•April 22, 2026•

Dig deeper and establish solid roots in gardening knowledge with University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners. Illinois Extension Master Gardeners uplift communities one garden, one answer, and one volunteer hour at a time. From city centers to rural communities and suburban curb appeal, Illinois Master Gardener volunteers are passionate about the program’s mission to help others learn to grow. In 2025, more than 2,000 volunteers dedicated 150,000 hours to sharing gardening knowledge, donating produce, and enriching communities and the environment through garden projects. This summer, take your passion for gardening to the next level by joining in on the Master Gardener mission. 

Revolutionary War Connections #2
•April 22, 2026•

by Janet Roney

Last week, I told you about Dr. John Pyle of North Carolina, the maternal grandfather of John S. Whitley’s son-in-law, Samuel Washington Lindley. During the Revolutionary War, when the British army moved the war south in 1779, Dr. Pyle led a local Tory (loyalist) militia fighting for the British. After being wounded in a battle with the local Whig (patriot) militia, he was assigned to the headquarters of the British commander, General Cornwallis, while he healed.

2016

The way students learn keeps changing through the years, especially as technology advances and other opportunities become available. While staff and administrators have felt the effects of the financial distress, they have learned how to be more creative when it comes to learning and how to take advantage of resources that are already out there. The teachers of ALAH School District looked to the Internet for new learning materials that met the new Common Core standards.

They perform their duties, then return to their daily routine. The Sullivan American Legion Post 68 color guard has always been there. Since January 1st, the color guard put on their uniforms, grabbed their rifles, and gathered their flags to perform military rites for 11 of their brothers and sisters in arms who have passed away so far this year.

Revolutionary War Connections

•April 15, 2026•

by Janet Roney

I’m sure you all know that this year is the 250th anniversary of our country’s independence. Even though the first white settlers did not come into our county until 1826, fifty years after the United States began, we have at least three Revolutionary War veterans buried in Moultrie County. They are John S. Howell, Isaac Waggoner, and James Patterson. I’ll tell you more about them soon.

Besides these patriots, many of our early settlers were children and grandchildren of Revolutionary War veterans. One of those grandchildren was Samuel Washington Lindley.

You may remember from a previous article that Lindley was the son-in-law of John S. Whitley, the first settler in Moultrie County. He brought his family with Whitley in 1826 and settled along the Kaskaskia-Detroit Road in Whitley Township. The first sermon delivered in Moultrie County was at Lindley’s cabin in 1828.

Although Lindley was born after the Revolutionary War in 1788, he had very interesting Revolutionary War connections through his grandfathers, Dr. John Pyle and Thomas Lindley, who were neighbors in North Carolina before the war.

•April 8, 2026•

For the 3rd year, the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH) will recognize “30 Days of Public Health” throughout the month of April. The initiative is designed to raise awareness of the role public health plays in keeping all Illinois communities healthy and safe.