2014
Despite a slight uptick from the last two months, Moultrie County’s unemployment rate in July was still lower than any other central Illinois county, marking an ongoing trend throughout the current year.
Early Sunday morning the Civic Center was flooded when one of the two 90 gallon water heaters misfired, causing steam. This in turn caused a solder joint in the 1-1/4 pipe to come loose and flood the floor in the gym and surrounding area. Read More
•August 28, 2024•
Lake Land College is introducing Laker Connect, a new program designed to provide personalized assistance to high school dual credit students.
Under the Laker Connect program, a dedicated counselor will help high school students make the most of their dual credit options. The counselor is also available to help students in topics such as career exploration, paying for college, educational planning, transfer guidance, and trade school planning.
To learn more or set up a meeting, contact Niemerg 217-234-5473 or kkeck16009@lakelandcollege.edu.
by Cheri Burcham
Anyone that knows me knows that I am passionate about trying to save the monarch butterfly. Their population continues to decline and some of the reasons are preventable. One of them is mowing. I have shared this article before (maybe more than once) and would like to share it again. This article was written by Illinois Extension Educator Christopher Enroth and is so very important in monarch conservation. Christopher says: There is something about mowing that is so satisfying. What is it? The smell of cut grass? Taming an unruly landscape? To me, it is measurable progress. It seems so often that modern jobs give few tangible results. So much of our work is in the digital ether. After a full day’s work, I leave the office switching off my computer, and all my toiling vanishes with the click of a mouse. At home, I seek tasks of visual permanence by working with my hands, cleaning, and of course mowing. The desire to mow often expands beyond the yard as many landowners also mow road banks and ditches. However, the constant routine of mowing is harming the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus. Milkweed is the only plant that monarch caterpillars eat. Milkweed loss is one of the major causes of declining monarch populations. Read More
•August 28, 2024•
The Village of Arthur recently announced the 2024 town wide clean up project on September 14th from eight that morning until three in the afternoon. This all day event encourages the cleaning of private and public indoor and outdoor properties with extra trash collection in certain areas. This year there will be no curb side pick-up but there will be dumpsters placed at the end of Spruce Street, south of the High School Football field. Residents will need to show proof of residency in order to participate, some forms of proof could be a state issued ID such as a driver’s license, a piece of mail with address on it or a bill with the address on it.
•August 28, 2024•
As the new school year gets underway, the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) is reminding eligible taxpayers that they may claim back-to-school expenses for their K-12 students on their 2024 Illinois individual income tax returns. Read More
•August 28, 2024•
How Raccoons Helped Save Illinois from Canada
by Janet Roney
Warning! As far as I know, no historians claim that raccoons helped save Illinois from Canada, but the following true story could lead to that conclusion.
It begins in France in the 1600s. France, especially under King Louis the 14th (the “Sun King”) had the strongest military in Europe because, in part, its soldiers were healthy. They were healthier than any other army because they kept their heads dry. A dry army is healthier than a dripping wet army any day. Read More
•August 21, 2024•
There will be a charity yard sale at 20 Central Drive in Sullivan on Saturday, August 31st, in honor of a mission to help expand God’s love and kingdom, all profits from this yard sale will be going to a child sponsored through the Compassion International program. The program strives to release children in dangerous conditions or poverty in Jesus’s name, providing a trip to a sponsored country every two years. The child being sponsored is an eight year old from Nicaragua who has been waiting to be sponsor for 463 days. The money will be used to provide food, medical check ups and education for the child. The yard sale will also be having a bake sale and lemonade stand duo. For more information on the yard sale visit Charity Yard Sale in Facebook events.
•August 21, 2024•
Aspiring school board candidates can begin circulating nominating petitions for signatures as of Tuesday, August 20. Those petitions can be filed beginning Tuesday, November 12 through Monday, November 18, 2024. It is important to note that this filing period is earlier than previous elections due to a change in election law. Read More
•August 21, 2024•
The Arthur alumni committee recently announced that the 58th Annual Alumni Homecoming Banquet will be held on Saturday, September 28, at the Kaskaskia Country Club, 450 E CR 300N Arcola.
The cost of the banquet is $25 per person which includes buffet, drink and dessert. A cash bar will be available. Social hour is at 5 p.m. with dinner at 6 p.m. Following the dinner there will be a business meeting, awards presentation and 50/50 drawing. Read More
•August 21, 2024•
Experience Champaign-Urbana (ECU) receives annual data on the economic impact of travel and tourism to East Central Illinois, from available jobs to local taxes generated from direct visitor spending. Recently received 2023 data (January 1–December 31, 2023) showed significant increases across spending, job growth, and taxes generated for the local economy.
ECU reports that travel and tourism supported 5,033 jobs (2.7% increase), generating $172.7 million in payroll (7.4% increase), plus $19.3 million in local taxes (11.5% increase) were generated through $666.9 million in visitor spending (9.5% increase). The counties supported by ECU in 2023 include Champaign, Douglas, Ford, Moultrie, and Piatt. Read More