Southern Illinois

The 3rd Annual Miles for Meso 5K Race & 2K Walk – nationally sponsored and locally hosted Sept. 24 in Alton, Ill., by the Simmons Firm –  has expanded to include $6,200 in prize money for top performers to build awareness of mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure.  Proceeds from the event  will benefit the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. “The amount of prize money offered through the 2011 Miles for Meso Race and Walk is truly significant for a 5K race,” said Mike Wever, president of the Metro Tri Club and race director for Miles for Meso.  “Awards will go to the top five runners in the male and female categories instead of three, and racers will enjoy a specially designed course through beautiful Alton, Ill., complete with river views and historic, bricked-lined hills that will challenge even professional runners.” A total of $6,200 will be awarded to the top five male and top five female place winners of the timed 5K race, for a total of 10 places with cash prizes. First place male and female winnings will increase to $1,500; second place to $750; and third place to $500. In addition, race organizers have extended the number of places eligible for monetary winnings:  fourth place will win $250, and fifth place will take home $100. Three $100 giveaways will be drawn for the remaining participants. "This race is a great example of rewarding top runners in the event while raising funds and awareness for an important cause," said Jean Knaack, executive director of the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA), which sanctioned the race. “Our goal is to host an event to raise money for mesothelioma research and educate participants about this devastating, global asbestos-related disease,” said Mike Angelides, managing partner of the Simmons Firm. “This year’s 2011 Miles for Meso race has been expanded to include more prizes and community activities for participants to enjoy.”

[caption id="attachment_19966" align="alignright" width="124" caption="Charles W. Chapman"][/caption] Former Madison County circuit judge and appellate court justice Charles W. Chapman passed away last month at his home in Edwardsville. He was a name partner in the law firm LakinChapman LLC in Wood River. Chapman served as Circuit Judge in the Third Judicial Circuit of Madison County from 1979 to 1988. He was elected in 1988 to the Appellate Court for the Fifth Judicial District, Mt. Vernon, Illinois and served until 2001. Madison County Circuit Judge Andy Matoesian recalls when Chapman ran against him, but they still were close friends. "He was a hell of a nice guy. He was a good book man and a good trial lawyer," Matoesian said. Chapman earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and a doctor of jurisprudence from St. Louis University in 1967. He completed his coursework for a master's degree in economics in 1980 and a master of law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1992. Read the full obituary in the Alton Telegraph. Read the obituary by ISBA Member John J. Hopkins in the Madison St. Clair Record

[caption id="attachment_19056" align="alignright" width="120" caption="Dorothy W. Spomer"][/caption] Southern Illinois lost a legal pioneer on Saturday, April 23. Dorothy Wilbourn Spomer, 90, passed away in Cape Girardeau. Dorothy held the distinction of being the first woman judge in Southern Illinois, having been elected Alexander County Judge in 1950 and later Circuit Judge. After 27 years, she retired from the bench, only to soon be appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to become the first female to sit on the Fifth District Appellate Court. She left the court in 1980 and joined the practice of law with her husband, W.C. Spomer. They practiced as Spomer and Spomer until 1992. Judge Spomer graduated at the age of 22 with honors from the University of Illinois School of Law, where she was a member of the Order of the Coif. Her first case after law school was with her father, attorney Asa Wilbourn, before the Supreme Court, where she argued and won an election contest lawsuit. During her judicial career, Judge Spomer heard cases throughout Southern Illinois and garnered the reputation as a principled, fair-minded jurist. Quiet and demur, she led by example. Always prepared and proficient in shorthand, it was not unusual for her notes to rival those of the court reporter. In 2009, she was a recipient of Southern Illinois University's Inspiring Women of Achievement Award.