Lifestyle

Reading into the new year

You can almost smell it: a crispness in the air, the whiff of new possibility, a determination to do things differently. It is officially a new year. Ten days into a new year, to be exact.  …

Renovating Red Tail Ranch

The Red Tail Ranch started as a dream. In 2019, Mike and Cat Eads lived in Hume. Mike Eads, a Master Mechanic, owned his own mechanic business, was Mayor of Hume and worked part-time as an Edgar …

Halls of Madness opens for Memorial Day Weekend

Halls of Madness Haunted Attraction is bringing back its fan-favorite off-season event, Madness in May, for another year of spine-tingling fun. Created as a “halfway to Halloween” …
Paris Center of Fine Arts welcomes massive mythical creatures

Dragons and mythical beasts, oh my!

Edgar County residents are preparing for an unforgettable adventure at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22, as Dragons & Mythical Beasts takes the stage at the Paris Center of Fine Arts. The thrilling …
Univeristy of Illinois Extension offers unique opportunities with Master Gardeners program

Planting seeds of wisdom, one garden at a time

In 2025, the Illinois Master Gardener Program commemorates its 50th anniversary, marking half a century of dedicated service in distributing horticultural knowledge and fostering community engagement …

Spring to the Moon: Sowing seeds with lunar-tic precision

Spring has arrived and it’s time to think about planting.   Lots of books have been written, and science has been conducted concerning the best time to plant and what to plant. Thanks to …
Breaking barriers through hygiene

Community Cause: Sage and Prim

Founded in 2023, the Sage and Prim Community Support Foundation is dedicated to removing barriers by providing access to health, hygiene and harm-reduction products. Through its “soap …

4-H Food Challenge

The smell of sizzling ground beef and the aroma of asparagus, a surprise secret ingredient, filled the air at the Edgar County fairground last Thursday night as young chefs went to battle in the …

Edgar County Board halts BESS ordinance approval

Following an 8:45 a.m. public hearing on Wednesday, March 12, the Edgar County Board placed a moratorium on a proposed ordinance for battery energy storage systems, better known as BESS. The …

County Causes: Helping Hands Soup Kitchen

PARIS—Founded in 2024, Helping Hands Soup Kitchen is making strides to combat hunger in Edgar County with a mission to feed those in need, both physically and spiritually. Operating as a …

A tale of three childhoods

It’s often said that each generation grows up in a world unrecognizable from the last, shaped by technology, culture and societal shifts. To truly grasp this evolution, let’s compare …
More than 500 residents came together to support the Edgar County Shriners

Glowing for a cause

Edgar County Shrine Club hosted their second Glow Bingo event on Friday, Feb. 7 at Ernie Eveland Gymnasium in Paris. Tickets to the event were available online for weeks leading to the event and sold …
Miss Edgar County Aubrey Lawson shares her experience at State

Fit for a queen

For reigning Edgar County Fair Queen Aubrey Lawson, the opportunity to compete in the Illinois County Fair Queen pageant was nothing short of a whirlwind. Reflecting on her time at the state …

Bee Well marks 10 Years of community wellness

2025 marks a significant milestone for Bee Well of Edgar County. The wellness coalition celebrates its 10th anniversary. Since its formation in 2014, Bee Well has been dedicated to promoting a …
From rural roots to literary legacy and a Netflix series

The enduring impact of Laura Ingalls Wilder

More than 83 years after she began publishing her Little House on the Prairie books and decades after her passing, Laura Ingalls Wilder remains one of America’s most beloved authors. Now, her …

The benefits of having a pet: A life-enhancing companion

Pets have been an integral part of human lives for centuries. From the loyal dog to the independent cat, pets come in various forms, each offering unique companionship and joy. Owning a pet is not …
Millennial Mind

Party like it’s 2005

2005 was a pivotal moment in history—a year of cultural landmarks, technological advancements and unforgettable music. When reflecting on this remarkable year, it’s impossible not to be …

A Christmas Surprise

As we continue to work our way through the advent season and to the day Christians celebrate as the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I want to share two of the most beautiful Christmas …

Turning pain into poetry

CHRISMAN—In 2018, Paula Bouton had a stroke. Despite having little to no traditional stroke symptoms, the life-altering experience disrupted Bouton’s life and caused irreparable damage. …

A colorful night on the prairie

When Mark Killion was seven, his parents got him a reflecting telescope for Christmas. Some moments can change the course of a life. Perhaps it is hard to see in the present which actions will …

An era of celebration

“Never be so polite, you forget your power. Never wield such power, you forget to be polite.” -Taylor Swift “Marjorie” 2020 This past Friday, Saturday and Sunday …
KIDS IN THE KITCHEN

Essential kitchen skills

Learning to cook is essential for kids to foster independence, promote healthy eating and develop important life skills. But, it can also feel incredibly overwhelming. You don’t have to …

Creating everyday adventures

The 19th of October is not just any other day. If you Google the date you’ll find a string of suggested themes and holidays. In addition to “National Fetch Day” and “National …

From Greenwave to Prairie

October 6-12, 2024 has been slated as National Newspaper Week by Newspaper Association Managers. The event is a seven-day promotion of the newspaper industry in the United States and Canada. …
A CONVERSATION ABOUT CHANGES, CHOICES AND CHARACTER GROWTH SHAPING A FUTURE FOR EACH OF US

Time may change me (and you)

Six years ago, this month, I took on the most complicated, dangerous and overwhelming role in my life so far. Six years ago, I became a mom. No amount of book reading or researching can prepare …

Tradition versus innovation

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 make sure we ain’t been slack’n

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

The Tale of Tuck’s Headless Chicken

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 …

The death of modern romance

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 night sky events

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

See a problem? Think small.

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 …

The parable of the sower

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 …

It’s about time

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 nationally recognized

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

Local 4-H’ers pass the torch

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, …

Coaching for Christ – Pastor's Perspective

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 …

Common milkweed coevolved with the monarch

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?

Finding treasures from the past

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 …

Drumming up perspective

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 …

A local nova event is coming soon

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

Fair nights and neon lights in Clark County

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 …

Table salt vs. sea salt: What’s the difference?

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 …

Do grasshoppers fiddle the Summer away?

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

4-H is creating leaders 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 …

In science we don’t all trust

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. …

Roots

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 …

Cognitive calisthenics with Rubik

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 …

Preserving “the little places”

  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 …

Buzzing with Culture

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” premieres on Paris stage

“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 …

Better living through chemistry

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 …
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