Southern Illinois man plays critical role in Thailand rescue mission

With the recent rescue of the boys’ soccer team and their coach in Thailand, a new hero from Marion, Illinois emerges. Southern Illinoisan Thanet Natisri was at the center of the rescue operation.

Natisri is a groundwater expert and was called upon by the Thai government while already in the country working to bring people clean drinking water. His part in the operation included maintaining and lowering the water levels inside of the cave the soccer team was trapped in.

With a big storm expected to come in on Wednesday and possibly flood the cave more than it already was, his task was critically important. Natisri had to first search miles through mountains to find and stop the sources of water from getting into the cave, pump water out of the cave and also stop water from getting in.

The boys’ soccer team, the Wild Boars, was trapped in the cave with their soccer coach for 18 days. Although the team and coach were all accounted for and safe on Tuesday, there was one casualty. A former Thai Navy SEAL who volunteered to deliver supplies to the group passed away due to lack of oxygen.

Now that the rescue mission is over, Natisri’s wife, Yaha, is excited for her husband to return next Wednesday. The couple owns and runs a Thai restaurant in Marion together.

Did You Know? Chicago native Lorraine Hansberry won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award

Did You Know? Chicago native Lorraine Hansberry won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for “A Raisin in the Sun,” the first play by an African-American woman to be presented on Broadway.

“A Raisin in the Sun” was originally a book that highlights the life of black Americans living through the years of racial segregation in Chicago. Hansberry won the coveted New York Drama Critic's Circle Award for the novel at only 29 years old. The play opened March 11, 1959 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, running 530 performances.

In 1961, “A Raisin in the Sun” debuted as a dramatic film, directed by Daniel Petrie. In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States of America National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The film was later revived for television in 2008, directed by Kenny Leon and starring well-known actors and actresses such Sean Combs (P. Diddy), Phylicia Rashad and Sanaa Lathan.  

“A Raisin in the Sun” won three Emmy nominations for its television production, while the play won Tony Awards in 2004 and 2014, including Best Revival of a Play. It is considered one of the hallmarks of American stage and remains a classic, with its themes of dreams and struggle, family and the home, still resonating today.

Did you know? The world’s first skyscraper was built in Chicago Illinois.

Did you know? The world’s first skyscraper was built in Chicago Illinois.

The Home Insurance Building was a skyscraper in Chicago. Built in 1885, it had 10 stories and rose to a height of 138 feet. It was the first tall building to be supported by a steel frame. With the ability to use a material lighter than brick, the building could carry more weight, allowing for the structure to rise much higher and carry its own weight more safely. The majority of the structure used cast and wrought iron.

The designer, architect William Le Baron Jenney, also designed the Horticultural Building for the 1983 World's Columbian Exposition  held in Chicago. His designs earned him the nickname “The Father of the American Skyscraper.”

Scholars regard the Home Insurance Building as a key example of the Chicago School of Architecture, serving as an early template for skyscraper architecture. The building was demolished in 1931 to make way for the Field Building (now known as the LaSalle Bank Building). It stood for 46 years. If you would like more information on this building or its architect click here.

Southern Illinois offers free lunches for kids this summer

“Twigs” is a program that began in Granite City in 2011 and has grown tremendously since. In 2011 the program provided 2,513 lunches and in 2017 it provided 103,871 lunches, according to the Belleville News-Democrat.

This program is a part of a non-profit organization, The Family Treehouse. “Twigs” provides lunches to children 18 and younger in various locations.

The Belleville News-Democrat provided a list of locations where children can get free lunches this summer. Dates and times vary by location based on when the schools in that community start up again in the fall.

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