Mackinaw gained a new restaurant with the opening of Eddy’s Kitchen Family Restaurant on June 28th. Providing a wide variety of menu options for breakfast and lunch, local residents are sure to find something delectable that will make Eddy’s a community staple. Chef Eddy’s wife, Iris, tells The Mail how Eddy’s Kitchen Family Restaurant came to fruition. 

Grab your clubs and finest Higdon hat for the Mackinaw Lions Club Golf Outing at Quail Meadows Golf Course in Washington, on Saturday, August 13th. $90 per person covers green fees, a golf cart, and lunch at the course starting at 11:30 A.M. prior to tee off. Golfers can form their own team of 4 or sign up individually and be assigned to a team. 

On Saturday, July 23rd, the Concert in the Vineyards Series presents “Sushi Roll”, a high energy cover band that plays everyone’s favorite hits from Bruno Mars to Rick Springfield. Concert starts at 7:00 P.M. and runs through until 11:00 P.M. No advance tickets, $10 per person at the door.

On Saturday, July 30th at 10:30 A.M., starting at the Dee-Mack bridge is “Drizzledabs 3rd Annual Float". Floaters provide their own floats whether it be a tube, kayak, paddleboard, or canoe for a 3 hour float trip with shuttles provided. Floaters are then invited to Pub 52 for live entertainment, food and drink specials, 50/50 door prizes, and a grand prize drawing for a kayak. Registration can be found on Eventzilla.net.

At the Mackinaw Community Center, New Castle Bible Church presents “1 Way Kidz”. Children in the Mackinaw area are invited to come hang out at the Community Center and enjoy games, activities, and friends. Kids will be well supervised and cared for in a safe environment with lunch included every day. This event runs every Monday and Wednesday from 10:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. Registration is easy at myncbc.org.

In preparation for a rapidly approaching wrestling season, the Dee-Mack wrestling program has decided to host “Open Gym Practices” every Tuesday and Thursday this summer, from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. During the open gym practices, aspiring wrestlers of any age and ability level will have the opportunity to practice with both senior wrestlers and Dee-Mack coaches. Practices will run like a typical practice during the wrestling season and will consist of a warm up routine and then work on basic fundamentals of the sport.

Honestly, I was a bit surprised to receive an invite for a ride-along from Stanford Police Chief Dustin Carter. While Chief Carter has shown himself to be more than willing to work with local media - I’ve spoken with him a few different times on past articles - it’s quite the jump to go from answering press questions over email to inviting the local media into a squad vehicle to see what police see. Naturally, I jumped at the opportunity. After finalizing a date and then having to take a rain check due to my pesky full time job, we settled on meeting at the Stanford Town Hall at 4:00 P.M. on Saturday, July 2nd.

Sunday, July 17th, The Mackinaw Valley Vineyard is hosting their Art and Wine Festival from 12:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. Cars of all kinds will be available for viewing, crafts, and live music.

Wednesday evenings are Good Pantry Days at the Mackinaw Community Center from 5:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. Donation drop offs are also accepted during this time.

Community Church in the Park: Hosted by New Castle Bible Church in Mackinaw's Veterans Park at 100 East Fast Avenue on Sunday, July 17th. Service starts at 11:00 A.M. Bring a lawn chair!

The Mack-A-Fest begins on July 14th at 5:00 P.M. and ends Saturday, July 16th at 10:00 P.M. Dozens of activities will be available, as well as a food vendor and beer tent. Don't miss out!

When it comes to helping local residents in need, the Mackinaw Community Center Food Pantry is stepping in to help in a big way. Located in the Mackinaw Community Center at 101 S. Orchard St, the organization is currently ramping up their efforts as need in the community grows. This week, pantry board members invited The Mail to come down and check out their operation in the hopes of getting the word out about the big plans that are in the works.

During a time when the price of, well, pretty much everything keeps increasing, many families find themselves feeling like long and luxurious vacations are simply out of the picture. Instead, many families are opting for a “staycation” - a smaller trip, or multiple small trips, closer to home. A staycation can drastically cut the cost of fuel and lodging, while also providing an opportunity to learn about the places that are closer to home that one might otherwise have passed up. If you’re feeling like that trip to the Gulf of Mexico or beyond just isn’t in the budget this year, here are some ideas for smaller trips within state lines:

Beginning July 6th, from 10:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. Mackinaw area kids are encouraged to hang out at the Mackinaw Community Center for games, activities, bible lessons, and socializing. Kids will be well-supervised in a safe environment. Lunch is provided and it’s all free. Register at MyNCBC.org

July 4th fireworks will be at Brock Lake starting around dusk. Bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on and enjoy the show!

Sunday, July 24th, the Mackinaw Valley Vineyard is hosting The Mackinaw Valley Wine Run 5k at 9:00 A.M. Whether you love running, walking, or wine, this event is for you. More details can be found on the Mackinaw Valley Vineyard website.

Tuesday, July 5th, at 5:30 P.M. through July 8th at 7:30 P.M. The Dee Mack JFL Cheer Camp is being held at Brock Lake. For complete information, contact Mindy Marshall at mindy61554@gmail.com

Saturday, July 9th, from 7:00 P.M. to 11:00 P.M. The Mackinaw Valley Vineyard presents “Revel in Red” as part of their Summer Concert Series. $5 per person, 12 and under are free.

Starting at 6:00 P.M. on Thursday, June 30, The American Legion presents the music of Craig Gerdes. No cover to attend.

Schools may be out of session and concerns about grades may be temporarily abated, for many students, this is the season of “Summer Hunger”. For kids who rely on school meals for the majority of their nourishment during the school year, summer can quickly turn into 3 months of hunger and tension. Past research shows that family grocery costs can increase as much as $300 a month during the summer. In the Summer of 2022, one might expect those increased costs to rise even further, leaving many low-income families in a precarious situation.

Residents of Armington were shaken up last week with reports of an attempted child abduction on Wednesday, June 16th. A social media post gained area-wide attention stating that an officer from the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Department had approached residents seeking information relating to the incident that happened in the town park. While details on the incident are sparse at this time, one source familiar with the investigation tells The Mail that multiple police agencies responded to the area to investigate the report.

The alleged teen assailants in the assault against Danny Hale in the Mackinaw Casey’s parking lot that occurred on the evening of May 12th have had their first appearance in court last week. 4 adult teens were arrested by Mackinaw Police following the alleged assault, along with an unnamed teenage minor. The 4 adults: Blake Huffman, Ryan Robertson, Jorge Santana, and Jacob Ragon were transported to the Tazewell County Jail and charged with Mob Action and Aggravated Battery of a Senior Citizen, the last charge could possibly be upgraded to a Class 2 Felony.

In April 2019, Reed Fry was diagnosed with cancer. With local communities rallying around the young man, Reed fought against his ailment and eventually won. Last month, the 13 year old and his family received more bad news: Reed’s cancer is back. In light of the news, local communities once again rally around the Fry family in an attempt to make Reed’s fight as comfortable as possible. 

Saturday, June 25th, the Mackinaw Valley Vineyard presents Backseat Radio as part of their Concert in the Vineyard Series. Backseat Radio provides high energy dancing music with their mix of Pop and Rock hits. Admission is $5 per person while free for those 12 and younger.

Saturday, July 9th, the Deer Creek American Legion is hosting a benefit for Brian Waldon. Brian lost his eyesight after 2 strokes last fall and will need long term care. The action starts at 1:00 P.M. and will continue until at least 11:00 P.M