First Mid Bank & Trust announced the promotion of John West to Regional Community Bank President. West will be responsible for business development, community engagement initiatives, and supporting and strengthening lending relationships in First Mid’s Decatur Region.
“We are thrilled to have John take on the role of Regional Community Bank President,” said Joe Dively, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at First Mid. “He has demonstrated exceptional leadership, a deep commitment to our customers, and a passion for fostering strong community relationships. We are confident that under his leadership, our Decatur Region will continue to thrive and grow.”
Sullivan Dance Studio’s Competition Team has attended two competitions so far this year. Specialty routines only (solos, duets and trios) attended “Believe Dance Competition” at Gateway Convention Center in Collinsville, IL February 1-2. All thirty-one team members attended The Dance Effect Competition on February 22 at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in St. Louis, Missouri.
Soloists this year range in age from 4 to 13 and include: Aubrey Young, Mara Inman, Alayna Young, Knox Weakly, Kaylee Hostetler, Natalia Beals, Addi Finn, Brinnley Hobbs, Emma Hostetler and Miah Voegel. The genres for their numbers include Jazz, Open, Musical Theatre, Hip Hop, and Tap.
Photo provided This past weekend, the Sullivan Singers competed at the Lafayette Jefferson Xtreme Showdown and brought home 1st runner up. They, along with the Singers Jr, will compete next in Quincy on March 8th at the Quincy Showcase of Excellence.
Photo provided
ALAH (Arthur Lovington Atwood Hammond) High School sophomores (L-R) Cruz Hale, Olivia Binion, Suzannah Butcher, Kimberly Krutsinger, and Lily Vanda pictured after attending RYLA Camp in 2024. The high school students shared highlights of their RYLA experience during a presentation to the Arthur Rotary Club.
On February 28 Rotary International District 6490 announced open enrollment for local sophomore, junior, and senior year high school and home-schooled students to attend the 2025 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, a youth development and leadership experience, scheduled April 4-6, 2025 at the University of Illinois 4-H Memorial Camp in Monticello, Illinois.
“The Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is an absolutely amazing, not-to-be-missed, action-packed weekend experience for sophomore, junior, and senior high school and home- schooled students sponsored by Rotary clubs located across Central Illinois,” said Tanya Walker, Rotary District 6490 RYLA Co-Chair and member of the Rotary Club of Arthur. “In addition to building lifelong friendships as well as developing social and interpersonal engagement skills, RYLA is a truly unique, fun, experience that encourages and enables youth leadership development, teamwork, self-confidence, self-esteem, business and financial management skills, mindfulness, and so much more,” added Walker.
A small group Redskin Football athletes competed at the Maroa-Forsyth Trojan Powerlifting Meet on Saturday competing in bench, squat, and power clean. Every athlete earned at least two personal record lifts, with 21 out of 24 lifts being PR’s. The results are a big testament to the work these guys have been putting in this offseason.
The following athletes earned medals in their weight classes, and Aiden Dinger also made the school all-time record board with a squat of 470 pounds as a sophomore. Aiden Dinger: 1st squat, 2nd bench, Liam Donovan: 3rd bench, 3rd clean, Owen Smith: 3rd clean and Braden Lucas: 3rd bench.
Consumers are experiencing the highest egg prices in history driven by increased demand and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which could keep the market elevated for a while.
The latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the average retail egg price at $4.90 per dozen nationwide.
“That’s an all-time high and a lot more expensive than what consumers are typically dealing with,” Brian Earnest, lead animal protein analyst for CoBank told FarmWeek. “I think back 10 years ago when it was pretty common to see $1 per dozen or less.”
On February 25, Health Alliance, based in Champaign, announced that effective January 1, 2026, they will be discontinuing all lines of business except for Medicare Advantage.
Daylight saving time begins this Sunday, March 9 and the American Red Cross asks everyone to turn their clocks forward one hour and test their smoke alarms.
Did you know working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half? That’s why it’s critical to “Turn and Test” and take these lifesaving steps to stay safe from home fires — the nation’s most frequent disaster:
Moultrie County Monthly Quarter Madness will hold their March Quarter Auction on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. The event will be held at the Sullivan American Legion Post #68. Moultrie County Habitat for Humanity ReStore is the organization of the month.
What in the world is Cannel? Along with gold, silver, and plumbago, Thomas Jefferson wanted Isaac Hill to look for it in central Illinois in 1809-1811.
I impolitely told you to go look up cannel yourself in a previous visit while I was in a snit over the thought that Hill’s guide was a hermit living in a hollow sycamore tree rather than Simon Kenton, “the greatest guide, hunter, and frontiersman of all time”. Sorry. If you are not one of the sweet souls who actually looked up cannel, cannel is coal.
