•August 27, 2025•

Submitted

Cheryl Avitts shared with the Moultrie County Genealogical and Historical Society regarding her discovery of her family’s First Nations lineage. Titled, “I am Miami,” Cheryl shared, “Our family of Nitzschke’s had no idea of our heritage until Grandpa Albert A. Nitzschke was asked questions of the when’s and where’s of their mother’s and father’s lineages. That was when we learned of his amazing journey. Since 1958, our family has journeyed into genealogy: find a grave, newspapers, court records, family letters, and such. In the U.S. Government rolls, we found the Miami connection.”

•August 27, 2025•

by Officer Benjamin Schoonover

I’m proud to see our community standing behind the reinstatement of the D.A.R.E. program. As a police officer and a parent, I believe one of the most vital aspects of law enforcement is drug abuse prevention and early intervention. Programs like D.A.R.E. and Safe Passage allow us to extend a helping hand through education and support, using proven strategies to guide individuals away from substance abuse before it starts. Prevention is just as important as treatment when it comes to addressing addiction.

•August 27, 2025•

The 52nd Arthur Amish Country Cheese Festival opens early Saturday morning, August 30, with a pancake and sausage breakfast at the firehouse on Route 133 West.

Arthur firemen will serve pancakes and sausage from 6 to 11 a.m. The 10-bay facility has plenty of room to serve the hundreds of people who flock to the annual event. This is a good opportunity to have a delicious breakfast prepared by members of Arthur’s volunteer fire department.

They cook the sausage patties over an open flame, and the pancakes are served hot off the griddle, prepared in sight. The firemen served a record 1,643 meals in 2018, destroying the previous record of 1,483 meals served in 2011. In 2024 they served 1,511.

How much food does it take to serve breakfast to that many people? The firemen prepared and served approximately 1,300 pounds of sausage, 500 pounds of pancake mix, 110 gallons of orange juice, and 60 pounds of butter during the five hours they worked the breakfast.

Daily Events:

•August 20, 2025•

Sarah Bush Lincoln Healthy Communities raised a record $17,325 for the SBL Dental Program from the 2025 Races for all Paces. The SBL Dental Program provides preventive and restorative care for children throughout the area. A dental team visits schools to provide preventive care, while restorative care is provided in the dental clinic at 225 Richmond Avenue East, Suite B, in Mattoon. Volunteer dentists are key partners in the program, providing restorative care in their clinics for children who need additional or further extensive care.

•August 20, 2025•

On Tuesday, August 5, the Mid-Illinois Senior Services hosted their monthly ‘Dine with a Doc’, and their guest was Kishor ‘Kris’ Thorpe, PT, MDT from Savoy Therapy. Thorpe is a graduate of Physical Therapy in 2003 from the world-renowned Christian Medical College. He has also undergone additional specialized training, including McKenzie Certification, LSVT, FCE evaluations, and Certified Aging In Place (CAPS). Savoy Therapy supports Senior Education Ministries and is a key 2025 supporter.