News Progress

•June 26, 2024•

Submitted by Kathy Doty

Bethany held their annual Bethany Celebration this past weekend. Activities started on Thursday evening with the Miss Bethany pageants. The new Royalty for 2024 includes Miss Deanna Clark, Junior Miss Adi O’Dell, Young Miss Abbie Flood, and Little Miss Brynley Liles-French. The queens were available during the weekend to hostess and help with other activities. Friday night included Opening Ceremonies with the singing of the National Anthem by Annie Flood and presentation of Marge Overlot as this year’s Grand Marshall. Other events Friday night included Tot-Rod pedal pulls, Touch a Truck, Sullivan Dance Studio Showcase, and DJ Nidal. Saturdays events featured a parade, softball tournament, bags tournament and mud volleyball. Kid events included Sally the Clown, inflatables and a free water station to cool off. BASO held a car show that awarded Top 5 and Best of Show. Main Stage events on Saturday were Shawn Dawson and hometown boy, Ed Webb and Night Moves. Entertainment in the beer tent was provided by Large Marge, Tyson Schulte and Country Sky.  Organizers Kaytie Orris and Cassandra Lambdin were pleased with the turnout this year and have already begun thinking ahead to next year’s event. They thank all the volunteers for helping put on the Celebration as it takes a village to put on an event of this size. More information and photos can be found on the Bethany Celebration Facebook page.

•June 26, 2024•

The annual Moultrie-Douglas 4-H Fair is set to showcase the talents and dedication of local 4-H members with a series of events taking place June 30, July 9, and July 10. This year’s fair features a diverse lineup, including general project displays and livestock shows, culminating in a special Ag Day celebration. The fair will be held at various locations, including the Arthur United Methodist Church and the Moultrie-Douglas County Fairgrounds.

June 30: General Projects Show

The fair kicks off with the General Projects Show at the Arthur United Methodist Church. Registration begins at 2:00 p.m., and the show starts at 2:30. The show welcomes over fifty 4-H members bringing their projects to be judged. The projects showcase the knowledge, growth, and challenge the youth endured to produce something they are proud of. At the General Projects show, members will be judged in a conference style hoping to be selected to show their projects at the Illinois State Fair.  Read More

•June 19, 2024•

Finding the Sunken Road

by Janet Roney

When I was a kid, the easiest way to get down the steep bluff to our favorite fishing hole on the Kaskaskia that ran through our timber pasture was to follow one of the many cow paths left by our Black Angus cattle herd.  After over a hundred years of their trips down to get a drink or cool off in the river, their narrow slopping trails were worn deep into the hillsides.  

When Lake Shelbyville took our timber pasture in the early 1960s, our beautiful park-like oak and hickory timber that our grandfather and cattle had kept clear of brush soon became a jungle of non-native bush honeysuckle that the Corps or IDNR planted around the lake’s property for wildlife.  Nevertheless, after fifty years, the cow paths are still there. Apparently, once a trail is made it stays!   

That’s true of the ancient Royal Road in Crete that connects Knossos to the sea. It is a classic sunken road that’s been worn down about 10 feet into the hillside from four thousand years of use.  Read More

•June 19, 2024•

Hot weather can prove dangerous for your furry friends and the American Red Cross has steps you can take to help your pets stay safe this summer.

Don’t leave your pet in a hot vehicle, even for a few minutes. The inside temperature of the car can quickly reach 120 degrees even with the windows cracked open.

• Keep all unscreened windows or doors closed so pets don’t fall out of them.

• Trim longer hair, but never shave your dog. Read More

•June 19, 2024•

Have you turned down a chance to go out with family or friends because you were concerned about falling? Have you cut down on a favorite activity because you might fall? If so, A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns about Falls is a program for you. Read More