Monday night was the last meeting for the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce Chillifest Committee, before the 2019 event kicks off this Saturday morning on the square.

Long-time Chillifest chairperson Greg Hornbuckle told Regional Radio News after the meeting, that moving the stages, bleachers, and hundreds of chairs to the square, begins on Friday morning.

And, Hornbuckle said the Monday night meeting went very well.

Find out about this weekend's Greater Taylorville Chamber Chillifest at the event web site, chillifest-dot-info, that's chillifest with 2-L's.

And, this reminder that all 6 Miller Media Group radio stations, will broadcast live from the Taylorville square both days.

It is almost time the countdown can officially begin as we have officially entered Chillifest week with the festivities awaiting us this weekend.

President of the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce Sarah Van Huss is plenty excited for the annual Chillifest Event. With so much going on those that weekend Van Huss is wanting to check out as much as she can.

CEO of the Chamber Patty Hornbuckle is excited for all the pageant entries they received saying that they have a pretty full list of contestants.

Van Huss says there is also plenty of fun scheduled for Sunday and encourages you to come on out and enjoy a great time with some great people and lets not forget the great chili.

Hornbuckle and Van Huss appeared as guests on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

With Breast Cancer Awareness Month coming up HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital Manager of Health Information Laurie Hayden talked about the origin of the Vicky Wagner Assistance Fund.

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Hayden explained some of the benefits the Vicky Wagner Fund provides for the patients.

Hayden appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show at our Shelbyville Station.

Letting your elders go to a Senior Living center can be difficult for most people. The Villas of Holly Brook in Shelbyville want you to know how great of a place they can offer. Erica Lynn talked about some of the services they provide.

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Also a popular picture spot Lynn explains how much the residents enjoy it when high school students come and take their Homecoming pictures at the center.

Lynn appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show at our Shelbyville Station.

The Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park is looking for some volunteers to remove bush honeysuckle and provide general park maintenance. The Park is hosting a restoration workday on October 5th from 8:30-11 AM. Volunteers are asked to wear gloves. Judy Parrish, who is a professor of biology at Millikin University, says the park is suffering from this bush honeysuckle. 

Parrish says she is happy for the support and volunteers that have helped so much already this season. The park has been working hard to restore and bring people back.

Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park is located 10 miles straight west of Decatur. Take Route 36 to Lincoln Trial memorial Parkway and go south four miles with the park on the east side of the road. For more information contact Judy Parrish at jparrish@millikin.edu

Men, women, and children flocked to the streets of Taylorville to walk, run, or jog for a good cause. Taylorville Memorial Hospital Auxiliary hosted their 11th annual 5K on Saturday, September 21st. The Auxiliary encourages the community to live an active and healthy lifestyle and promotes the health of the people and community it serves. This year’s proceeds went towards medical technologies for purchasing new lab equipment. The top overall male was Blake Davis. For the separate age group winners, ages 11-19 was Jacob Kilduff, ages 30-39 was Wyatt Hohenstein, ages 40-49 Scott McClure and ages 60 and up were Denny Wuehler. For the women, the top overall female was Heather Whetsell and ages 11-19 was Melanie Kilduff, ages 30-39 was Kacie Christian, ages 40-49 was Abbey Corso, ages 50-59 was Marjorie Beck, and ages 60 and up was Debbie Seaton. We utilized a race event company again this year. TMH Auxiliary liaison Debbie Johnson was happy about this year’s event. “One of the great things they offered were timing chips so runners and walkers would get fast and accurate result times.”

The Christian County State’s Attorney is running for reelection. Mike Havera announced that he will be running for reelection next year. Havera, who has been the State Attorney for the last 7 years is happy for the accomplishments that his department has done in his time in office, but knows there’s a lot more that can be done.

Havera says he is proud of his track record when it comes to the tough cases.

Havera says that he and his office still have a lot of work to do and hope to accomplish more if reelected.

The State's Attorney’s Office is the chief law enforcement officer in and for the county and also serves as chief legal advisor for the county.

A Moultrie County crash claimed the lives of both a driver and a Sullivan Elementary Student Friday afternoon. The crash involved a school bus and a 2014 maroon Ford Escape at 3:39 PM. The crash occurred in the area of County Road 800 N and IL-32, just south of Sullivan.  The driver of the Escape was also killed in the crash. Illinois State Police along with the Moultrie Sheriff’s Office responded to the accident. State Police say that the Escape was eastbound at the intersection of IL-32 and County Road 800 N and was stopped at the CR 800 stop sign. The vehicle then moved into the intersection where the bus t-boned the Escape. Sullivan CUSD No. 300 released a statement on their Facebook Page.

“This afternoon, a Sullivan school bus transporting eleven students was involved in an accident. It is with deep sorrow that we are reaching out to let our school family know that a Sullivan Elementary Student lost their life as a result of this tragedy.

 

As soon as the school was notified, the administrative team and school social worker went to the scene to provide support, ensure immediate notification to families, and assist with family reunification.

 

On Monday, support and counseling services will be provided to students in all three buildings. We will share additional counseling details as plans are finalized.

 

Please keep this family and our entire school community in your thoughts and prayers.”

No names have been released as of this time. Stay tuned to Regional Radio News for more updates as they become available.

The Illinois State Police, Division of Internal Investigations, and the Illinois Department of Corrections arrested Michael S. Williams 49 years of age of Auburn for 26 counts of Custodial Sexual Conduct on Wednesday. Williams, who was a food manager at the Illinois Department of Corrections, had been under investigation since April 3rd. The Macon County State’s Attorney’s Office approved the charges and Williams was arrested at the Decatur Correctional facility by the ISP Division of Internal Investigations on the charges. Williams is currently being held at the Macon County Jail.  His bond was set at $200,000.

Any customers that are using Montgomery County Water Company water are in a boil order effective September 27th. If you need to consume water please boil it at a rolling boil for 5 minutes. Montgomery County Water Company is also flushing the system today which may cause lower water pressure within the system. Any questions, please contact customer service representative Kay Ochs at 217-925-5566.

4H has had an impact on many young ones lives. Their goal as an organization is to help the youth reach their full potential.

Sara Marten is the 4H Youth Development Educator with the Christian County U of I Extension Office. She says they have a workshop coming up in the middle of October that will put a smile on the faces of some college students.

Marten shares where this idea came from saying that essentially they want 4H participants who graduate to realize that they have not been forgotten.

Marten appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Crimestoppers has announced the crime of the week. Crimestoppers is seeking information in regards to criminal damage in Taylorville.

Sometime during the overnight hours between Tuesday, September 24th and the morning of Wednesday, September 25th, persons unknown spray-painted several buildings in Taylorville.  Buildings on Glenda Lane, Pauline Street, and in the Valley View Trailer Court were spray-painted. The total dollar amount of damage is unknown at this time. 

Please contact Crimestoppers if you have any information on this crime or any other crimes or wanted persons. Crimestoppers will pay cash rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest and you do not have to give your name. Crimestoppers will pay double the normal reward for information that leads to an arrest for the crime of the week.

Contact Crimestoppers at 824-9100, or contact them through their website at christiancountycrimestoppers.org, or by texting CRIMES (274637) and then your tip. As always all information remains anonymous.

C.E.F.S. wants to remind you that the Medicare Open Enrollment Period is fast approaching.  Enrollment is open from October 15 through December 7th and allows beneficiaries to evaluate their current plan, compare, and switch plans if need be. 

For this year, changes have been made for how a person can compare and enroll in their Part D Medicare Plans. In order to receive the most up to date information, you must have a mymedicare.gov account. If you don’t have an account, it could increase the time it takes to complete the process.

C.E.F.S. is here to help.  They have counselors located in Clay, Effingham, Fayette, Christian, and Montgomery Counties who are available to assist navigating the website, answer questions, and set up accounts. 

For more information or to find a counselor call 217-342-2193, extension 135.

All good things must come to an end and the season for the 2019 Christian County Farmers Market is no different.

This Saturday is shaping up to be your last opportunity to come out to the market this season. Ed Downs is the Co-President of the Farmers Market, he wants to thank everyone for a great season.

Downs says the reason for the season ending this weekend is due to after Chillifest on the 5th and 6th they simply will not have the crops available for purchase.

When looking ahead towards next season Downs expects it to open sometime in the spring, he wishes he could give a more exact date but the weather will play a huge factor.

Downs encourages anyone who is interested to stop by and see them on the Taylorville Square this Saturday from 9 to noon for the last Farmers Market.

A 16-year Christian County coroner is running for reelection again. Amy Calvert-Winans, the Christian County Coroner, informed Regional Radio News that she will be running for reelection in 2020. She says one of the big reasons that she is running again is due to her love of helping families and that she still feels she has a lot to give to the community.

Winans is happy for how much the Coroners office has been working with the schools.

Winans says if she is reelected she’s looking at bringing more awareness to mental health conditions.

Winans says the biggest change for her since she took over is just how immediate social media is. She says it’s been a hindrance to the Coroner’s office, and her department is working hard to figure out ways to deal with social media issues.  

A new free standing health clinic will be opening in Taylorville. Dr. Janet Albers from the SIU Medical Clinic will be opening a clinic next to the Kroger on Bidwell Street on October 14th. Albers has been operating out of Taylorville Memorial Hospital but she’s excited to be opening her own clinic to offer family care and behavioral services.

Albers says patient care is number one in her book, and being able to offer care here in Taylorville without having patients have to travel is how Dr. Albers feels care should be.

Dr. Albers is looking forward to seeing patients full time at the new clinic. The location will be at 303 Bidwell Street.

The Big 870 AM and 96.1 FM Newstalk WTIM and People’s Bank and Trust in Taylorville have announced their Taylorville High School students of the month for September. The program recognizes one outstanding THS student from each of the four classes each month.

The Big 870 AM and 96.1 FM Newstalk WTIM and People's Bank students of the month for September are Senior Ida Syvertsen, Junior Chase Spinner, Sophomore Zane Neville, Freshman Audrianna Lyons. People's Bank and Trust Representative Lindsay Lopian was on hand to help with the ceremony.

 L - R:  People's Bank and Trust Representative Lindsay Lopian; Freshman Kailynn Ray; Sophomore Luke Markwell; Junior Kyle Cearlock; Senior Molly Smith   Photo submitted by Judi McDowell-Humphrey 

Sami Anderson has a special announcement that she wants the public to know. Look for her on the ballot in March of 2020 as she will be running to be Circuit Judge as Judge Richie is retiring. Anderson is looking forward to potentially representing Central Illinois as Judge Anderson.

Anderson appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from the Moultrie County Senior Citizens Center. 

Laurrie Minor of the Sullivan Chamber of Commerce discussed how a Peace Corps Worker was acquired through a helpful program.

Minor loves having the helping hand and realizes the huge difference that working with the Peace Corps has had on the Chamber as an organization. She explains some of the duties that her new coworker has.

Minor appeared as a guest on the NewstalkWTIM Morning Show live from the Moultrie County Senior Citizens Center in Sullivan.

The Village of Moweaqua has tentative approval for a loan from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. The loan will be used to help Moweaqua paint water storage tanks and construct water mains. Two water storage tanks will be painted and approximately 1,728 feet of 6-inch diameter PVC water main, valves, fittings, and service lines will be restored. The water main work will take place along Hanover Street between South and East Main and along Wall Street between Macon and Putman Street.   Chris Nifong, project manager for the Infrastructure Financial Assistance Section explains the process.

The Village of Moweaqua plans to improve water distribution every five years by replacing sections of water mains. The customers in these areas have experienced breaks and repairs and the new water main will be constructed within the street right-of-way and improve water system pressure and flow and ensure that residents are not being served by lead service lines. The projected cost is estimated at $813,000. 

Lake Land College is offering a 50-hour pharmacy technician course on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning October 8th from 6 until 9:30 PM. The course will help and prepare students to work as a pharmacy technician in a retail or other pharmacy settings.  Bonnie Moore, Director to the Center for Business and Industry.

Moore says pharmacy techs are needed now more than ever. She explains a little more about the class and why it’s so important.

For more information contact Jackie Wake at 217-234-5087.  To register for the course go to lakelandcollege.edu/learn.

Congressman Rodney Davis will be visiting Taylorville. The Congressman will be at Taylorville Public Library on October 8th for open office hours from 2-3:30 PM. Congressman Davis says that if you need assistance, have policy issues you would like to discuss, or even just want to say hi, just stop on by. Meetings will be on a first-come, first-served basis and no appointments are necessary. Due to space, meetings will be limited to no more than five people at a time. Each meeting will have up to 10 minutes to discuss topics. For any questions contact Congressman Davis’ Taylorville office at 217-824-5117. The Taylorville Public Library is located at 121 West Vine Street. Davis will also be at the Monticello Municipal Building on October 7th from 1:30- 3 PM, in Clinton at Clinton City Hall on October 9th from 10:30 AM until Noon and in Hardin on October 10th from 11- 12:30 PM.

Lake Land College Dental Hygiene Program is offering free dental cleanings.  The program is offering these cleanings for all ages; children, adolescents, and adults from September 30th to October 11th.  Hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 1 until 5 PM and on Wednesdays from 12-8 PM. The Dental Hygiene Lab is located in the Northwest Building room 116 on the Lake Land College Campus at 5001 Lake Land Boulevard in Mattoon.  Call 217-234-5249 to set up an appointment.

The Pana Police Department is investigating comments about a possible school shooting threat at Pana High School.  On Monday at 12:22 PM Pana Police Department was contacted by Pana High School requesting an officer respond reference concerning comments made by a male juvenile student possibly bringing a shotgun to school to carry out a shooting. The comments were heard by students who reported the information to school officials where law enforcement was notified.

Pana Officers responded and a 16 year old male student was taken into custody for further investigation.  During the investigation, officers discovered multiple statements and comments made by the juvenile allegedly contemplating obtaining a gun and threatening to shoot another student while mentioning a school shooting. Thanks to assistance by the Christian County State Attorney’s Office, the 16 year old juvenile was detained on disorderly conduct and transported to Madison County Juvenile Detention Center to await a juvenile court hearing.

There has been no evidence, at least right now, that suggests that the student planned, researched, or sought after additional resources to carry out any type of violent act against any student or school. The case is still under investigation.

In Pana Police Chief Daniel Bland’s press release, Chief Bland stressed the importance of immediately reporting all suspicious concerning and threatening conversations and behaviors to the appropriate officials. Obtaining this information gives law enforcement an opportunity to prevent serious incidents from occurring if something is being planned. Chief Bland continues to appreciate the close relationship between the Pana Police and Pana School District.  Stay tuned to Regional Radio News for more updates if they become available.

Public Affairs Specialist Jack Myers from the Social Security Administration discussed how your earnings record involves your financial history and your financial future and why we as citizens need to stay up to date with these.

Myers explains it is very important to know the difference between social security and medicare. He also talked about what types of medicare you can get.

Scamming has become a huge issue involving individuals claiming to be from Social Security. Myers explains what to look out for to avoid these calls.

Myers appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Another week and another Trump allegation this one revolves around him calling the newly elected President of Ukraine and discussing Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden. 

Jim Bohannon, host of the Jim Bohannon show airing weeknights on Newstalk WTIM at 9, says that the most intriguing part of this story is all that we do not know.

Bohannon sees a lot of the Democrats attempts to get Trump out of office seem to be turning into the boy who cried wolf, but he does not see them slowing down anytime soon.

Bohannon appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Whether you are a business or just your own entity, the idea of money that belongs to you may seem too good to be true. That idea may not be as far fetched as you think. State Treasurer Michael Frerichs says that a lot of people have money that belongs to them that you may not even realize and it’s through the unclaimed property system.

To find money go to illinoistreasurer.gov click on the icash link under unclaimed property. Frerichs says if there isn’t something for you, maybe there is something for your family members. The unclaimed property division puts a smile on Frerich’s face.

Frerichs says 1 out of every 4 people who check the website find something for them.

A Taylorville man who's long been involved in International Chilli Society competition nationwide, and has chaired the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce Chillifest I-C-S cookoffs for many years, was a winner in one of the World Championship I-C-S cookoffs recently in Akeny, Iowa.

Tom Calvert won the Chilli Verde World Championship, beating 68 other contestants.  Calvert said many of the other chilli category winners in I-C-S World Championship judging, were chilli cooks that have cooked at the Taylorville I-C-S cookoffs.

Calvert won the right to cook at the World Championship, entering a chilli cookoff in Baton Rouge, Louisana.  Calvert told us how he won.

Calvert will again be chairing the 2 International Chilli Society cookoffs during the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce Chillifest October 5th and 6th on the Taylorville square.

The Taylorville School Board held a special meeting on Tuesday evening to approve the budget and get some closure on the Stonington Building. After Stephen Turner announced that Stonington had approved the sale, the Taylorville School Board unanimously voted in favor of accepting the resolution. Turner looks forward to completing this.

Turner says with this resolution, there will still be a little help with things, but Taylorville School District is pretty much hands off at this point.

The School Board also approved the budget for the 2020 Fiscal year. Turner is happy that it’s taken care of and says the school is in good shape.

The next full School Board meeting will be held on October 14th.

It was the end of an era for both Kiwanis officers and the location the Taylorville Kiwanis Club has met in for over 26 years, when the club held its annual officer installation luncheon Tuesday at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.

It was the last meeting at the T-M-H auditorium, as the club will begin meeting at the Taylorville Moose Lodge starting next Tuesday.  The T-M-H auditorium will be coming down as part of the hospital's building project, early next year.

Kiwanis District Governor Charles Smith installed the new officers, assisted by former Kiwanis International President Paul Palazzolo.  The new Kiwanis Club local president is Sarah Van Huss, and president-elect is Adam Jeffrey.  Martin Vota continues to serve as club secretary, and Judy Prasun continues to serve as club treasurer.

It was also the last meeting to be presided over by outgoing Taylorville Kiwanis Club president Michael Evanchak, who told the gathering that serving in that position has been a great experience.

Evanchak also awarded the "Kiwanian of the Year" award to Kiwanis member Martin Vota for his tireless efforts for both the local club and the Illinois-Iowa Kiwanis District.   Vota told the club his commitment is about the children and the community.

Taylorville Kiwanis Club members are again reminded that weekly meetings starting next Tuesday, will be held at the Taylorville Moose Lodge.

For more information on the club, go on-line to taylorvillekiwanis-dot-com.

A Kincaid man plead guilty today and will serve 9 years in prison for sexual assault of a teenager. Christopher J. Wessling plead guilty to 2 charges of criminal sexual assault of a victim between the ages of 13-17. According to Assistant States Attorney General Robert Alfred Hollinshead, the victim was a male who had been sexually assaulted for a period of time between August of 2016 and May of 2017. The incidents occurred at Kemmerer Village in Assumption. Originally Wessling had 11 different charges included. 9 of them were dropped as part of the plea deal. In the two charges that he plead guilty to include 5 years and 4 years consecutive with 3 years to life for parole. He already has served 351 days. According to Judge Christopher Matoush, Wessling will only serve 6 ½- 7 years if he is good out of the 9-year sentence. He will also have to register as a sex offender, give a DNA sample, pay fines, fees, and take a sexual assault assessment. He was remanded to Christian County Jail pending transportation to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The St. Louis Dairy Council is raising awareness this month for childhood obesity as September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.

Registered Dietitian with the St. Louis Dairy Council Jill Williams says an alarming number of kids are dealing with obesity.

Williams knows that a lot of different things play a factor on obesity, including not learning the proper foods to eat at a young age.

One food that Williams knows that kids are not getting at a young age are diary products it helps build strong bones and helps reduce body fat.

Williams appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

With school back in session, Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs wants you to know that Illinois has great programs geared to help you save for your kids' college funds. The programs are called Brightstart and Brightdirections.

Frerichs says too many college grads have debt, and this is one way to help alleviate the financial burdens for college.

For more information on Brightstart and Brightdirections check out the Treasurer’s website at https://illinoistreasurer.gov/.

Taylorville is approaching the one year anniversary of the December 1st tornado that came through town.

Bill Kerns with Missions for Taylorville says Taylorville has been fortunate to have the helping hands from the surrounding communities and encourages you to still lend a hand if you can.

Kerns says the community has come along way in terms of recovery since the tornado but there is still work to be done to get Taylorville back to full strength.

Kerns appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Loving Arms Crisis Pregnancy Center is hosting a ribbon night this evening. The free event is being held from 6:30-7:30 PM at Taylorville Christian Church at 1124 North Webster Street Tuesday, September 24th.  At Ribbon Night participants will make ribbons to distribute in October in memory of their baby who may have been lost to miscarriage, stillbirth, or early infant loss.  Refreshments will be provided and an overview of the Loving Arms’ Love You Forever program which provides support for those who have experienced such a loss. 

For more information on Loving Arms Crisis Pregnancy Center and the services that they offer, contact the Center at 217-824-7204.

The Taylorville Fire Department is hurting for numbers. After approval from the City Council at the last council meeting, Fire Chief Mike Crews is hoping to bring in some new firefighters and get some help. The Taylorville Fire Department has been losing firefighters to neighboring Counties and Chief Crews is frustrated about the situation but understands that this is a nationwide issue not just a Christian County issue. 

Chief Crews says the office is staffed for 17 but they are well below that number right now and it hurts to train firefighters only to lose them later on. He says this isn’t just affecting rookie or new firefighters, but veteran firefighters as well. Crews says to let your aldermen know how important the fire department is to you.

As a nation, Firefighters are down 2% from 2015 with a little over 1 million firefighters in the US according to FEMA.

The Taylorville Community Pleasure Driveway and Park District met for their regular board meeting on Monday evening. A motion was approved for Jason Boldig who is in charge of the Lake Shore Gulf Course to reseed some of the tees. Boldig explained that while the course looks the best it has in a while, the tees need some work.

Boldig says the project will be about $2,000 but they already have the money approved in the budget committee.  The motion was unanimous for approval. Gary Brown says that they are meeting with the Little League President to try and figure out ways to fix some of the baseball field issues that have been plaguing the field.  Work on the south pond at Manners Park is progressing albeit slowly.  They are still waiting for the pond to dry up a little more. Recreational Director, Bailey Hancock announced some of the activities that will be coming up soon including Christmas in the Park.

The next Park District meeting takes place on October 28th.

The Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce Chillifest Committee met Monday night at Rosati's Pizza, working on more details for this year's event taking place on the Taylorville square October 5th and 6th.

Event chair Greg Hornbuckle attended the meeting on his 60th birthday, and told Regional Radio News that there's just 2 weeks to go and lots of details were discussed Monday night.

For complete information on this year's Chillifest, go to chillifest-dot-info, that's chillifest with 2-L's.

Last Tuesday the Christian County Board gave its approval for a 1% sales tax increase to be on the ballot next March.

Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp explains what Christian County residents will be voting on and how it will affect them.

Kettelkamp explains this sales tax will improve public safety by bringing a new correctional facility to Christian County.

Kettelkamp appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

September is Fruits and Veggies Month and the U of I Extension Office in Taylorville is out spreading the word.

Lisa Peterson is the Nutrition and Wellness Educator with the Extension Office she wishes every month could be Fruits and Veggies Month, she also knows that too many Americans fall short when it comes to fruits and vegetables.

For some who might think the price tag on fruits and vegetables are too high Peterson recommends buy those that are in season to help reduce costs.

Peterson often hears how much better it is to buy from a farmers market, she admits it does have it benefits but her first concern is how long the product has been on the truck.

Livingston appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Railroad Safety is important. That’s the message that the Illinois State Police is trying to convey to pedestrians and motorists as this week is Rail Safety week. Last year alone there were 109 railroad crossing collisions in Illinois involving motor vehicles, according to a press release from the ISP.  Safety Education Officer Sean Ramsey says to stay off the tracks especially if traffic is slowed in front of you.

Ramsey says a lot of times you can’t tell the speed of a train especially if you are sitting still.

And if you are stuck on the tracks, or your vehicle stalls, get out of the car. 

This year marks the sixth year that local, federal, and state agencies are partnering up to promote rail safety.

HSHS Good Shepherd in Shelbyville is promoting a blood drive on Friday, September 27 from 10 until 2 PM in Classroom A on the south side of the hospital. Christy Gordon, Marketing Specialist for HSHS Good Shepherd in Shelbyville says that one donation can save up to three lives.

Gordon says blood is needed in small communities just as much as larger communities.

To donate sign up at www.bloodcenterimpact.org or call 217-241-7550.

TMH will be conducting a mental health first aid training session on September 26th from 8-5 PM in the annex at Taylorville Memorial Hospital. Raedena Ryan, who is the foundation executive director is excited to be able to offer so many different programs and have a class like this taught by Suzy Traughber. 

Mental Health First Aid teaches signs of addictions and mental illnesses, a five step action plan to assess a situation and help, the impact of mental health and substance use disorders, local resources and where to turn for help. Ryan says to call her to register for the class.

The four hospitals of Memorial Health System and Memorial Behavioral Health are sponsoring Mental Health First Aid for communities in central Illinois.

The WSVZ and Family Drug-Shelbyville Students of the Month for September 2019 were presented with their awards recently. Pictured from left to right are.

Family Drug representative Bree Thompson, Senior Corban Aultman, Junior Natalie Frederick, Sophomore Brook Schutt, Freshman Ryann Wood, and Family Drug representative Jessie Reed.

Regional Radio News congratulates the Students of the Month!

The Christian County CEO Program has its biggest class yet with a total of 17 students from Central Illinois enrolled.

Elizabeth Aymer is a Senior at South Fork High School in Kincaid, her sophomore year she was in the trade show assisting a friend who was in the program at the time.

Senior at Faith Bible Christian Academy Gabriel Jeffrey attended the trade show last year to get an idea of what to expect when he would be in the CEO Program a year later.

Eric Schafer is enjoying his senior year at Taylorville High School. He knows that the trade show at the end of the year is something everyone looks forward to, but he realizes there is work to be done leading up to the event.

Aymer, Jeffrey, Schafer each appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show. 

The potential for wind farms coming to Christian County is a debate that has been on going for some time now.

Development Manager with Tradewind Energy Jeff Hammond would love to bring his business to Central Illinois. He explains Tradewind Energy being around for over 15 years and being one of the leading companies in the field.

Hammond is no stranger to the myths surrounding wind turbines a common one he has to put to rest is that these machines cause cancer.

When asked if wind energy can have success in Central Illinois Hammond has a simple answer of yes. In fact Illinois is one of the leading states in the country for wind power.

Hammond appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show. 

Work is always being done to improve the issue with feral cats in Christian County. Christian County Animal Control along with the Friends of CCAC and Christian County Animals will be hosting a fundraiser dinner to help with costs associated with neutering and spaying feral cats. The dinner will be held on Saturday, October 12th, 12 Noon – 3 PM. For the dinner, there will be a pork chop sandwich, baked beans and chips for dine-in or carry out and it is at the Thunderbird Lounge in Taylorville. Vince Harris, who is in charge of animal control, says that this is a way to help with what they call TNR—Trap, Neuter, and Return.

The TNR program and donations are helping with controlling the population. Harris says if the conditions are right, the feral problem could potentially get way out of control.

For more information call Christian County Animal Control at 824-5433.

The Farmers Market can be found Saturdays on Taylorville Square starting at 9 with great products to fit any need.

Ed Downs is the Co-President of the Farmers Market. Downs loves seeing all the patrons on the square eager to get their sweet corn. He does want to remind everyone that it is a first come first serve basis.

While the sweet corn may not be a guarantee Downs knows that there are still many other great products up for grabs at the farmers market.

A scheduling conflict is on the horizon as Chillifest will be taking over the square in a couple weeks for their annual event.

Downs encourages anyone who is interested to stop by and see them on the Taylorville Square Saturday’s from 9 to noon.

Farm and Safety Week is in full swing and nowhere can be more dangerous than working in a silo bin. One way that agribusinesses are bringing awareness to farmers about the dangers of silos is through a free movie that they are showing at the Roseland Theater in Pana on September 26th at 7 PM. Pana farmer, Jeff Scott, a 4th generation farmer says that everyone especially farmers should see this movie. 

Scott says just saving one life, means the movie did its job. 

For more information visit silothefilm.com. Doors open at 6 PM on September 26th.

The debate over healthcare has extended to all parts of medical care. One way that State Senator Andy Manar is trying to help is by reducing the skyrocketing prices of insulin. Senator Manar has introduced Senate Bill 667, which would cap out of pocket insulin expenses at $100 for a 30-day supply. Senator Manar says costs have gotten out of control.

State Representative Sue Scherer does not understand why America can’t get this right.

For some people like Megan Blair, a mother with diabetes, time is running out to cap these costs.

Several organizations are backing Senator Manar for this including the American Diabetes Association, Illinois State Medical Society, Illinois Pharamacists Association and the AARP.
 

The Taylorville Public Library has some great opportunities for you and your family to come out and have some fun.

Programming Outreach Coordinator Jessica Green says the Coloring Connection program that is offered is always a popular one.

The fun does not stop there however, as the entire family is welcome out for the Family Game Night held once a month at the library.

Green appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Christian County CEO Program has their biggest class yet with 17 total students enrolled. On Tuesday, three Taylorville seniors stopped by the Groovy 97.3 WRAN Studios and let us know how much they are enjoying the program. Taylorville Senior Grifin Lilly enjoys going to all the businesses.

Zachary Rexroad is excited to learn how to run his own business.

Ashlee Vocks says that the learning environment is something she loves.

Lilly, Rexroad, and Vocks all appeared as guests on the Groovy 97.3 WRAN Morning Show.

This week marks National Farm Safety and Health Week and Ameren Illinois is reminding customers to be safe this harvest season. Contacting power lines or even getting too close can cause equipment failure or the equipment and surrounding area to become energized.  Eric Kozak, Vice President with Ameren Illinois says to always pay attention to sagging lines.

But what should you do if you contact a power line?

For more information on National Farm Safety And Health Week visit Ameren Illinois’ Facebok page.

Judge Paisley swears in new District 2 Board member Brian Wilbur.

The Christian County Board met Tuesday evening and while the big topic was windfarms there were a lot of other topics that were voted on as well. Brian Wilbur was sworn in by Judge Brad T. Paisley as the new District 2 board member.  The county heard comments about the windfarms mostly against. For committee reports, approval went through for the courthouse to be used for the annual Chilifest event. It was announced that repairs needed to be made to the elevator in the courthouse and soon. State Attorney Mike Havera stressed that this was an important fix, but the elevator would be down for quite a while, and there are fears about people that genuinely have to use it. The wind ordinance proposal failed and went back to committee. The enterprise zone intergovernmental agreement passed between Christian County, Taylorville, Assumption, and Pana. County Board member Ray Koonce told Regional Radio News his thoughts on the enterprise zone.

A cannabis sales tax ordinance for the county was approved.  This would put a 3.75% in .25% increments of these sales in the unincorporated areas of Christian County. It was also approved that Montgomery County would be merging with Christian County for their 9-1-1 services. This would have the potential to bring already trained 911 operators into Christian County. Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp and Chief Deputy Bruce Engeling spoke about a resolution to place a vote for a public safety tax on the March Ballot. Engeling explained that it would be a 1% public safety tax and that it would be used to help the Sheriff’s Department, Coroner, Probation Department, State’s Attorney’s Office, and Emergency management and homeland security. Engeling also said it would go towards building a new jail and sheriff facility for a county that badly needs one.

Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp says he hates taxes but this is something necessary to help prevent overcrowding and help public safety.

The next County Board meeting will be held October 15th. 

The Christian County Board struck down a motion for an ordinance tonight that would have essentially ended the wind farm discussion in the county.  At the September 9th, Highway, Building, Grounds, Environmental Committee meeting, the committee along with committee head Phil Schneider drafted an ordinance that would put wind towers back at least 2,640 feet from the property line. The wind farm companies have stated that they would not be able to work with anything much farther than 1500 feet. This motion was brought in front of the county board at Tuesday evening’s County Board Room which was packed with people. Before the committee voted on it Madam Chairwoman Becky Edwards made sure everyone was aware of what they were voting on. Edwards wanted to say something as a county board member and not as Chairwoman.

Edwards continued saying that as Chairwoman she was working hard to get help in the matter and highlighting what her plan was moving forward.

The motion was voted on for the setbacks and Phil Schneider voted yes. Matt Wells voted no. Brian Wilbur voted no. Molly Alaria voted yes. Timothy Carlson voted no. Craig Corzine voted yes. Linda Curtin voted no. Charles DeClerck voted yes. Becky Edwards voted no. Donna Hibbets voted no. Ray Koonce voted no.    Dale Livingston voted no.  Mike McClure voted no. Vicki McMahon voted no. Venise McWard voted yes. Clark Pearce voted no.  The motion failed 5-11 and was met by a resounding round of applause in the board room, which was filled with plenty of people wearing “Yes” stickers with the Yes in the form of a windmill. Ray Koonce explained why he voted no and his frustration of it going back to the committee.

The wind farm ordinance will head back to the committee to be reworked.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club heard about using automated external defibrilators, or A-E-D’s, during their weekly luncheon Tuesday at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.

Taylorville Fire Chief Mike Crews told the club that A-E-D’s, which are now found at more and more public places, can be a life saver for someone going thru cardiac arrest. 

He demonstrated the A-E-D he found in the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium, and the voice prompts that make it very simple for the public to use.

Crews added that the survivability of someone having a heart attack, rests on a combination of immediate C-P-R and the use of an A-E-D.

Crews said that the Taylorville Fire Department conducts regular seminars for the public to learn how to use A-E-D’s.

Kiwanis members are reminded that the club’s annual officer installation luncheon, which will also be the club’s last meeting at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium, is next Tuesday at noon.   Starting October First, weekly meetings will be held at a new location, the Taylorville Moose Lodge, 720 McAdam Drive in Taylorville.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club is part of global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.  Weekly meetings are held Tuesdays at noon at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.  For information on the club, go to taylorvillekiwanis.com.

The Taylorville Public Library is ready for the masses to come out and check out all the information stored in those halls.

Programming and Outreach Coordinator Jessica Green wants to invite you to the Gardening Event this Thursday at the library.

Green reminds the public of the new hours for the Taylorville Public Library and is hoping to see everyone in town stop by.

Green appeared as guests on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Christian County CEO Program has its biggest class yet with 17 total students enrolled. Yesterday three Tayorville seniors stopped by the Newstalk WTIM Studios and let us know how things are going so far.

Emily Leers has wanted to be a part of the CEO Program for a while now, she remembers back to as early as her sophomore year when she had the crystallizing moment.

Paris Bell had some butterflies leading up to the interview process but once she got in the building and the interview began the nerves settled.

Joey Curvey says the first day walking in he didn’t know what to expect but soon realized that this class was going to be everything he hoped it would be.

Leers, Bell, and Curvey all appeared as guests on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Taylorville Park District met Monday evening to discuss the South Manners Park Pond. The pond has drastically shrunk since Thursday, and members of the Park District say a pipe has bust underneath it which is causing water loss. Superintendent Gary Brown, along with Recreational Director, Bailey Hancock doesn’t want a “band-aid” put on it, they want to fix the issue completely along with taking care and cleaning up of the north pond as well.

For that, Gary Brown has received approval from the board to be able to pursue bids for an excavator to help with the dam and start the process. There are quite a lot of fish still in the ponds, and Hancock encourages everyone if they have a fishing license to come on down to Manners Park.

Hancock also says that any dead wood that’s down there is up for grabs as well. She hopes that this will help Manners Park recover their ponds.

For more information visit the Taylorville Park District Facebook page.

US Air Force Airman Charles R. Davis III graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. Davis also earned four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force. Davis is the son of Rebecca R. and Charles R. Davis of Oconee and he is a 2019 graduate of Pana High School.  Regional Radio News congratulates Airman Davis and wishes him the best!

The Taylorville City Council met this evening to vote and talk about issues from the various committees. An ordinance was passed to establish the enterprise zone between Taylorville Assumption, Pana, and Christian County.  The city also passed an ordinance expressing support for hiring minorities, women, and persons with disabilities within the enterprise zone as well. To help the Industrial Park, a new road “Hopper Drive” along with a turn lane will be added west of Grant Drive in Taylorville. The city hired two new employees: Mike Mann Jr., who will take over as Superintendent of Streets and Sewers when Dick Wiseman resigns, and John Blakeman who will replace Cindy Brown when she resigns. Both men are excited to start their new jobs. Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry announced that October 12th will be Clean-Up Day.

Mayor Barry also stressed that he is committed to fixing a lot of the drainage issues that are taking place in Ward 3.

The next City Council meeting will take place on October 7th.

The Village of Edinburg has issued a boil order at 2 PM on Monday. The public Water Supply issued the boil order for customers located on Elm Street from Masonic to Wildcat Way. Water supply personnel will return the system to normal operation as soon as possible after bacteriological samples demonstrate that the water is safe for domestic use. Customers in the affected are encouraged to treat all water for drinking or culinary purposes by bringing it to a rolling boil for at least 5 minutes.  For more information contact Superintendent Mike Lebshier at 623-5542.

An organization is dropping off supplies for tornado victims on Tuesday. House In A Box is dropping off supplies to the city of Taylorville at 11 AM on September 17th.  The donations may be picked up at the old Gagne Building which is located at 1617 West Spresser Street located in Taylorville. Mayor Bruce Barry says that these supplies are being donated to help those who still need it.

House in a Box is a disaster services corporation that helps people get back on their feet. For more information visit https://www.svdpdisaster.org/.

The Christian County Enterprise Zone has been a major tool for the community that helps bring businesses to Central Illinois.

Edwards explains why the Enterprise Zone is so beneficial to Christian County and the state has decided that you can no longer reapply Enterprise Zones so now everyone is back to square one.

Edwards likes that Christian County seems to be ahead of the game with a great consultant to help them every step of the way in the process.

Edwards knows how competitive of  a process it is to apply for one of the 90 enterprise zones the state of Illinois is giving out. She doesn’t want to see Christian County miss out on potential businesses coming to the area.

Bourne appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

There will be two meetings in Christian County tonight. The Taylorville City Council will meet and hold their regular board meeting this evening and the Taylorville Community Pleasure Driveway & Park District will hold a special meeting tonight as well. The Park District will be discussing Manners Park Pond and hold an executive session along with any other matters that may need to be discussed.

The Taylorville City Council will be discussing ordinances for the enterprise Zone in Christian County, there will also be an approval, authorization, and direction of the Mayor to sign the city application for an IDOT Highway Permit concerning work west of Grant Drive in Taylorville to maintain a new road “Hopper Drive” and all work related to that road. Other motions that will be discussed and possibly voted on this evening include the appointment of Mike Mann Jr as Superintendent of Streets and Sewers to replace Dick Wiseman when Wiseman officially resigns and John Blakeman as Human Resources Manager to replace Cindy Brown. The next clean up day will be voted on as well. A tentative date of October 12th is scheduled. 

The Park District meeting will be held at 6 PM this evening and the Taylorville City Board meeting will be at 7 PM.

State Representative Avery Bourne is eagerly waiting to get back to business in Springfield when sessions resume in October.

Bourne says a Bill that she has her eye on is the Fix the Foid Card Bill, and is wanting to see if they can get to the bottom of the issues across the state when it comes to Foid cards.

Bourne admits it has been a struggle in Springfield to get Republican voices heard as the Democrats have a super majority.

Bourne appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Taylorville High School Building Trades Program continues to be a success. Teacher Matt Blomquist, says things are progressing quicker than he anticipated and the weather has been surprisingly helpful with that. The house, which is being built at 727 West Vandeveer Street is going up and Blomquist says the students are enjoying their work.

The students are out at the house for 2 hours each session.  Head on over to social media including Facebook and Instagram to keep up with house updates.

Blomquist also has raved about the mobile classroom which is a way for Blomquist to help teach and mentor the students out in the field.

Taylorville has a new State Farm Agent downtown. Wade Turner, who previously had offices in Pana has moved to Taylorville this week and is right in the downtown square. Turner moved into his new offices on Monday and still has a lot of upgrades to be made. New signage, for instance, is coming this week. Turner says this move to Taylorville was about growth.

Turner says he is excited to be in the downtown square and that he can be reached for all insurance needs.

Turner says at the end of the day helping the community is something that really drives him.

For more info on State Farm call (217) 824-3525.

A Pana man has been sentenced to 27 years in prison and 2 years parole for murder and aggravated battery of a police officer. 20-year-old Quinton L. Morrissey of Pana accepted a plea deal on Friday to 20 years for the second-degree murder of 59-year-old Stephen L. Presnell and 7 years for aggravated battery in early 2019 when he threw urine on a correctional officer. Morrissey was sentenced by Judge Christopher Matoush in Christian County Court. According to States Attorney Mike Havera, the autopsy revealed that Presnell died from blunt force trauma to the chest and a fracture of the right oracle plate. Presnell was murdered at his home near Pana Lake. Havera said that these kinds of cases have to be looked at from 3 different angles.

All remaining charges were dismissed. Morrissey could be out in 11 years upon good behavior.

The Farmers Market can be found Saturdays on Taylorville Square starting at 9 with great products to fit any need.

Ed Downs is the Co-President of the Farmers Market. This Saturday is shaping up to be another good weather day at the market and Downs says they will be sharing the square with the Dog Days Celebration.

While we are getting late in the season Downs says there are still plenty of great products you can come and get you hands on, as always its first come first serve.

Downs encourages anyone who is interested to stop by and see them on the Taylorville Square Saturday’s from 9 to noon.

Taylorville Community Credit Union is building a permanent location in Pana. After opening a temporary location on March 4th, TCCU President Will Perkins is happy to be moving into a new spot.  Perkins says it all comes down to the hard work put in by the branch manager Al Stupek and his staff.

Perkins says the new facility will be open by the end of the year and he adds that he is happy for the support that he is getting from the Pana community.

Perkins says the new facility in Pana will have everything.

Perkins encourages everyone to stop by and see them. They have four locations, but also do online as well and for more information give TCCU a call at (217) 824-9658.

Rolling Meadows Senior Living in Taylorville is celebrating their 10th anniversary and are holding an open house so people can see what life is like at the home. Manager Jenny Turvey, says that people who are interested should come visit from 2-5 on September 24th.

Rolling Meadows is also celebrating their 10th anniversary as well and are holding some special events for their members, especially some members who have been their all 10 years.

For more information on Rolling Meadows Senior Living in Taylorville visit them at 1125 E 1500 North Road in Taylorville or call them at 217-287-2450.

The Senior Citizens of Christian County are postponing their variety show this Saturday. The show was originally going to be held Saturday evening but due to scheduling conflicts and technical difficulties, it will be postponed for a later date. Interim director of the Senior Center, Don Ferryman says this was a difficult decision.

Ferryman wanted to reemphasize that the event is not canceled just postponed till this fall.

For more information on the Senior Citizens of Christian County visit their Facebook Page or call 217-824-4263.

The Illinois State Police is investigating a two vehicle crash with injuries in Macoupin County. 66 year old Debra Mills of Shipman was headed southbound in a 2016 Ford Edge on Shipman Road while 46 year old Steven Howe of Carlinville was headed northbound on Shipman Road in a 2001 Buick Lesabre. Howe also had a passenger in his vehicle, 55 year old David Johnston also from Carlinville. Mills left the southbound lane 1200 feet south of Drew Road and entered the northbound lane sideswiping Howe’s vehicle to the right. Mills vehicle was disabled on the shoulder. Howe was transported to Carlinville Area Hospital for non-life threatening injuries. The Illinois State Police is still investigating the crash.

The crash occured 1200 feet south of Drew Road in Macoupin County.

Taylorville Police announced today that they have arrested a Taylorville man on sexual assault charges.  Taylorville Police Chief Dwayne Wheeler announced in a press release, that at 5 PM on Wednesday, Taylorville police arrested 21-year-old Kaleb A. Vaughn of Taylorville for two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault on a victim under the age of thirteen. Vaughn’s bond was set at $500,000. Each case is a class X felony that carries a sentence from 6-60 years in prison for each count.  Chief Wheeler thanked Mike Havera and the investigations unit for their hard work reviewing the cases and filing charges. Stay tuned to Regional Radio News for more updates. 

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield is full of exhibits that tell stories of historical events in our state's great history.

Director of Public Events Joe Crain says that often the museum is overlooked by Central Illinois residents and compares it to a national landmark.

Crain says he never ceases to be amazed by what all the museum has going on during any given day, he strongly encourages you to stop by and pay a visit to see all the history that Illinois has been a part of.

Crain appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Loving Arms Crisis Pregnancy Center in Taylorville is here to help. They have a program to announce that is designed to help those who might have gone through pregnancy loss.

Executive Director Cathy Coker says at Loving Arms they are always thinking of ways they can help more people, and shares how their Love You Forever Program got started.

Teresa St. Louis lost her twins 6 years ago. She speaks of the grief that she felt and that without this Love You Forever Program she doesn't know where she would be.

Coker and St. Louis appeared as guests on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Taylorville Community Credit Union is once again holding its annual scholarship program. This is the 6th annual “Stop. Shop. VOTE” scholarship program. Eight students will be awarded $1000 next May to continue their education. TCCU President Will Perkins says this is a fantastic way to help High School students and having a new facility in Pana means that Pana High School gets to participate now as well.

The voting for this scholarship is one of the more unique aspects of these scholarships. It promotes local businesses throughout the community.

For registration, Perkins encourages you to go online.

Students have until October 11th to register. Voting begins in November and continues through February. 

Meadow Manor has new ownership and a new name.  Taylorville Skilled Nursing and Rehab is the new ownership and David Mabry, Executive Director at Taylorville Skilled Nursing and Rehab is excited about the future.  While the name and ownership are changing, you can still expect the same great care that you have always received there just in a more local setting.  David Mabry explains that without being corporate-controlled, it means care gets improved.

Mabry says the future is bright for Taylorville Skilled Nursing and Rehab.

Taylorville Skilled Nursing and Rehab is located at 800 Mc Adam Dr in Taylorville and their phone number is (217) 824-2277.

This week is Assisted Living Week and the Villas of Holly Brook in Shelbyville is celebrating in style alongside thousands of other assisted living communities across the country. This year’s theme is “A Spark of Creativity.” Director Erica Linn of the Villas of Holly Brook in Shelbyville says that this week has already been exciting, and there’s more coming up.

The residents also love living at the Villas and enjoy Assisted Living Week. John Stewardson says why he likes living in the Villas.

Resident Betty Zeaman says the staff is fantastic.

Resident Gladys Dunaway is happy for the care that she has but also happy she gets to keep her independence.

For more information on the Villas of Holly Brook and Assisted Living Week, visit their Facebook Page at Villas of Holly Brook Shelbyville.

Solar Power is on its way to Christian County as the County Board green lighted the Hickory Point Solar Project at their most recent meeting.

Chairwoman of the Christian County Board Becky Edwards shares some history of getting this solar project approved saying that it has taken roughly 12 months taking it from the initial idea to getting it approved by the Board.

Edwards knows that with all the steps it took to get the project to the Christian County Board it was a no-brainer to pass this project as it will greatly benefit the community.

Edwards says this work will more than anything be preliminary work and shares the timeline for when they are hoping to see the process done.

Edwards appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

High School students have a way to find out more about future endeavors and career paths at Lake Land College’s annual Career Day event on October 1st. The event will take place from 9:30-11:30. Michelle Zumbahlen, coordinator for strategic student communication and initiatives says that this is a way for college students to set themselves on a path for success.

Zumbahlen says the sessions they hold go over 175 different topics.

A regional college fair is held in conjunction with the event and representatives from over 50 different colleges around the country will be on hand to speak with students about what their colleges have to offer.  For more information visit www.lakelandcollege.edu/college-fair or www.lakelandcollege/edu/career-day.

The Christian County Hazards Mitigation Planning Committee met on Tuesday and discussed the future mitigation plans that will help Christian County in case of an emergency. The plan provides three benefits: Receiving money from FEMA, specific projects could receive funds that will help reduce damages, and information about natural disasters in Christian County will help inform citizens to prepare for the future. Andrea Bostwick from the American Environmental Corporation talked about the hazards that she has uncovered in the time that she has been working on this project with Christian County Emergency Management Agency Director, Mike Crews.

Among the areas that the Mitigation Planning Committee is dealing with and analyzing include severe storms, severe winter storms, floods, tornadoes, excessive heat, drought, mine subsidence, earthquakes, and dams. The plan of the committee is to create ways to help Christian County deal with these disasters.

The next meeting will be held at the Taylorville Fire Department which is located at 202 North Main Street in Taylorville on Tuesday, December 10th at 2 PM.

Regional Radio News has learned that the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office which has been handling the Bradley Jenkins case, has dismissed the charges against him. Jenkins, a Taylorville man, was accused of assaulting his wife, Alissa L. Martin which resulted in her death in a parking garage near Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Police found her body at 1:45 in the Stadium East Parking Garage at 200 South Broadway. According to the Circuit Attorney’s Office, the court requires an indictment within 90 days of charges to be filed. The Circuit Attorney’s Office intends to file charges once more evidence is received and they can than go ahead and proceed with a grand jury investigation. If you know anything about the case, you are encouraged to contact the Circuit Attorney’s Office or the St. Louis Police Department. Stay tuned to Regional Radio News for more updates.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club heard about a new Taylorville steak house, bar and gaming room during their weekly luncheon Tuesday at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.

Glen Kluge (clue-GEE) is owner of the new Kluge’s On the Square, in the former Joyce’s Cafe building on the west side of the Taylorville square.  Kluge told Kiwanis members that he and his family moved to Taylorville 2 years ago from Springfield, after camping here the past 10 years.  Kluge recently retired from Ameren, and has been working on the new restaurant for close to a year, taking the location down to its original brick.

Kluge was a sous chef at a Springfield restaurant for many years, which he said will be very useful in operating his new Taylorville restaurant.  Kluge added that the building’s bar and gaming room are both now open, and the steak house is expected to be open the second week in October.

The new Kluge’s On the Square will have seating for 62 people, with an average steak dinner price of 20 to 25-dollars, and will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Several members of the Taylorville Kiwanis Club, received perfect attendance awards during Tuesday’s Taylorville Kiwanis Club meeting.  From the left:  Will Perkins 4 years, Harriett Morrissey 2 years, Michael Evanchak 1 year, and Martin Vota 3 years.  Larry Kemner, not pictured, was honored for 7 years perfect attendance at Kiwanis meetings.

Kiwanis members are reminded that starting October First, weekly meetings will be held at a new location, the Taylorville Moose Lodge, 720 McAdam Drive in Taylorville.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club is part of global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.  Weekly meetings are held Tuesdays at noon at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.  For information on the club, go to taylorvillekiwanis.com.

Today you have the opportunity to learn about a new trend that is sweeping the nation with two courses offered at Taylorville Memorial Hospital.

The Heart Health Lesson on air frying has two sessions today one at 2:30 and the other at 6:00. Clinical Dietitian with TMH Janelle Cornell says she puts her air fryer at home to good use and can eat french fries now knowing they are healthier for her.

Cornell says the only real limitation she has noticed is essentially the size of the air fryer, as long as it fits the air fryer can get it cooked and in a more timely manner than the oven.

Cornell appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Next month delegates will be back in Springfield ready to work on making Illinois a better place to live.

Illinois House of Representatives member Avery Bourne represents the 95th District, says there is a new action plan coming to Illinois schools to help those who may be dealing with seizures. 

Bourne is excited for the hunter education classes coming to schools as well, she says it is light years ahead of her hunter education courses that will teach more than just gun safety.

Bourne appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

With High School Football starting up again, it’s that time for homecoming. The time where all of the cities across central Illinois gear up for festivities, football, and fun and Taylorville is no different. This year’s homecoming for Taylorville kicked off Monday and no one knows homecoming better than Taylorville High School Principal Matt Hutchison. 

Hutchison says a lot of this wouldn’t be possible without the hard work from the Taylorville High School Student Council.

Hutchison also highlights all the great events that will be taking place this week as well including the parade and the bonfire.

Taylorville High School takes on Lincoln in football Friday night at 7.

Taylorville High School offers programs that help enrich the student body, offer unique opportunities and foster relationships that will last a lifetime.  One of the ways that Taylorville High School is doing that is through a new broadcasting program for the school speared by CTI Vice President Adam Vocks called Tommy TV.  Vocks says this program started because of a request from a parent.

Vocks hopes that this program will eventually turn from an idea into a full-fledged curriculum.

Student Molly Smith enjoys the program, she says she wasn’t prepared for how much she was going to like it.

For more on Tommy TV visit their Youtube page at TommyTV. 

The Taylorville School Board met this evening and discussed personnel moves, Stonington Park District, and some needs for the school. Some announcements from President of the Board Stephen Turner included cleaning up mold from one of the junior high rooms that will be used by the children in case of inclement weather.  This has already been done. A new oven and room heaters for the junior high as well will need to be ordered. There is also discussion about possibly adding more bleachers to the football field as well.  The big new business is Stonington Park District. President Turner presented the options with option A being that the land would be split from the building and option B which was a little more favorable to the board and that would be for the board to extend the closing date but they would take over in paying for the utilities.

The Board agreed with option B with the caveat that when they delivered this option to the Park District, that they inform the Stonington Library that they have 6 months to vacate. In the end, the School Board went with option B with modifications. Turner wanted to make sure everyone was on page with what they were doing.

Board member David Driskell wanted to make sure everyone was aware; the School Board is not trying to get rid of the library.

Superintendent Dr. Chris Dougherty is happy with how the new school year is going and is excited about how things are in Taylorville. The next regular school board meeting will be held on October 14th.

The Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce Chillifest Committee met Monday night as they work towards this year's event on the Taylorville square October 5th and 6th.

It was announced that the Little Mister and Teen Miss Chilli Pepper contests, still need more entries.  The entry process is on line by clicking the "Pageant Entry Form" icon at the event's web site, chillifest-dot-info, that's chillifest with 2-L's.

More volunteers are also needed for various tasks during Chillifest weekend.  To volunteer to work at the Pepsi trailer, the information booth, or to assist in other ways, contact Amy Calvert Winans at 825-57-49.

Groups of 4 are also needed to assist children in pumpkin painting during Chillifest.  To volunteer your group, contact Kidzone chair Laura Hadley at 824-25-55.

Chillifest social media chair Susan Lawrence told Regional Radio News about the excitement she felt during the meeting Monday night.

To find out all about the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce Chilllifest, go to chillifest-dot-info, that's chillifest with 2-L's.

Taylorville Community Unit Schools will meet on Monday evening at 7 PM at the administration education center at 512 West Spresser Street in Taylorville for their regular monthly board of education meeting. Topics of discussion for the evening will include approval of minutes, claims, treasurers report, and the consideration of an overnight trip request for the National FFA Conference in Indianapolis and the American Royal Contest in Kansas City. In old business, the board will duscuss the consideration of the IASB PRESS Board Policies. In new business, the board will discuss the review of the 2019-2020 District enrollment, changes to the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, discussion of the Stonington Park District and a report from the finance committee and the Superintendent report from Dr. Chris Dougherty. For complete coverage of the school board meeting stay tuned to Regional Radio News. The meeting will also be uploaded to WTIMTV's youtube channel as well. 

The Christian County Master Gardeners are getting ready for the bus trip to the Missouri  Botanical Garden.

Horticulture Educator with the U of I Extension Office Andrew Holsinger says there is still time to sign up for this trip as they pushed back the registration deadline till the end of business hours tomorrow.

Holsinger says the remaining seats will be given on a first come first serve basis and the best way to sign up is through the website. If anyone has any questions Holsinger encourages you to reach out to him via his email at aholding@illinois.edu.

Holsinger appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Christian County Treasurer wants to make sure everyone is aware of property tax dates. The second installment of property taxes is due Tuesday. You can pay online, mail it in, or drop off your payment at the Christian County Courthouse. Christian County Treasurer Betty Asmussen says if you haven’t done it already, time is running out.

Asmussen says to avoid hassle, headache, and late fees the payments need to be postmarked by tomorrow otherwise you will have to pay extra fees on top of the taxes and call or stop in at the court house to make arrangements to pay. 

For paying online visit  https://www.govtechtaxpro.com or call Betty Asmussen at (217) 824-4889.

September is Hunger Action Month and the Central Illinois Foodbank is ready for a busy month ahead spreading the word in an attempt to fight hunger.

Public Relations Manager Ashley Earnest says the 12th is an extremely busy day for Central Illinois Foodbank as that is Hunger Action Day.

The party doesn't stop there on the 12th as after the morning session for Hunger Action Day is the Harvest Celebration which is an event that you surely do not want to miss out on.

Earnest appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Taylorville Police Department and Fire Department are always looking to show that they are there to help the community.  One way that they are doing that is through a “celebrity softball game.” This game will take place between the Police and Fire Department on September 25th. Police Officer Kirsten Bolinger says this was all the idea of youth volleyball coach Julie Solliday.

Bolinger would like you to notify the Department if your kid will play. She wants children to be there no later than 5:45 to get ready.  The event will take place from 6 to 8PM. The event will take place at the Taylorville High School softball field. Since there won’t be any uniforms available, Officer Bolinger has a special request.

Organizers are still working on a backup plan in case of rain.

With school back in session, you might not know what is all going on event wise week in and week out. A new organization is trying to fix that. Taylorville Pride or “Tville Pride” is the brainchild of Jake Koniak. Koniak, a social studies teacher and technology integration specialist at Taylorville High School wants to make sure people are aware of events going on in and throughout the school district.

Koniak says there are many ways to get involved but social media is probably the best way.

Koniak says there’s plenty of events coming up that you can get involved in.

To follow Taylorville Pride, visit their Facebook page at Tvillepride or Twitter @Tvillepride or their Instagram page @instatvillepride.

The Taylorville Police Department made an arrest on Thursday evening, after a report of a reckless driver.  Thursday at 5:23 PM, Officers of the Taylorville Police Department were told of a reckless driver heading east on Park Street.  It was also reported that the vehicle had been involved in a hit and run traffic crash. Officers located and attempted to stop the red Chevrolet truck in between Lake Drive and the prison on Route 29.  As the suspect vehicle attempted to turn onto 1600 East Road it struck another vehicle. The suspect was taken into custody and it was discovered the truck being driven by him was stolen from Springfield. 40 year old Brent A. Phegley of Shelbyville was charged with aggravated DUI, driving while license revoked, improper lane usage, leaving the scene of an accident with vehicle damage, motor vehicle theft, failure to give aid or information, and an active Shelby County warrant.  Phegley was lodged in the Christian County Correctional Center.

The Farmers Market can be found Saturdays on Taylorville Square starting at 9 with great products to fit any need.

Ed Downs is the Co-President of the Farmers Market. He loves seeing all the smiling faces on the square on Saturdays and is urging you to stop by if you haven’t yet this season.

Downs spends a lot of time talking about the specialty products that are offered but he doesn't want the basic products to be forgotten. There is plenty to pick from for those who come out.

Downs encourages anyone who is interested to stop by and see them on the Taylorville Square Saturday’s from 9 to noon.

The Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce is staying plenty busy getting ready for Chillifest which is officially less than a month away from kicking off.

CEO of the Chamber Patty Hornbuckle says before the Chillifest festivities don’t forget to stop by for business after hours on the 18th of this month at CTI. Hornbuckle says the CTI business after hours has grown to one of their biggest events.

Hornbuckle wants to make the public aware of a change coming to the community of Taylorville in terms of Meadow Manor, they have officially changed their name and are under new management.

Hornbuckle appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

HSHS Good Shepherd in Shelbyville relies on more than just Doctors and Nurses to help things flow smoothly. Volunteers are needed for many things at the hospital as well. Regina Agney, Patient Experience Facilitator at the hospital, says that volunteers are integral to the day to day operations.

Agney says volunteers are needed for all kinds of operations at the hospital. It all depends on where you want to help out.

Agney is grateful for volunteers.  She says the hospital wouldn’t run without their help. 

For more information or to help volunteer, visit the hospital’s website or contact Regina Agney at 217-774-3961 Extension 1141.

A local furniture store is celebrating 31 years of being in Taylorville.  Betty Rose’s Furniture shop on the downtown square has been a staple in the community for over 3 decades and Betty Rose talks about how the industry has changed.

To help celebrate the anniversary, Rose says that they will take care of paying for the sales tax on all purchases. Rose says that you can get a better experience from shopping locally than getting something online.

When asked about her future goals for Betty Rose’s Furniture, Rose says that she just wants to stay in business and continue helping her customers.

For more information on Betty Rose’s Furniture visit their location on the square at 122 West Market Street in Taylorville or call 217-824-3777.        

With Wal-Mart, Kroger, and a number of other big brand stores changing their stances on guns and ammunition, the talk and pointed conversations sometimes turn to the local gun store. One local gun store, Locked & Loaded in Pana, is talking openly about gun laws and the new laws in Illinois and their effect on local gun stores.  Tyler Simms, Owner and Store Manager of Locked & Loaded says that the process is still long for getting a gun and that it goes beyond the Firearm ID. The people that are committing these crimes aren’t getting guns the traditional way.

The talk around Locked & Loaded comes down to the FOID card which is a Firearms ID. Illinois is one of the few states that has it. Simms wonders about the constitutionality of the FOID card though and people worry about the new Illinois gun laws.

Simms encourages everyone to shop local and support your local gun stores.  Locked & Loaded is located at 1299 E Jackson Street in Pana.

September is Hunger Action Month and the Central Illinois Foodbank is ready for a busy month ahead spreading the word in an attempt to fight hunger.

Public Relations Manager Ashley Earnest says Hunger Action Month has been around for a little over a decade and has continued to grow in recent years.

Earnest has seen it first hand the fact that hunger knows no religion or race, it does no discriminate it can get anyone and often it is too hard to notice on a regular basis.

Earnest appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

A local central Illinois singer has been taking the country music world by storm. Missy Dunaway, a singer from Cowden, has a new album called Honkytonks and Heartaches. She says she got into singing when she was five. 

Dunaway is happy for the doors that country music has opened for her and she says she is grateful for those who she has met.

Dunaway also says that she is looking forward to her next adventure.

For more information on Missy Dunaway visit her website at www.mdunaway.com.

The public is invited to a Chili Supper on September 15th from 11 till 4 PM at Temple B’rith Sholom Social Hall located at 1004 South 4th Street at Lincoln Land Community College.  This is the fifth annual chili supper at the college. Proceeds for the meal will go to the Academy of Lifelong  Learning.  Laurel Bretz, Director of Community Education at Lincoln Land says that the Academy of Lifelong Learning is a membership group that reaches adults 50 and older who still want to learn.

The chili is made by a well-known Springfield chili chef named Les Eastep.

For more information on the chili supper, contact the LLCC Community Education Office at 217-786-2432.

The Social Security Administration knows that they have millions of people depending on Social Security for a regular income.

Public Affairs Specialist Jack Myers says there are multiple ways to change your Social Security direct deposit and the Social Security Administration makes sure it is as secure as possible.

Myers says it is unfortunate but it is the times we live in where you have to watch out for scams so be aware of some fishy phone calls that might be misleading you.

Myers appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Longtime Christian County Circuit Clerk Julie Mayer has announced that she will be running for re-election next year.  Mayer, who took over the job in 2008, says that the job has changed quite a lot since she took over but is proud of her accomplishments and if re-elected is looking to finish more projects. One of the big projects that Mayer is proud of and that she and her office has worked relentlessly on is going paperless on the civil side. 

Mayer looks forward to completing the criminal and traffic side of the office so that will be paperless as well.

Mayer says she wants to thank everyone for their support and also thank her wonderful office.

The Primary Elections are held March 17th, 2020.

From what we have seen so far from the Republican Party it appears as though President Donald Trump will win the nomination for his second term of Presidency.

Jim Bohannon, host of the Jim Bohannon show airing weeknights on Newstalk WTIM at 9, delves into the Democratic Party to look at who they might be able to put up against Trump in 2020.

In his mind Bohannon sees 3 potential Democrats that could be on the ticket come 2020. One of them a former Vice President would have a strong shot if he could keep his foot out of his mouth.

Bohannon appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

A local Taylorville business is celebrating its fifth anniversary.  Neikes Floor Covering is celebrating in style and owner Laura Hadley says that she is very happy to be in Taylorville. She says that she wants people to know they do more than just floors.

Hadley says being in business for five years has been a lot of fun, but she is looking forward to the future as well.

Hadley says they always have floors in stock and to shop local.

Neikes Floor Covering is located at 1001 North Cheney Street in Taylorville. For more information visit their website at www.neikesfloorcovering.com or contact Laura at 824-2555.

Shelby County Sheriff Don Koonce is urging people to help fight crime. Sheriff Koonce announced last week that Shelby County citizens are being invited to become Associate Members of the Illinois Sheriff’s Association. Individuals can join the program for as little as $20. This funding helps provide resources training and legislative support for key criminal justice issues and contributions are tax-deductible. 

Sheriff Koonce wants to remind everyone, the organization doesn’t telemarket phone calls so if someone calls asking for money, most likely it is a scam. Only invitations will be sent out through the mail. Sheriff Koonce says this program is important. “With government funding becoming increasingly difficult to secure, the membership drive has taken on greater importance than ever before. The funding is vital to helping us carry out our mission of making our communities safer places to live, work, and play.

For more information on this program visit www.ilsheriff.org or call or write to the Illinois Sheriff’s Association at 401 East Washington, Suite 1000, Springfield Illinois 62701 or call 217-753-2372.

Science, Engineering, Technology, and Math or STEM as it is commonly known has been taking the world by storm in recent memory.

Pete Gegen is a Volunteer Coordinator with the STEM Fair at Rochester High School he loves seeing STEM coming to schools even at a young age as the future is upon us with this technology.

Gegen explains what all you can check out at the STEM Fair at Rochester High School on Wednesday, September 11th. For the first time this year colleges will be in attendance as well.

Tech Integration Specialist for the Taylorville School District Tammy Reindl says she encourages all students, teachers, and parents to come out to the event and get involved with STEM.

Gegen and Reindl both appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The City of Taylorville met to discuss business on Tuesday evening due to the holiday on Monday. At the Council meeting, The City of Taylorville voted to amend the business district development policy to include a retailers' occupation tax, service occupation tax, and hotel operators’ occupation tax. Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry said he felt that this was a fair amendment since most in the city were already subject to this.

The Mayor said in his comments, that this amendment shows taxpayer dollars at work. Office space has also been designated at the municipal building for the Safe Passage Program. 

There will also be some new stop signs put in Taylorville. One stop sign will be put at the intersection of Long and Poplar Streets which will make this a 4 way stop.  The other stop sign will go up at Taylorville Boulevard and Park Avenue.  The Fire Station roof is in need of repairs. The Finance committee will look into funds for repairing it as Chief Mike Crews has stated the leak is creating mold in the carpets. The next City Council meeting will be on September 16th.
 

Taylorville Police Sergeant Evert Nation recognized before the City Council Meeting.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club held their monthly business meeting to hear about the many projects the Club is involved in to benefit children and youth in the Taylorville community, during their weekly luncheon Tuesday at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.

Kiwanis Builders and Key Club chair Will Perkins reported that it’s the start of a new school year, and he’s working with the advisors for both the Junior High Builders Club and the Senior High Key Club at their respective Taylorville schools.

The Club announced that it’s replaced its long-running Peanut Days fund-raiser with a new “Kiwanis Kids Day” fund-raiser that will take place at Webster and West Main Cross from 8 in the morning til noon, on Friday, September 27th and Saturday, September 28th.  Kiwanis members will be asking the community to donate to further fund local Kiwanis projects for children and youth.    The Club moved away from giving away Kiwanis peanuts to those who donate, because there is no longer a supplier for Kiwanis-branded peanuts.

Kiwanis Priority One chair Harriett Morrissey reported that the annual Coats for Kids event will take place the last week of October.  The Kiwanis Club works with the Head Start classes in the Taylorville School District to provide coats, gloves and hats.

And, Kiwanis members are reminded that starting October First, weekly meetings will be held at a new location, the Taylorville Moose Lodge, 720 McAdam Drive in Taylorville.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club is part of global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.  Weekly meetings are held Tuesdays at noon at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.  For information on the club, go to taylorvillekiwanis.com.

Construction is finishing up at Bayer Crop Science in Stonington for a new addition to the plant. Production Lead Drew Yingling says the project started in April but should be completed by the end of September. Yingling says that the construction is upgrading with a new cleaning system.

Yingling also says that this construction allows Bayer Crop Science to be a lot more flexible. 

The effect on this construction should help Stonington as well, as Yingling says they will have to hire some more workers to make things run smoothly and efficiently.

Yingling says the bottom line is this will allow greater capacity, and that Bayer Crop Science will continue to listen to its customers to provide them with top quality products.

The 11th Annual 5K Fun Run And Walk will take place on September 21st. Sponsored by the Taylorville Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, the 5K Fun Run and Walk will begin with registration at 8 AM followed by the event taking place at 8:30 and a Children’s Dash at 9:30. Race Coordinator Debbie Johnson says that you can register early or at the event.

The race used to be held in May but has been moved to September this year.

For more information call 824-1677 or visit www.TaylorvilleMemorial.org. 

The Christian County LEAD (leadership excellence achieved by design) Program will be held in January but registration is open now. The twelve-week program has been an annual event since 2005 and is ran by the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce and Lincoln Land Community College. The program is offered to 20 participants. Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce CEO Patty Hornbuckle says Linda Smith of the extension office does a great job at facilitating this program.

Hornbuckle says that the class takes place during business hours but it’s completely worth it.

The class is great not just for the business side, but also for networking as well.

For more information on the program please call the chamber at 217-824-4919. To register for the class complete an application at www.taylorvillechamber.com.

Even though School is not in session today, due to the holiday, it’s still a good time to talk about bus safety. Illinois State Police Officer and Education Officer, Sean Ramsey says bus safety should be first and foremost on your mind especially in the morning and the afternoon.  Ramsey says most bus accidents can be avoided.

Ramsey says knowing the situation you’re in and knowing when to stop for a bus is key and if you’re going in the same direction as a bus you should stop.

For more information visit the ISP website on bus safety.
 

The Regional Cancer Partnership of Illinois will be offering free prostate cancer screenings on Wednesday, September 18th from 5-7 PM at the Simmons Cancer Institute located at 315- W. Carpenter Street in Springfield. Registered Nurse and urology nurse navigator with Memorial Medical Center, Tia Rapps, says these screenings are super important because prostate cancer is often overlooked.

Rapps says there are various things you should look for that should be automatic tip-offs that you should get screened.

Registration is required. To schedule an appointment call 217-788-3528. Registration opens today.

With the Taylorville Chillifest right around the corner, there are still plenty of ways that you can get involved. One of those ways is through Kidzone. Kidzone is a way for kids to have something to do during Chillifest. Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce CEO Patty Hornbuckle explains that this is a way for everyone to have something to do.

Hornbuckle says that this is a way that organizations can promote themselves and team build within your own organization.

For more information on KidZone and how you can help with it, contact Laura Hadley at Neikes Floor Covering located at 1001 North Cheney Street in Taylorville or call 217-824-2555.