Sports

HCC Cougars Capture Region IV Championship

FREEPORT ­ The Highland Community College men's basketball team added another championship to its impressive resume Saturday, defeating Kennedy-King 79-66 in the Region IV championship game. The Cougars rolled past Kennedy-King, draining 10 three-point field goals in the championship matchup en route to their sixth straight regional title.

Brandon Wood scored 15 points and was named the tournament MVP. Highland Coach Pete Norman was named Coach of the Year while Duro Bjegovic and Lamar Lee were both named to the all-tournament team.

Lee scored 18 points for the Cougars. Bjegovic was also very productive, scoring nine points and pulling down a team-high eight rebounds.

Eric Frederick also had 18 points for the winning team.

Highland had to battle back from a 10-point deficit early on in the matchup. The Statesmen had a 23-13 lead. Highland pulled even with Kennedy-King at 24-24 and later used a 22-3 run to distance itself from the Statesmen.

Highland hung with Kennedy-King early on in the contest, knocking down six three-pointers in the first 14 minutes.

Tim Flowers led Kennedy-King with a double-double of 25 points and 11 rebounds. Flowers led all players in scoring and rebounding. Flowers hit 9-of-15 shots from the field in the season-ending setback.

Highland was back in action on Tuesday at Larry F. Kahl Gymnasium, hosting Three Rivers in a District Playoff game for a chance to advance to the National Tournament Hutchinson, KS. The Highland-Three Rivers game ended too late to make this edition.

Highland Ladies Take Region IV Title

FREEPORT ­ The Highland Community College women's basketball team is back on top in Region IV. Highland handled Black Hawk East with ease on Saturday, defeating the Warriors 75-55 in the Region IV championship game. The Cougars had finished runner-up in Region IV in each of the last two seasons.

Highland, under the tutelage of head coach Dean Buckwalter, maintained a double digit lead over Black Hawk East for most of the regional championship game.

After Highland enjoyed an early lead, Black Hawk East ended the first half on a commanding 29-11 run.

Jackie Barton was the catalyst on the offensive end for Highland, scoring a game-high 21 points and pulling down 11 rebounds for the game's top double-double performance. Barton was named the tournament's MVP. Renee Deuth also had a double-double for Highland, scoring 10 points and claiming 16 rebounds.

Allison Entmeier and Alexi Tann joined Barton on the all-tournament team. Buckwalter was named Coach of the Year.

Highland was facing Lake Region Community College on Tuesday in the District Playoffs. The Highland-Lake Region game ended too late to make this edition.

14 Species Removed, 14 Species Added to Illinois Endangered Species List

SPRINGFIELD ­ The Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board (ESPB) has finalized recommendations for a number of changes to the Illinois list of endangered and threatened plants and animals.

"The Board considered comments and information received and has approved as final the recommendations that were preliminarily discussed in November 2008, with the exception of one plant species," said ESPB Chairman Dan Gooch.

The ESPB will now forward its final recommendations to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), which will conduct an internal review and then initiate the process for proposing changes to the Illinois Administrative Code, which renders the list as official.

"We look forward to reviewing the board's final recommendations. This group is vitally important for the protection and sustainability of endangered species here in Illinois," said IDNR Director Marc Miller.

Including the new recommended changes, the total number of species on the state's list of endangered and threatened species will remain at 483 species, however 14 species will be removed, 14 new species will be added, and the listing status will be changed for nine species. The previous list included 144 animals and 339 plants and the new 2009 list will include 151 animals and 332 plants.

Some of the additions include two invertebrates ­ the central forestfly and Madonna cave springtail ­ that are currently only known to occur at one location each and were added as endangered species. The ornate box turtle and black-billed cuckoo were added as threatened species.

Several species also were de-listed. The bald eagle, sandhill crane, Henslow's sparrow, Richardson's rush, and seaside crowfoot have all shown steady population increases in the state and are no longer considered to be threatened within the state. On the down side, two plants ­ marsh St. John's wort and white mountain mint ­ were removed from the list because they are no longer found in the state.

For a complete list of the changes approved as final at the ESPB meeting on February 20, check the ESPB webpage on the IDNR website at http://www.dnr.state.il.us/espb/index.htm.

2009 License Required Starting April 1

No fooling. The new license year for Illinois fishing, hunting and sportsmen combination licenses begins April 1. Those licenses are available from DNR Direct license and permit vendors, online through the IDNR web site (www.dnr.state.il.us), or by calling 1-888-6PERMIT (1-888-673-7648). DNR Direct makes buying licenses, habitat stamps, and waterfowl stamps convenient and easy. By going online, license buyers can use American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa, or E-Check and print their own license or receipt ­ and the system is available 24 hours a day. The 2009 annual licenses are valid through Mar. 31, 2010 unless otherwise noted.

Spring Turkey Permits Being Drawn

Random daily drawings for 2009 Illinois Spring Wild Turkey Hunting permits started March 9. For more information, go to the Hunting link on the IDNR web site home page. The dates for the 2009 Illinois Spring Wild Turkey Season:

North Zone

Youth Hunt: April 4-5

1st Season: April 13-April 17

2nd Season: April 18- April 23

3rd Season: April 24-April 29

4th Season: April 30-May 6

5th Season: May 7-May 14

South Zone

Youth Hunt: March 28-29

1st Season: April 6-April 10

2nd Season: April 11-April 16

3rd Season: April 17-April 22

4th Season: April 23-April 29

5th Season: April 30-May 7

IDNR Expands Protection for Rare Habitat at Volo Bog State Natural Area

INGLESIDE ­ The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has acquired two parcels of land adjacent to the Volo Bog State Natural Area in Lake County, providing added protection for the high quality natural habitat at the site ­ and alleviating concerns about encroaching nearby development.

The IDNR purchased just over 32 acres along Big Hollow Road in February offering access to the existing Volo Bog State Natural Area property. The property was acquired for an appraised fair market value of $1,092,000, using just under $967,000 in state Natural Areas Acquisition Funds and a private donation of $125,045 provided through the Illinois Conservation Foundation.

Another nearly 11-acre parcel adjacent to Volo Bog was acquired by the IDNR last December for an appraised fair market value of $489,536, also using Natural Area Acquisition Funds (NAAF). It provides access to ­ and a buffer for ­ the northern section of Volo Bog.

"Volo Bog is one of the natural wonders of our state ­ part of a unique natural landscape in northeast Illinois of diverse wetlands, lakes, forest, and prairie that needs protection in the face of decades of expanding development in the region," said IDNR Director Marc Miller. "Adding these adjoining parcels to our holdings at Volo Bog State Natural Area furthers our efforts to protect threatened and endangered plants and animals and advances the goals of the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan."

Volo Bog provides habitat for a many rare plant and animal species such as tamarack, yellow birch, blueberry, cranberry, and orchids. Sandhill cranes are often present at the site. Naturalists consider Volo Bog one of the best examples of classic bog succession in Illinois, having developed over thousands of years from a deep lake to a bog with a floating mat of moss, cattails, and sedges around an open pool.

Volo Bog, which hosts nearly 84,000 visitors annually, has been designated as a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service. IDNR owns more than 1,200 acres at the site, including 500 acres dedicated as two Illinois Nature Preserves. The site is popular for nature hikes and wildlife viewing, with a boardwalk that takes visitors to the middle of the bog. Interpretive programs are presented throughout the year on the grounds and in the Volo Bog Visitor Center. For more information, phone 815/344-1294 or check the IDNR web site at http://dnr.state.il.us.

The Natural Areas Acquisition Fund (NAAF) was established by the legislature in 1989 for the purpose of acquisition, preservation, and stewardship of natural areas, including habitats for endangered and threatened species, high quality natural communities, wetlands and other areas with unique or unusual natural heritage qualities. Over 185 tracts of land totaling 22,780 acres have been acquired with NAAF funding since 1989.

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