Scouts BSA Troop 178’s annual spaghetti dinner and silent auction fundraiser will be held on Jan. 25, 2025, from 4 to 8 p.m., at the Morton United Methodist Church, 420 N. Tennessee Ave., Morton. Tickets are available at the door: $10 per person for adults, $7 for seniors (60+) and children, $33 for a family of up to five.

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.