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Today's News

  • Vandalia Schools dismissing early

    Due to the arrival of another winter storm, the Vandalia School District is dismissing students early today (Thursday).

    The early dismissal schedule is as follows:

    Jefferson Primary and students who walk to and from school: Noon.

    Vandalia Elementary School-12:10 p.m.

    Vandalia Junior High School-12:15 p.m.

    Vandalia Community High School-12:20 p.m.

    There is no KRP on Thursday afternoon.

    A decision on Friday has not yet been made.

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  • Stone gets 4th in 285-pound class

    If only Nate Stone would have had a burger and fries.

    Instead, the Vandalia senior opted for Chinese the night before his 285-pound state quarterfinal match against Macomb's Ethan Kline at the Class A Individual State tournament.

    It would turn out to be a decision Stone deeply regretted.

    "I was sicker than a dog Friday night," Stone said. " I had some bad Chinese Thursday, and I was sick all night Thursday and Friday."

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  • Eller places second in 112-pound division

    The situation seemed to be right up Josh Eller's alley.

    The Vandalia senior found himself in the midst of a low-scoring, tightly contested bout against Byron's Allen Fish in Saturday's 112-pound championship match at the Class A Individual State Tournament.

    It was the kind of match Eller regularly pulled out during the regular season.

    And it was eerily similar to his state quarterfinal and semifinal victories before it - matches Eller won in thrilling fashion by 5-4 and 4-2 scores, respectively.

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  • Pyle makes most of second chance at state

    Cody Pyle waited a long time for another shot at state tournament glory.

    And the VCHS senior certainly did not squander his second opportunity once it finally came along.

    After a 10-5 quarterfinal upset of Wilmington's Jeff Goodwin in his first state-tournament match since his freshman year, Pyle pulled off a near-miraculous overtime victory over Orion's R.J. Emerick in the 135-pound semifinals Saturday at the Class A Individual State Tournament.

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  • Bowling places second in 145-pound division

    Adam Bowling got a rematch he never expected in Saturday's in the Class A Individual State Tournament's 145-pound title match.

    And, considering he had beaten Wilmington's Jake Murphy earlier this year at the St. Thomas More Challenge, all signs seemed to be pointing toward one of the Vandals' all-time winningest wrestlers bringing home the program's fourth individual state title.

    But Murphy did not cooperate, holding off Bowling in the final seconds for a 7-5 win just a few hours after upsetting two-time state champion Jeff Bybee in the semifinals.

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  • Shroyer gets second in 189-pound division

    In many ways, Saturday's 189-pound championship match at the Class A Individual State Tournament was vintage Matt Shroyer.

    The Vandalia senior showed relentless will in battling Durand's Mitch Alberstett tooth-and-nail for all the marbles.

    He scratched. He clawed. He left everything on the mat.

    Such has been the case countless times before during a stellar senior, but with one big difference this time around: Shroyer did not emerge victorious.

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  • Vandals bring program-record five medals home from state

    CHAMPAIGN - Prior to Saturday, no Vandalia wrestling team - not last year's state runner-up, not the squad that placed third at state in 2002, not even the Vandals 1996 state championship team - managed to advance multiple wrestlers to the finals of the Class A Individual State Wrestling Tournament.

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  • Pana ends Vandals' season

    In many ways, the Vandalia boys basketball team's postseason opener paralleled its regular-season journey.

    Rough start. Strong finish.

    That latter fact considered, it's a shame a Vandals team that was just finding its identity saw its season end with a heartbreaking 48-47 loss to SCC-East rival Pana Monday in the opening round of the Shelbyville Class 2A Regional.

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  • Vandals clinch state berth

    What has been anticipated for weeks became official Tuesday night.

    By virtue of its 47-17 thrashing of Litchfield at its own dual team sectional, the VCHS wrestling team will be making the program's 11th Class A Dual Team State Tournament appearance.

    And a rematch of last year's championship dual against Wilmington awaits the Vandals, who will look to get revenge against the defending state champs and Illinois' current No. 1 Class A squad when the two teams clash at 11 a.m. Saturday at Moline's Wharton Fieldhouse.

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  • Closed campus good for VCHS

    Many of us have been driving in the area of Vandalia Community High School during lunchtime when several students, without looking for incoming traffic, cross the street right in front of us.

    That may seem like just an inconvenience, but what happens if one of those students gets hits by a motorist. The school district, because it allows those students to leave the school grounds for lunch, would likely face a lawsuit.

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