By Jacob Hamm ARCOLA- Downtown Arcola saw a burst of excitement and the community coming together Thursday evening for the second “Sip, Sweep and Stroll” event of the summer. The first event was held in May with the final one of the summer being held on July 22. The event hosts vendors, food trucks and…

By Emma Elston The Villa Grove Spanish Club recently returned from a nine-day adventure in Costa Rica. Twenty-one people from the school, including students and chaperones, went on the trip. Twenty-six people from other schools across the United States also joined them on the tour. The group of 47 explored the country, visiting several interesting…

By Jacob Hamm URBANA— When Leah Wightman of Arcola passed away in 2024, she decided to leave much of her estate to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, her alma mater. She began attending the UIUC campus in 1962. After she graduated, she worked at the Illini bookstore before working at the Parkland College bookstore, becoming…

By HRC TUSCOLA— Caring for a loved one with a disability is a labor of love, and like any labor, it takes a toll. Beginning July 1, families in Douglas County will have new support for the hardest days, thanks to two grants awarded to the Human Resources Center of Edgar & Clark Counties (HRC).…

The Tuscola School Board approved pay increases for certified and non-certified staff with a 4.5 percent raise. Superintendent Gary Alexander’s salary increase is 6 percent, which is current Board policy on staff  who are retiring. Alexander’s contract was extended for another year, not two as previously reported.

By Jacob Hamm ATWOOD— Forty-year-old Zachariah McCullough of Atwood was arrested on June 22 on five felony counts. He is currently charged with two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child under 13, both of which are Class X felonies, one count of criminal sexual assault of a family member under 18, a…