Olney Central College’s success with Signal Vine is being highlighted on the company’s website. OCC implemented the two-way text messaging platform last year as part of the Illinois Eastern Community Colleges Title III Block Grant initiative to enhance academic advising. The Signal Vine platform enables advisors to strengthen communication and better engage with students.

Evening classes are now available for Olney Central College’s new Unmanned Aerial Pilot Certificate. “We know there are individuals who would like to complete the certificate, but are unable to take daytime classes because they are working,” said Morgan Henton, Unmanned Aerial Technology Specialist. “We hope this will make it easier for them to complete the training.”

The NJCAA honored 32 Lincoln Trail College student-athletes for their work in the classroom during the 2019-20 academic year. They also recognized five LTC teams for their academic achievements. Four student-athletes earned NJCAA All-Academic First Team honors. Volleyball player Sydni Bailey, golfer Jordan Hosick, baseball player Joey Perkins, and volleyball player Emily Yocom all achieved a 4.0 GPA to earn first-team honors.

When retired Yellowstone historian Lee Whittlesey told his longtime friend Dr. Patricia Owens, a former Wabash Valley College professor, that he wanted to use her work in a book project he had been working on, she was surprised. As a way to stay connected, Mr. Whittlesey and Dr. Owens often exchanged works they had published throughout the years.

Each year, the IECC TRIO Student Support Services program awards the Student Support Services Participation Grant to eligible students. For students to receive said grant, they must fulfill several requirements. The students must attend the “Learning to Succeed” seminars which are held two days at the beginning of each academic year. The seminars are comprised of several sessions each day giving the students valuable information to help them be successful during the school year.

A Fairfield team won the title at the first annual high school bass invitational, sponsored by the new Wabash Valley College bass fishing team, held on Saturday, June 20, at East Fork Lake in Olney. Anglers Austin Holtgrave and Nate Kiefer topped the scales at 13.94 pounds for their maximum-allowed catch of five bass. They elected to share the individual honor for the single biggest catch of the day, weighing in at 4.25 pounds.

Wabash Valley College Athletic Director Mike Carpenter announced the resignation of WVC women’s basketball Head Coach Lacey Shalenko on Wednesday morning. Shalenko is pursuing a position in Florida.   Shalenko was the head coach of the Lady Warriors for just one season and guided WVC to a 30-2 record and a perfect 18-0 GRAC record. The 2020 Lady Warriors won the Region 24 women’s basketball championship and advanced to the NJCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Olney Central College will offer a beginning machine piecing/quilting class starting Aug. 25. During the eight-week course, students will learn step-by-step how to create their own quilts using the beautiful Tradewinds and Addison’s Star patterns. The non-credit class will meet from 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays in Room 201 with instructor Laurie Rist. The cost is $100. To register or for more information, contact OCC Student Services at 618-395-7777.

The GED program at Lincoln Trail College donated books to the Crawford County Jail to help inmates prepare to earn a GED. “There’s a significant positive impact on the community when someone earns their high school equivalency,” says LTC Academic Success Center Director Rena Gower. “The donation of these books will help give inmates without a high school diploma a chance to start preparing to earn a GED.”

Lincoln Trail College Assistant Professor of History Cyndi Boyce has been elected as the Chair of the Community College Caucus of the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s Faculty Advisory Council.