Published in the Interest of the Staunton Community for Over 143 Years
Published in the Interest of the Staunton Community for Over 143 Years
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Overview of 1970-1979 The 1970s saw the introduction of three sports programs for females at Staunton High School. Though the Girls Athletic Association (GAA) had been in existence for many years, the first official sport offered to females at the school was track in 1972-73. Volleyball was instituted two years later, and basketball got its start in 1978-79. While success in girl’s basketball has been minimal, track and volleyball both achieved instant success upon inception. On the male side, cross-country and golf were both added in 1975. Tho...
The Illinois State Museum is seeking individuals to share their personal experiences with the original Route 66 in Illinois, including travelers, businesses that operated along the route, workers who built the highway, and others. Route 66 will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2026. Historians from the Illinois State Museum will record and share oral histories of people who can recall their connections to the historic roadway, which operated from 1926 until decommissioning in 1985. “These interviews will help illustrate the significance of t...
Following the historic impacts of the 2023 wildfire season, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) are encouraging residents to routinely monitor air quality to protect their health and reduce contributions to air pollution. Like the weather, air quality can change from day to day. The Illinois EPA issues daily air quality forecasts, based on the federal Air Quality Index (AQI), for 14 sectors in Illinois and posts the information at www.airnow.gov. The AQI is a color-coded...
This spring was the fourth warmest start to any year on record in Illinois, and the summer has a high chance of above normal temperatures, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey. Only 1921, 2012 and 2017 surpass 2024 for January to April temperatures. May continued the warm pattern across the state, though Illinois largely escaped early season extreme heat experienced in 2021 and 2022, making for largely pleasant temperatures last month. Each of the three spring months b...
Program to provide sustainable funding for robust community outpatient mental health and substance use treatment services Illinois has been selected as one of ten states to participate in the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Medicaid Demonstration Program designed to expand and improve access to coordinated mental health care and substance use services, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced. “This announcement builds on the substantial progress my administration has made to ensure that mental a...
Just as people need to be prepared for a disaster or emergency, everyone needs to have a plan in place for their pets. June is Pet Preparedness Month and the perfect time to create or update a pet preparedness kit and speak with neighbors, friends, or family about a backup plan. “No one wants to leave a pet behind in an emergency,” said Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau. “If you are home during a disaster, a pet preparedness kit will keep Fido, Fluffy, Frodo, Furiosa, and any other...
Governor JB Pritzker signed the fiscal year 2025 state budget that includes a historic general funds appropriation of $2.6 billion for higher education, an increase of nearly $76 million (3 percent) compared to the previous fiscal year. Meaningful investments include operating funds increases of $24.6 million (2 percent) for public universities and $5.9 million (2 percent) for community colleges, plus a $10 million increase for the Monetary Award Program (MAP). In addition to the meaningful investments in operating funds, the fiscal year 2025...
This year, the Social Security Administration (SSA) celebrates fifty years of administering the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. President Richard Nixon signed the bill in 1972, and in Jan. 1974, SSA began issuing the first SSI payments to nearly four million eligible people. The goal of the SSI program was to aid aged, blind, and individuals with disabilities with very limited income and resources. Fifty years later, the SSI programs remains a lifeline by providing cash assistance to about 2 percent of the U.S. population,...