•July 31, 2024•

Arthur’s beloved atmosphere for all things homemade and baked goods really makes an appearance during the fall season with the annual opening of The Great Pumpkin Patch. Opening dates were posted by the Facebook group Illinois Foodies, stating plans were to open on September 18th. Offering guests a traditional bakery, pumpkin patches, mazes, live music, animals food and beautiful art displays all with the luxury of being dog friendly. The bakery being open year around offers many different types of sweet treats, peach cobblers, apple pies, pumpkin bread and many different types of cakes. The patch opened to the public in 1989, however the family business has been growing pumpkins since the 70s, with a photo being posted to the patch’s Facebook page of their first homegrown pumpkin carved in 1978. This year the patch has gained a few new farm animals, a donkey and some goats to add to the ever growing cast at the patch. Though the patch is still young, this year marks the 35th anniversary.

•July 31, 2024•

The Windsor CUSD #1 school district has two important dates coming in August. August 12th will be the Open House from 4-6pm at all the schools. The very next day, August 13th is the first day of school. Students during the first week are expected to have an early dismissal of 2pm for the 13th through the 16th.

•July 31, 2024•

After Sullivan successfully got a shooting sports team, the Moultrie County, Illinois Hunter Safety Facebook page posted start dates for hunter safety courses. The importance behind hunters attending these courses is not only to keep the hunter safe but also to keep the people around them safe. Average hunter safety courses discuss the responsibility and ethics of firing and handling a firearm. The course also goes over safety tips with ammunition and identifies zones of fire from those of populated areas where firing is prohibited. These safety courses also provide education on killing for sport or killing for a food source as well as what is considered game in Illinois. In Illinois it is not banned to hunt for sport, but it is heavily discouraged within these courses. Illinois is one of the states with the most wide range of game for hunters to choose from but identifying the correct species can be difficult. Per IDNR policy, anyone attending under the age of ten must be accompanied to and during the sessions by an adult or  a guardian of 16 or older. Sign-ups for the Fall 2024 course can be found on the Moultrie County, Illinois Hunter Safety Facebook page. 

Big Spring Day

•July 31, 2024•

by Janet Roney

Big Spring Township, Shelby County, Illinois, was soft, tender, and flooded with new life that May day in 1999. There were no hard edges, even on the dissolving lichen covered sandstone tombstones in Spain Cemetery. 

It was like being in a wet-in-wet watercolor as it was painted all around us. Low hanging clouds of Paynes Gray seeped into the Thalo Green tree line on the far south edge of the Little Wabash River bottom, mixing the colors. Low rumbling thunder, dampened by the spongy atmosphere, pulsed softly from just over the horizon to the west. A ray of diffused sunlight penetrated the flowing energy of the approaching storm, warming us in yellow green light as we watched from Spain Cemetery Hill. Read More

A Place for Everything

•July 24, 2024•

by Janet Roney

My German grandmother used to say, “A place for everything and everything in its place.” I try, but I am surprised and pleased when I find something of mine actually in its place. The MCCD was pleased when we found the Kaskaskia-Detroit Road and Hubbard’s Trace branches in their place, too.

In the early spring of 1999, the Moultrie County Corps of Discovery took several hikes in the woods along Jonathan Creek between the Masonic Home and Nelson Ford looking for evidence. On the first hike, we walked south from the IDNR parking cove at the top of the hill east of the Jonathan Creek bottom land (across the road from Reuben Chupp). After entering the IDNR woodland about ¼ mile south of the parking lot, we crossed a ravine and climbed another hill.  Read More