Simpson Farm Scholarship:  Brandon Kelly Smith Seed: Luke Zimmerman Paul’s Machine & Welding: Peyton Smith, Garrett Dale Blue Devil Scholarship: Carson Block, Peyton Smith, Chantel Smith, Garrett Dale, Robert Fancher, Parker Stevens Science Education: Will Jones, Jesse Bessent Dr. John McCown Memorial: Connor Black Sopha E. Heil Memorial: Parker Stevens Central Illinois Mutual Insurance Company Joe Lawless Memorial Scholarship:  Carson…

By Dominik Stallings Locals are able to hone their baseball and softball skills at The Cage, a training facility in Tuscola. The Cage moved from Tolono in Champaign County into Tuscola’s downtown area at the beginning of May. They are now located at 125 W. South Central in Tuscola. Ryan Tabeling, the owner of the…

Villa Grove Junior High student Kori Russell earned second place in a nationwide photography contest run by Jostens. The company provides merchandise for graduation, such as yearbooks, frames for diplomas, class rings and more. “It was super exciting. I didn’t think I was going to win or that it was a big deal. I was…

By Gabriella Agius During the Villa Grove Board of Education meeting on May 15, the Board was met with updates regarding the solar project. QFB Energy notified members that the leasing agreement that was proposed was turned down by the bank. The Board will need to be updated on different options for claiming the tax…

By Kirby Pringle Just when you thought that there were no musical events just for Mother’s Day in Tuscola, you need to recalibrate your thinking. The swing jazz band from Charleston, We Ain’t Misbehavin’, performs at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at the Vault Art Gallery in downtown Tuscola. Members of the outfit include Yvonne Larson…

By Tony Hooker In 1904, Theodore Roosevelt was president and the Japanese and Russians were at war with each other. You could buy a Cashmere or Worsted Suit from a haberdashery on Main Street for around $10.  The Villa Grove Gazette, a precursor to the Villa Grove News and the Journal, editorialized about the need…

Tuscola United Methodist Church will host speakers Kara and Paul Doan on Sunday, May 21, at 6 p.m. in the fellowship hall. The speakers are directly involved in disrupting the cycle of Human Trafficking. Kara Doan, a former teacher, is the CEO and co-founder of Restoration 61, a nonprofit organization that changes lives by disrupting…

By David Porter A small crowd gathered at Tuscola City Hall Monday evening in anticipation of the opening of a time capsule from the old Presbyterian Church. The copper box was found inside the cornerstone of the building, which had not been used as a church for many years. After serving as a retail outlet…

By Dominik Stallings Tuscola lost water Saturday night when an old water main broke at 7:30 p.m. underneath the railroad on Main Street. Water service came back at 11:30 p.m. later that night under a boil order, which was lifted at 3:38 p.m. on Sunday. According to City Administrator Drew Hoel, the city found a…