Parents who may need some help making sure their children have everything they need for the start of school can get a hand this weekend.

The Jacksonville Chapter of the NAACP is sponsoring its annual Back to School Giveaway this Saturday at Minnie Barr Park. Polly Williams, President of the Jacksonville Chapter of the NAACP says backpacks and supplies will be given away free of charge while supplies last.

“We will start giving away backpacks at 10:30 Saturday morning. They do have to sign for them, the kids’ names who are picking them up. And we’ve got them all lined up from kindergarten to high school, so when they come through, just tell me what grade your kid is in and they can get it.”

Williams says several organizations are coming together to make the day possible, but special thanks are owed to one group in particular for help with the school supplies. “The Lions Club donated school supplies for us too, and I mean the backpacks full this year. Everything the school asked for, the kids got.”

The Pilot Club will also be handing out bike helmets while supplies last. The event runs from 10 am to 2:00, with the backpack distribution from 10:30 to 11:30.

Williams says once those are all distributed, there will be a free lunch of hotdogs, chips, and a drink for the kids starting at noon. She says there will be games and other activities for both kids and parents.

“The police will be there with the kids. They always like to play basketball with them. The Morgan County Health Department will be there for anybody who needs a shot, they are going to set up appointments for them so they can just go down to the health department and get their school shots.”

Other organizations contributing this year include MCS, JACIL, the Boys and Girls Club, Walmart, the Cass County Health Department, Mt. Emory Baptist Church, and the House of Worship among others.

The NAACP Back to School Giveaway is from 10:00 to 2:00 at Minnie Barr Park at 300 Walnut Court this Saturday. For more information, call 217-414-5059, or 217-473-5911.

Jacksonville Lakes Department is reminding residents of the requirements for next week’s duck blind drawing after an oversight in the initial announcement.

Next Wednesday the Archery Deer and Waterfowl Blind Drawing will be held at the Nichols Park Pavilion.

Lakes Superintendent for the City of Jacksonville, Brett Gilbreth says that possessing a valid Illinois Firearm Owner Identification Card as one of the requirements for the waterfowl blind drawing was omitted from the original notice sent out in July.

The waterfowl blind drawing will be held next Wednesday, August 16^th in the Nichols Park Pavilion. Doors will open at 5:00 pm with the draw starting at 6:00 pm. The draw is for 13 waterfowl blind sites and is a two-year allocation.

Applicants must be a minimum of 18 years of age, show proof of a valid driver’s license or state of Illinois I.D., reside within the city limits of Jacksonville, and possess a 2022 or 2023 hunting license with Federal and State Duck Stamps as well as a valid F.O.I.D. card. The fee for the allocation is two hundred dollars per year per blind site.

Immediately following the waterfowl draw, the Lake Jacksonville archery deer site drawing will be held at 6:30 pm. The draw is for 21 deer site locations and is also a two-year allocation.

Applicants must show proof of a valid driver’s license or state of Illinois I.D., a 2022 or 2023 hunting license with habitat stamp, reside in Morgan County, and be a minimum of 18 years of age to enter the lottery. The fee for the two-year allocation is seventy-five dollars per year per site.

Gilbreth says the Lakes Department apologizes for any confusion the omission may have caused, and anyone with questions about next week’s drawings can call his office at 217-479-4644.

Changes are coming to how the Village of South Jacksonville approves and distributes tourism grant funding going forward.

During the August regular meeting of the Board of Trustees Thursday night, the board had three tourism grant applications to consider on the agenda. Prior to discussion on the funding requests, Village President Dick Samples announced that the village is going to require more information in grant requests going forward and in some cases require receipts before any funds are disbursed.

Samples says the goal is to give more transparency on where the funds are going. “Basically we’re just trying to be more responsible to everybody involved in that process. In the past, we have simply cut a check and said here you go, and that deal is gone.

We want to know what that money is being spent on. Because when they come back the next year they don’t have any records of what it was spent on. So this way, we’ll have pretty good knowledge of what this money is being spent on.”

Samples said during the meeting that better detail on the tourism grants was mentioned during the recent audit. He said he doesn’t believe it would be a serious issue in the current audit, but he knows it could be sooner or later.

Village Treasurer and Acting Village Clerk, Mindy Olson says the changes are something that has been in discussion for some time. “It’s something that the Village President and the Trustees have been looking at and it’s kind of an accountability for where the money is going. It’s due diligence for the citizens of the Village that we can say this is where the tourism money is spent.

Potentially there will be more information asked for in the application and potential of more of a reimbursement type program as opposed to just give you money and you go do with it what you want.”

The tourism account is funded by the hotel/motel tax and by ordinance the funds are to be geared toward things that generate tourism tax revenue for the village, commonly referred to as “putting heads in beds”.

Tourism grants have been given annually to entities such as the Jacksonville Speedway, Lake Jacksonville Boat Races, Downtown Concert Series with many others.

One up for consideration by the board Thursday was a $20,000 request by Sarah Shellhammer, General Manager of WJVO/WJIL in Jacksonville as seed money for a Festival of Holiday Lights drive-through display she hopes to bring to the Morgan County Fairgrounds this year.

Previously the City of Jacksonville granted a request for $20,000 toward the event. Shellhammer says it will take $75,000 to get the event up and going the first year with the intent it is self-supporting each year thereafter.

After discussion, the $20,000 grant was denied due to the failure of any Trustee to make a motion on the request. A motion by Trustee Tom Jordan to approve a $10,000 grant failed by a vote of 3 to 2. A motion by Trustee Steve Retzer and seconded by Paula Stewart for a $5,000 grant was then unanimously approved by the board.

Another that fell short was a $25,000 request by the Prairieland Heritage Museum Fall Festival and Steam Show, which was referred to during the meeting as the premiere event they sponsor and the only one that takes place in the village. After discussion, the museum was approved for a $20,000 grant.

The Jacksonville Rotary Oktoberfest application for a $5,000 grant was unanimously approved by the board.

Illinois College is teaming up with Kaskaskia College for students to make a seamless transition into IC’s agribusiness management curriculum.

The new 2+2 partnership will provide a degree plan and transfer benefits for Kaskaskia College Associate of Science and Associate of Applied Science graduates leading to a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness management from Illinois College, that can be completed either on campus or online.

IC President Barbara A. Farley said in the announcement the new partnership is a first of its kind for Illinois College’s agribusiness management program. The partnership allows for a smooth transfer process and an accelerated pathway to a degree, as well as generous financial aid and scholarships for on-campus students.

Interested students will have a dedicated IC admission counselor to support them during the application and transfer process.

IC officials say through the in-depth program, students gain knowledge of agribusiness fundamentals, modern industry tools, and hands-on experience with at least one internship.

At IC, students have access to a variety of unique learning experiences, including internships and student-faculty research, traveling to conferences to test their knowledge and skills, and hearing from industry speakers on campus.

Recent for-credit internships and post-graduation employment opportunities for IC students have included top regional and national companies like Beard Implement, Brandt, Burrus Seed, GROWMARK, Prairieland FS, Whitetail Properties, and Worrell Land Services.

More information is available about the Illinois College agribusiness management program on campus at ic.edu/agribusiness and online at online.ic.edu. You can also visit kaskaskia.edu to learn more about Kaskaskia’s agriculture program.

More information has been released on the armed robbery that led to an hours-long standoff with police in Jacksonville on Monday.

At approximately 10:15 am, officers from the Jacksonville Police Department responded to a report of an armed robbery at Dunlap Beverages in the 200 block of Dunlap Court.

According to an update by the Jacksonville Police Department, when officers arrived on scene they encountered the suspect fleeing the area. The suspect then pointed what appeared to be a handgun at officers before retreating into an apartment in the 400 block of W. College.

Jacksonville Police Officers, Jacksonville Police Detectives, The Jacksonville Special Response Team, South Jacksonville Police, and Morgan County Sheriff’s Deputy assisted in securing the scene.

At approximately 2:15 this afternoon, 53-year-old Edward A. Flowers was taken into custody by Jacksonville’s Special Response Team.

Flowers was taken to a local hospital for minor injuries. Police officials say once released from the hospital he will be arrested for aggravated robbery and aggravated battery.

The victim of the armed robbery also sustained minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital and treated for his injuries.

Multiple officers from area law enforcement are currently engaged in a standoff with the suspect of an alleged robbery this morning in Jacksonville.

According to scanner traffic at approximately 10:15 am, police and EMS responded to Dunlap Court Beverages located at 233 Dunlap Court for a report of a robbery or attempted robbery with one person injured.

Officers from Jacksonville, South Jacksonville, and the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office then blocked off the 400 block of West College Avenue. Initial reports indicated a suspect from the Dunlap Court incident ran to a nearby apartment building and a standoff ensued.

According to an official announcement by Jacksonville Police over the noon hour, “The Jacksonville Police Department is dealing with an active situation that is isolated to the 400 block of West College. Please avoid the area and the Police Department will release further information at a later time”.

This is a developing story, we will bring you more information when it is made available by authorities.

The Village of South Jacksonville will have a new cell phone tower in the near future, and as of last night, a new Village Clerk- albeit a temporary one.

The Village Board of Trustees unanimously approved ratification of a zoning and special use request for AT&T contractors to erect a 195-foot tall cellular tower at 317 West Vandalia.

Village President Dick Samples says there is one small matter that needs to be worked out between the two before the village’s involvement is finished. He says otherwise the process can move forward. “It’s a go, go, go. I think you may see some construction happening this fall, but I think it will all be happening next spring.

The next thing that we are responsible for, and there is no problem here whatsoever, is giving them an easement across our boulevard so to speak so they can go in and do their thing on that land. So that’s not a problem at all.”

The approval clears the way for the tower project that has been more than a year in the making after both AT&T and the Village could not agree on previously proposed sites.

An AT&T representative in attendance said a lease agreement with Ameren Illinois will be ready soon, and the process of getting state and federal approval can now move forward. The new cell tower will be located on a section of property owned by Ameren Illinois between the Vandaila substation and the Village Fire and Police Complex.

In other action taken last night, Samples announced the appointment of a new temporary Village Clerk. Current Village Treasurer Mindy Olson will be filling the role following the resignation of the elected clerk Rebekah Pentecost last month.

Samples says that Olson has been performing many of the clerk’s duties in the absence of Pentecost. Olson says she doesn’t mind taking on the extra duties. “Just another way that I can help out the Village. I’m here quite and bit and was starting to do some of the activities anyway. There is some overlap between the Treasurer and the Clerk but we’ve worked out a way with the attorneys to be able to handle that situation, and the auditors as well.”

Samples says Olson’s appointment to fill the unexpired two-year term is intended to be only temporary, and that the Village is still looking for a qualified individual who would be interested in serving as Village Clerk. Anyone interested can contact Samples at the Village Hall on Dewey Drive by calling 217-245-4803.

The Morgan County Highway Department has announced that on Tuesday, Aug. 8th at 8 a.m. the Highway Department will be closing Harts Prairie Road at 1 mile South of Highway 104.

The road is scheduled to be reopened on or before noon on the 9th.

A popular downtown event this weekend is moving off the plaza.

The Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce, Jacksonville Memorial Hospital, and Mia Ware Foundation announced this morning the Be Aware Wellness Fair scheduled for tomorrow has been moved to the Morgan County Health Department due to the rain forecast.

The free event will still run from 10 a.m. – Noon at the Health Department’s new facility located at 425 East State Street. Wellness exhibits, health information, screenings, and activities will be available for all ages.

The Morgan County Health Department and SIU School Family Medicine will offer walk-in appointments as well from 10 am. to noon for back-to-school physicals and immunizations. Other local healthcare providers will also provide information for physicals, eye exams, and immunizations at their respective booths.

The event will also feature a drawing for bicycles donated by Jacksonville Memorial Hospital. Baby supply bags and senior care packages will also be available in limited supply.

Free Transportation will still be provided from West Central Mass Transit with pick-ups from Walnut Court at 9:50 am, Lincoln School at 10:10 am, and at Washington School 10:30 am. Return service will also be available throughout the event.

According to the announcement, the Back to School Bash that was scheduled to coincide with the wellness fair tomorrow downtown has been moved to First Christian Church on South Main Street also from 10:00 am to noon.

Organizers remind that the Be Aware Wellness Fair is free and open to the public, and everyone is invited to attend. For more information, call the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce at 217-245-2174 or check out the Facebook page.

An area museum is giving the public the chance to experience the flavor of different cultures by breaking bread together this weekend.

The Jacksonville African American History Museum is hosting the “A Taste of Cultures” event this Saturday at the Museum located in the historic Asa Talcott House at 859 Grove Street. The event aims to celebrate the cultural diversity of the area through food. Director of the Jacksonville African American History Museum, Art Wilson, says the event is kind of a cultural picnic.

He says the idea came following the success of the CURE, or Community Unity for Racial Equality presentation at Ramelkamp Chapel in April, as the museum board wanted to find a way to expand the local cultural experience.

“We wanted to extend upon that by making something that would be more cultural and involve more people from different walks of life in a way that we don’t always get to traditionally be a part of in those cultures, such as eating and stuff like that. So we decided let’s get out and also represent in all these events we are having something on food.

Food is always something that brings people together because regardless of how we feel about each other, we’ll eat each other’s food. We’ll go into a restaurant that some people may not care about the people but they will go in there and eat. So we think food is like sports, it brings people together, regardless of whatever, in a good way.”

Attendees will be able to sample a plate full of items from the African colonial diaspora, along with Italian, Asian, and Mexican delicacies as well. The dishes will include fish, ribs, chicken, pigs’ feet, oxtail, and more.

The cost is $5.00 per plate and runs from 1 to 4 pm this Saturday. The Jacksonville African American History Museum will also be open for tours. A donation of $5.00 per person is suggested to tour.

Wilson says the event extends into the evening at Bogart’s Banquet Hall where there will be entertainment, food, and a raffle of several prize packages that includes a 50-inch color TV, Knights Action Park passes, AirPods, gift cards, a one-night stay at the Gus and Ann Ayers Suite at Villa DeWolf, a one-night stay at the Wyndham Springfield City Centre and more.

Wilson says everyone will want to come for the entertainment who is coming all the way from Oregon, but who has a deep connection to Jacksonville.

“DJ Avalanche, his name is Denmark Whitaker and he was originally from here. His family was here, his grandfather had the Whitaker Trash Service, and Creston Whitaker is his uncle.

He’s a top performer as far as being a DJ. He’s opened up for ZZ Top, Tesla, Brett Michaels, Joan Jett, Bell Biv Devoe, Ma$e, *NYSYNC, and a lot of others. So he’s pretty professional and he doesn’t just go out and play music, he gets involved with the crowd and gets them involved with games and all kinds of stuff so it should be a good event.”

The evening event runs from 7:00 to 10:00 pm Saturday at Bogart’s located at 2142 East State Street. Food and a cash bar will be available. Raffle tickets can be purchased the day of during both events, and in advance at the Jacksonville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce.

More information can be found on the Jacksonville African American History Museum Facebook page.