Shelbyville High School seniors officially turned their tassels Saturday during the 2026 Commencement Ceremony, celebrating the accomplishments of the graduating class before family, friends, and community members. 

The ceremony opened with a welcome from Shelbyville High School Principal Kyle Ladd, who talked about "Andy" Cichalewski and his impact on him and his graduation.

Students were recognized throughout the ceremony for academic achievement, including Top Ten Recognition, Academic Excellence Awards, and Military Recognition. The program also featured speeches from the class salutatorians and valedictorian.

Salutatorians Lilyann Price and Sara Tynan spoke to their classmates about the memories, friendships, and lessons learned during their years at Shelbyville High School while encouraging graduates to look ahead to the future with confidence.

Valedictorian Elizabeth Kirkbride reflected on the class’s journey and thanked family members, teachers, and classmates for their support throughout the years.

Following the presentation of diplomas, the Class of 2026 was officially recognized as graduates of Shelbyville High School. The ceremony concluded with a benediction from Meredith Chambers and the recessional, Bryce Canyon Overture.  The ceremony was also broadcast on Cruisin 98.3 WSVZ.

A Christian County farmer has been selected to take part in a national agricultural leadership program. Mathew Heberling of Christian County is among 10 agricultural leaders chosen for the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 13th Partners in Advocacy Leadership, or PAL, class. The program is designed to help agricultural leaders strengthen their advocacy and leadership skills while promoting issues important to farmers and rural communities.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall says effective advocacy at the local, state and national levels has never been more important to advancing policies that support agriculture and strengthen rural America.

The PAL program includes four learning modules over a two-year period, featuring hands-on training in leadership development, legislative policymaking, issues management, social media and media relations.

To qualify for the program, participants must be Farm Bureau members between the ages of 30 and 45 and demonstrate strong leadership abilities. The program is sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation along with Farm Credit, Syngenta, John Deere and Merck Animal Health.

HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital is recognizing members of its nursing staff and support teams following National Nurses Week, which was celebrated May 6th through the 12th.

Hospital officials announced the winners of the 2026 Nursing Exemplar Awards during a special ceremony honoring employees who go above and beyond in patient care and service.

Chief Administrative Officer Anthony Powers praised the hospital’s nursing staff for their dedication and compassion. Powers said nursing is more than a career and titled it a true calling rooted in service, compassion, and commitment to others.

Powers also added that nurses at Good Shepherd Hospital continue to provide exceptional care to patients while supporting the community with professionalism and grace.

During the annual Nursing Exemplar Awards Ceremony, nominations were submitted by fellow employees, physicians, hospital leaders, and other staff members to recognize individuals who demonstrate excellence in their roles.

This year’s Preceptor of the Year Award was presented to Regina Waddington, a registered nurse recognized for mentoring and supporting fellow nurses.

The Clinical Excellence in Nursing Award went to registered nurse Mary Thull for outstanding patient care and dedication to the profession.

Trevor Storm was named Rookie of the Year, while Gloria Manship received the Ancillary Team Member of the Year Award for her work as a Patient Safety Assistant.

Hospital leadership also recognized two additional employees through special honor programs celebrating extraordinary service.

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses was presented to Angie Jesse, an LPN 2. At the same time, Kimberly Williams received the Bee Award, honoring exceptional ancillary team members, for her work as a Patient Care Assistant 2.

Hospital officials say the awards highlight the dedication and hard work of employees who continue making a difference in the lives of patients and families throughout the community.

For more information about Hospital Sisters Health System, go to www.hshs.org

For info on Good Shepherd Hospital, visit www.hshs.org/good-shepherd

The Illinois State Police has released video connected to an officer-involved shooting involving a Decatur man armed with a crossbow.

According to investigators, the incident happened on April 22nd at around 9:22 in the morning. Officers with the Decatur Police Department were called to the 300 block of East William Street for reports of an armed subject. Police say 54-year-old Michael Boliard of Decatur was later followed into a building in the 400 block of East William Street.

Authorities say Boliard then pointed a crossbow at officers. In response, officers fired their weapons, striking Boliard. Officers immediately began providing medical aid at the scene before he was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Police say Boliard survived the shooting and was released from the hospital on May 5th. He was then taken into custody and is now facing several charges, including aggravated assault of a peace officer, armed violence, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, possession of a controlled substance, and multiple counts of threatening public officials.

Boliard is currently being held at the Macon County Jail while court proceedings continue.

The Illinois State Police say the shooting investigation was requested by the Decatur Police Department and remains ongoing. Once completed, the case will be turned over to the Macon County State’s Attorney’s Office for review.

State police also say the video is being released as part of their commitment to public transparency. No additional information has been released at this time.

To view the released body cam footage from this incident, CLICK HERE.

The Hart Media Group invites the community to its first ever golf outing.  The Summer Scramble is set for Friday, June 26 at Lakeshore Golf Course in Taylorville.  Sponsorship opportunities are available, and prizes are on hand through raffles and the golfing itself.  Matt Hart, who owns the Hart Media Group, says the golf outing is designed to appeal to everyone, including non-golfers, and funds raised will support the company’s work.

Registration opens at 10:30 a.m., with the lunch and raffle drawings beginning a half-hour later.  The golfing will commence at noon.

Prizes include tickets to the Illini, Cardinals, and concerts.  Hart says the prizes line up with the Hart Media Group radio stations’ programming. 

The Hart Media Group has already secured a presenting sponsor in Refreshment Services Pepsi.  Several other sponsorship tiers are available, as well.  Interested sponsors must register by the end of May to ensure the advertising they pay for can be produced. 

Registration for the Summer Scramble – whether as a participant or a sponsor – can be completed here.

Matt Hart appeared as a guest on the WTIM Morning Show. 

Taylorville Memorial Hospital is gearing up for the next iteration of its Community Health Needs Assessment.  The assessment will formally be carried out next spring, with the results released immediately after.  However, the process begins long before then, with efforts to collect feedback from patients and other key organizations and stakeholders.  Aaron Puchbauer, TMH’s new president and CEO, says the provider hopes to compare goals and outcomes between the next assessment and the previous one from two years ago. 

There are also opportunities for community members to provide input ahead of the next report. 

Puchbauer sees correlations between the results from the previous assessment and a recent four-star rating TMH received from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 

In the meantime, Taylorville Memorial Hospital has set aside this week as Healthcare Week.  As part of it, they look to recognize their many healthcare workers and behind-the-scenes staff involved in the provider’s day-to-day operations. 

More information on Memorial Health is available at memorial.health.

Aaron Puchbauer appeared as a guest on the WTIM Morning Show. 

The road across the main dam at Lake Shelbyville will be closed at 8 A.M. on May 18th till 5 P.M. on May 21st. The closures apply to both vehicle and pedestrian traffic; access to the Dam West Overlook area will also be closed at this time.

These closures are necessary to provide safety for workers and members of the general public while work is being conducted. The Corps of Engineers recognizes the impact of road closures on the public and appreciates your patience and understanding.

For the latest updates, please visit the Lake Shelbyville US Army Corps of Engineers Facebook page. For additional information, contact the Lake Shelbyville Project Office at (217) 774-3951.