Area News

By Travis Volz Amy Forbeck followed in her mother’s footsteps when she decided to become a teacher, but she is blazing her own trail in her work with special education students. Forbeck who began her first school year at Okawville last week, is a special education teacher for students in kindergarten through third grades. She…

By Travis Volz Though education is essentially a second career, the new principal at St. Ann School in Nashville has a wealth of experience he brings to the job. Anthony Bodnar was hired as the school’s principal, bringing decades of experience as a member of the military and an educator. After more than two decades…

A Steeleville man died as a result of a motorcycle crash near Nashville last Thursday morning. Bradley Ferris, 40, was killed as a result of the motorcycle crash on South Grand Avenue near Nashville at 11:44 a.m. Thursday, August 11. According to the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, Ferris failed to negotiate a curve, left the…

Eight young Washington County women are candidates for Okawville Fair Queen. The judging and coronation will be held Friday, September 16 at 7 p.m. at Okawville High. Queen Candidates: *Sebrenna Bodendieck of Hoyleton, daughter of Monica Pflasterer; sponsored by McDonalds of Nashville. *Bryleigh Prest of rural Marissa, daughter of Brian and Debbie Prest; sponsored by…

By Debby Stricker The county Jail had 8 county inmates and 5 federal inmates in July, according to the report of Sheriff Len Campbell at the County Board meeting last week. The Department made 21 criminal arrests, 34 traffic arrests, and issued 19 warnnings.  The Ambulance Dept. provided $80,714 worth of service fees, with income…

By Travis Volz Having grown up in the area, Theodore Dudeck is very familiar with Okawville. As the new history teacher, he will get to know the community even better. Dudeck was hired as the new history, civics, psychology and sociology teacher at Okawville, a job that he wanted as soon as he heard about…

By Travis Volz Tina Kassebaum brings a wealth of experience in education to her new role as principal at Immanuel Lutheran School in Okawville. Kassebaum, a commissioned minister with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, has served as director of Christian education and trained educators at both Lutheran and public schools during her career. Born in…

By Debby Stricker Fifteen years ago Mike O’Rear started collecting knife steels because he thought no one else collected them. “ I wanted to collect something unusual,” he said. O’Rear searched antique malls and went to auctions to buy the tools used for sharpening knives. Knife steels are not all that rare and usually cost…

By Travis Volz Since April, COVID case counts in Washington County have been on the rise, and July has already surpassed June in the total number of new cases reported by the Illinois Department of Public Health. July has already seen 93 new cases in the county, which is more than the 88 cases reported…

By Travis Volz After initial bids for the new fire house in Okawville came in over bid, initial construction work on the project started last week. Construction crews began ground work on the new building, which will be located west of the Dairy Queen on State Route 177. Plans for the new building were approved…