Sentinel Bulletin Board |November 5, 2025

Saturday, December 13

Holly Jolly Christmas

St. Joseph-Stanton Fire Station - 228 E. Warren, St. Joseph, IL

A pancake breakfast with a special early-season guest appearance from Santa and the Grinch.

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Civic groups, clubs, and organizers — share your flyers with The Sentinel and tap into our audience. If you’ve got a flyer, we’ve got the readers on ousentinel.com to help make your event a success. Submit your announcements to The Sentinel’s bulletin board today. It is a free service and The Sentinel's way of giving back to our community. Send you flyer to editor@oursentinel.com along with background information for your event today!

Area Holiday Event Calendar

Here is our latest list of area holiday events for Champaign, Ogden, Philo, Savoy, Sidney, St. Joseph, Tolono, and Urbana. Bookmark this page if you are looking for fun activities to do or unique places to shop this holiday season. in The Sentinel area. This page will be updated regularly with new events. Is your event not listed below? Send your event information to editor@oursentinel.com.

.::. November 28, 2024

.::. November 30, 2024

.::. December 1, 2024

.::. December 7, 2024

.::. December 8, 2024

.::. December 14, 2024

.::. December 15, 2024

.::. December 19, 2024

Area runners finished in the top spots at the Mountain Goat race

OAKWOOD - One hundred and thirty-nine runners took part in this year's KRR Mountain Goat trail race last Saturday. The 37th installment of the race featured three separate events. Runners could choose to run a 15K (3 loops), 10K (2 loops), or 5K (1 loop) race.

Daniel Chen runs down Washington Ave in Urbana during the 2023 Illinois Half Marathon. Chen finished in 39th place overall at the Mountain Goat 15K race on Saturday, completing the course at 1:40:48.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Justin Jones of St. Joseph won the 15K run, finishing his three laps in 54 minutes and 21 seconds. The win comes on the heels of a third-place overall finish at Siberian Express held in January Kennukuk State Park.

The Mountain Goat is one of 24 races in the East Central Illinois annual race circuit. The next race in the series is the Clinton Trails Ultra on March 30. Organizers will host two events this year for long-distance runners, a 30-miler, which starts at 7 am, and a 10-miler starts at 8 am.

Our list of area finishers is below.

Men 5K ~

1. Rowan Denmark-Collins (Homer) 0:17:54; 2. Isaias Diaz (Hoopeston) 0:19:19; 4. Jace Jones (Saint Joseph) 0:25:41; 6. Greg Denman (Danville) 0:27:41; 7. Walter Smith (Gifford) 0:29:08; 9. Marshall Quick (Rantoul) 0:29:42; 13. Jason Colwell (Champaign) 0:31:47; 16. Zachary Ruhter (Sidney) 0:33:17; 19. Nick Farmer (Champaign) 0:35:35; 23. Jeremy Ruhter (Sidney) 0:37:11; 26. Stephen Johnson (Sadorus) 0:39:25; 27. Richard Roth (Champaign) 0:39:43; 28. Brian Barto (Philo) 0:39:48; 29. Thiago Lopes (Champaign) 0:40:19; 32. Sean O’Callaghan (Oakwood) 0:42:47; 36. Steven Wayne (Champaign) 0:48:09; and 39. Jason Asaad (Catlin) 0:50:30.

Women 5K ~

8. Samantha Smith (Gifford) 0:29:17; 10. Stacy Wells (Tilton) 0:29:50; 15. Deanna Hines (Danville) 0:32:56; 17. Amy Carley (Danville) 0:33:23; 18. Lorri Howes (Bement) 0:34:54; 22. Abilene Ruhter (Sidney) 0:36:54; 24. Amber Plotner (Fairmount) 0:37:47; 25. Sarah Colwell (Champaign) 0:38:11; 30. Kathy Wicks (Homer) 0:41:02; 38. Sue Wantland (Catlin) 0:50:26; and 40. Ramona Rollins (Danville) 1:00:14.

Mens 10K ~

2. Aaron Miller (Champaign) 0:49:28; 4. Tim Shelton (Danville) 0:53:30; 5. Cody Marsh (Catlin) 0:55:22; 10. Robert Ogden (Sidney) 0:58:59; 12. Jay Hoeflinger (Urbana) 1:01:43; 14. Nathan Parsons (Savoy) 1:04:56; 26. Teresa Cronk (Danville) 1:27:51; and 27. Shane Rowe (Danville) 1:27:52.

Womens 10K ~

6. Paula Tankersley (St. Joseph) 0:56:54; 11. Mara Thacker (Urbana) 1:00:26; 15. Jennifer Russell (Mahomet) 1:05:41; 17. Liz Paunicka (Champaign) 1:07:00; 18. Karen Roth (Danville) 1:07:53; 19. MinJee Lee (Savoy) 1:08:19; 21. Kate Fair (Champaign) 1:12:06; and 24. Nancy Boose (Georgetown) 1:19:14.

Mens 15K ~

1. Justin Jones (St. Joseph) 0:54:21; 2. Charles Fogelman (Champaign) 1:02:23; 3. Luke Morrison (Urbana) 1:03:13; 4. Michael Burk (Champaign) 1:06:17; 5. Justin Seno (Champaign) 1:07:53; 7. Ryan Anderson (St. Joseph) 1:11:39; 8. Timothy Merrell (Bismarck) 1:12:24; 9. Michael Tankersley (St. Joseph) 1:12:36; 10. Paul O’Neil (Urbana) 1:16:23; 12. Richard Mann (Urbana) 1:18:26; 15. Scott Olthoff (Savoy) 1:19:34; 16. Mark Dixon (Urbana) 1:20:05; 20. Patrick Carley (Danville) 1:23:04; 25. Brad Giffel (Urbana) 1:29:51; 28. Jim Fair III (Champaign) 1:31:29; 29. Thomas Corda (Anderson) 1:31:58; 31. Nikita Borisov (Urbana) 1:33:14; 33. Joe Grosso (Fisher) 1:34:39; 35. Brock Gale (Danville) 1:38:09; 36. Devin Rittenhouse (Champaign) 1:39:03; 38. Christopher Korose (Urbana) 1:40:05; 39. Daniel Chen (Champaign) 1:40:48; 46. Steve Darling (Oakwood) 1:43:30; 49. Joe Barnes (Mahomet) 1:46:13; and 51. Jarrod Scheunemann (Champaign) 1:46:28.

Womens 15K ~

17. Jennifer White (Danville) 1:20:22; 19. Nicole Olson (St. Joseph) 1:22:33; 22. Brooke DiBello (Sidney) 1:28:37; 23. Brittany Cain (Danville) 1:28:50; 26. Nicole Lake Olmo (Savoy) 1:30:40; 27. Whitney Patel (Savoy) 1:30:40; 30. Megan Parsons (Savoy) 1:32:46; 34. Sarah Lipps (Champaign) 1:37:41; 37. Brenda Straka (Urbana) 1:39:35; 40. Alison Ball (Champaign) 1:41:24; 44. Lynne Hoveln (Sidney) 1:43:21; 45. Tina Holley (Danville) 1:43:30; 48. Amy Bailey (St. Joseph) 1:46:05; 50. Jessie Scheunemann (Champaign) 1:46:27; 52. Giang Lam (Champaign) 1:49:57; 53. Laura Owen (Sadorus) 1:55:06; 54. Leslie Hammersmith (Sadorus) 1:55:07; 55. Rebecca Reck (Urbana) 1:57:39; 56. Adrianne Thompson (Danville) 1:57:49; 57. Debra Studniarz (Champaign) 1:58:05; 58. Haley Speciale (Champaign) 1:58:55; 59. Alyssa Guzman (Champaign) 1:59:01; 60. Nancy McCarty (Champaign) 1:59:35; 61. Ellen Vore (Urbana) 2:00:02; 64. Caroline Tonozzi (Savoy) 2:01:24; and 65. Nikki Campbell (St. Joseph) 2:06:36.

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Registration open for St. Joseph Little League

ST. JOSEPH - Registration for the St. Joseph Little League is now open and closes on January 19. Children ages 4 through 15 and live within the St. Joseph Ogden High School district are eligible to join the league.

Practice sessions are held one or two times a week, depending on the age group and coach for that team, starting in March.

For more information visit the league website or email the league at stjoeybb@gmail.com. Parents can register players here.

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Santa Claus is making an early stop in St. Joseph this Saturday

ST. JOSEPH - St. Joseph-Stanton Fire Family will host a "Holly Jolly Christmas" from 7-10 am at the St. Joseph-Stanton Fire Station on Saturday.

The family-friendly event will have various craft tables, a hot cocoa bar with all the fixings, and a cookie decorations station with cookies from nearby Casey's.

"We add a little more fun each year!" Vickie Reese told The Sentinel yesterday. "This year is the 75th Anniversary of the Fire Department so we are showcasing that achievement on a special tree this year."

Best of all, Santa Claus will stop by at 10 am in his firetruck sleigh to greet all the children and guests. Kids will receive a gift bag after the visit from St. Nick.

"We have some surprises that aren’t on the flyer," Reese said. "After the kids see Santa, they will get a special Firetruck gift bag that has some take-home crafts, reindeer food, and the Santa’s Helper fire helmet.

A Pancake and Sausage breakfast will be served from 7am-9:30am by members of SJS Fire Family. A photographer will also be on hand to take family portraits from 8-9:30 am.

This is the third 3rd year the Fire Family has hosted the Holly Jolly Christmas event. It would have been the fifth, but the Covid pandemic postponed one year and canceled it in another according to Reese. For more information, see the flyer below.

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Holiday movie filmed in St. Joseph released on Friday

Photo: Courtesy YouTube

ST. JOSEPH - Originally called "Fly Swatter Cafe" during production, the movie filmed in St. Joseph in January 2020 was released on YouTube on Friday. A Fargo Christmas Story, starring the late Ed Asner, Cynthia Aileen Strahan, and Richard Riele, is a film based on several short stories from Fargo, North Dakota. Just a few months before most of the world sheltered in place due to the pandemic, Geschenk Coffee House was the location chosen as the cafe featured several times in the one hour and 37-minute presentation.

While the majority of the production was completed in North Dakota, the writer and director, Monticello native Robin Christian Peters, told WCIA in 2020, "We were looking around for places to shoot, looked at 30 cafes, and found one in St. Joe that fit the, you know, the feeling. The charm wasn’t too modern, wasn’t too old."

Released on December 1, the movie can be viewed for free on YouTube or below.

The film also features Sadie Katz, Robert Donavan, and former Associate Chief Administrative Law Judge of the United States Social Security Administration, Paul Lillios.

Known for his iconic roles in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", "Lou Grant", and the movie "Elf", Grant passed away on August 29, 2021, in Los Angeles.

Peters, who is Executive Producer and Director for Dreamscape Cinema, has produced ten films to date, and currently has two other projects in post-production.

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Roch's to host Fine Arts program fundraiser this weekend

ST. JOSEPH - The St. Joseph-Ogden High School Fine Arts is holding a fundraiser this Sunday at Roch's Place in downtown St. Joseph.

Proceeds from the event will be donated to the fine arts program at the high school.

"Bring your family, your requests, and your wallets and let's pack the place for the SJO Fine Arts!" organizers wrote on Facebook.

Logan Allen Music is headlining the three-hour event slated to start at 3 p.m.

Loman-Ray Insurance to add new location in St. Joseph

ST. JOSEPH -- Yesterday, Loman-Ray Insurance Group announced the company will open a new office in St. Joseph. The company, which currently has 12 offices in Illinois, will be located at 104 N. Main in St. Joseph.

An independent insurance company, Loman-Ray was started in 1981 by Lyle Loman and his wife Sue. The husband-wife team, who were also teachers, discovered selling insurance was financially rewarding beyond their expectations and purchased a small property/casualty firm in 1981. The company has expanded to locations in Atwood, Broadlands, Cissna Park, Clifton, Danville, Hoopeston, Tolono, Sullivan, and Villa Grove.

Loman-Ray, which expects to open the St. Joseph office this summer, specializes in auto, home, commercial, group and individual health, and agribusiness insurance coverage.

Fundraiser for future local Olympic figure skater ends next week

ST. JOSEPH -- Catia Schulte, of St. Joseph, has been invited to compete at the 2022 Excel National Festival in Boston. To help cover her expenses to compete at this national ice-skating event, she is doing a Laundry/dish soap fundraiser.

If you would like to help out, you will need to place your orders by Tuesday, February 1. Follow this link to view the available products.

Catia fell in love with figure skating at an early age. Now she has the opportunity to compete against some of the best skaters in her age group from around the country.

"I enjoy how this sport combines the physical challenges - jumping and spinning on the ice - with the grace and beauty of the choreography while skating to music. I really like competing," she said. "From the moment I first stepped on the ice, I felt that this is what I am supposed to be doing."

She added: "My dream is to make it to the Olympics, or even to the US Championship! I love the feeling of putting on my skates and skating my routine."

Catia working hard toward competing at the highest level.

"She stepped on the ice for the first time in January 2019 and received first place in her first competition that summer," said her mother, Carrie Gillespie-Schulte. "Catia is training in preparation of rigorous USFS Moves in the Field and Freeskating tests. Passing these tests gives her the opportunity to participate in qualifying competitions that give her the chance to participate in the events we hear more about: US Championships, World Championships, Olympics, etc." "

The Excel Series competitions bring together skaters of all ages the opportunity to get the feel of a nationwide competition while they improve their technical ability and skills on the ice. Catia's trip to Boston will bring her one step closer to becoming yet another Olympic athlete from St. Joseph.

Time is running out to help. For more information or to place an order to help send Catia to the Excel Series message Carrie Gillespie-Schulte on Facebook.

St. Joseph Futbol Club sets registration dates for spring soccer program

Registration for the St. Joseph Futbol Club and the upcoming spring youth soccer season starts on Tuesday, February 1. Kids in grades from kindergarten thru 8th grade may sign up until February 25. Parents will not be able to register their athletes after that day.

The match season is slated to kick off the weekend of April 9 and will run through May 21. There will be no games during the Easter weekend April 15-17. Players must be at least 5 years old by opening day order to participate.

The registration fee for Kindergarten age players is $55, $60 for grades 1 through 4, and $65 for 5th through 8th-grade athletes.

Matches and practice times have not been set. Times and dates for both will be announced for each team by coaches.

The St. Joseph program is also seeking volunteer coaches.

For more information, contact the club administrators at sjfcspartans@gmail.com.

GoFundMe campaign established for St. Joseph veteran who lost home to fire

ST. JOSEPH - Chris Wright lost his home, all of his belongings, and his trusted companion, his dog Bo, to a fire that started in his home sometime around 11pm on New Year's Eve.

The St. Joseph-Stanton Fire Protection District responded to the call and extinguished the blaze around 3am on Saturday.

Wright's neighbor, Kristin Jones, created a GoFundMe campaign to help him recover after the fire.

"The firemen and women tried and did their best to put the fire out is quickly, efficiently, and tried to save everything including his dog, she wrote in the campaign message. "I’m here to ask, that while he continues to work, we raise money to help him in whatever he needs to get through this extremely hard time."

Anyone willing to make a contribution to help the army veteran who served both in Iraq and Afganistan can do so here - GoFundMe for Chris.

"Such a devastating loss for my brother," wrote his sister Kaleigh Clark on Facebook. "He lost his dog, who was his best friend, as well as his house, and all of his belongings in this fire."

Small fish swimming with the sharks, SJO grad finding success in real estate business

by Clark Brooks, The Sentinel

NASHVILLE, TN - 2016 St. Joseph-Ogden graduate Jake Pence hasn't let the pandemic slow him or entrepreneurial pursuits down. The real estate business he founded two years ago is now based in Music City. Kaski, formerly known as Blue Chip Real Estate, is a real estate investment firm "focused on luxury short-term rentals in Nashville and value-add multifamily properties in Central Illinois and Middle Tennessee."

This is a short-term rental in Nashville that Pence purchased and has since renovated. See more photos on his Instagram page where he describes his acquisitions experience. Photo courtesy Jake Pence

Pence's fledgling business has grown from managing four units valued at $250K to 83 worth $7.5 million. He also raised $2.15 million in equity from 23 investors who believe in his vision.

After graduating from the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois in 2019, Pence had a choice to join the corporate world or hop on the sometimes turbulent, unpredictable path of entrepreneurship. He chose the latter.

The first year-and-a-half was a little rocky, but Pence made some strategic moves that have paid off.

"For the first year & a half, it seemed like I had placed a bad bet," Pence wrote in a Facebook post. "However, thanks to the help of numerous people, especially Jared Blaudow, Kendra Pence, & Todd Pence, Kaski finally started to gain traction in the summer of 2021 & was able to close out the year strong."

He also found time and the opportunity to start a new subsidiary business called Stay Music City. The operation is a short-term stay property management company offering luxury single-family homes to an estimated 16.2 million visitors a year to not only the home of country music but also fans looking for a place to stay attending collegiate and professional sporting events, conferences or work-related trips.

Kaski is also set to close on a deal for two apartment complexes this quarter that will more than double the number of residences in their rental portfolio.

"We're still a very small fish in a very large pond, but I'm excited to see what we can accomplish in 2022 & beyond," he said, who earned varsity letters in three sports at SJO.

When asked what advice he would give aspiring entrepreneurs and real estate developers, he offered sound advice.

"Be impatient with action, yet patient with results," he said. "Don’t take yourself too seriously or get too caught up in the highs and lows, just take consistent action over a long time period and you will start to see results."

St. Joseph library to host books sale starting January 3

St. Joseph -- Next Monday, the St. Joseph Township-Swearingen Memorial Library, located at 201 N. Third in St. Joseph, will host their Winter Used Book Sale through January 27.

Buyers can choose from a variety of titles from adult fiction, non-fiction, mysteries, and science fiction to fantasy, horror, romance novels, adventure, cookbooks, and more. There will also be a selection of children’s fiction, non-fiction, and picture books available. A limited supply of DVDs, videos, music CDs, audiobooks, and large-print books will also be included in the sale.

The sale will run during normal library hours, which are: Mondays 1p to 8p; Tuesdays 9a to 6p; Wednesdays 1p to 6p; Thursdays 9a to 6p; Fridays 9a to 5 p; and Saturdays 9a to 1p.

For more information call (217) 469-2159.

Let the holiday festivities begin! Winter Wassail this Saturday in St. Joseph

St. Joseph - St. Joseph Church of Christ will host their second Winter Wassail on Saturday. Sherman Street in St. Joseph is transformed into a Christmas wonderland where visitors and guests can enjoy fresh wassail - a drink made from hot mulled cider and spices, caroling, storytelling in more.

Wassiling is an ancient English Yuletide drinking ritual and tradition from Great Britain. It has its roots in a pagan custom where merrymakers would visit orchards to sing to the trees and spirits to ensure a bountiful yield during the next harvest. Revelers would visit local orchards and fruit trees to sing and make a hullabaloo (loud noises often by banging pots and pans). After their celebration, they would be rewarded with some form of warm, spiced alcoholic beverage from a communal wassail bowl or cup by the property owner.

Saturday's wassail will also include a holiday lighting display, a Christmas tree competition, Santa, and of course, plenty of wassail.

Admission to the outdoor event is limited to one hour for each guest and advance reservations are required. There will be no indoor activities so organizers recommend dressing appropriately.

For more information, contact the SJCOC via email at https://sjcocil.ticketleap.com/sjcoc-winter-wassail/contact/ or by phone at (217) 469-2207.

Philo Exchange Bank to open new bank in St. Joseph

PHILO -- The Philo Exchange Bank announced this morning its plan to open a new bank facility in St. Joseph. The new location at 109 N. Main Street is tentatively scheduled to open on December 1, 2021.

The bank will be located across the street from the Busey Bank branch office which will cease operations almost two weeks earlier on November 19.

In addition to bank teller operations, the branch will also have an in-house loan department overseen by Royal native Les Hoveln. Formerly with Gifford State Bank for the past 16 years, he will serve as Executive Vice President and Senior Lender. Hoveln, who transitioned to the new position on August 3, has more than 35 years of financial lending expertise.

According to today's press release, the Main Street location "will serve as a temporary facility for the bank as it establishes a permanent location in the next 12 to 24 months."

"We are excited for this opportunity to expand our bank footprint to the St. Joseph area," Hoveln said. "We look forward to providing the community with a banking partner that can assist in all banking needs while providing friendly customer service that has served six generations of customers."

Opening its doors back in 1883, Philo Exchange Bank has grown to operate three existing locations in Philo, Allerton, and Broadlands.

SJO recognizes the voice of Spartan sports, Keith Sjuts inducted into Hall of Fame

St. Joseph-Ogden school district superintendent Brian Brooks presents Spartan alumn Keith Sjuts with a Hall of Fame plaque during a halftime ceremony at Friday's home football game against Central Catholic. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Keith Sjuts was one of four individuals inducted into the St. Joseph-Ogden Athletic Hall of Fame at Friday's Homecoming game Bloomington Central Catholic. He joins Kelly Duitsman Hunt, Dick Duval, and Stan Harper among the Class of 2021 inductees.

A lifelong member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Flatville, Sjuts was the voice of SJO football and basketball for more than 20 seasons. He wore the Spartan basketball uniform all four years of his prep career and earned first-team recognition for both all-conference and all-area teams his senior year at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

Learn more about his athletic career and success after high school in his bio below.

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Biography

Keith Sjuts is a 1977 graduate of St. Joseph-Ogden High School. In high school, Keith played baseball for one year and ran track for one year. He played basketball all four years of his high school career. Keith was selected to the 1st Team All Area and 1st Team All Conference teams his senior year.

After high school, Keith became Branch Manager of Safety Clean, as well as a member of Corporate National Blitz Team for Safety Clean. He was a Co-Owner of TK Wendl’s. In 1994, he started working at Zep, Inc. and was the National Rookie of the Year. He was also the National Account Manager and Sales Trainer of Zep Inc. Besides work, he was able to have some fun and continue his athletic career by playing on the Regional Traveling Softball Team with his brother Mark and brother-in-law Wally.

Keith was the voice of the Spartans for over 20 years, serving as the announcer for both the football and boys basketball teams. One of his favorite memories was announcing the only state semi final football game hosted at SJO against Williamsville. He also always enjoyed the rivalry games between SJO and Unity.

Keith has been a lifelong member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Flatville where he has held several positions on the council, including President of the church council. Keith takes great pride in being a part of the St. Joseph-Ogden community his entire life.

He wants to thank his team of people who have surrounded him to help him earn this great accomplishment, especially his most valuable team member, Roger Koss.

Keith’s greatest joys are his son Ryan, daughter Rylee and granddaughter Charlie.

* Biography provided courtesy of St. Joseph-Ogden High School

New optometry location in St. Joseph hosts open house next week

Chittick Eye Care will host a Grand Opening at its new St. Joseph location on Friday, October 8 from 11a until 2p.

Located at 226 East Lincoln, the office will offer quality optometry services to area residents including eye exams and medical treatment for eye problems. Chittick Eye Care operates eight other offices in downstate Illinois and plans to open its tenth unit in Arcola in 2022. Opening in 1959, sister operations can be founds in Danville, Hoopeston, Watseka, Rantoul, Savoy, Villa Grove, Paris and Lincoln.

Doctors Jim Lohrberg and George Rix will use state-of-the-art technology to serve area patients and also focus on building long-term relationships with patients to support their overall eye health. Lohrberg, an optometrist who has practiced for more than twenty years in Danville and Springfield, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. Rix, who graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 2010, is a native Illinoisian and joined Chittick Eye Care in 2018.

"Our goal is to provide small communities with a hometown eye doctor," says Dr. Shawn Mallady, Owner of Chittick Eye Care, in a release announcing the upcoming event. "We are thrilled to bring top-notch personnel, high-tech services, and world-class fashion to all the towns we serve - which now includes St. Joe."

Visitors who stop in to see the new business in downtown St. Joseph can register to win a TaoTao scooter as well as prizes from other local merchants. There will be a live radio broadcast during the event and the first 75 attendees will receive a boxed lunch from SCRATCH. For more information, call 217-442-2631 or visit their website at www.chittickeyecare.com.

Village of St. Joseph board meeting agenda this Tuesday set

The St. Joseph village board meeting will be held this Tuesday at the Municipal Building at 7pm.

After the motion to approve minutes from April 13 and pay Village bills, trustees will consider approving six items on the April 27 agenda.

The following items are up for discussion and approval:

• A MFT Resolution for Maintenance
• Approval a contract with Jamaica Fireworks
• Approval of the bid for directional boring for the streetlights conduit
• A motion an ordinance and policy prohibiting Sexual Harassment
• Review and approval a resolution and the employee manual with a drug and alcohol policy
• Approval of a resolution accepting the low bid for drainage improvement at Meadow Circle

The board will also hear a report from the Finance, Personnel, & Economic Development Department on the current budget and filling the newly created Village Administrator position.

Members of the community are welcome to express their input. If you plan to attend the meeting, only the side door which enters directly into the Village Board room will be open. The rest of the building will not be accessible during the meeting. Guests are required to observe social distancing guidelines. If you have something that you want to bring up at the Village Board Meeting but do not want to attend in person, you may email the information to tasmetzer@gmail.com. Please include your full name, phone number, and address in the email.

Members of the community may address the Board/Committee by completing the information requested on the Attendance/Oath Sheet prior to the start of the meeting. After state their name and address for the record, speakers will have the floor for a maximum of five minutes to address the board.

19 earn spots on ISU Dean's List

College students from four of our area villages completed the fall 2020 semester with outstanding grades points at Illinois State University. The students below who earned Dean's List honors were required to take 12 or more undergraduate graded hours during the semester.

Students whose grade point average placed them among the top ten percent of those majoring within their college from area include:

Philo:
Shelby Hatchel

St. Joseph:
Elena Cotter
Joshua Sexton
Tyler Haake
Makenzie Pence
Sydney Kelso
Kalli Ingram
Abigail Izard

Sidney:
Nathan Shotton

Tolono:
Elizabeth Hughes
Briley Ackerman
Nicole Bagwell
Elijah Miller
Gabrielle Moore
Brianna Woodworth
Briley Smith
Keaton Eckstein
Noah Marvin
Logan Flesch

*Students who chose to restrict access to Illinois State University directory information will not appear on this list.

Village Crier: March 30, 2021

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Killer in St. Joseph double murder convicted

A jury of six men and six women took just two hours on Thursday, March 11, to reach a mutual agreement that Jonathon Perry, 30, murdered his girlfriend, Kimberly Coyne, 54, and her daughter, Blair Coyne, 24, in their home on the north side of St. Joseph a year ago this past weekend.

Perry was quickly arrested after the incident after Champaign County sheriff’s deputies were informed of statements he made to a family member consistent with the crime. During trial, prosecutors for the state noted that Perry had said he had killed the "Antichrist and Satan" when he was taken into custody last year at 4am on Sunday, March 29.

Three months after his arrest, a court-appointed psychiatrist examined Perry and declared him fit for trial.

Found guilty of first degree murder of both women, Judge Randy Rosenbaum is left no leeway to hand down nothing other than a life sentence during the sentencing phase on April 22.

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St. Thomas trivia night on April 9

St. Thomas Catholic School in Philo will host a Virtual Trivia night from 6-10pm on April 9.

There will also be a 50/50 raffle during the online ZOOM event. Each table package will include a Dead or Alive game sheet and one Mulligan to use for each trivia round. Reservations for tables are being accepted now.

"We are continually adding to our silent auction items, so make sure to check back often to see what has been added," it says on the event page. "Silent auction bidding will be open from 6 pm - 10 pm on Trivia Night".

For more information contact the event organizers at tcain@stthomasphilo.org

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Franzen to take middle school reigns

The St. Joseph Consolidated Community School Board voted to hire Alisyn Franzen as the new principal at the St. Joseph Middle School starting this fall. Franzen, who will take over the position with the retirement of Chris Graham, currently teaches English at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

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Nursery to host spring open house

Schuren Garden Center, located at 1709 County Rd. 2200E, St. Joseph, will host their annual spring open house on Saturday, April 10.

The open house will start at 8:30am and run through 5:30pm. In addition to door prizes and refreshments, shoppers will be able to save 20% off their entire purchase. The business will hold purchases until Mother's Day if needed.

Visit their website or call (217) 469-7962.