SCHOLARSHIPS

OSF Saint James

CULLOM - Morgan Tharp, Cullom, a Lake Land College of Mattoon student, has won the Harold M. Schroder Medical Education Scholarship, presented by David Ochs, president/CEO, and Marilyn Oelschlager, auxiliary president, of OSF Saint James-John W. Albrecht Medical Center, Pontiac.

The $500 scholarship is in addition to any other educational assistance amount awarded by the OSF Saint James auxiliary.

Growmark

BLOOMINGTON - Thirty-eight college students from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin have received Growmark-sponsored scholarships aimed at promoting higher education in agriculture and business.

Area recipients are Heather Miller, daughter of Robert and Kathi Miller, Bloomington, majoring in communications and political science at Illinois College, Jacksonville; and Katie Miller, daughter of Tim and Becky Miller, Morton, majoring in finance and accounting at Illinois State University.

West Point

BLOOMINGTON - Benjamin Backsmeier of Bloomington, a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, has received one of nine Rotary Ambassadorial scholarships from The Rotary Foundation.

Backsmeier is a senior American politics, policy and strategy major and plans to pursue a one-year master's degree in public policy and administration at the London School of Economics.

NONPROFIT HONORS

Humane Society

NORMAL - Humane Society of Central Illinois has announced its board of directors and officers for 2010 fiscal year.

Officers are President Diane H. Lanier, Heartland Bank and Trust Co.; Vice President Tim Anderson, DVM, Hawthorne Park Animal Care Center; Treasurer Sherill Reichter, State Farm Insurance Cos.; and Secretary Kim E. Miller, State Farm Insurance Cos.

New members elected to three-year terms are Deanna Frautschi, Country Financial; Jane Delgado Shadid, (retired); Wendy Ives, Artful Designs; and Kathy Schniedwind, (retired).

Returning members are Paul Campbell, State Farm Insurance Cos., and Nancy Freitag, Operation SAFE.

COLLEGE HONORs

SIUC

BLOOMINGTON - Elizabeth Nielsen, Bloomington, has been recognized as a member of Sigma Alpha Lambda national leadership and honors organization at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

Nielsen, daughter of Drs. Kathryn Bohn and Thomas Nielsen, Bloomington, is a graduate of Normal Community High School.

NIH

NORMAL - Craig Gatto, an Illinois State University associate professor of biological sciences, has received a $400,000, two-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to fund his research on sodium pumps in cells.

Gatto is a protein biochemist whose research group focuses on transport proteins, which regulate sodium, potassium, and calcium ion movement across cell membranes.

Illinois State

NORMAL - John Carter, chief operating officer for Jack Lewis Fine Jewelry, has received the 2009-2010 Early Career Achievement Award from the College of Business at Illinois State University.

Carter began working at Jack Lewis Fine Jewelry as a sophomore in high school and remained there until completing his degree at ISU. Upon graduation, Carter joined Maurice Lacroix Swiss Watches as the upper Midwest regional sales director. He returned to Jack Lewis Fine Jewelry as a shareholder and is the company's COO. He is a graduate gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America and a Certified Gemologist Appraiser.

SECONDARY HONORs

FFA

CULLOM - Tanya Ifft of Tri-Point FFA Chapter attended Illinois FFA Leadership Camp at Allerton Park near Monricello.

She is the daughter of Tim and Julie Ifft, rural Piper City. FFA teaches premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agriculture education.

Marching Wildcats

NORMAL -The Normal West Marching Wildcats competed in the Washington High School Marching Band field competition in Washington on Sept. 12.

The 120-member band won first place in Class 4A, and the Outstanding Color Guard and Outstanding Percussion awards. This was the first of six field competitions for the 2009 season.

COLLEGE AWARD

ISU

NORMAL - Angela Skinner, Normal, has won the Outstanding Legal Environment Student Award and the finance award from Illinois State University's College of Business.

Skinner, daughter of Gary and Marianne Skinner, is a senior in history education.

NONPROFIT HONORS

Humane Society

NORMAL - Humane Society of Central Illinois has announced its board of directors and officers for 2010 fiscal year.

Officers are President Diane H. Lanier, Heartland Bank and Trust Co.; Vice President Tim Anderson, DVM, Hawthorne Park Animal Care Center; Treasurer Sherill Reichter, State Farm Insurance Cos.; and Secretary Kim E. Miller, State Farm Insurance Cos.

New members elected to three-year terms are Deanna Frautschi, Country Financial; Jane Delgado Shadid, (retired); Wendy Ives, Artful Designs; and Kathy Schniedwind, (retired).

Returning members are Paul Campbell, State Farm Insurance Cos., and Nancy Freitag, Operation SAFE.

COLLEGE HONOR

SIUC

BLOOMINGTON - Elizabeth Nielsen, Bloomington, has been recognized as a member of Sigma Alpha Lambda national leadership and honors organization at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

Nielsen, daughter of Drs. Kathryn Bohn and Thomas Nielsen, Bloomington, is a graduate of Normal Community High School.

SCHOLARSHIP

OSF Saint James

Morgan Tharp

CULLOM - Morgan Tharp, Cullom, a Lake Land College of Mattoon student, has won the Harold M. Schroder Medical Education Scholarship, presented by David Ochs, president/CEO, and Marilyn Oelschlager, auxiliary president, of OSF Saint James-John W. Albrecht Medical Center, Pontiac.

The $500 scholarship is in addition to any other educational assistance amount awarded by the OSF Saint James auxiliary.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Growmark

BLOOMINGTON - Thirty-eight college students from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin have received Growmark-sponsored scholarships aimed at promoting higher education in agriculture and business.

Area recipients are Heather Miller, daughter of Robert and Kathi Miller, Bloomington, majoring in communications and political science at Illinois College, Jacksonville; and Katie Miller, daughter of Tim and Becky Miller, Morton, majoring in finance and accounting at Illinois State University.

SECONDARY HONOR

FFA

CULLOM - Tanya Ifft of Tri-Point FFA Chapter attended Illinois FFA Leadership Camp at Allerton Park near Monricello.

She is the daughter of Tim and Julie Ifft, rural Piper City.

FFA teaches premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agriculture education.

SCHOLARSHIP

West Point

BLOOMINGTON - Benjamin Backsmeier of Bloomington, a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, has received one of nine Rotary Ambassadorial scholarships from The Rotary Foundation.

Backsmeier is a senior American politics, policy and strategy major and plans to pursue a one-year master's degree in public policy and administration at the London School of Economics.

MISCELLANEOUS

Bank of Illinois

NORMAL - Sylvia Rajska, Normal, has won $500 for her savings essay contest entry entitled, "How My Savings Account Has Had a Positive Affect on My Life." The contest was sponsored by the Bank of Illinois to encourage people to save and in celebration of its 95 years in business.

Rajska is a senior at Illinois State University. Visit www.bankofillinois95years.com.

SECONDARY HONOR

Marching Wildcats

NORMAL -The Normal West Marching Wildcats competed in the Washington High School Marching Band field competition in Washington on Sept. 12.

The 120-member band won first place in Class 4A, and the Outstanding Color Guard and Outstanding Percussion awards. This was the first of six field competitions for the 2009 season.

COLLEGE HONOR

NIH

NORMAL - Craig Gatto, an Illinois State University associate professor of biological sciences, has received a $400,000, two-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to fund his research on sodium pumps in cells.

Gatto is a protein biochemist whose research group focuses on transport proteins, which regulate sodium, potassium, and calcium ion movement across cell membranes.

GRADUATE

Univ. of Wisconsin

DeAnna Friedman

FAIRBURY - DeAnna Friedman, Prairie Central Class of 1999, graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health on May 15. Friedman is the daughter of David Friedman, Fairbury, and Debbie Friant, Dixon.

She was also inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society.

Because of her interest in infectious diseases, she spent time in Uganda researching treatment for HIV positive patients, and learning about tropical medicine. She is now in her pediatrics residency at the University of Minnesota and will likely pursue a career in pediatric infectious diseases and global health.

SECONDARY HONOR

Marching Indians

PONTIAC - Pontiac Township High School Marching Indians band was named grand champion of the Washington Marching Panther Parade and Field Band Competition for the highest combined score from the parade and field competitions.

The band finished in second place in class 3A parade competition and finished first in field competition in class 3A.

The percussion section was awarded the first-place percussion award in the parade in class 3A, and the color guard was awarded first place in the field competition.

SECONDARY HONORS

FFA

CULLUM - The Tri-Point Future Farmers of America Livestock Judging Team received top honors at the national Barrow Show judging contest in Austin, Minn. The winning team members are Naomi Cooper, Tyler Loschen, Edward Ehrhardt and Kaleb Nelson.

Tri-Point FFA Team 2 placed tenth. Members are Nathan Froelich, Tanya Ifft, Kristofer Manhart and Amy Loschen.

Naomi Cooper was the fifth-place individual. Tyler Loschen was ninth individual.

MISCELLANEOUS

Pageant director

BLOOMINGTON - Jan Ferracuti, owner of Bridal Elegance, 1329 E. Empire St., has been appointed state director for the Miss Illinois High School America Pageant, a scholarship pageant for high school girls.

COLLEGE HONOR

Illinois State

John Carter

NORMAL - John Carter, chief operating officer for Jack Lewis Fine Jewelry, has received the 2009-2010 Early Career Achievement Award from the College of Business at Illinois State University.

Carter began working at Jack Lewis Fine Jewelry as a sophomore in high school and remained there until completing his degree at ISU. Upon graduation, Carter joined Maurice Lacroix Swiss Watches as the upper Midwest regional sales director. He returned to Jack Lewis Fine Jewelry as a shareholder and is the company's COO. He is a graduate gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America and a Certified Gemologist Appraiser.