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The Lake Land College Foundation recently received its largest cash gift in the amount of $1.7 million, donated to benefit Shelby County students from the Cecil Paul and Marjorie Wilson Davis Estate. Pictured are Cecil Paul and Marjorie Wilson Davis.

•April 13, 2022•
The Lake Land College Foundation recently received its largest cash gift in the history of the organization. The $1.7 million gift was donated to benefit Shelby county students from the Cecil Paul and Marjorie Wilson Davis Estate.
“This transformative gift will positively impacts hundreds of students’ lives from Shelby County through traditional scholarships, dual credit and dual enrollment opportunities,” Executive Director for College Advancement Christi Donsbach said.
Cecil Paul and Marjorie Wilson Davis were very involved in their communities and professions and wanted to be able to give back by creating opportunities for Shelby County residents to pursue a college education. Read More

•April 13, 2022•
Cheri Burcham
Extension Educator
University of Illinois Extension

Often grandparenting means a weekend with grandchildren every now and then, an evening babysitting, a summer vacation, or chats on the phone and Facetime here and there. But when life circumstances change, grandparents often assume full- or part-time responsibility for their grandchildren. Here is another great article from Eastern Illinois University Graduate Student Kayli Worthey:
Many grandparents are now taking on the parenting role for their grandchildren, changing the traditional grandparent/grandchild relationship. According to the Pew Charitable Trusts, 2.5 million children were living with grandparents who were responsible for their care in 2005. In 2015, that number rose to 2.9 million (Wiltz, 2016).
There are many different reasons grandparents assume the primary parenting role, including family crises like disability of child or parent, death, divorce, deportation, incarceration, or military deployment. Others may raise their grandchildren due to state removal from parental care because of parental substance abuse, abuse, and neglect, unemployment, mental or physical illnesses, or child abandonment (Wiltz, 2016). Read More

•April 13, 2022•
The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) has announced the recipients of the 2022 Small Equipment Grant Program. A total of $2.5 million was awarded to 104 fire departments/districts and EMS providers across the state. The program was established to provide grants of up to $26,000 each for the purchase of small firefighting and ambulance equipment.
Bethany Fire Protection District is a recipient of a $19,000 grant. “All communities deserve safety, and this program helps ensure our smaller and rural fire districts aren’t left behind when it comes to the tools they need to do their jobs,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I’m proud to be able to provide more than 100 districts with new lifesaving equipment. It’s another way we can demonstrate our gratitude for all that they do to help their neighbors live safely.” Read More

25 Years Ago This Week

D. Joann Grove took her place at the center of the Bethany Village Board table replacing Bethany Village President Don Gibbons, who did not seek re-election. Punch Martin joined Grove at the table as a new village trustee. Incumbents Terry Muzzy, Norm Yoder and Village Clerk Shirley Underwood were also re-elected.
The Sullivan City Council adopted a new policy on overdue utility bills. The bill policy said that “all customers must pay their current month’s utility charges within the 20 days allowed. Any delinquent balance which has accumulated must also be paid.” Then it said they would also allow the customer until September to pay that delinquent balance in four equal installments. Read More