuesday at Shawnee High School was more than just a cordial chat.

He visited for an hour with Shawnee High School representatives of Mississippi River Levee School Alliance Team and was briefed about flooding issues that have plagued.

Those problems have been illuminated by the high school students under the guidance of Shawnee social science teacher Jamie Nash-Mayberry.

“I came down to Shawnee (High School), and they presented me with the research they have done. It was a great meeting,” Enyart said.

The students hosted an initial summit in December 2010 at the high school that drew ranking officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and federal lawmakers to talk about the National Levee Safety Act of 2007.

At a second summit hosted at Shawnee, federal and Delta Regional Authority officials talked about funding sources to repair levees.

Enyart said he talked with students and Nash-Mayberry about his first piece of legislation — The Mississippi River Navigation Sustainment Act — designed to improve efforts to maintain commercial river traffic in times of drought and flood and to protect jobs.

Within the bill are provisions to give the Army Corps “increased ability to aid research on the river,” Enyart said.

Some of those provisions are authorizing funding for more extreme weather management study, improving tools for river forecasting, expanding flexibility for the Army Corps and creating an environmental pilot program.

Shawnee Senior Nick McMahan said Enyart’s bill “is a good thing,” but it raises concerns about the building of more wing dikes, which Shawnee students researched in the fall.

Nash-Mayberry said students also expressed concern and asked questions about the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 with high insurance premiums for new flood plain level home policies.

Another senior Andreu Gerardi said Enyart encouraged students to continue their political activism by “speaking out rather than having other people speaking out for you.”

Senior Austin McAllister spoke to Enyart about the spring floods of 2011 and how his family had to temporarily relocate, including their cattle.

“He (Enyart) seemed surprised how much we knew,” McMahan said.

May 01, 2013 6:00 am • BY SCOTT FITZGERALD, THE SOUTHERN

School Board Honors one of Shawnee's Best

The 2012-2013 recipient of the Shawnee’s Best award is Dan “Rod” Wilson.

Dan “Rod” Wilson was born and raised in Wolf Lake, Illinois. He attended Shawnee Schools from Kindergarten through 12th grades. He graduated from Shawnee High School in 1983. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Excelsior College in Albany, New York and Masters of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

Master Sergeant Wilson entered the Army in 1989 as a Combat Cameraman. He provided photographic and journalist coverage of training and events that affected the entire realm of Central and South America. Master Sergeant Wilson was hand selected to serve as a Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Search and Recovery team member for the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory from 1992-1997. He deployed to Australia, China, Russia, Korea, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines and made multiple deployments to Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia in search of missing service members from WWII, Korean War, Cold War, and the Vietnam War. During his tenure at the Central Identification Laboratory, Master Sergeant Wilson captured, cataloged and edited 39,925 images used by the branches of U.S. Government to formulate foreign policy and substantiate Missing in Action personnel identification efforts, and was personally associated with cases that returned 46 service members to their families.

Master Sergeant Wilson also served at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, in Belgium from 1999-2007. There he made several Combat Deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and seven African Countries. From 2007-2009 he served at the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (Airborne), Ft. Bragg, NC. From there he deployed to Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Qatar as part of the Global War on Terrorism.

Master Sergeant Wilson retired from the Army in 2009.

For the last three years he served as a Military Subject Matter Expert in the Middle East. There he trained Coalition Soldiers and Civilians deploying to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other hotspots throughout the region.

Master Sergeant Wilson has received several Commendations for his photographic achievements from dignitaries such as the former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Henry H. Shelton and other numerous domestic and foreign military officials.

Master Sergeant Wilson awards and decorations include Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Meritorious Service Metals, four Army Commendation Medals, two Joint Service Achievement Metals, an Army Achievement Metal, Army Superior Unit Award, six Army Good Conduct Medals, two National Defense Service Medals, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, and the NATO Medal, Airborne Wings, Air Assault Wings, and the Combat Action Badge.

Master Sergeant Wilson is the son of Dan Wilson, Wolf Lake and Joan (King) Wood of Grand Tower who presently resides in Port Orange, Florida. His sister Kimberly Benefield serves the community as a Pharmacist in Anna.

Master Sergeant Wilson is married to Supattra Wilson and lives in Fayetteville, NC with their two sons, Andrew (14) and Alexander (7).

Shawnee District #84 extends its most sincere appreciation to Master Sergeant Wilson for his years of service to our country. Congratulations Master Sergeant Wilson on being named “Shawnee’s Best”!

SHAWNEE HOLDS ON TO THIRD PLACE VICTORY

Michael Crane scored the game-winning run off an error in the bottom of the fifth inning, and Shawnee beat Salt Fork, 2-1, in the third-place game of the Class 1A state baseball tournament.

“It was a real boring game until the fourth inning hit,” said Shawnee coach Chad Pitts. “We started throwing the ball away.”

Dylan Boston led off the bottom of the fifth with an infield single and after a fielder’s choice and a strikeout, Crane hit a two-out single to put two runners on. McMahan followed with an infield single of his own that tied the game and then Pind reached on an error that sealed the win.

“It’s a really good way for them to go out,” Pitts said of his senior class. “For Brandon — to go from not hitting at the beginning of the season to get the push for the winning run — huge turnaround for him.

“Adam’s been lights out all year and Gavyn, just call him an RBI machine because he’s had at least 25 RBIs in every season for us.”