Lovington Farmers Market

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•March 18, 2026• On Thursday, April 9th, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., the community of Lovington will be holding its first of their seasonal Farmer’s Market in downtown Lovington. Items in the market will be fresh, local, and community-sourced. Items include farm fresh produce, homemade and baked goods, sweet treats, plants and flowers, and local crafts and handmade items.  The market will be held on the second Thursday of each month, from April through August. Vendor space is available, with no fees. For those interested in becoming a vendor, call (217) 521-7623 for more information. … Read More

Lake Land College to host fifth annual Spring Art Show

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•March 18, 2026• Lake Land College is now accepting submissions for its fifth annual Spring Art Show, which will be held from Monday, April 20th, through Friday, April 24th. Students, staff, faculty, and community members are all invited to submit their art and participate in the event. Artists of all ages are welcome, as is art of all mediums, including painting and illustration, photography, graphic art, video, writing, sculpture, fabric and clothing, glass and metalwork, make-up, nail art, and more. Submissions can be made through the online entry form at LakeLandCollege.edu/lake-land-college-spring-art-show/. … Read More

Lake Land College Commencement: Friday, May 15th

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•March 18, 2026• Lake Land College will hold its annual commencement ceremony on Friday, May 15th, in the campus Field House. Students who have or will finish their programs following completion of the Fall 2025, Spring 2026, and Summer 2026 semesters will be recognized at the ceremony. To ensure all graduates are able to have their loved ones attend the in-person ceremony, Field House admission on the day of commencement will be limited only to guests wearing wristbands. Each graduate will receive four wristbands to share with the guests of their choice. Graduates will be able to pick up their … Read More

Sullivan’s First United Methodist Easter Egg preparation

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•March 18, 2026• Photo by DM Williamee The Divas of Deliciousness are hard at work again, preparing custom-ordered and delightfully delicious confectionery Easter Eggs, as they have done for over twenty years. Funds raised from the sales of these delights is donated by the church to several local groups, including DOVE, CEFS food pantry, Sullivan’s Habitat for Humanity, the Sullivan Area Ministerial Association, Mary’s Weekend Food Bags, Kali’s Closet (high school), and overdue lunch accounts (high school), as well as the Cunningham Children’s Home in Urbana and Lessie Bates Neighborhood House in East St. Louis. The hard work of the … Read More

IL State Museum seeks volunteer judges 

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•March 18, 2026• The Illinois State Museum (ISM) is seeking volunteer judges for the 2026 Illinois History Day state contest, where students from across Illinois present research projects on historical topics. Judges play a vital role in evaluating student work and helping determine which projects advance to the national competition. This year’s state contests will take place at the Crowne Plaza Springfield on Monday, April 27th, for the senior division and Monday, May 4th, for juniors. … Read More

Oglesby Mansion hosts Open House Sunday

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•March 18, 2026• The Governor Richard J. Oglesby Mansion and Museum, located at 421 West William Street (Decatur), will be hosting an Open House on Sunday, March 29th (2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.). Tourists are encouraged to take pictures inside the home. Tours are hosted by volunteer docents, current and past members of the board of directors of the mansion. Suggested donation of $5 per adult and $2 per child. All donations go to maintain the contents of the museum.  … Read More

Figures of speech

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•March 18, 2026• by DM Williamee Figures of speech have names, with some comical-sounding (oxymoron and assonance, for example). Many recall learning the parts of speech in school. Recently, I was speaking with someone about modern education, and we were reminiscing about our middle school days of learning parts of speech using ‘Mad Libs’ and finding that most youth in today’s world will never know the joy of creating a short story about how we used a purple spoon to drive a skateboard to a lake to jump rope with Elvis. (Bring back the Mad Libs!) Figures of speech can … Read More

Lake Land College to host welding competition March 26

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•March 18, 2026• Lake Land College is hosting its first-ever welding competition for area high school students on Thursday, March 26th, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. During the event, participating students will compete against each other in the Lake Land College welding lab, showcasing their skills and putting their proficiency to the test by completing multi-position welds.  … Read More

New Medicaid rules going into effect in 2027

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•March 18, 2026• by DM Williamee New Medicaid rules arising from the hotly debated, often criticized H.R. 1 (the 2025 federal budget reconciliation law) require that beginning January 1st, 2027, the majority of adults aged 19 to 64 who receive Medicaid also work or participate in ‘community engagement activities’ such as paid work, volunteering with a non-profit, enrollment in higher education or trade schools, and approved forms of training for at least 80 hours per month to maintain coverage.  … Read More

Energy assistance foundation taking bill payment applications 

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•March 18, 2026• The Energy Assistance Foundation, through its Warm Neighbors Cool Friends (WNCF) program, partners with CEFS Economic Opportunity to provide energy bill payment assistance to eligible Ameren Illinois customers in Christian, Clay, Effingham, Fayette, Montgomery, Moultrie, and Shelby counties. In December 2025, Ameren Illinois contributed an additional $2 million to support Illinois households in 2026—ensuring more families can keep the lights on, stay warm in the winter, and cool in the summer. Through this program, eligible households may receive up to $500 in assistance during the heating season, and up to $400 during the cooling season. … Read More