Taylorville Memorial Hospital (TMH) has been nationally recognized for its patient experience. TMH is also one of only 19 hospitals in Illinois to earn a top rating for patient recommendation from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

CMS is a federal agency that rates hospitals on a scale from 1 to 5 stars. The ratings cover a wide range of areas. TMH hit the mark and received all five stars, the highest rating. Patient surveys conducted by CMS showed that patients were highly likely to recommend TMH to others who require hospital services.

According to CMS data, fewer than 20 hospitals in Illinois have a 5 star rating in this part of the state. TMH also received 5 stars for hospital cleanliness and staff communication with their patients.

Several survey respondents stated that the nurses at TMH excel at explaining concepts clearly and are also proficient in listening to the patient's needs closely. Arron Puchbauer, TMH President and CEO, stated that TMH is proud to provide such great care, and that it’s great to know that their patients are recommending that level of care to friends and family who may need treatments or other hospital services.

Among the other 18 hospitals across Illinois to receive 5 CMS stars for patient recommendation is Lincoln Memorial Hospital (LMH), also a part of the
Springfield-based Memorial Health.

For more information on TMH or LMH, head online and visit memorialhealth, then select the locations tab and search for Taylorville or Lincoln.

Community members in Stewardson can enjoy an Independence Day celebration in their hometown as part of a full day of festivities.  The action takes place on Sunday, June 28, and it’s organized in part by the Community Organization Working for Stewardson (COWS).  Shauna Curry, a member of COWS, says the day will begin at 10:30 a.m. with a church service and a catered dinner, followed by a greased pig contest.

Later the festivities move towards the business-heavy part of the village for what organizers are calling an “inflati-bull” race.

A lighted parade takes place in the evening, similar to what the village hosts in the winter.  This year’s parade also will contain some new elements as part of the 250th anniversary of the United States’ independence.

The fireworks, of course, round out the event schedule at night.  The village and the fire department also help run the event and provide some of the activities. 

More information is available on the village’s Facebook page.

Shauna Curry appeared as a guest on the WTIM Shelbyville Morning Show. 

The Bears aren't officially gone yet, but after Friday's vote, Indiana appears to have the momentum in the race for the team's future home

The team's board of directors voted Friday to move forward with plans for a potential new stadium in Hammond, Indiana. While a final agreement has not yet been reached and a specific site has not been selected, the vote marks the strongest indication yet that the franchise could eventually leave Illinois after more than a century.

The move comes after Illinois lawmakers ended their spring legislative session without approving a package of tax incentives that team officials said would help support development of a new stadium in Arlington Heights. The Bears own property in Arlington Heights but have argued that long-term tax certainty is needed before construction can move forward.

Indiana officials have aggressively pursued the project, reportedly offering up to one billion dollars in incentives to help bring the team across the state line.

Governor JB Pritzker has continued to downplay suggestions that the Bears are definitely leaving Illinois. Earlier this week, Pritzker said a stadium deal remains possible and noted that discussions with the team are still ongoing. However, he has also acknowledged that Illinois will not simply hand over taxpayer dollars to keep the franchise.

If the Hammond project ultimately moves forward, it would mark the first time in the Bears' 106-year history that the team plays its home games outside Illinois. The Bears currently remain under lease at Soldier Field through 2033.

People's Bank & Trust has announced a number of employee promotions and staffing changes across its Consumer Banking and Operations departments.

In the Operations Department, Jennifer Mathis has been promoted to Assistant Vice President of Operations. Mathis will help oversee daily operational functions, staff leadership, and compliance efforts.

Brad Davis has also accepted a full-time bookkeeping position in Deposit Operations, where he will assist with daily banking functions and regulatory compliance.

Several promotions were announced in Consumer Banking as well.

Adriana Allen has been promoted to Assistant Vice President of Consumer Banking and will serve customers at the Taylorville and Morrisonville branches.

Mason Crowe has been promoted to Assistant Vice President of Consumer Banking for the Pana and Tower Hill branches.

Jeff Grimmett has taken on the role of Assistant Vice President of Consumer Banking for the Waverly, Chatham, and Palmyra branches.

The bank also announced the promotions of Sadie Waddington and Sophie Robinson to Consumer Banker positions. Waddington will serve customers at the Pana branch, while Robinson will work from the Taylorville branch.

For more information on Peoples Bank & Trust’s services or how they can help with consumer or business lending needs, contact the bank at 888-728-1954 or visit www.BankPBT.com.

Pictured below are the employees mentioned above.

The Taylorville Police Department is asking for the public's help following an incident involving a dog at Lake Taylorville Thursday evening.

According to police, an elderly couple driving a silver or gray golf cart was reportedly involved in an incident around 8 p.m. in which the golf cart struck a dog. Authorities say the golf cart then left the area without stopping.

Investigators are now working to identify both the golf cart and the individuals involved. Police are asking anyone who witnessed the incident or who may have information that could assist investigators to come forward.

The Taylorville Police Department says even small details could prove helpful as officers continue looking into what happened.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Taylorville Police Department directly by calling (217) 824-2211 or send a message through the department's social media page.

We'll continue to follow this story and provide updates as more information becomes available online at taylorvilledailynews.com

Lake Land College recently welcomed the medical-surgical care team from HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital for a special nursing education event at the Effingham Technology Center.

Sixty nurses attended the meeting, where they received hospital updates and participated in hands-on activities designed to strengthen their skills and support professional development. The event featured competency checks, skills stations, and realistic patient-care scenarios using Lake Land College’s high-fidelity patient simulator.

Nurses also learned about continuing education opportunities through Eastern Illinois University and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, helping them advance their careers while strengthening the healthcare workforce across the region.

Lake Land College officials say they value partnerships with healthcare providers and educational institutions that help improve patient care and expand opportunities for nursing professionals.

The event was supported through an Illinois Board of Higher Education Nursing School grant aimed at increasing the number of highly trained registered nurses serving communities throughout Illinois.

For more information about Lake Land College nursing programs or opportunities for collaboration with the department, please contact Cassandra Porter, Director of Nursing Programs, at cporter@lakelandcollege.edu or call 217-234-5452.

Pictured Below: Simulation Lab Nurse Rachael Walker in the Lake Land College Effingham Technology Center high-fidelity simulation lab with a group of nurses from HSHS St. Anthony Memorial Hospital. The Lake Land College Nursing Department recently hosted the nurses for the HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital Medical-Surgical Care team meetings.

Pictured Below: Simulation Lab Nurse Rachael Walker leads a high-fidelity patient simulation at the Lake Land College Effingham Technology Center during an HSHS St. Anthony Memorial Hospital Medical-Surgical Care team meeting.

Governor JB Pritzker is putting the brakes on new state agreements for data center projects as lawmakers continue debating how to regulate the rapidly growing industry.

The Governor announced Thursday that the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will pause processing new agreements under the state's Data Center Investment Program beginning July 1st.

The move comes as data centers have become a topic of discussion in several Illinois communities, including Christian County, where local officials have been exploring the possibility of attracting a future data center project.

Pritzker says Illinois must balance economic development with concerns about electricity costs, energy reliability, water usage, and environmental impacts. The Governor says data centers can consume as much electricity as a mid-sized city and, in some cases, millions of gallons of water per day.

The administration is calling for a comprehensive statewide policy that would require data centers to pay more of the infrastructure costs they create, support the development of new clean energy sources, and provide greater transparency to local communities.

The Governor is also proposing a pause on state tax incentives for future data center developments while lawmakers continue studying the industry's long-term impact.

Existing incentive agreements already approved by the state will not be affected.

Pritzker is urging legislators, consumer advocates, local governments, utilities, environmental groups, labor organizations, and industry leaders to work together on legislation during the fall veto session.

While this announcement does not prevent a data center from locating in Christian County, it could affect future state incentive agreements that developers may seek as part of a project.

The Village of Wapella has lifted the village-wide boil order issued earlier in the week to undergo water tower maintenance.

Residents of the Village of Wapella are no longer urged to boil their water to be used for consumption, as a bacteriological sample has shown that the water is now safe. 

Keep your eyes on taylorvilledailynews.com for updates on boil orders, weather events, and more!

Visitors to the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce’s website will now see a new way to find member businesses.  It’s called “Chamber Professionals,” and the feature is designed to help community members find businesses which provide the goods or services they need.  The Chamber’s Operations Coordinator April Wolfe says the change is part of the larger overhaul of the website. 

Chamber members will have the opportunity to attend the member appreciation breakfast happening Thursday, June 18 at the Pillars Event Center in Taylorville. 

The Taylorville Chamber also continues to prepare for Chillifest.  Despite recent construction in the city, the festival will again take place on the Taylorville square. 

More information on the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce is available at www.taylorvillechamber.com.

April Wolfe appeared as a guest on the WTIM Morning Show. 

At this time, the beach at Lake Taylorville is closed following a water sample from the lake showing the water to not be safe for swimming.

Once a sample can be taken showing that the lake water is safe to swim in again, the City of Taylorville, alongside health officials urge residents and visitors to stay out of the water until further notice. 

Stay tuned to taylorvilledailynews.com for an update once the lake is safe again and has reopened

In the midst of the final night of a recent legislative session, the Illinois House of Representatives passed House Bill 1700 (HB1700), a bill which modifies various clean energy and utility programs.

The bill provides amended provisions for multiple new energy facilities. Those energy facilities include new wind power facilities, utility-scale solar facilities, and battery energy storage solution facilities. The freshly passed bill allows for costs associated with the Illinois Solar for all Program to be paid through the program year, which is projected to conclude on May 31, 2028.

During floor debate on the bill, State Representative Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) said the government regulation that's done in the House, in this Senate, in this building is making it economically unfeasible for Illinois energy facilities to operate.
 
 

Halbrook told the bill's sponsor every time one of these bills come, we see trailer bills to solve problems that was created in the previous bill and no relief for the rate payer.  He asked when we will see relief for rate payers that have faced double and triple energy bills throughout last summer and will see continued increases this summer.

This bill now moves on to the Senate for further consideration and approval.

For more information or the status on senate and house bills that are currently undergoing discussions, or have passed legislation, visit www.ilga.gov.

Taylorville High School has its first-ever female individual state champion in IHSA-sanctioned sports.  Elsie Williamson took top spot in the Class 2A girls discus competition at the state championships at Eastern Illinois University in May.  The Tornadoes supplied further representation in Elayna Harker, who competed in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs.

Williamson says her title run is the culmination of years of work and the realization of the potential she saw in herself. 

As for Harker, she overcame health-related challenges to finish fifth in the 3200-meter run at this year’s championships. 

Harker, Williamson, and their many teammates had to train and compete amid turnover in the head coaching roles of the boys and girls teams.  They credit the incoming head coach, Jacob Koniak, for his dedication to the teams. 

The two athletes say training with the other members of the team has strengthened the interpersonal bonds between them and their teammates and has also pushed them toward success.

The full results of the Class 2A girls track and field state championships can be found here.  More information on Taylorville High School is available at ths.tcusd3.org.

Elayna Harker and Elsie Williamson appeared as guests on the WTIM Morning Show as part of our monthly Taylorville Schools Good News Segment. 

The Taylorville City Council members met for a specialized meeting with several Business owners who have storefronts or restaurants on the Taylorville Square. The meeting was to discuss a new DECO construction project, set to be decided on in October. 

At the meeting, Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry and the Taylorville Aldermen opened up the meeting to the business owners so that they could observe and discuss the new design proposal, drawn up by Benton Engineering. An engineer from Benton Engineering, Bill Seeman, presented this new design as the first render of what they think would work for giving the Taylorville Square a long-awaited facelift. 

According to Seeman, this design is just a first proposal. Seeman also said that the design is subject to changes and that he wanted input from the affected businesses. The concerns of the business owners were how long construction would take to finish, what their plans were for sidewalks outside, and how parking would work once this new design came to fruition. Seeman mentioned making the design more accessible for patrons and that there are still some undecided factors.

The big plan was to improve the Taylorville Square for the next generation of people. Seeman also mentioned that the plans are not finalized yet and that the input of the business owners from the square would ultimately help Benton mold the finalized design plan.

A last topic of discussion, was on the installation of public restrooms to be used for the shoppers on the square, The idea was accepted, and called a "great idea" by some of the local business owners, as the new public restrooms would keep shoppers on the square from leaving the area to utilize a restroom, hence keeping the business open and the foot traffic around for longer durations. The restrooms, if decided to be built, will be placed into a building located within easy walking distance from the square off of Main Cross and would be open during regular square business hours.

The matter of discussion and approval on the new public restrooms will be discussed and officially decided on at a later date.

At the end of the meeting, Mayor Barry thanked everyone for coming and providing their input on both the public restroom proposal and the new DECO project for the town square.

Pictured below is the drawing for the design project's current proposal, along with a key to help read the map.

For more news like this or to stay up to date with city council matters, keep following taylorvilledailynews.com.

A big Kiwanis thank you to The Christian County Coal Mine Museum, Taylorville Community Credit Union and Bob Ridings Ford for their dedication to serving children locally through their Taylorville Kiwanis Club corporate level memberships.

Kiwanis corporate membership allows a local business to join a local club as an organization, building community relationships and offering volunteering, networking, and leadership opportunities for its employees.  Key benefits for the company include recognition as a community partner through event sponsorships, logo presentation at Kiwanis sponsored events and promotion through local news outlets.

Taylorville Kiwanis offers several levels of corporate membership.  As a corporate member your company becomes part of an organization that is focused on helping the local youth and the community.  Kiwanis service projects are based on community needs.  Among the many projects that the Taylorville Kiwanis Club supports are the annual “Coats for Kids” effort for area children, Kiwanis Park at Lake Taylorville, program sponsorship at the Christian County Y.M.C.A., scholarships for graduating Taylorville High School seniors and sponsorship of  the Key Club and Builders Club at Taylorville schools.

To find out more about becoming a Taylorville Kiwanis corporate member visit taylorvillekiwanis.com or email the club at TaylorvilleKiwanis@gmail.com

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club is part of a global organization focused on supporting youth and the local community.  Weekly meetings are held Tuesdays at noon at the Taylorville Moose Lodge.  

Kemmerer Village is celebrating one year of its equine therapy being available to all youth in the area.  The Assumption-based Presbyterian child-care agency had long provided the service to its boarded youth before opening it to others.  Two different programs are available, and both are designed to help improve critical personal and interpersonal traits in kids who take part.

The R.I.D.E. program is open to all children aged 3-17.  The Horses & Heroes program accepts children in the same age range who have developmental delays.  Amie Sparks, the director of outreach and donor relations with the Kemmerer Village Foundation, says the programs use qualified therapists and volunteers to work with the participants. 

Kemmerer Village is far from the only organization that offers equine therapy.  The practice is common because of the connection children can create with horses and how it can help them grow. 

Sparks says kids who participate in the program develop further confidence and self-esteem, among other major changes. 

Sparks tells the story of one program participant.  She says the participant and the horse helped each other grow in confidence.

Community members can volunteer to work with riders in the Horses & Heroes program.  Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Jan Traughber at jan.traughber@kemmerervillage.org. 

Anyone interested in enrolling a child in one of the equine therapy programs can email Amber Miller, Kemmerer Village’s equine therapist, at amber.miller@kemmerervillage.org or call (217) 226-2226.  More information on Kemmerer Village is available at www.kemmerervillage.org.

Amie Sparks appeared as a guest on the WTIM Morning Show. 

Illinois Legislature has released the new 2027 fiscal year (FY2027) budget, a budget totaling $55.9 billion. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker spoke about this new budget in a press conference, the day after the legislative session came to a close. The new budget was confirmed approved with a vote count of 76 to 39.

Governor Pritzker states that this budget would be aimed at protecting working Illinois families, and would help defend against inflation costs on certain things such as buying a car, groceries, or what consumers have to deal with at the gas pump. Pritzker also mentioned that he believes this bill will push the state into the biggest form of economic growth that Illinois has ever seen.

Other Legislators, such as Republican Senator Steve McClure, voted no on the passing of this specific budget. According to Senator McClure, he voted no because it is yet again, another year of a record high budget, and more tax increases.

Speaking from the Democratic side, Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza also weighed in on the new budget. In a recent press release, Comptroller Mendoza showed no issues with the budget, and said, “I am pleased to see the state legislature conclude their work on time to pass a state budget for the new fiscal year beginning July 1. The Fiscal Year 2027 budget provides for a spending plan of $55.9 billion. It maintains stable funding for state government services and funds key state priorities for needs like K-12 education, MAP grants for college students, social and human services, nursing homes, public safety and Safety Net Hospitals while also acknowledging more could be done in future budgets for the Critical Access Pharmacy Program and for Community-Based Service Providers.”

Another legislator in disagreement, is Republican State Representative Brad Halbrook, who believes that this new budget plan will not be as perfect as Governor Pritzker and the bills supporters may think. State Representative Halbrook claims that this is another “Smoke and Mirrors” form of trickery to mask the budget’s real plan to allegedly hike taxes.

Find more about Illinois legislation and house or senate bills by going online to www.ilga.gov.

Solar panels are coming to the roof of the Taylorville Food Pantry.  Over a hundred panels are set to be installed in the coming days, with the aim of significantly curtailing the pantry’s use of electricity through more traditional means.  It comes as higher electricity bills have affected the operating costs at the food pantry along with the community members they serve.  Amy Hagen, one of the food pantry’s co-coordinators, says the panels will all be on the roof to conserve the ground space around the building. 

Pam Moses, another co-coordinator, says the food pantry is buying, not leasing, the solar panels to take advantage of tax incentives. 

Hagen says discussion on bringing in solar panels began three years ago, as part of their effort to reduce operating costs. 

The co-coordinators report a consistent number of new households visiting the food pantry in May compared with April.  They say rising costs in electricity but also in gas and other essentials have led to more new visitors at the pantry.

The Taylorville Food Pantry is located at 1429 East Main Cross.  They are open Tuesdays from 8:30-10 a.m., Thursdays from 5:30-7 p.m., and Saturdays from 8:30-9:30 a.m.  More information is available at www.taylorvillefoodpantry.com or by calling them at (217) 820-2651.

Amy Hagen and Pam Moses appeared as guests on the WTIM Morning Show. 

With the summer, the work of the school may seem done, but as Chris Clark, superintendent of South Fork can attest too, the work is never done. With graduation all wrapped up Clark says that it was quite the honor to watch this class walk across the stage.  For him watching classes graduate is always a special feeling. 

Clark says that with this graduation it’s been great to watch them grow and mature.  He came over as a principal and says it has been an honor to watch them grow from Kindergarten to graduation. 

As far as work at the school, no big projects this summer, but that doesn’t stop Clark from getting some stuff done at the school during the break.

Clark says that it is very impactful seeing people come up to him saying how nice it is to see how great the building and the grounds look. 

For more information on South Fork visit https://www.southforkschools.com/.  Chris Clark appeared as a guest live in our studios on the WTIM Morning Show. 

Illinois lawmakers have approved a nearly $56 billion state budget following an overnight legislative session that began Sunday evening and continued into the early hours of Monday morning.

The $55.9 billion spending plan includes less spending than Governor JB Pritzker proposed in February and is supported by a similar amount of projected revenue. House Bill 111, the budget measure, passed the Illinois Senate 37-21 shortly after 3 AM Monday and cleared the House 76-39 at approximately 4:15 AM. Lawmakers then moved on to the budget implementation bill, House Bill 2949.

The revenue package, Senate Bill 3019, passed the House 73-41 around 11:15 PM Sunday and was approved by the Senate around 12:30 AM Monday. Both votes were supported entirely by Democrats.

No Republican lawmakers voted for the budget, although some said they were more involved in the budget process than in recent years. The plan also includes an $830 million supplemental spending package for the current fiscal year.

Democrats had sought broader revenue measures, including taxes on large corporations and billionaires, but ultimately approved provisions that freeze corporate net operating losses and impose taxes on social media companies, digital assets, fantasy sports, tobacco products, and sports betting on prediction market websites.

To address affordability concerns, lawmakers delayed a planned 1.3-cent gas tax increase from July 1 until January and created a sales tax holiday on school supplies from August 7 through August 16. Republicans argued the relief measures do not go far enough, noting the gas tax increase will still take effect after the upcoming elections.

The budget was developed amid economic uncertainty tied to federal policy changes and international tensions, including the war in Iran. Budget analysts have recently lowered expectations, citing growing pessimism about the economy.

The plan also increases total funding for local governments by maintaining their share of state income tax revenue at 6.47%, allowing payments to grow through natural revenue increases. Governor Pritzker had proposed reducing that percentage.

Additional funding is included for K-12 education, higher education, pensions, and evidence-based school funding.

For complete details on the legislation, visit www.ilga.gov and select "Current Legislation" to view the budget-related bills.

Eleven Lincoln Land Community College agriculture students recently traveled to California's San Joaquin Valley to gain firsthand experience with one of the nation's most productive farming regions.
The weeklong industry tour, held May 23rd through the 29th, included stops in Bakersfield, San Luis Obispo and Fresno. Among the students participating was Sawyer Smith of Divernon and Michael Matesa from Staunton.

During the trip, students toured agriculture facilities at California Polytechnic State University and met with fruit, nut and livestock producers. The San Joaquin Valley produces nearly half of the fruits, vegetables and nuts grown in the United States each year.

Students learned about the challenges facing California agriculture, particularly the region's limited water supply. Local producers discussed the importance of irrigation, concerns over growing competition for water resources and the impact of groundwater regulations that are expected to significantly reduce water allotments in the coming years.

The group also explored agritourism operations, visited local farmers markets and traveled to several California landmarks, including Avila Beach and Yosemite National Park.

The California tour marks the fifth year Lincoln Land's agriculture program has offered industry travel opportunities. Previous trips have taken students to Texas, Ireland, Oregon and Italy, with plans already underway for an international trip in 2027.

The experience was supported by the Kreher Farm Perpetual Charitable Trust, Brandt Consolidated and Farm Credit Illinois.

Hart Media Group sat down with Ken Loeber with Eagle Rock Partners on Tuesday to discuss the potential community concerns of a data center in Christian County.  Hart Media Group posted these audio responses in their entirety, completely unedited, including Loeber's responses, for the public.  

Hart Media Group (HMG): Who is Eagle Rock Partners, and why are you seeking to build a Data Center in Christian County? 

Ken Loeber (KL): Audio1      

HMG: As an out of town developer, why would a Christian County Resident feel that you have their best interests at heart? 

KL:  (AUDIO2)      

HMG: How many jobs will this project bring to Christian County, both construction jobs and permanent jobs? 

KL: (Audio 3)            

HMG: What will be the tax implications of a project like this be?

KL: (Audio 4)            

HMG: There is concern that your proposed data center will use massive amounts of water impacting our citizens and our local farmers who rely on our water resources.  How much water will this data center use and should citizens of Christian County be concerned about their water?

KL: (Audio 5)          

HMG: There is also concern that your project will use massive amounts of electricity.  Will your project cause electric rates to go up for the citizens of Christian County?

KL: Audio 6          

HMG: Data Centers create noise.  Talk a bit about that and how much noise will be created by your project?

KL: Audio 7          

HMG: What is the most important thing you want to say to the citizens of Christian County who want to know about not only the jobs, but also the concerns around data centers? 

KL: Audio 8          

HMG: What will we be saying about this project, and what will we be seeing five years from now?

KL: Audio 9              

HMG: Anything else you think our listeners would like to know about Eagle Rock Partners and about the Data center that we haven’t talked about today?

KL: Audio 10              

Stay tuned to Taylorville Daily News for all the latest on the data center information.  To date, no data center information has been sent to the county, and no paperwork has been filed.  
 

The Taylorville Police Department has released the results of its recent Memorial Day Traffic Safety Campaign, which was conducted from May 15th through May 26th as part of an Illinois Department of Transportation traffic safety grant initiative.

The campaign focused on targeted traffic enforcement throughout the community with the goal of improving roadway safety and addressing traffic concerns identified by local residents. Police officials say reports from the community played a key role in helping officers identify traffic "hot zones" and areas where enforcement efforts were most needed.

During the campaign, officers conducted a variety of enforcement activities aimed at reducing dangerous driving behaviors and increasing compliance with Illinois traffic laws. According to the department, officers issued 28 speeding citations during the campaign, as well as 12 distracted driving citations involving cell phone use. Law enforcement agencies across the state continue to stress the dangers of speeding and distracted driving.

In addition to the traffic citations, officers made three traffic-related arrests during the enforcement period. 42 additional traffic citations for a variety of violations were also reported, including stop sign violations, driving without insurance, registration violations, and other traffic-related offenses.

The department notes that these numbers do not include routine patrol citations issued by officers during their normal day-to-day patrol duties. Instead, the statistics reflect enforcement actions taken specifically as part of the Memorial Day traffic safety campaign.

The Taylorville Police Department thanked residents who provided information and feedback regarding traffic concerns throughout the city, stating that those reports help officers better target enforcement efforts where they are needed most. The department also announced that another traffic safety campaign will take place later this month. Additional information about that upcoming enforcement effort will be released as the campaign date approaches.

Follow along with taylorvilledailynews.com for more updates on current and upcoming Taylorville Police Department campaigns.

Community members in Pana can now enjoy a new skate park.  The new space is called Lincoln Park, as it is in the same area as the old Lincoln Elementary School.  The skate park is the culmination of a years-long effort between city committees and the Pana Pride organization.  Officials from both entities hosted a grand opening on May 26.  Melissa Miller is the president of Pana Pride.  She says the skate park has already seen heavy use from the community. 

The space includes a “pump track,” which is a linear course that contains many elements of an enclosed skate park area. 

Miller applauds the effort to put the skate park together, saying that it was a result of effective collaboration with the planning committee and feedback from residents. 

Away from the skate park, the city’s annual celebration of Independence Day takes place the night before from 4:30-8:30 p.m. at the Pana fairgrounds.  Pana Pride is holding raffles to help raise money for the fireworks and their contributions to the festivities. 

Anyone interested in buying tickets can contact Pana Pride or any member of the organization’s leadership.  Contact information is available on their website, www.panapride.org.  Miller also reminds Pana residents of the Dumpster Days event, which takes place this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Melissa Miller appeared as a guest on the WTIM Pana Morning Show. 

A Taylorville Memorial Hospital employee is being recognized for her dedication to patients and coworkers.

Jennifer Prasun, a secretary in the hospital's physical therapy department, has been named Taylorville Memorial Hospital's Colleague of the Month for May.

According to nominations submitted on her behalf, Prasun is known for her warmth, reliability and willingness to help wherever needed. Colleagues say she frequently adjusts her schedule and stays late to ensure adequate coverage, while helping create a welcoming environment for both patients and staff.

Nominators noted that her calm and adaptable attitude helps keep the department running smoothly during busy times. They also praised her cheerful demeanor and ability to make patients feel comfortable from the moment they arrive.

Prasun was further recognized for remembering patients' names, preferences and personal details from previous visits, helping ease anxiety for first-time patients and providing support to coworkers during challenging shifts.

The Colleague of the Month award honors Memorial Health employees who demonstrate excellence in their work and exemplify the organization's mission, vision and values.

WIC users who are wondering why their cards have not been working now have an answer. WIC has reported that its processor for Illinois is currently down statewide.

Due to the processor being down, WIC cards will not work at any store throughout the entire state of IL. State officials have stated that they are actively working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, due to the root of the issue being the Illinois processor being completely down, your local WIC agency will not be able to assist with this issue.

For updates on the progress and status of the Illinois WIC processor, you can visit the Illinois Department of Human Services website by going to www.dhs.state.il.us.

The State of Illinois and the Department of Human Services appreciate your patience while they work through this issue.