Around The Burg
Weather
Friday: Sunny. High 76. Low 51.
Saturday: 45 percent chance of rain. High 76. Low 54.
Sunday: 55 percent chance of rain. High 69. Low 45.
Mark Your Calendar
Sunday, Oct. 20 Bloody Mary Brunch, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., The Vault, 330 E. Tompkins St. Proceeds benefit Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank.
4-H
4-H members in Illinois joined the 6 million youth across the country in celebrating National 4-H Week Oct. 6-12. Clubs around Illinois celebrated this week by highlighting the remarkable 4-H youth in their communities and showcasing the incredible experiences that 4-H offers young people.
Illinois 4-H is the flagship youth program for the University of Illinois Extension and the largest out-of-school youth organization in Illinois. 4-H youth development programs in Henderson, Knox, McDonough, and Warren counties challenge youth to “learn by doing” with fun, hands-on activities. Kids can learn, practice, and demonstrate new skills while exploring the interests that are important to them.
In 4-H, youth are brought together in clubs, led by caring adults, who welcome them as a part of the larger 4-H family.
“4-H provides an opportunity to young people to explore things they care about. Many projects that our members take in 4-H aren’t available in school,” says Shelby Carlson, 4-H Youth Development Educator. “We hope that in 4-H, youth find the thing that sparks their passion and perhaps opens their idea to a new career.”
In 4-H, members learn about topics that interest them through projects. That could be anything from learning how to cook, build a robot, or care for the environment. Members can explore these topics through 4-H experiences such as community clubs, special interest clubs, workshops, and more.
“No matter your child’s interest, 4-H has a spot for them,” continues Shelby Carlson. “Locally we have everything from shooting sports and robotics to livestock judging and leadership. There really isn’t an interest that 4-H can’t help your child learn more about.”
Illinois 4-H members range in age from 8 to 18. Youth who are 5 to 7 years of age may join 4-H as a Cloverbud member. The cost to join 4-H for the year is $20 and scholarships are available. New members can get more information by visiting go.illinois.edu/hkmw.
Contact your local 4-H office for more information:
Knox (309) 342-5108
Carnival Delights
On Oct. 19 Carnival Delights opened in Downtown Knoxville. They are a one of a kind ice cream shop which will allow you to eat all your favorite carnival type foods year round. They have hand dipped corn dogs, lemonade shake ups, funnel cakes topped with soft serve ice cream, and a circus tent dining area.
CASA of West Central Illinois
2024-CASA of West Central Illinois is proud to announce the celebration of its 30-year anniversary.
Since its inception in 1994, CASA has worked to support its mission of speaking up for and supporting the best interests of abused and neglected children in the court system. Over the years, CASA has grown from serving children in Knox County originally, to serving children in Warren, Henderson, and McDonough Counties as well.
In commemoration of this significant milestone, CASA has planned a Ribbon Cutting with the Galesburg Area Chamber of Commerce and a cake celebration on Thursday, October 24th, at 11 a.m. at the Galesburg CASA office at 49 N. Prairie St., Suite A.
"We are incredibly grateful to our team of dedicated volunteers, community supporters, Board of Directors, staff, and partner organizations who made it possible for us to reach this milestone,” said Kelly Radeke, Executive Director. Every child who has experienced abuse and/or neglect deserves a caring adult focused solely on ensuring their best interests are being heard. Our goal is for children to have a safe, permanent, and loving home. Working with the judicial system, hard-working caseworkers, and Guardian ad Litems, we are able to help make that a priority.”
CASA recruits, trains, and supervises volunteer CASAs, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, to be the voice for children in the courtroom. Advocates complete a 30-hour training course, are sworn in by the Juvenile Judge, and receive a case to support. CASAs meet with the children in their case monthly, ensure they are receiving much needed services, corresponds with caseworkers, and speak with teachers, doctors, biological parents, and anyone else involved with the case. Volunteers then prepare a report for the Juvenile Judge to help them determine the best course of action and attend each court hearing. Each CASA provides best-interest, health & well-being, and educational advocacy.
CASA of West Central Illinois served 176 children last year with 60 volunteers. There are currently over 175 children in foster care in Knox, Warren, Henderson, and McDonough Counties who are in need of a Volunteer CASA. For more information on becoming a volunteer, visit www.casaofwestcentralillinois.org.
Disaster Relief
Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17), the only meteorologist in Congress, is calling on Congress to return to Washington to help impacted Americans and pass much-needed disaster relief as Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida and in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
“As a meteorologist for over two decades, I have witnessed up-close massive floods, tornados, hurricanes, derechos, and other extreme weather events that have destroyed homes, shuttered businesses, and harmed livelihoods. With Milton and Helene, we are seeing these types of hurricanes intensify at a more rapid pace, leaving us with little time to prepare for the road to recovery,” said Sorensen.
“Congress has the responsibility to be good neighbors, step in, and help those communities across the country that are struggling to rebuild in the aftermath of natural disasters, including right here in Illinois. I am calling on Speaker Johnson to bring the House back into session, set partisan politics aside, and do the work that the people sent us here to do: help impacted Americans by making sure FEMA and the Small Business Administration have disaster relief funds.”
While the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has stated they have enough funding to meet the needs of Hurricane Helene and Milton victims, the severity of Milton may prevent FEMA from assisting other disaster relief efforts across the nation.
In addition to supporting small businesses, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) can issue loans to help homeowners and businesses recover after a disaster. According to the SBA, they have only a few weeks of funding left.
Last month, Congress set aside an additional $20 billion for disaster relief in a short-term government funding package through December 20, 2024. Damage from these storms could be in the hundreds of billions of dollars.
F&M Bank
In this month's scam, cybercriminals are taking advantage of the upcoming United States elections to try and steal your personal information and money. The scams vary slightly and involve fake text messages, social media posts, phone calls, and more. Cybercriminals use AI to make these phishing attempts even more convincing. These scams can be easy to fall for since political candidates also use these methods to raise funds and promote their campaigns.
In one version of this scam, you receive a text message or email with a malicious link directing you to donate to a political candidate. The link takes you to a fake webpage asking you to share your credit card number. If you donate, your money goes directly into the cybercriminals’ pockets. The cybercriminals also pretend to be campaign volunteers and send fake surveys requesting your personal and financial information. In another version of this scam, you receive a phone call asking you to update your voter information or register to vote. If you provide your voter information on the call, the cybercriminals will steal it!
Follow these tips to avoid falling victim to an election-themed scam:
Before you click a link, always hover your mouse over it. Only use secure, official websites to donate funds to candidates and register to vote.
This scam concerns the US elections, but remember that cybercriminals can use these tactics during elections in any country.
Trust your instincts. If you receive suspicious phone calls, messages, or emails, follow your organization’s reporting policies.
First Student
Galesburg School District’s transportation provider has almost all the electric school buses it asked for under a federal infrastructure bill passed in Congress two years ago.
The Galesburg bus yard has received 19 of 23 electric buses, all of the chargers have been installed at their facilities, and they’re currently going through an inspection process through the Illinois Department of Transportation. Drivers will have to undergo High Voltage training, and will have to have special tools and other equipment to work on the buses.
23 of First Student’s 40 diesel buses will be phased out. Currently, the district runs 36 routes, and unlike traditional electric vehicles, they may lose a little bit of a charge during cold weather months, but not much.
Galesburg Airport
The city owned Galesburg Municipal Airport, classified as a local airport, recently received upgraded status to a regional facility.
The regional classification will boost services and allow for additional funding from the FAA.
Hope Initiative
Hope Initiative is dedicated to providing valuable resources to the community. To ensure the highest quality of events and programs, they have made the difficult decision to prioritize their partnership efforts at this time.
The Community Distribution Day event is canceled. This decision comes in light of increased partnerships with nonprofit organizations that will benefit the community in the long term.
Free products will still be available to you, however it will be exclusively distributed through their partners.
Hope Initiative will continue to look for opportunities to be a blessing through community outreach and bonus events. Whether it’s through their nonprofit partners, or directly working with residents of the community, Hope Initiative’s mission is still to distribute hope to those in need.
Hope Initiative’s partners are as follows: Abingdon-Avon CUSD #276 (Hedding Grade School), All Star Sports Academy (Skate Palace), Calvary Assembly, CASA of West Central Illinois, Cat N Round Rescue, Eagle View Community Health System, Family Planning Service of Western Illinois, Inc., First Baptist Church of Galva Food Pantry, First Christian Church Galesburg, First Christian Church Knoxville, FISH of Galesburg, Fulton County Drug Court, Fulton County Probation, Galesburg Christian School, Galesburg First Lutheran Church Food Pantry, Galesburg Rescue Mission and Women’s Shelter, Goodwill Industries of Central Illinois Galesburg, Grace Lutheran Church Food Pantry, GraceWay Church of God, Habitat for Humanity Knox County, Hancock County Drug Court, Hancock County Probation, Henderson County Probation, Highpoint Church Care Center, Jamieson Community Center, Kewanee Food Pantry, Knox County Humane Society, Knox County Drug Court, Knox County Housing Authority, Knox County Mary Davis Home, Knox County Probation, Knox County YMCA, Knoxville Community Food Pantry, Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank, McDonough County Probation, McDonough County Drug Court, Monmouth College, Office of General Assistance, Private Pantry, River of Life Assembly of God, Roseville Kids Place, Safe Harbor Family Crisis Center, Salvation Army Canton, Salvation Army Galesburg, Second Baptist Church, Stone-Hayes, The Cupboard & Closet, Turning Point Child Advocacy Center, VNA Community Services, Warming Shelter, Warren County Probation, Western Illinois Regional Council, and Women’s Pregnancy Center.
Howl at The Moon
Tickets are now on sale for Thrive Community Services fall fundraising event - Howl at the Moon. A unique nightlife experience from downtown Chicago, the lively group is returning to Galesburg Friday, November 8. The professional pianists and musicians from the popular hot-spot Howl at the Moon will perform crowd favorite songs and audience requests in this high-energy, live music show.
Last year’s hit performance helped raise over $12,000 for the organization which provides services for community members with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This year funds raised will help continue to raise funds for an outdoor recreation space. Tickets are $35 each with a table of 10 for $315. Light snacks will be on hand. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. Arrive early for drink specials from Reserve Artisan Ales.
Sponsors for this exciting event are: DD Homes, Big Catz BBQ, F&M Bank, Galesburg Broadcasting, Regional Office of Education #33, Mechanical Services Inc, Midwest Bank, AssuredPartners, Bayer Family Community Advancement Fund, Innkeepers Coffee, Klingner & Associates, MC Sport & More, Principal – Marsh Associates, Yemm Auto Group.
Join us at this marquee event and help Thrive Community Services in their mission to empower individuals to live their best lives. Tickets can be purchased at https://thrivegalesburg.networkforgood.com/events/76176-howl-at-the-moon.
Established in 1956, Thrive Community Services, formerly KCCDD, has a long history of advocating and providing services in Galesburg. Current programs include community day services, community employment services, SOAR respite program and Gordon Behrents Senior Center. Today, the organization serves over 300 individuals.
For more information please contact Dylana Larson at dlarson@thrivegalesburg.org or call 309-344-2600 ext. 1204.
Prairie Moon Farm
The newest attraction at Prairie Moon Farm is a Spooky Maze. This maze is geared toward younger kids, but is fun for all ages! Entry is $3 per person, and can be found at their kettle corn stand.
ROE #33
State Senator Mike Halpin recently announced over $300,000 is coming to the area to enhance adult volunteer literacy and library programs.
“Our libraries and their programs underpin a community where everyone has access to resources to bolster their education,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “With this funding, our neighbors will be able to continue their efforts in improving their reading, writing, math and English literacy skills.”
The grants were awarded by Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Alexi Giannoulias, who has awarded nearly $22 million for library services and $6 million for literacy programs throughout the state.
The goal of these grants is to enhance online catalogues, support day-to-day operations, expand interlibrary loan programs and equip vision-impaired individuals with narrations of newspaper content. The literacy grants are designed to promote basic reading, math, writing and English language skills.
Awardees in the 36th Senate District include:
· Black Hawk College:$49,000
· Regional Office of Education 33: $172,153 33
· Board of Trustees of WIU: $36,968
· Moline Public Library: $16,000
· APRIS, Augustana Public Radio Information Service: $28,613
· Rock Island Public Library: $5,950
“Equipping our libraries with the resources they need to increase services and expand offerings is essential to enhancing the accessibility of learning materials for all Illinois residents regardless of their geographic location, accessibility needs, income status or educational level,” Giannoulias said. “Meanwhile, increasing the state’s literacy level results in opportunities for individual success and makes communities stronger.”
Taste of Africa
The area’s first African Restaurant, Taste of Africa, opened October 12 at 220 South Main Street in Monmouth.
Thrive
Thrive Community Services board of directors kicked off the October meeting with updates to leadership and additions to the board. Board director Luan Statham, retired School District 205, has taken over as board president from Trent Cox, Vice President at F&M Bank. Randy Conlon of Office Specialists, an ABS company, has been appointed Vice President and Doug Gibb of Compassus moves into the secretary role.
Joining the board are Jodi Scott, Regional Superintendent of Schools; Autumn Scott, Vice President of Student Development at Carl Sandburg College; and Katie Smith, Department of Corrections. Continuing on the board as directors are Trent Cox of F&M Bank, Adam Benedict of Mechanical Services, Inc., Pat Egan of Egan Law, Cal Palmer of RFMS, and Amber Wold of Graham Health.
“We are grateful for the time and dedication by our members who have recently concluded their time on the board – Diane Kroll and Yolanda Stigner,” states former board president Trent Cox.
Established in 1956, Thrive Community Services, formerly KCCDD, has a long history of advocating and providing services in Galesburg. Current programs include community day services, community employment services, SOAR respite program and Gordon Behrents Senior Center. Today, the organization serves over 300 individuals.
For more information please contact Dylana Larson at dlarson@thrivegalesburg.org or call (309) 344-2600 ext. 1204.
Thrushwood Farms
On Oct. 7 the Galesburg City Council voted unanimously to approve the agreement with Thrushwood Farms Quality Meats, Inc., a subsidiary of Western Smokehouse Partners, to proved $1 million of public financial support as the firm prepares to expand its workforce in Galesburg 150-180 new manufacturing jobs.
The agreement is to facilitate the expansion of food production operations at the 179,000 square foot former Maytag site. Western Smokehouse Partners is expected to become one of Galesburg’s largest employers with this development their local workforce will grow to over 350 employees.
United Way of Knox County
United Way is overjoyed to welcome their newest board member, Andrew Thomas! They are eager to see the positive impact that he will bring to United Way and Knox County as a whole through this role.
Walk of the Dead
Walk of the Dead Haunted Trail is now open Fridays and Saturdays in October from 7:00 – 11:00 pm. Located behind Lakeside Water Park (1033 S Lake Storey Road, Galesburg) the haunted trail offers patrons a terrifying haunted walk through the woods. In its eighth year of operation, Walk of the Dead Haunted Trail is managed by the non-profit AGES Community in cooperation with the City of Galesburg. The cost is $20 per person.
“This year’s trail is the longest trail we’ve done, almost twice as long as last year’s trail,” says organizer Darla Krejci. “We have some new scares and some old favorites. Every year we do things differently, so if you’ve come a previous year, we promise this year will be different.”
Organizers recommend the haunt to children older than 13 years of age. The event is entirely outdoors and weather permitting so please dress accordingly. No open toed shoes, slippers, flip-flops or slides allowed.
Proceeds from the haunted trail help support the city’s nature programs and other recreational activities including the Fishing Derby. AGES Community has also shared proceeds with local non-profits including the VNA, the Hygiene Pantry, Huntington's Disease Society of America, various food pantries, the library youth, Junk for Jingles and Knoxville Key Club.
For more information and weather related updates, follow Walk of the Dead on Facebook and Instagram. Tickets available at the ticket booth or online at www.agescommunity.org.
WIU
Western Illinois University is offering an exciting opportunity for prospective students by waiving the $30 application fee throughout October for all undergraduate, domestic applicants. This waiver applies exclusively to domestic undergraduate students.
Western is the perfect size university, with physical resources such as crime labs, nursing simulation areas, an Emergency Operations Center and performance spaces that will be enhanced by our new $120 million Center for the Performing Arts. And we are small enough to provide a personalized education, where professors know your name and making friends is easy. WIU focuses on student learning to prepare students for careers or graduate school study.
Interested students can apply for undergraduate admission by visiting wiu.edu/apply.
To explore undergraduate programs, go to wiu.edu/academics.
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