Area News
County Board Approves Audit, New Okawville Polling Place
The results of an audit of the county’s books came back clean, but the auditor cautioned that those results relied primarily on revenue from Prairie State Energy Campus. Gary Malawy of Krehbiel and Associates presented the findings of the audit at last week’s meeting of the Washington County Board, which found no instances of non-compliance.…
Read MoreOver 40% Of Houses Sold For Less Than Assessment In 2018
The fair market value set by the Supervisor of Assessments Office is not always in range of the actual selling price, according to an analysis of Washington County real estate transactions in 2018. Forty-four percent of houses sold last year had selling price less the market value set by assessed valuation. Only 27 percent sold…
Read MoreLocal Attorney Named Jefferson County Public Defender
Attorney Letisha Luecking is now the First Assistant Public Defender in Jefferson County. She represents people charged with serious crimes who do not have funds for legal fees. Luecking has closed her legal practice in Nashville that specialized in family law. It was located in an office in the Koch Insurance building. Luecking had a…
Read MoreNightmare Inspires Local Author’s Horror Tale
Most people try to forget their nightmares. Tony Thompson of Okawville used his nightmare for inspiration. Thompson’s creepy dream a dozen years ago was the genesis of the horror novel, Dryver’s Fields, that was recently published by iUniverse Publishing. To read more about this local author, pick up a copy of the paper.
Read MoreFredbird in Nashville
Cardinal mascot Fredbird will make an appearance at Lee’s Sports in Nashville Saturday June 15. From 10 a.m. to noon he will greet people and pose for photos. St. Ann’s Catholic Church youth group will sell hotdogs donated by the Dairy Queen to raise money for a mission trip to Cairo. On the mission trip…
Read MoreBattling Substance Abuse in Washington County
With the opioid crisis reaching into rural counties across the country, one area group is determined to do something about it. After some success in Randolph County, the Southern Illinois Substance Abuse Alliance is looking to make a difference in Washington County as well.
Read MoreAddieville Fire Department Host Lunch
Not many fire departments have a book written about their history. The Addieville Department now does, thanks to former Addieville resident Don Ostendorf. The Fire Department hosted a lunch Sunday at the Addieville Community Club to launch the book written by Ostendorf and published by the Fire Department. For more on this story, pick up…
Read MoreJune Is Dairy Month
The month is designated as “June Is Dairy Month” to honor milk producers across the country. Washington County currently has 29 dairy farms, according to the Dairy Program Manager of the Illinois Department of Public Health. An article about one county producer, Mike Chwasczinski of rural Ashley, is featured in this edition. Pick one up…
Read MoreHeritage Days This Weekend
Old-fashioned games, entertainment, home cooking, a soda festival and museum tours will be part of the 37th Annual Heritage Days in Okawville this weekend. The event hosted by the Heritage House Museum Association will be held Saturday and Sunday, June 8th and 9th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Schlosser House property at…
Read MoreWet Spring Could Mean Tough Decisions for Farmers
Area farmers are playing catch-up on the spring planting season due to an unusually wet spring. “It has been a challenge,” said area farmer Ron Hackstadt. “We really haven’t been able to get much corn in before this last week.” According to the USDA Crop Progress Report released last week, corn planting in Illinois is…
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