Area Covid Dashboard for December 6


Active Champaign County Cases:

1534

Net change in the county: 47



Current local cases 12/6/21
Number in parenthesis indicates change over previous report

Ogden • 14 (3)
Royal • 1 (1)
St. Joseph • 102 (-3)
Urbana • 413 (21)
Sidney • 27 (2)
Philo • 41 (4)
Tolono • 76 (4)
Sadorus • 13 (-3)
Pesotum • 13 (0)


Total Active Local Cases:

700

Net change in local cases: 29



Total local Confirmed Cases: 11731
Net Change: 120


The information on this page is compiled from the latest figures provide by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District at the time of publishing. Active cases are the number of confirmed cases reported currently in isolation. Local is defined as cases within the nine communities The Sentinel covers.

Nickle and Dimes Band hosting NYE party in Royal

The Nickel and Dimes Band will be hosting a New Year's Eve party at the Royal Community Building.

Tickets are available online at nickelanddimesband.ticketleap.com/nye. Guests can save $10 per person by ordering theirs by midnight tonight, November 30th. Starting tomorrow ticket prices will increase to $50 per person and can be purchased online or at the door. Guests and couples are encouraged to buy tickets in advance before they are sold out.

Ticket prices include dinner provided by Last Call Catering. Friday night's menu includes fried chicken, pork loin, mashed potatoes, cheesy scalloped potatoes, green beans, corn, salad, and dinner rolls. The meal is scheduled to be served at 6:30pm.

After dinner, the warm-up show features local singer Kolten Taylor from 7:30-9pm with Nickle and Dimes immediately taking the stage to rock the crowd.

New Year's Eve party favors and champagne will be provided to welcome 2022 in style. There will be a cash bar available for guests.

For more information visit the band's Facebook page.

Who's making a difference in your town? Let us know

The Sentinel is searching for regular folks who are making a difference in the lives of others in the communities we cover. Among the 11,000 people among us are angels and we want to share their stories.

We are talking about your friends and neighbors who you know that quietly work small miracles for those around them. They make small ripples that become swells making your community stronger.

The Sentinel wants to find such people, the heroes and heroines, to highlight their acts of kindness and compassion as we approach the holidays. If you know such a person, let The Sentinel know. Email us at editor@oursentinel.com with the person's name and contact info (email or phone number).

Please limit suggestions to people who have strong ties to the six villages we serve. If they grew up here, work here or live here, we want to recognize their efforts in making our lives just a little bit better.

Transitions: Wayne Sage, 81

On Friday September 18, 2020, Wayne L. Sage 81, of Ogden passed away at 1:25 P.M. surrounded by family at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana.

Wayne was born May 26, 1939 in Compromise Township, the son of Fred and Reka (Albers) Sage. He married Roxie Schweineke on October 15, 1961 in Broadlands. She survives.

He is survived by his children: Sandra Lynne (Bill) Whalen of Crane, MO, SueAnn Denise (Jim) Billimack of Metamora, and Kevin Wayne (Lisa) Sage of Ogden; nine grandchildren: Emily (Cody) Scott, Rachel (Caleb) Gibbens, Mitchell (Haley) Billimack, Grant Billimack, Sydney Billimack, Janssen Sage, Jo Hannah Sage, Michael Sage, and Olivia Sage; two brothers: Darold (Millie) Sage of Venice, FL, and Myron Sage of Gifford; one sister: Donna (Carl) Beard of Tavares, FL; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Wayne was a member of St. John Lutheran Church, Royal where he was baptized and confirmed.

His greatest love was his family and spending time with them. He also enjoyed Hereford cattle and attending Hereford cattle shows and events.

He was a member of the American Hereford Association and the Illinois Hereford Association. He was named the Illinois Hereford Man of the Year by the Illinois Hereford Association, received the Illinois Golden Breeder Award, and was honored as the American Junior Hereford Association Advisor of the Year.

Wayne was a lifelong farmer and was named the Champaign County Young Farmer of the Year in 1970. He also worked as a St. Joseph rural mail carrier for many years.

Visitation will be held from Noon to 2:30 P.M. Monday September 21, 2020 at St. John Lutheran Church, Royal. Masks are required during the visitation. Graveside services will be held at 3:00 P.M. Monday at Kopmann Cemetery with Pastor Jay Johnson officiating. Freese Funeral Home 302 E. Grand Ave, St. Joseph is assisting the family with arrangements.

Memorials may be made to the National Hereford Youth Foundation or Kopmann Cemetery Association.

SJO Alumni Assocation Banquet on June 8

This year's Annual SJO Alumni Association Banquet will be held on June 8 at the Community Building in Royal.

The mission of SJOAA is to promote the community and Spartan heritage. In addition to the banquet held each year, the association also holds an alumni meeting and provides scholarships to students.

This year's cocktail hour is set to begin at 5:00pm with a dinner to be served at 6:00p. Dinner is priced at $20.00 per plate.

This year's Honor Class is the Class of 1969 celebrating their 50th. The theme for the gala is "Summer of Love" and appropriate dress - bell bottoms, sandals, love beads, tie-dye attire - is enthusiastically recommended.

Graduates from the Class of 1959 will be also be honored at this year's banquet.

For more information contact Eric Buzzard at 469-2373 or visit the SJO Alumni Association website at www.sjoalumni.org.

Eight area runners finish at Illinois Marathon


St. Joseph's Doug Weaver running in the Illinois Marathon
Doug Weaver, from St. Joseph, runs just past the 3-mile mark during the Illinois Marathon. He conquered the course finishing ninth out 36 runners in his age division. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)


With the looming threat a rain and miserable conditions early on in the race, eight Sentinel area marathoners bravely faced the elements to finish the Illinois Marathon's 26.2 mile course a week ago today.

Alison Jones, from St. Joseph, circumvented the flat terrain, Boston Marathon qualifier course in three hours, thirty minutes and three seconds, just 36 seconds faster than her 2017 time. This year, she placed second out of 53 runners in the women's 40-44 and was the 39th female competitor to finish the race.

Last year, Jones won the women's 40-44 division title and was 32nd overall finisher in the 10K race.

Valaria Rohde running in the 2019 Illinois Marathon
Valaria Rohde, from Royal, finished her Illinois Marathon run just over 5 hours at 5:02:39. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)


Veteran distance runner Mike Tankersley turned in the area's next best time stopping the clock at 3:39:38. Out of 696 men completing the race, the St. Joseph resident was the two hundred and thirty-third male runner to finish and was 21st in the 50-54 year-old group.

Tankersley's finish was an improvement on his 2018 time of 3:44:51 on the same course.

After competing in the half marathon race the past two installments of Champaign-Urbana's largest running event, Doug Weaver, also from St. Joseph, was the next Sentinel area runner to complete the race. Ninth out of 36 marathoners aged 60-64, he finished 364th overall at 3:48.

Also finishing the 26.6 mile course was Royal's Jeff Rohde, who was 781st overall (4:37:58), Mark Shoviak (677th overall, 4:23:44) from St. Joseph, Valeria Rohde (900th, 5:02:39) from Royal, Brian Beck (906th overall, 5:03:22) and Amber Davis, from St. Joseph, rounding out the group at 1052nd overall with a time of 5:55:25.

Transitions: Mervin Aden, 86, passes on

Mervin G. Aden, 86, of Savoy, passed away at 10:28 p.m. Friday, February 1, 2019, at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana.

Visitation services will be held tomorrow from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the church at St. John Lutheran Church in Royal, with the Rev. Emil Blobaum officiating. Mervin will be laid to rest following the visitation at St. John Lutheran Cemetery in Royal.

Mervin was born on August 19, 1932, in St. Joseph, the son of Heye and Margaret (Roelfs) Aden.

He served his country from 1952-1954 in the U.S. Army and did a tour in the Korea. A graduate of the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois, Mervin continued his education to earn a Master Degree from Bradley University.

He married Sonna Lou Wills in 1955. She preceded him in death in 1983.

After 34 years of loyal service he retired from Catepillar in Peoria in 1997.

He was a member of Toastmasters, the Illinois Farm Bureau and First English Lutheran Church in Peoria and also attended St. John Lutheran Church in Champaign. In addition living in Savoy, Mervin made Chillicothe, Ogden and Royal his home during his lifetime.

Mervin was active in farming all of his life and earned a pilot's license. In addition to flying, he enjoyed traveling, golf and read in his spare time.

He is survived by his children, Julie (Adrian Stone) Aden of Sunrise, Florida, and Kevin (Jennifer) Aden of Houston, Texas; three grandchildren, Heather (Chris) Lebow, Abigail (Stan) Henaman and Katie Aden; four great-grandchildren; a sister, Berniece Aden of Champaign; brothers, Ray (Loretta) Aden of St. Joseph and Herb (Nancy) Aden of Newman; and his companion, Ruth Ann Buckles of Champaign.

He was preceded in death by his parents; infant daughter, Jan Ellen Aden; and sister, Irene Osterbur.

Memorials may be made to St. John Lutheran Cemetery Fund and the Paralyzed Disabled Veterans.


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