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.
Simply Sweet Cakes is a specialty cake and cupcake shop located at 107 W Pearl St in Tremont, IL. Throughout the year, the shop offers over 120 flavors of cupcakes and will have up to 30 flavors available daily. Flavors available for each month can be found by going to the “flavors and fillings” tab on the Simply Sweet Cakes Website. Three flavors that will be offered for cupcakes in June include: lemonade, hot fudge sundae, and turtle. Their cakes are covered with homemade buttercream icing. Simply Sweet Cakes claims to offer “the most unique cakes and cupcakes around central Illinois”. Based on the pictures shown on the business’ Facebook and website, their claim seems to be true. Each cake truly is a unique piece of art.
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.
Anuja (अनुजा)
In the vibrant yet challenging urban streets of Delhi, two sisters carve out a path through adversity far from the carefree existence of their peers. Sajda Pathan and Ananya Shanbhag deliver riveting performances as Anuja and Palak, sisters whose bond is tested and tempered in the grim confines of a garment factory. The film ANUJA, directed by Adam J. Graves, takes us deep into the shadows of an unforgiving child labor market, juxtaposing the city's vibrant life with the sad reality within its darkest corners.
Fireline
When a movie like FIRELINE scorches across the screen, it captures the struggle of fighting wildfires while weaving in a potent human drama. The film mixes action with a deep dive into the transformative journeys of its characters, all set against the backdrop of the relentless unknown. Robin Takao D’Oench wrote and directed this narrative with a masterful hand, blending intense drama with the stark realities of those often voiceless.
Will I See You Again?
WILL I SEE YOU AGAIN? starts its narrative with a compelling dive into a tale of reconnection and the intricacies of human relationships. It is a gripping portrayal of two once inseparable friends, Max Palmer and Paul Jensen, who are estranged by life's cruel twists. Directed with finesse by Michael Perez-Lindsey, the film does more than scratch the surface of emotional reconciliation. It plunges deep, unraveling a fabric of love, loss, and healing that is both touching and profound.
The Birthday 4K Restoration
Once hidden in the depths of cinema's obscure corners, THE BIRTHDAY has made a triumphant return to the limelight, bolstered by the support of industry giants like Elijah Wood, Jason Blum, and particularly Jordan Peele, whose backing reintroduced it at a prestigious screening in New York. Since its debut in 2004 at the Sitges International Film Festival, the film has slowly woven itself into cult classic cinema, attracting a loyal audience eager for films that challenge the status quo.
Director's Cut
Emerging from the shadows of the indie horror scene, DIRECTOR'S CUT proves that a shoestring budget can still create tightly wound-suspense and chilling thrills. Written and directed by Don Capria, this film takes audiences on an eerie ride with a punk rock band whose rise to fame quickly devolves into a terrifying ordeal. Louis Lombardi's transformation from a nurturing guide to a foreboding menace anchors the film, infusing every scene he’s in with a tense atmosphere that keeps viewers glued to their seats.
Temperatures are looking to rise again this week, making now a great time to talk about how to help care for your garden crops in the hot and dry times of summer. Late July through August can tend to be very hot and it is important that you are taking proper care of your crops to get them through when they are ready to be picked from the garden. Some plants can tolerate the heat better than others. When you consider that most plants are made up of 85 to 90 percent of water, it makes more sense why plants need extra attention in the heat.
Crop scouting is when fields are evaluated for pest and disease problems, or for checking in on growth progress. Scouting is important because if a problem of any kind is found in the field, it can be solved or managed as quickly as possible. This process is critical for farmers to grow their best crops and have the highest yields possible, which allows them to make the most profit. Crop scouting is a critical tool to protect a farmer’s investment in each field.
Like many holidays, the Fourth of July is connected to agriculture! In the spirit of celebrating our Independence Day this weekend, we can look at a quote about agriculture from Thomas Jefferson. The Founding Father and former president stated, “Agriculture.. is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to wealth, good morals, and happiness…”. Jefferson proclaimed the importance of agriculture in our country in a letter he wrote to George Washington.
All dairy products like milk and cheese start by the production and care of dairy cows on a dairy farm. Dairy farming is when farmers raise mother animals and use their milk to feed humans. Other dairy products than milk and cheese include butter, yogurt, ice cream and more. Byproducts from dairy farms are even used for nonfood purposes. Byproducts allow for an operation to produce more goods and be useful for as much as they possibly can.
When you look through a produce section at the grocery store, you will likely find both organic and nonorganic items for sale. To be labeled organic, foods must meet United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) standards. Companies or farmers can not just label something “organic” without meeting these standards. The USDA sets organic standards for crops and livestock, as well as the handling process.
Many recent Olympia High School grads are going on to pursue athletics in college. From a class of only 86 students, 5 females and 4 males will be continuing their athletic careers. Most of them will be staying right here in Illinois, with just a few moving over to the bordering states.
The sports season for OHS in the 2021-2022 school year concluded on Friday. Friday was the state track & field meet for our boys' team. The boys competed in the prelims on Friday but did not end up making it to the finals on Saturday. The qualifying 3200-meter team consisted of Anthony Ragland, Cooper Phillips, Owen Dare, and Brad Schardan. Owen and Brad wanted to save their energy for the 800 so the alternates, Logan Demling and Caden Clark ran instead. The team ran an 8:42.37 relay. Then, Brad Schardan ran the 800-meters at a personal best time of 2:00.20. Owen Dare was right behind him with a time of 2:00.26. Then, Keagan Uphoff did the 300-meter hurdles and had a time of 44.40. With Keagan being just a sophomore, he has a lot more potential to advance further in the coming years. He is off to a great start and ready for more!
This was regional week for the softball and baseball teams! To begin, the baseball team played Clinton on Monday night, coming away with a 3-2 win. This advanced them to play Pontiac on Thursday. The Spartans were not as good as Pontiac’s baseball team and lost 1-14. Pontiac is now going to the regional championship game on Monday vs Tremont. Olympia High School hosted all these regional baseball games. The high school baseball season has now ended and the boys are ready to play travel ball. The baseball program is grateful for finally having a full season that was very fun and memorable, too!
Post-season for Olympia High School athletics is coming into full gear. Just this week Girls Track and Field competed in their IHSA Sectional Meet. Anna Beiber qualified for State at the meet with a time of 2:21.68, just 2 seconds under the state qualifying time. Melissa Bieber just barely missed the qualifying time by .29 seconds with a 47.98 in the 300 hurdles, which is less than a second off the school record. Boys Track and Field will compete in their Sectional this coming week on the 18th.