Feud Ends at Bald Knob Cross

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Litigants in a two-year-old lawsuit over loans taken out by a board member for repairs of the welcome center at Bald Knob cross announced late Wednesday.

Wes Wilkens of Anna, one of the attorneys in the case, was not available today for further comment. His office is closed until Monday. The settlement was filed in the Union County Circuit Clerk's office.

The lawsuit was filed over loans board member Tirzah Tweedy had initiated for work on the welcome center at the cross. Board president Steve Babb was the other litigant in the lawsuit that divided the board. The dispute was over whether the board collectively was responsible for the loans or whether the loans were to be considered personal loans of board member Tirzah Tweedy.

The settlement says that Tweedy will acknowledge that the debt was hers, without legal obligation by the Bald Knob Cross board. The settlement wants the Bald Knob Corporation to improve its auditing procedures, and sets up a seven-member interim board of directors to serve until February 2011.

The settlement also calls upon the community to "demonstrate the love and forgiveness of Christ by ending any further personal attacks."

All 18 current board members signed a letter of resignation form and agreed to the settlement.

Members of the interim board are the Jon Musgrave, executive director of the Southern Illinois Tourism Development Office and member of Second Baptist Church in Marion; and Bradley Rogers of Buncombe, president of the Christian Motorcycle Association. Rev. Mark Roath, pastor of Anna Heights Baptist Church in Anna; Dr. Ralph Brandon, senior pastor of Covenant Christian Fellowship in Carterville; the Rev. Gerald Wright, senior pastor of Spirit of Life Christian Church in Du Quoin; the Rev. Steven M. McKeown, senior pastor of Christian Life Center in Herrin; and the Rev. Doug Cherry, senior pastor of Victory Christian Center of Southern Illinois in Carbondale.