News Progress

•December 10, 2025•

Moultrie-Douglas 4-H has announced three brand-new clubs for youth to explore skills, make friends, and grow as leaders while having hands-on fun through learning opportunities.

Dog Obedience SPIN Club: Love dogs? Join the Dog Obedience SPIN Club and learn how to train and care for your canine companion at the Moultrie-Douglas Fairgrounds, Arthur – White Merchant’s Building Shed from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. on December 17th, January 7th and 21st, February 4th and 25th, March 11th and 25th, April 1st and 15th, May 6th and 20th, and final practice on June 10th. The Dog Show will be held on June 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Coles County Fairgrounds (Participation optional). This activity’s club leader is Kathy Davis, who can be reached at (217) 249-2602 for more information. This activity is for children aged 8–18.

•December 10, 2025•

Lake Land College is accepting nominations for the Distinguished Service Award, Pacesetter Award, Retiree Wall of Fame, Distinguished Alumnus Award/Alumnus Achievement Award, and Distinguished Alumni Society. All nominations for these listed awards are being accepted until February 1st, 2026. Nomination forms for all awards are available on the College’s website at LakeLandCollege.edu/Alumni/Award-Nominations/. Physical copies of each form are available by calling the Foundation at 217-234-5376.

From the IDHS 
•December 10, 2025•

Full December SNAP benefits will be issued as normally scheduled.  Starting February 1, 2026, Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) who do not meet work requirements or qualify for an exemption may only receive benefits for three months during a three-year period. That means individuals not meeting the new federal work requirements or otherwise exempt could lose benefits starting May 1, 2026. 

Prior to the Trump Administration’s budget bill, ABAWDS were defined as adults ages 18-54 with no “dependent” children under 18 and no disabilities. But under the new federal guidelines, people in the following categories will also be forced to meet the new work requirements to receive SNAP benefits: veterans, individuals who are 55-64 years old, homeless individuals, and ABAWDs whose at-home children are 14 years old or older

The Log Cabin Across the Road

•December 10, 2025•

by Janet Roney

A friend of mine introduced me to bird-watching when I was a kid. This led to frequent early morning hikes before school to add to my “life list” of birds I had seen and identified. First, I just wandered around our yard or up and down the road in front of our house. Soon, I noticed that all the strange birdcalls were coming from the trees along the creek on our neighbor’s land across the road east from our house.

When my desire to add to my life list of birds grew greater than my fear of trespassing, I went exploring across the road early one misty spring morning. Soon, as I followed the edge of the brush along the creek, I found myself in an unknown world, even though I was only an eighth of a mile from home. I worked my way through the jungle of brush and trees along the creek and came out against a pasture fence.

•December 10, 2025•

Submitted

What can you do to prevent a holiday season that starts with high expectations from ending in stress and exhaustion? Why are holidays stressful? While the holiday season is portrayed with warmth and connecting with loved ones, it can also bring about stress, anxiety, and a wide range of other emotions. The pressures of social events, religious functions, travel, and family commitments can overwhelm even the most resilient individuals. Moreover, feelings of loneliness and isolation can exacerbate these challenges. Given that most holiday activities occur within 10-15 days, a higher stress level is understandable, even under the most favorable circumstances.

How do we reduce holiday stress? Maintaining your physical and emotional well-being is paramount, regardless of the added expectations and challenges of the season. Here are seven effective methods known to help reduce holiday stress: