Continuing into their 120th year, the Danvers Town Band will present five free concerts this summer. Concerts are held at the Danvers Municipal Park Bandstand on Main Street in Danvers. This year’s concert series begins Sunday, June 30, and continues on Sunday evenings during July. All concerts begin at 7:00 P.M., and include a mixture of traditional marches and popular music.
Eric Bates, a 73-year-old resident of rural Towanda, was pronounced dead at the scene of a collision between a motorcycle and a motor vehicle at the intersection of Townline and Boston School Roads in rural Mackinaw. Authorities were alerted to the accident at 3:28 p.m. on Monday, April 8.
Reed Naughton has been honored as the State FFA Proficiency Winner in Agricultural Services. A member of the Olympia FFA Chapter within the Illinois Association FFA, Naughton was recognized for his work-based learning, also referred to as Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE). The Illinois FFA acknowledges students in forty-eight distinct areas for their SAEs. FFA members who exhibit exceptional agricultural skills and competencies through meticulous record-keeping, leadership, and academic accomplishments are eligible for this accolade. SAEs provide students with practical learning opportunities, whether through owning and operating an agricultural business, interning or working at an agriculture-related business, or conducting and reporting on an agricultural scientific study. Naughton's SAE is centered around his involvement in his family's auction service.
Olympia High School celebrated National FFA Week from February 19 to 23. Throughout the week, FFA members engaged in a variety of activities, including themed dress-up days, driving tractors to school, and creative alternatives to backpacks. The events featured a truck competition, a 'kiss a pig' challenge, multiple assemblies, and relay races. Senior Chase Litwiller won the straw bale tossing contest. An impressive turnout saw 16 tractors at school on Tuesday morning. FFA Officers dedicated Wednesday morning to preparing and serving a homemade breakfast for members and staff at OHS. During Tuesday's assembly, Kamryn Rader presented 'The FFA Creed' to the students. It was a week filled with enjoyable activities, celebrating our passion for FFA within our school community.
K’s Cafe is a small, locally owned and operated restaurant on 111 South Main Street in Minier, IL. They serve a variety of different kinds of foods, including but not limited to, walleye, pork chops, tenderloins, burgers, and fried chicken. To write this article, my family and I went to K’s Cafe to try out the food for ourselves. Their Friday night specials were butterfly pork chop, walleye, catfish, or spaghetti meals. We decided on three pork chop and one chicken strip dinner. They all came with a choice of potato and one side. My dad opted to forgo his sides and went for a one-trip salad bar instead for only an extra $1. To say the least, we all enjoyed our food immensely and were surprised with how everything was homemade and fresh! The salad bar was plentifully stocked. The portions were quite large and very fairly priced.
Minier Lanes is a bowling alley that provides family fun to locals by way of bowling. They host many bowling leagues and events throughout the year that are enjoyed by citizens in Minier and the surrounding area. Some of their events include the 9 Pin no Tap Team Tournament, 9 Pin Snake Bite Tournament, and open bowling on the weekends. They have leagues available for children and adults to compete and have fun. Minier Lanes has extremely positive feedback with 4.9 stars out of 5 from 46 Google reviews. It is also highly recommended by Olympia High School’s IHSA State bowler Trevor White.
The phrase “dogs are a man’s best friend” applies to lots more animals than just dogs when you are talking about Veterinarian Shawn Hohulin. Doctor Shawn runs Noah’s Ark Small Animal Hospital in Minier, IL and is one of the best in the business. Noah’s Ark Small Animal Hospital is located on Route 122 just outside of Minier to the west. The business began in the 1990s in the town of Miner, but moved to the current location in the mid-to-late 1990s.
Village Flowers & Gifts is a local flower shop in Minier owned by Susie Smith. They pride themselves on providing a 100% satisfaction guaranteed to create long term relationships with their customers. Village Flowers & Gifts has a great connection with the local community and the emphasis that they put on maintaining that connection has really paid off for them. They are a wonderful small business that a lot of locals depend on for flowers on special occasions, Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day.
With summertime approaching, there is nothing more fun than sitting around a fire pit with your friends or family! Well, maybe a tropical trip! Fire pits are a great way to add some fun to a yard! With a little hard work and some elbow grease, you’ll have one in no time. We put one in at our last home and loved it, I can’t wait to do it again!
In Native American culture, dream catchers were believed to catch and trap bad dreams, whilst allowing good dream to pass through the spider-web design, and drift into the heads of the children that lie sleeping below them. Nowadays, dreamcatchers come in many shapes and sizes, and are an incredibly popular bedroom decor choice! If you’re ready for some sweet dreams, why not learn how to make a dreamcatcher?
Sometimes you are in the middle of a project and realize you need something else! This happened to me when I was creating my back garden scape. I placed my new Adirondack chairs in there place. They were a perfect fit, if the ground didn’t slope down in the back! I knew I needed to make an elevated bed for them. I had recently found a ton of old pavers in the yard and knew this was the spot for them.
The Last Video Store [Limited Edition]
Cody Kennedy and Tim Rutherford have crafted a vibrant tribute to the VHS era with THE LAST VIDEO STORE, reviving the iconic ambiance of the 1980s and 1990s video rental boom. This film blends humor, horror, and satire to create a narrative that's as nostalgic as it is bizarre, making it a welcome homage to the era. Centering around enchanted VHS tapes and a cast of quirky characters, the film cleverly celebrates the period's B-movie classics, adding a layer of fun and complexity to the viewing experience.
Juggernaut (Blu-ray)
JUGGERNAUT, directed by Richard Lester and written by Richard Alan Simmons and Alan Plater, stands out with its unique approach. Departing from the explosive norms of 1970s disaster movies, this film sidesteps the expected dramatic catastrophes to focus more intimately on psychological tension and human emotions under duress.
Men of War (Collector's Edition)
MEN OF WAR, released in 1994, plunges into the heart of conflict through the lens of action and redemption, with Dolph Lundgren at the forefront as Nick Gunar. This film breaks away from the traditional action blueprint, exploring deeper and darker themes, and it is a surprising and welcome change led by Perry Lang's direction. Instead of the usual gun-blazing spectacle, Lundgren portrays a protagonist grappling with the consequences of his actions, making this not just another action flick but a thought-provoking narrative about the human spirit and ethical dilemmas.
The Addiction [Limited Edition]
In the gritty underbelly of New York City, Abel Ferrara’s THE ADDICTION threads a story of moral and existential queries into the core of its narrative. This 1995 film rethinks the traditional vampire myth, transforming it into a vehicle for a deeper examination of human nature. Kathleen Conklin, a role embodied by Lili Taylor, finds her academic pursuits derailed by a transformation that thrusts her into a shadowy world where philosophical theories on morality become urgent and personal battles. This is not the traditional vampire flick and won’t be for everyone, but you'll likely love it if this is for you!
The Block Island Sound
Venturing into THE BLOCK ISLAND SOUND introduces us to a hybrid of horror and science fiction that is as deep and mysterious as the ocean. Directors Kevin and Matthew McManus guide us through these turbulent waters with a story that captivates and unnerves, enveloping viewers in a narrative as dense as the fog that shrouds the island setting. As the plot develops, the tension rises like the tide, culminating in an unexpected climax, leaving viewers adrift in a sea of thought-provoking ambiguity.