July 11, 2025 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Live at St. Joseph-Ogden High School Board

I am here so you don’t have to be. Tonight they are discussing facilities updates.

The new locations of softball, the football and soccer practice field, long jump and high jump.

They are discussing a new study that came from the village engineers saying that the turf football field will cause some drainage concerns with the village.

Here is what the village will discuss tomorrow. #itwillbealongmeeting #sendthoughtsandprayersforme

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School Athletic Fields are located northwest of the High School and currently include a football and track stadium with a grass infield, as well as grass baseball and softball fields. The High School is proposing to reconfigure this area by replacing the grass football field with a turf field and installing a turf softball field where the baseball field is currently located. The current softball field will be replaced with a grass practice field and several of the track and field elements will be relocated to other areas of the site.

Relocating and reconfiguring existing elements of the site have essentially no net impact on the stormwater management of the site; however, the conversion of grass areas into turf areas does impact the site. Turf fields are equipped with underdrain systems that increase peak flows and total volume of stormwater runoff, which currently is directed to a 24-in diameter storm sewer that runs through the area.

Byrne & Jones Sports Construction recently submitted drawings of the existing site configuration and proposed site improvements for review by the Village. These documents show the proposed changes to the area and note an increase in stormwater runoff from the project site. The Village’s site review entails reviewing project plans to ensure that proposed changes follow the Village’s Ordinance and to do not negatively impact other areas of the Village.

• Frequent impacts from the existing storm sewer system are likely given inadequate capacity to accept
additional stormwater flows. While these impacts can be mitigated as described herein, the impacts
from the Salt Fork Oxbow will still exist regardless. Damage from these more frequent events, while
minimal, could compound and eventually produce noticeable impacts to the turf fields. The use of
backflow preventers are recommended and are considered a cost-effective solution that may reduce
damages.

• The impacts from the Salt Fork Oxbow are unavoidable and very likely to negatively impact the
proposed underdrain system as planned. While the frequency is fairly low, the potential damage is
much greater due to the extent of flooding. The use of backflow preventers are recommended and are
considered a cost-effective solution that may reduce damages.

• The School District will need to evaluate their risk tolerance given the existing conditions of the storm
sewer system and flood conditions from the Salt Fork Oxbow. While it may not be practical, the only
solution that eliminates the potential risk is elevating the proposed improvements above the FEMA
base flood elevation of the Salt Fork. As shown in Figure 1, the proposed softball field is almost
entirely within the floodplain limits (pink shaded area shows the area below elevation 665.5).
Elevating the softball field and the corresponding underdrain system would likely not be possible;
however, the elevations of the football field are several feet higher and so it may be possible to
minimize the tailwater impacts on the football field. Additional information on the football field
underdrain system would be required to make this determination.

The school board is discussing elevating the softball field. It technically isn’t in a flood hazard area but the village’s map shows the softball field may flood with a “hundred-year event.”

Basically, the school board is going to see what the village board wants to do because there are ways they could work together to fix the issues.

Discussing the parking lot upgrades. Fun fact from the last meeting: the parking lot is actually narrower in the aisles than most parking lots. #icanseethat

Discussing a Chromebook Lease. 45,000/year for 4 years for 500 Chromebooks.

Going into closed now.

Out of closed. Good of the cause- the auditorium has been utilitzed by multiple organizations and classes after only being for a week.

FFA week went very well.

Discussing the girls basketball season, boys basketball season and wrestling seasons. Reminder softball and baseball practice started today!!!!!

in Schools
Banner
Related Posts

COVID cases not tied to schools

November 10, 2020

November 10, 2020

There have been no cases of COVID-19 traced to any of the schools in St. Joseph.   Grade school Superintendent...

SJO announces students who earn Fall Sports Letters

November 19, 2019

November 19, 2019

Golf Joseph Acton, Sr. Payton Grimsley, Sr.Riley Myren, Jr.McGwire Atwood, Fr.Maddux Carter, Fr. Jacob Kern, Fr.Jack Robertson, Fr. Cross CountryAlly...

St. Joseph Middle School 7th grade high honor roll

June 7, 2023

June 7, 2023

LAST NAME FIRST NAME Bronowski Ava Carter Liam Clark Patrick Coffey Carly Dietiker Avarie Dirksmeyer Ainsley Divan Trey Eaton Connor...

Voters approve referendum

June 30, 2022

June 30, 2022

Superintendent Todd Pence is thankful. Thankful that a referendum asking voters to approve their tax rate by .22 percent passed....

A familiar face to lead PVO

February 25, 2019

February 25, 2019

Jeffrey Isenhower will start a new job on July 1, 2020. He will take over the Prairieview-Ogden superintendent for Vic...

Prairieview-Ogden first quarter 7th and 8th grade honor roll

October 21, 2024

October 21, 2024

Highest Honors (GPA greater than or equal to 3.7) Sydney Abernathy Reagan Blakey Allie Bott Chloe Bressner Ava Buhr Kolbie...

SJO makes graduation plans for June

May 1, 2020

May 1, 2020

St. Joseph-Ogden High School is making plans for graduation to honor the Class of 2020. In a letter sent to...

Live at SJO school board, Oct. 24, 2022

October 24, 2022

October 24, 2022

It’s the special education department and me here at the school board. They are doing a curriculum review. (I seriously...

SJO 2021-2022 1st Quarter High Honor Roll

October 29, 2021

October 29, 2021

Freshmen Barton, RylieBeckett, EJBenoit, AudreyBonny, SarahBrown, LandonClampitt, MadisonCoffey, HaydenDavenport, AerolynDewese, LaurenDietiker, EllaDitchfield, LukeEnnis, JacksonFranzen, SavannaFunk, AddisonGaines, KaidenGerdes, TaytonGetty, OliviaHamilton, MakennahHarms,...

Live at Heritage High School Board March 15, 2021

March 15, 2021

March 15, 2021

I am here at Heritage School Board. My dog ate my computer charger so I’m on chromebook instead of my...

SJO honor roll

July 9, 2019

July 9, 2019

Fourth quarter honor rollFreshmenBarton, Jaden Bensyl, Alanna Besson, Ella Burnett, Kennedi Fulk, Mackenzie Hamilton, Alyssa Ingram, Kailyn Klotz, Olivia Lannert,...

Heritage High School Third Quarter Honor Roll

April 27, 2023

April 27, 2023

High Honors: Freshman: Kierra Dunlap, Anthony Happ, Tyler Ingerson, Faith Latham,Isabelle Lawrence, Ethan Lyons, Lukas Miller, Joshua Stierwalt, Leigha Tatar,...

St. Joseph Middle School 7th grade honor roll

April 7, 2022

April 7, 2022

7th Grade Honor Roll Bello, Abigail Benoit, Zachary Canamore, Willis Colvin, Jaxson Ditchfield, Nickolas Downs, Justin Ennis, Jameson Gaines, Leah...

SJO honors night recipients announced

May 27, 2019

May 27, 2019

The following students were honored in mid-May by St. Joseph-Ogden High School during the high school honors night. • EIU...

SJO first quarter high honor roll

November 14, 2023

November 14, 2023

Freshmen Ahart, LillianBarbee, ZhouBenoit, ZacharyBowlin, AlecBurnett, ColinClark, ElizabethCrider, AbigailDahl, HaydenDavis, IrisDitchfield, NickDowns, JustinFarber, MadisonFarney, NathanielFranzen, NolanGraham, SkylerHammond, AnnaHarbourt, MarkHarris, NicholasHess,...

Comments
Leave a Reply