Area News

By Debby Stricker The owners of a new house that was never occupied because of construction problems want to cut their losses and deed it to the bank.   That is how dire the situation is for Jonathan and Anne Powell over the manufactured house they own  east of Okawville.  They had it placed on…

By Travis Volz Budget matters were discussed at Thursday’s meeting of the West Washington County Unit District 10 School Board meeting. The board approved abating a portion of taxes to pay debt service on the bonds issued for the construction of the new school in 2017 and 2019. Superintendent Keith Senior also reported on the…

By Debby Stricker House sales in Okawville Township increased from 35 in 2021 to 37 in 2022, according to records of the Supervisor of Assessments Office. It was the second highest in the past ten years – only three less than the 40 sales in 2018 and 2020. The highest number of sales in the…

By Travis Volz A hit-and-run incident on Interstate 64 resulted in a brief pursuit of a subject who later died by suicide Sunday in Washington County. According to the Illinois State Police, the subject in question, who authorities have not yet identified, turned a gun on himself after being pursued into the woods near Mile…

By  Debby Stricker Kathy Cook has retired as  President of the Village Bank, after a 46 year career in banking. She initiated the sale of the bank headquartered in St. Libory to the First National Bank of Waterloo, which became effective in late 2022. Cook started working in the loan department in 1976 when her…

By Debby Stricker Summer (Lamczyk) Boyer called herself a “yo-yo dieter, losing weight for the short term, and then gaining it back, plus a little more.   “Growing up, I struggled with weight my whole life. I’d have a little success, but never anything sustainable,” she said. Boyer found success with Optimal Health, a program…

By Travis Volz The Nashville Police Department warned about scammers claiming to be fundraising for the department.  NPD received reports of residents being contacted via phone by someone claiming to represent the agency and asking for money for a fundraiser. “These calls are not coming from our agency and are spam,” NPD said in a…

By Travis Volz Sound carries well on cold, clear nights, and local residents are hearing more train whistles recently than in past months. Grain prices have been strong, so Top Ag in Okawville has been moving more grain on the rails in the last several weeks than was the case last year. “We like to…