News Progress

First case of West Nile virus in Illinois confirmed; act now to reduce risk

•July 2, 2025•

by Angela Hogan 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently confirmed Illinois’ first human case of West Nile virus (WNV) in 2025. An individual from Southern Illinois was hospitalized due to complications of the infection. This case underscores the importance of avoiding mosquito bites. WNV can pose elevated health risks for individuals with weakened immune systems and those over 65. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), WNV has already been confirmed in 19 counties, including Clinton and Christian in Central Illinois. The Moultrie County Health Department (MCHD) urges area residents to prevent mosquito bites and reduce their risk of West Nile virus (WNV).

•July 2, 2025•

4th - Closed in observance of Independence Day.

7th & 21st - Needle Night from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. If you would like to learn to crochet, knit, needlepoint, or even how to sew, we have people who can help teach you. If you already know how and just want to hang out, come join us. 

8th - Summer Reading from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Macon County Conservation District will be here to present an Astronomy Program.

11th - Story time from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m. Kids craft from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.

14th - Adult Craft Club from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Bring whatever project you are working on and join us for the fun.

•June 25, 2025•

Last Friday, on June 20th, the State of Illinois’ “Mobile DMV” drew in a crowd at the Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library, meeting the needs of locals with everything from driver’s license renewals to road tests. Nearly every chair was filled, but the mobile DMV team met every challenge with humor and grace. The overall atmosphere was one of humor, and there’s something to be learned from listening to neighbors catching up. Overheard by a patron, “I am so glad I don’t have to go all the way to Mattoon for this. That takes up half of my day!” 

•June 25, 2025•

by R. Eden Martin

Rick Atkinson is one of America’s most highly acclaimed historians. Known for both his scholarly rigor and his narrative skill, in the field of military history, he surely has no contemporary equal. He is perhaps best known for his widely-praised liberation trilogy — his three books which tell the story of the Allied invasions and campaigns in Europe during World War II: North Africa, Italy, and Normandy. 

Atkinson is now well into his next trilogy, which tells the story of America’s battles for independence from Great Britain, as well as the related political and military struggles in Europe involving France and Spain. The first of these volumes, published in 2019, The British Are Coming, received high praise for weaving the large picture of events and strategy with the day-to-day lives of soldiers and civilians caught up in the conflict. The second volume, entitled The Fate of the Day, was published two months ago and has already received equally enthusiastic praise from reviewers. The New York Times called it “great history … compulsively readable … There is no better writer of narrative history than the Pulitzer Prize-winning Atkinson.” This new volume covers the middle of the war, 1777–1780, from Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston. 

•June 18, 2025•