Stories from surrounding communities, closest first.
The Triibe · Washington, IL
Nearby: Washington, ILStacie 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.
Tryon Daily Bulletin · Morton, IL
Nearby: Morton, ILCooler 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 · Lincoln, IL
Nearby: Lincoln, ILQUINCY — 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.
