•April 2, 2025•
HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital is expanding its out-patient laboratory hours to provide greater convenience and accessibility for patients. The new hours, now in effect, offer early morning, extended evening, and weekend availability, making St. Mary’s the only facility in Decatur to provide after-hours outpatient laboratory services. The new outpatient laboratory service hours are Monday - Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday from 7:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Read MoreLetter to the Editor
Sometimes we find a pearl of wisdom in an unlikely spot. Ed Dunphy, a familiar name in the Illinois ag community, often told an amusing story that offers this. He has been gone for a number of years, but his story is worth repeating.
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by Tammie Sloup
FarmWeek
Applications are open for a piece of $10 billion in economic assistance available through a new USDA program. The Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) provides payments to help farmers mitigate high input costs and low commodity prices from the 2024 crop year.
Authorized by the American Relief Act of 2025, payments are based on planted and prevented planted crop acres for eligible commodities. To streamline the process, Farm Service Agency (FSA) will begin sending pre-filled applications to farmers who submitted acreage reports to FSA for 2024 eligible ECAP commodities. However, farmers do not have to wait for their pre-filled ECAP application to apply and can visit fsa.usda.gov/ecap to apply using a login.gov account or contact their local FSA office to request an application.
Read MoreOnline auction runs through April 6th
•April 2, 2025•
An 1881 U.S. $10 gold coin, an 18-karat yellow gold chain link bracelet, and a baseball card with a piece of Joe DiMaggio’s bat are among the unclaimed property items being auctioned online through April 6. The spring online auc-tion includes vintage pocket watches, currency notes from various countries, and (25) 1 oz., .999 fine silver rounds.
“Our online auction is open to everyone, not just collectors. It’s a convenient way for people to shop for their personal collection or find a one-of-a-kind gift, like a piece of a Joe DiMaggio baseball bat,” said Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, whose office oversees unclaimed property in Illinois.
A total of 100 lots will be auctioned, some featuring multiple items. To view auction items, go to the catalog on the HiBid website: https://hibid.com/catalog/627601/lincoln-auction--illinois-state-treasurer-unclaimed-property .
Read More•April 2, 2025•
The Sullivan mens track team dominated the six team meet they hosted last Wednesday night, finishing 48.5 points ahead of second place Villa Grove. Redskin Mason Booker was a standout as he reset his own school record in the 110m hurdles with a time of 15.89. The following Redskin athletes earned points.
Mason Booker: 2nd 110m Hurdles, 2nd 100m
Colt Wilson: 6th 100m
Deaiden Arnold: 1st 200m, 3rd Long Jump
Rhett Lehman: 2nd 400m
Read MoreAffordable dental care, referrals and patient education
•April 2, 2025•
by Kara Molzen
The Lake Land College Dental Hygiene Clinic provides preventative dental care to its surrounding communities while also offering its students a diverse range of patient treatments and experiences. With an emphasis on exceptional skill building while focused on patient education, the clinic also provides education and treatment on the prevention of a wide range of oral diseases and dental hygiene treatments. All patients also receive an exam by a dentist, and the clinic will provide referrals for ongoing care as needed, including providers with flexible payment plans and income-based therapy. Many Health Departments provide these referral dental care services.
Read MoreWilliamsburg Hill
•April 2, 2025•
by Janet Roney
We were feeling pretty blue one Sunday afternoon in late August 1988, when my husband and I took a little drive to check out the crops elsewhere. We were in the midst of the worst drought since the awful one we remembered as kids in 1954. Everywhere we looked the pastures were brown, the corn was stunted and curled, and the soybeans were wilted.
It would have been a very depressing drive had we not had another goal in mind…a drive up Williamsburg Hill southwest of Shelbyville. My artist friend, Katie West from Cowden, had taken me there several years before to show me the old cemetery on top of the hill and the view from there, and I wanted Roger to see it.
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Peggy Roley
Peggy Roley, born in the heart of Illinois on a grain and dairy farm. One of five children, along with three half-brothers and a half-sister, Peggy grew up in a close-knit farming family.
Read More2015
The Knights lost their third straight game against perennial contender Shelbyville. Ross Ryan pitched four innings of one run baseball before a three-run fifth inning, including a two-run homer, ended his day. Chris Davis finished off the game for the Knights but allowed four runs in the top of the sixth putting the game out of reach.
It may have been a blustery, cold evening in Windsor, but it only gave a reason for third baseman Kayla Wheeler to bust a few dance moves in between Amanda McClain’s solid seventh inning pitches.
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