Meet In CommonNews

Local news in and around Normal, IL

Sullivan Times · Clinton, IL

Nearby: Clinton, IL

In Times Past: 4-12-1924

Students in Meet Show Real TalentThe Wabash Valley Current Event Bee and Musical contests held at the First M. E. Church in Sullivan Friday night was successful in every particular with Harold Haywood of Clinton school taking first place in the Current Event Bee, Miss Harriet Nell Bicknell of Sullivan High winning first place in the piano test and Miss Mary Edna Wittenberger of Normal High at Terre Haute taking first place in the voice test with Hoagland Shaffer of Sullivan second.Musicians and music lovers were given a rare treat in the voice and piano contests. Nine schools had chosen their outstanding artists and the concert that resulted pleased and delighted the audience. Voices ranged from the lyric soprano to the mezzo contralto and two boys in the contest sang baritone solos that won decided applause. Miss Wittenberger, the winner of the voice contest, had a range that was remarkable and her voice was clear and strong. Hoagland Shaffer’s song was well rendered and beautiful.

Tryon Daily Bulletin · Morton, IL

Nearby: Morton, IL

Pumpkins and Thanksgiving

Cooler mornings, falling leaves, and Thanksgiving anticipation; is there a better month than November? You will notice a different format this month. It’s just one sister cooking. Lucy has been recovering in rehab from a stress fracture in her back. But she’s doing well, and we hope she can be back home in time for Thanksgiving. But I have some delicious recipes for you. But first let’s talk pumpkin. The oldest evidence of Cucurbita pepo is pumpkin fragments found in Mexico, dated between 7,000 and 5,500 BC. One theory regarding the origin of the name “pumpkin” relates to the “Massachusett” word, used by the Wampanoag people, “pôhpukun”, meaning “grows forth round”. This term may have been used when introducing pumpkins to English Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony, located in present-day Massachusetts. In 2017, the United States produced over 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins. According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, 95 percent of the U.S.

Quincy Herald Whig · Washington, IL

Nearby: Washington, IL

District champions: Hannibal takes down Parkway North behind a four-TD night from Washington

ST. LOUIS — Hannibal stuck to its offensive formula of being physical and running downhill, which wore down Parkway North in the Class 4 District 4 championship game on Friday night at Viking Field. It also opened up big plays for Hannibal, who routed Parkway North 57-19 to win its second straight district championship and sixth one in the past seven years. “In these cold games, getting a little physical is a big thing and I definitely feel like we were the more physical team tonight,” said Pirates senior running back Darrion Washington. When it’s cold, physicality means a lot more than when it’s hot.” Washington had a monster game, scoring a total of four touchdowns. “It’s definitely a blessing,” said Washington. “I always give glory to God. It’s just a matter of work for all the years that I put in and keep continuing to put in. I got goals for football and for my future.

The Triibe · Washington, IL

Nearby: Washington, IL

In conversation with Stacie Johnson, Chicago’s first Black first lady

Stacie Johnson is the first Black woman to serve as Chicago’s First Lady. She’s a devout woman of faith who is deeply protective of her family’s private lives. Who can blame her? Black America prayed as the country’s first Black family left Chicago’s South Side for the White House in 2009. Through those eight years in Washington, D.C., pundits and critics dissected just about everything First Lady Michelle Obama wore and did. The same scrutiny fell onto her daughters, Malia and Sasha, who were 10 and 7, respectively, when they moved into the White House. First Lady Johnson has mostly avoided the spotlight until now. In October, she sat down with The TRiiBE for her first interview since Mayor Brandon Johnson took office in 2023. She chose Green Tomato Cafe in North Lawndale, one of her favorite neighborhoods, as the place to chat. The cafe provides healthy food options to the community, and that’s important to her.

Block Club Chicago · Washington, IL

Nearby: Washington, IL

Mike Quigley Wins Another Term Representing Illinois’ 5th District

CHICAGO — U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley has won reelection to represent Illinois’ 5th Congressional District, securing another term in Washington as he campaigns to become Chicago’s next mayor. Quigley defeated Republican challenger Tommy Hanson, claiming 74.8 percent of the vote with 38.7 percent of votes counted, with The Associated Press calling the race at 8:09 p.m. Quigley, a Chicago Democrat, has represented the district since 2009. The 5th District covers much of Chicago’s North Side and parts of the northwest suburbs, including Arlington Heights, Palatine, Des Plaines and Glenview. It is a longtime Democratic stronghold. In an interview Tuesday before polls closed, Quigley told Block Club he started his Election Day speaking with students at Truman College, volunteering at a local food pantry and making calls to political allies around the country. He also tracked turnout and checked in with candidates, congratulating winners and consoling those whose races were not going their way.

Quincy Herald Whig · Lincoln, IL

Nearby: Lincoln, IL

Quincy University senior named 2026 Lincoln Academy Student Laureate

QUINCY — Quincy University senior Megan Schill has been named a 2026 Student Laureate by The Lincoln Academy of Illinois, an annual statewide honor recognizing academic achievement, leadership, and civic engagement. Schill, a native of Grand Forks, N.D., was formally honored alongside 49 other outstanding graduating seniors from Illinois’ four-year, degree-granting colleges and universities during the academy’s 52nd annual recognition ceremony on Oct. 24 at the Old State Capitol State Historic Site in Springfield. Each recipient received the Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement Award, a Lincoln medallion, a challenge coin, and a $1,000 stipend. “We at Quincy University are honored each year to see one of our graduating seniors recognized by the Lincoln Academy for outstanding academic achievement and character,” said Quincy University President Brian McGee. “Megan Schill, an impressive student and scholar, is our Lincoln Academy honoree for this year.

Norly News · Peoria, IL

Nearby: Peoria, IL

Civic Tech in Small Towns: Low-Budget Wins

Civic technology wins in small towns rarely start with software. They start with reuse. An open standard lets a town plug its complaint inbox into apps residents already carry. Code one city published runs in another after a few days of setup. The pattern is on the record. Bloomington, Indiana built an open source service-request system. Per Open311.org, it was redeployed in Columbus, Indiana and Peoria, Illinois. The catch is capacity. A town of a few thousand has no dev shop and no procurement office. Its budget rules out enterprise contracts. That is why workable civic tech for small towns borrows instead of builds, and why the borrowable parts matter more than the demos. The same delivery logic runs through benefits payment modernization in state and federal systems, and this site follows both threads in its civictech coverage. What an Open Standard Buys a Small Town Open311 is a spec, not a product. The GeoReport v2 format is its core. The project finalized it on March 11, 2011.

Kirksville Daily Express · Williamsville, IL

Nearby: Williamsville, IL

Truman volleyball earns three first-team All-GLVC honors

Three Truman State volleyball players earned first-team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference honors Wednesday, giving the Bulldogs their first first-team selections since 2019 and their first under head coach David Gannon. Senior setter Tori Creason and junior attackers Autumn Erickson and Laci Neece were voted to the top squad by the league’s head coaches. Creason and Erickson both moved up after earning second-team All-GLVC nods last season, while Neece claimed her first career all-conference selection. Creason anchored the Bulldog attack throughout her senior campaign, tallying 992 assists across 94 sets — an average of 10.55 per set — while guiding Truman to a .220 team hitting percentage. The Shawnee, Kansas, native also added 278 digs, 56 kills, and 37 service aces. Earlier this fall, Creason surpassed 2,000 career assists and became the first player in program history to win the GLVC Setter of the Week award, capturing the honor twice.