Sometimes everything you see is familiar, routine, almost boring. Then, there are times when you see something unusual, unique, almost startling.
It makes you stop and say “Did I just see …
Libraries were created as repositories for documents, but through vision and leadership, librarians have changed the world.
There is a powerful sequence in the movie Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome …
One nugget-fueled nightmare reminds us that some things don’t stay dead – including our words
Eleven-year-old William ‘Tuck’ Tucker’s heart was beating out of his chest. As he sprinted around the yard surrounding his Horace, Ill. home, he wondered how he’d escape the …
I’m just gonna say it. Dating in 2024 sucks.
Growing up in small-town Illinois, I have heard countless stories of how my older generation of relatives met their husbands and/or wives. The …
September is one of the best months for night sky viewing and this year it is filled with opportunities.
The approaching change from summer to fall means the angle of the Earth to sun and sky is …
Wendell Berry and the art of doing it yourself
Let me start with an apology.
This week’s column contains no overarching parable, as advertised in the name. Instead, I offer a thought.
It’s a presidential election year, and …
I grew up in Hawaii and San Diego and neither place had farms anywhere nearby. In fact, I lived in very suburban areas with neighborhoods and strip malls that blended together for miles and miles in …
What is time? That’s a core question in science.
At the general level, time is just a dimension of space-time. Most of us view time with the “arrow of time” …
Horizon Health receives Lifeline Emergency Medical Services Silver Achievement Award
Horizon Health’s ambulance service has received national recognition for its excellence in heart attack and stroke care.
The American Heart Association (AHA) 2024 Mission: Lifeline …
Edgar County 4-h volunteers receive awards, leave legacy for the next generation of leaders
Volunteers are the heart of the Illinois 4-H Youth Development program, embodying the spirit of dedicated service that nurtures the growth of our future leaders,” said Patricia McGlaughlin, …
Like many of you, I have been watching the Olympics over the past couple of weeks. It has been fun to see the athletes compete and to watch people reach the pinnacle of their sport.
There …
As we reach mid-August day length and solar angle are changing rapidly. These are signals to the monarch butterfly to shift into fall migratory mode.
The next generation of eggs being laid now …
Do decreasing classified advertisements affect the popularity of small-town garage sales?
Across the United States, millions of garage sales are held every year. They are most common on Saturdays from late spring to early fall. Garage sales became a hot commodity starting in the 1970s and …
When I was in high school and college, I played the drums in several bands. We played in churches, coffee shops and other venues. After playing, it was common for people to ask if I could teach them …
This has been a stellar year for astronomy. It has been filled with events we only get to experience once in a lifetime, if at all. We’ve had a total eclipse, seen the northern lights from …
The Clark County Fair kicks off a week of primetime entertainment, rides, treats and events on Aug. 5
MARSHALL — The Clark County Fair kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 5 with harness racing and continues 24 hours later with The Miss Clark County Fair Queen Pageant on Aug. 6.
During the …
Salt is the most common ingredient in foods, which is probably why 90 percent of Americans consume more salt than the recommendation. This can be a problem as an excess of sodium can lead to high …
By late summer, we all have long-legged grasshoppers in our yards fiddling the night away, eating, and making merry. In Tooele County, just west of Salt Lake City on I-80, the news is full of stories …
4-H is one of the largest youth development programs with more than a dozen clubs for students in Edgar County
For more than 100 years, 4-H has provided experiences where kids learn by doing.
In Edgar County, there are more than a dozen 4-H clubs and approximately 80 projects for youth to choose from …
The public’s trust in science pendulum swings from high to low. That level of confidence has been dropping steadily over the last 20 years and took a step dive after the 2020 Pandemic.
…
Being a pastor or Bible teacher in an agricultural area has great advantages.The Bible is full of agricultural stories and references. Preaching and teaching to people with knowledge of gardening and …
This weekend Erno Rubik will become an octogenarian turning 80 years old. As a young man Rubik was fascinated by design.
His room was full of blocks, springs, bands and connecting sticks. This …
METCALF – Like many small hamlets throughout the rural Illinois prairie, Metcalf has seen businesses close and populations dwindle over time, but the village still stands today …
The oldest human with evidence of tattoos on their skin was discovered in a glacier of the Otzal Alps, near the border between Austria and Italy. The man, often referred to as “Otzi the …
“Chicago: The Musical” opened at the Paris Center of Fine Arts last night at 7 p.m. – a funny and entertaining satire of the criminal justice system in the jazz age presented by the …
This holiday weekend, if you are spending time at the pool in a swimsuit, you can thank the Dutch East India Company of the 1600s. There is a direct connection between shipping, dealing with …
SOUTHFORK HOMESTEAD OFFERS FRESH FOOD AT OUTLAW GRILL AND GENERAL STORE
At 11 a.m., June 24, Southfork Homestead opened their restaurant, Outlaw Grill, for the season.
“We opened the restaurant in 2021 due to the busyness of the farm,” said owner Michael …
Tickets for the Paris Community Theatre production of Chicago:The Musical are on sale now
Tickets for the Paris Community Theater’s production “Chicago: The Musical” go on sale Monday ahead of the PCT’s July 12-14 at the Paris Center of Fine Arts. Tickets are …
Edgar County is full of fun for families of all shapes and sizes this summer
With the turn of the calendar page summer is officially here and school is no longer in session, giving many Edgar County residents time to relax, rewind and enjoy extra family time.
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On Saturday, June 15, the first annual Our Walk for Menopause Awareness takes place at West Twin Lakes Park. Check-in is from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. with the walk beginning at 10:30 a.m.
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The fourth annual Painting the Prairie juried art exhibition continues this weekend and next week, ending Friday, June 7.
The show is one last chance to catch the works of local and regional …
Move More Month” is on a mission to stop the slow and get individuals moving everyday this April
Did you know that one in three adults over the age of 50 gets no physical activity outside of work? The month of April is recognized as “Move More Month” with a mission to stop the slow …
The eclipse path enables 31.6 million people to witness the once-in-a-lifetime event without traveling
Unless you have been living underneath a rock, there is a chance you have heard about an impending, once-in-a-lifetime event happening Monday. On April 8, 2024, parts of Illinois will darken as the …
They say that money is the root of all evil, an unexpected human creation that can either make or break a person. It’s what our country runs on, it’s a subject of every household in every …
Paris High School drama department brings the Hunchback of Notre Dame to life on theatre stage
If you stand outside the doors of the Paris Center of Fine Arts and listen to conversations from audience members who just enjoyed the latest Paris Drama Club’s production – no matter if …
You have heard it said before, whenever possible, shop at local businesses instead of big-box stores or online retailers. Where you choose to spend your hard earned money can help keep the local …
The celebration and observance of Lent is full of special cultural traditions and practices
At one time, when all church windows were stained glass and Bibles were all handwritten, Lent was a very serious and certain matter.
Lent, that time each year that many Christians dedicate to a …
Saturday is the full moon called the Snow Moon. Our next full moon will be on March 25 when we will see a blood-red lunar eclipse. That will be two weeks before the total eclipse. Almost every solar …
A trip to Kansas City treated the Patchetts to award-winning wood fire pizza
For those of you interested, Shaggy, our Granddog, is adjusting to his new life in Missouri. He is on sabbatical for a year while my son Matt and Andrea his wife are exploring Southeast Asia and …
Valentine’s Day can become more than just a cookie-cutter commercial holiday
According to Hallmark, about 145 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged every year. Americans spent approximately $24 billion on Valentine’s Day in 2022 alone. That is a lot of red …
A personality test based in animal temperaments SHINES new light on THE NATURE OF people
Created by Kristen Shroyer in 2012, Feb. 3 is National Golden Retriever Day.
The creator of the celebratory day selected the particular date because it was the birthday of her own Golden, …
I rarely meet a food that I don’t like, and I, a self-proclaimed adventurous eater have tasted several unexpected and perhaps unconventional bites of food around the country.
I attribute …
Cooking tasks can be accomplished by children of all ages
Getting children involved in the kitchen should be a possibility for every single child, regardless of age, special needs or academic abilities. The easiest way to involve different kids with …
Ruth Patchett has several grandchildren, her favorite is a dog named shaggy
The end of the year is a time for taking care of business that comes up and needs to be addressed. One of those recent items was my subscription renewal of The Prairie Press.
Since I needed to …
This Christmas, a broken car door proved less is more during the holidays
In recent years, I have found it difficult to get in the Christmas spirit. I could not tell you when it happened, but the warmth I experienced every December as a child started to dissipate – …
Quick, Easy Recipes to Add to Your Dinner Rotation
Making time for meals together can have a positive impact on the well-being of families, including children and adolescents. In fact, regular meals at home can help reduce stress and boost …
Thanksgiving is over, and Christmas is nearly gone, the holiday season is speeding by faster than a sleigh drawn by magical, flying reindeer. In celebration of the upcoming holiday, and in an effort …
This holiday season, many Americans will be decorating Christmas trees, lighting Hanukkah candles, building gingerbread houses and savoring time with family and friends.
And across the country, …
Children can, and should, learn to cook.
After all, cooking is a basic life skill, and being comfortable enough in the kitchen to pull a few ingredients into a simple meal is something everyone …
Simplify holiday hosting from start to finish
Hosting a major holiday event is no small effort. It requires close attention to detail from planning, cooking and cleaning to entertaining guests on the big day. Fortunately, just like any good …
