Healthy Holiday Dishes for Diabetes

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•December 27, 2023• By Cheri Burcham Extension Educator University of Illinois Extension With holiday parties and dinners coming up, this is a great time to share another healthy eating article from Illinois Extension Educator Mary Liz Wright. Mary Liz says: Do you have your holiday menu planned? Does your guest list include those who are gluten-sensitive, vegetarian, paleo, vegan, or any number of specified diet restrictions? I have heard many conversations about how to accommodate so many preferences and restrictions. In the spirit of holiday care, I would like to make another suggestion, an accommodation for a large segment of … Read More

Illinois Minimum Wage Increases January 1

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•December 27, 2023• The minimum wage in Illinois is increasing on January 1st, 2024. Workers will see an increase of $1 per hour from $13 to $14. The minimum wage for tipped workers will rise to $8.40 per hour and youth workers (under 18) working fewer than 650 hours per calendar year will see their hourly wage increase to $12 per hour. “Since day one as Governor, I’ve made it my mission to put Springfield back on the side of working families,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “With this new minimum wage increase, we are once again making Illinois a more … Read More

A Look Back…

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•December 27, 2023• 2013  The Christmas spirit was in full steam at the Green Mill Village Holiday Walk in Arcola. Businesses from Moultrie and Douglas counties participated by decorating and donating a Christmas tree or wreath to a silent auction with the proceeds going towards a non-profit charity of their choice in central Illinois.  More than 3500 lbs of food were distributed to food pantry after employees at Hydro-Gear were incentivized to donate non-perishable food and toiletries during the Dare to Care campaign.  … Read More

Christmas Tree Recycling Program

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•December 27, 2023• Don’t let your Christmas tree go to waste this year after the holidays. Extend your tree’s life by donating it for Fish Habitat Improvement Day at Lake Shelbyville. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lake Shelbyville Fish Habitat Alliance and Illinois Department of Natural Resources will place the discarded trees into Lake Shelbyville to enhance the fisheries for years to come. Donated Christmas trees are bundled together in small groups and submerged in the lake at select locations. These structures provide fish with breeding areas and escape cover, proving invaluable to not only the fisheries, but to … Read More

Clayton Makes the Dean’s List 

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•December 27, 2023• Dakota Clayton, from Sullivan, was among the students from Lakeview College of Nursing who made the fall Dean’s List. Students who are enrolled in at least 6 credit hours at Lakeview College of Nursing and who achieve a GPA of 3.6 or higher on a 4.0 scale are named to the Dean’s List for the semester. Lakeview College of Nursing offers a bachelor of science in nursing degree. It is a single-purpose, private institution that has specialized in nursing education in the Danville, IL, area since 1894. Lakeview began offering its program in Charleston, IL, in the … Read More

Elks Hoop Shoot

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•December 27, 2023• The Charleston Elks #623 will be hosting their annual National Hoop Shoot on Saturday, January 13 at the Charleston High School gym, located at Route 130 and Lincoln Avenue. Registration will begin at 12:30 pm with competition starting at 1:00 pm. The National contest in it’s 52nd year is a free throw competition for age groups 8-13 years of age. There are three girls divisions and three boys divisions. They will shoot 25 free throws for the best score. Winners will advance to District in Champaign and possibly on to state, Iowa Regionals and the Chicago National … Read More

Year in Review

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•December 27, 2023• January  The new water plant of Route 32 South was starting to take shape.  Guy Cravatta of Sullivan earned first place at the CrossFit Legends Championship in the 55-59 age group. The competition was held in Cookeville, Tennessee. He entered the Legends Championship online, qualified in mid-August to qualify for the championship and had to finish in the top 10 worldwide.  There was a blood shortage due to the holiday season, seasonal illness and weather causing drives to be cancelled. Some donors who used to donate pre-COVID had also still not felt comfortable returning.  The Bethany Legion … Read More

Magical Reindeer Food

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•December 20, 2023• Ingredients: Raw uncooked oats Sugar cookie sprinkles Plastic sandwich or snack baggies Ribbon in festive holiday colors Paper for the printable tags Pour 3-4 tablespoons of oats into each plastic bag. Add a tablespoon or two of sprinkles. Iridescent sprinkles or red and green sprinkles are good choices; but use what you have on hand. (You can even use the fine sanding sugar used for sand tarts. Just beware: If you mix red and green sugar, the resulting color will be a less festive shade of brown.) Close the baggie with a piece of ribbon, and shake … Read More

How to Make Christmas Eve Special for Kids

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•December 20, 2023• Christmas Eve is viewed differently by different people, even those who live under the same Santa-ready roof. Adults may see Christmas Eve as crunch time when they must prepare food for the next day or set up presents for their children to open in the morning. Children, on the other hand, are focused on Santa’s visit and little else. Parents naturally want to make Christmastime as special as possible for their children, and that may involve ensuring that Christmas Eve is just as memorable as Christmas Day. The following are some ways to impart more magic into … Read More