Walter Cronkite

Looking Back – When the news media was trusted

This may come as a surprise to younger readers, but there was a time when most people placed strong trust in the news media.

In survey results released earlier this year by Gallup and the Knight Foundation as reported by the Associated Press, half of those surveyed “believe national news organizations intend to mislead, misinform or persuade the public to adopt a particular point of view through their reporting.”

Calendar-Winter

Community  Calendar

A Candy Cane Hunt will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, December 9 at Everest Supportive Living, 8570 St. Luke Drive, Beardstown. There will be two age groups; Pre-K-1st Grade and 2nd Grade to 4th Grade. 

    Two winners will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card. There will be lots of candy canes and special candy canes can be redeemed for prizes. Cookies, milk and hot chocolate will be available for everyone! The public is invited.

Virginia clarification on  Senior trip

To clarify, on Monday, November 20th, the Virginia School Board voted to allow the Senior Class to utilize class funds to possibly go on a cruise for their senior trip. This trip would not be chaperoned by Virginia School staff nor would the Virginia School District consider this trip a district sponsored Senior Class Trip.

Christmas carolers

Cantata in Jacksonville

Everyone is invited to a cantata entitled “Sing We Now of Christmas” by Howard Helvey. 

The first presentation will be at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, December 18 at Waverly First United Methodist Church at 190 E. State St. in Waverly.  It will be repeated at Grace United Methodist Church at 400 W. Morgan St. at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 21.

Focus on Faith

Focus on Faith – Our Greatest Gift

Charles Swindoll, Christian pastor, author and educator, once said “I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let’s face it, friends make life a lot more fun.” 

Bits and pieces

Bits & Pieces – Black Friday shopping not for me

One of the things that happens after Thanksgiving is Black Friday. I’ve never really understood the hype behind it all, but I know a lot of people who really love shopping on that crazy day every year. 

I used to work with a friend who usually made it a family affair. They would get up in the middle of the night, leave around 4:00 a.m. and hit Jacksonville or Springfield, or both, and spend the whole day dodging traffic, shopping carts and irate, rude and unhappy people. Why?

Trivia Too

Trivia Too- Ice harvesting on Mascouten Bay

Harvesting ice out of Mascouten Bay was quite an interesting business during the winter. It was a beautiful body of water at the edge of the Illinois River at the northeast corner of Beardstown and was where the Indians fished and hunted just 100 years earlier. The workers at the bay would use a team of horses to pull large knives that would score the ice in 100-pound blocks. They would float the blocks of ice to the edge of the shore where a steam engine ran

Bread of Love

Bread of Love  – December 11 – 15

Monday - Chicken & noodles, corn, dinner roll, pineapple, milk. Tuesday - Sweet & sour pork, rice, broccoli, bread, apricots, milk. Wednesday - Chili, carrot sticks, crackers, tropical fruit, milk

Trojans

Trojans crush Rockets

It was a good week for the Triopia-Meredosia-Virginia Trojan high school boys’ basketball team as they completely dismantled the Rushville-Industry Rockets on the road to start the week, winning 61 to 35.  And although some say there is no such thing as a good loss, Coach Rich Thompson had to be happy with his team’s performance, except their free throw shooting, in a close 36 to 29 loss to a highly regarded Camp Point team at home on Saturday.