Tremont‘s Hometown News Site

Yoga may be one of the oldest practices in human history to focus on a person’s happiness - a person’s physical and emotional well-being. In the United States it is estimated that 36 million adults practice yoga on a regular basis. They are likely to practice one of a couple kinds of yoga that derive from Vedic yoga and involve 12 basic postures, with names like cow, cobra, or fish. These kinds of yoga will also involve teaching deep breathing patterns  along with a focus on being present and mindful. Luckily for Mackinaw area residents, we have an expert on the subject: Julie Rhoades of Yoga4Life, located at 107 South Main Street in Mackinaw.

For this week’s Business Spotlight, I was able to speak with President of KDJ Sales and Services Inc, Dustin Schmidgall, and get a peek into the history of his company and what the future may look like moving forward. Started by Keith Schmidgall in Armington IL in 1978, the company originally focused on residential plumbing, electrical, and HVAC. After about 7 years, the decision was made to move the company to Mackinaw in 1985 and switch focus to doing electrical work on grain elevators. In 1987, the company moved to the Mackinaw Industrial Park, where they remain today. In 1995, KDJ added to their list of services when they added automation and control systems development.

Opening up on April 9, 2022, the 3:7 Garden Shed is a gardening shop owned by Jeff and Chris Litwiller but you may also see their four daughters around the shed helping out. The 3:7 Garden Shed took the place of the Hopedale Garden Shop after the owner decided to sell the business to Jeff and Chris Litwiller. Before this, the business originated as Slager Lawn Service in the 1980s. The shed’s name comes from 1 Corinthians 3:7; “Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow”.

With 10 years of experience in fire equipment and the fire safety industry, Fred Lawrence, along with his wife Emily, started Fred Lawrence and Sons Fire Equipment in Pekin in 2010. Business came quickly and before long, the decision was made to incorporate the business to its current name F.L. Sons Fire Equipment Inc. in 2015. Fred and Emily began hiring employees and realized that their current situation: one work truck, a very small 10’x15’ garage, and a spare room in their home acting as an office - just wasn’t going to meet their needs. So, the Lawrence family started to look elsewhere, knowing that they would need a home for them and their 2 sons, along with a separate building to run their business out of.

Carol Ann’s Worsh House is a laundromat located on 109 SW Arch Street in Atlanta, Illinois. This business was opened just a little over one year ago on account of the small town needing a place to wash or “worsh” their clothes after the previous laundromat owner passed away. Jared and Brandy Mattingly saw an opportunity to reopen the facility and stepped up to the task! The name “Carol Ann’s Worsh House” is named in honor of Jared’s mother, the late Carol Ann Mattingly. Both Jared and Brandy’s mothers used to “worsh” everything.

Nestled in the Mackinaw business district, there lies a small building with enormous heart. If you drop in at 107 Fast Avenue, in Mackinaw, you’ll likely find Keyth Mooneyham practicing his craft - Shotokan Karate. Keyth, 43, practiced the art as a child, Keyth decided to return to it in 2007 when his children became school aged. In 2011, Keyth earned his blackbelt and, around the same time, took over the program from his former sensei. He described that transition as “flawless”, owing to the fact that he had spent years training in the building.

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.

Leann Boyd is a mom of two children with a passion for selling rare and unique items. Boyd began the business “Leann’s omething For You” to fufill her passion. Located in Armington, IL, she sells antiques, jewelry, home decor, books, music, and other unique items. She will also be selling flowers and plants throughout the warmer months. Boyd also has a passion for gardening, and will sell quality plants that have been taken care of well. She has been running this business for over a decade, so you can expect high quality items from the shop. Many of the reviews on the business’ eBay shop state that the items are packed very well, the shipping is quick, and that Boyd is easy to work with. Boyd’s average rating for the business within the last 12 months are: five stars for accurate description, shipping speed, and communication and four and a half stars for reasonable shipping cost. 

The Sip Shack is a drive-thru coffee hut located in Atlanta owned by Molly Mowery and Samantha Runge. They have just recently opened on Wednesday, July 21, and they are very excited for their new business to get rolling. Molly and Samantha’s goal for The Sip Shack is to give their customers an experience that is “quality and convenient with a laid-back vibe.” The Sip Shack will be a great spot for locals to stop by and grab a quick coffee, lotus energy drinks, tea, lemonade, or even a smoothie. 

The Gift Box is a gift shop in Atlanta located just off Historic Route 66. The Gift Box offers locally made unique gifts and free gift wrapping. Currently, they have 21 local artisans located in Atlanta, Lincoln, Bloomington, and McLean. You can find many different items at The Gift Box including goat soap and bath products, stained glass, laser engraved items, blown glass, candles, wax, handmade jewelry, bird houses, signs, repurposed farm and garden tools, candy, popcorn, t-shirts, Watkins table runners, boo boo bags, aprons, rugs, and many more great gift items. The Gift Box is open Wednesday- Saturday from 10 AM- 4 PM and Sunday from 12:00 PM- 4:00 PM. They also offer local delivery and can schedule appointments for any possible wants a customer could have. Artists that work with The Gift Box are more than willing to customize their items to create something that you would be proud to give as a gift. 

Retrospect Salon & Boutique has recently opened in Danvers and the co-owners, Ashley Hathaway and Wendy Dotson are very excited for their new business to get rolling. Ashley is from Elkhart, IL and has been in cosmetology for 10 years. Wendy is from Bloomington, IL and has been in cosmetology for 18 years. Their salon and boutique is a retro theme with a hair salon, tanning, and a boutique with clothing and accessories. 

At the edge of Mackinaw sits an interesting piece of central Illinois history. Known as “The Tea Room” today, this old train station was once a stop on a trolley line that existed between Champaign and St. Louis. In 1978, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Despite this designation, The Depot sat empty for 40 years until an experienced business woman with a vision stepped in. Enter: Beth Wiegand.

Arcadia is a playable arcade museum packed with vintage arcade games. Arcadia is located in downtown McLean, IL about 12 miles south of Bloomington-Normal on Interstate 55. John Yates opened the family friendly business in 2009 with the purpose of recreating an arcade from the 80s/90s. He wants it to be a place where families can go and enjoy what it would be like to go to an arcade from that era. Yates stated that he opened the arcade as a way to take his mind off of a recent failed internet startup. He had been collecting arcade games since he was in high school and he already owned the building, so he decided to go for it. He had tried to open an arcade in the McLean location about five years prior to the opening of Arcadia, but unfortunately it didn't work out. He debated remodeling the building into a coffee shop, but decided to try again. Perseverance paid off for Yates, with Arcadia being a unique arcade business that has been running for twelve years now. 

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. 

Stanford’s Earlybird Grain and Fertilizer is a family business that you can trust with your ag inputs and chemical and fertilizer application needs. The business began in 1964, making this the 57th year Earlybird has been in business. Their helpful staff members include: Gerry Doehrmann, Shawn Desch, Erica Motes, Scott Freitag, Bill Carpenter, Justin Hodges, Andrew Knoll, and Quentin Frost. While describing the type of customer service they provide, Bill Carpenter stated, “Everybody here cares about every customer. Whether it is a big or small customer, everyone is treated the same. We work hard to please everyone.”

White’s Farm Equipment is a business in Waynesville that sells new and used farm equipment and a variety of vintage tractor and machine parts. Looking more specifically at their products, they sell Westfield Augers, Big Dog Mowers, Bobcat Mowers, a variety of new and used equipment, Interstate Batteries, KillBro Grain Wagons, TroyBuilt, and Summers tillage and spray equipment.  They also can provide maintenance to automotive, lawn mowers, and farm equipment. Being one of the only local farm equipment providers for Waynesville and other small towns in the area, White’s Farm Equipment is known for having a great connection with it’s customers. Their commitment to a strong relationship with Waynesville and other small towns has been a key factor in the business’ success.

The Quiram-Peasley Funeral Home is in Atlanta, Illinois. This business was owned by the Quiram family starting with Gordon Quiram in the 1940s. His children, John and Jim, continued the family legacy until Don Peasley took over in September 2006. Now, the funeral home has been independently owned and operated by Don Peasley, a funeral director since 1993. Don purchased his first funeral home in Lincoln in 2002, known as the Peasley Funeral Home. His sister, Krystal Peasley Salvator also works as a partner and licensed funeral director. 

The Funks Grove Country Store is a store that offers a wide range of antiques spanning decades. The owners of this store are Judi Braid, who I interviewed for this spotlight, and Rey Jannush. In 2018 the two decided to partner up and run the antique store together. When speaking to Judi she said that they “both love antiques and creating, so that was probably the big draw to do it together.”

Funks Grove Maple Sirup is located in the heart of Central Illinois. This is a rural area of homes, fields, creeks, trees, animals, and plenty of nature. Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup is owned by the Funk family. They have been running this historic business since 1824. 

Tom Ludlam is the owner of the McLean Depot Train Shop and has been for 11 years. After he retired from the army, he had an opportunity where he could use the Depot building for a train shop, something he had “in the back of [his] mind to be an interesting thing to do for many years”, so he took the chance. The Depot is owned by the village, but he runs it and the Train Shop together. He loves being his own boss and working in a hobby he has an interest in.

This week, we would like to spotlight the business of TNT Farms. Taylor Harvey is the owner, and she is a 22-year-old running a personal hobby farm based out of Waynesville. She has three horses, a mini donkey, two goats, and two chickens.

Born from a need for paintball, Pub 52 has had a wild evolution. Explaining this evolution, owner Larry Morgan, took me on a quick tour of the property. We started on the paintball course, where he showed me a couple “Holes” for his next idea: paintball golf. Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like, and it looks just as hard. Next, he took me to the side of his building and pointed out his plans to expand the cement landing for more outdoor space. Larry also quickly told me about other ideas he has tried in the past: miniature golf and batting cages. Shrugging with a bit of a smile, Larry says “Some ideas work out, others don’t”.

Missy’s cupcakes, cookies, and more is a baking business based in Stanford and run by Missy Gaither out of her home. Missy started this business about 10 years ago because of her love of baking. As an entrepreneur she has turned her passion into a business and one of her favorite parts is being her own boss. Not only this but she loves meeting new people through her work. Missy wants to “grow [her] business and someday have a storefront.”

At the corner of N. Main and Fast Ave. sits a pillar of the Mackinaw community - a building in which every resident of Mackinaw has visited, most on a weekly basis. Honestly, it would be tough to overstate the relationship Mackinaw IGA has with the community. If it’s possible for a small-town grocery store to transcend into something much more, Mackinaw IGA has surely reached that status. 

At the edge of Mackinaw sits an interesting piece of central Illinois history. Known as “The Tea Room” today, this old train station was once a stop on a trolley line that existed between Champaign and St. Louis. In 1978, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Despite this designation, The Depot sat empty for 40 years until an experienced business woman with a vision stepped in. Enter: Beth Wiegand.