A tiger swallowtail butterfly was making its way...slowly...across a creek bed at the Trail of Tears State Forest.
Let’s start this week with some football. After all, nothing says football like 90-degree temperatures, with a whole bunch of Southern Illinois humidity thrown in just for the heck of it.
It’s been a while since we had a photograph of a turtle...or two...or three. Just for the record, these turtles were real. Well, I think they were. They looked real...
It was getting late on Monday night. I was getting to the point where I just wanted to turn this week’s column over to some sort of artificial intelligence. 
Heather Coffman of Anna earned a bronze medal in competition at the U.S. Open ISKA World Martial Arts Championships (International Sport Karate and Kickboxing Association) in Orlando, Fla. Photo provided.
Master Heather Coffman, owner and senior instructor of Coffman’s Martial Arts located in Anna, recently competed at the U.S.
Area students attended a summer reading program “Night at the Ballpark” event in Marion hosted by three Southern Illinois state legislators. Photo provided.
Three Southern Illinois state legislators hosted a special “Night at the Ballpark” event July 20 for their annual summer reading club in Marion.
A fellow traveler on the Journey Through Life was kind enough to share this photo of a windmill turbine being transported on a train which went through Cobden on a recent Sunday afternoon.
PLEASE READ THIS VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE... No. You are not reading the "back page." The "back page" has to be another page this week. Gotta pay the bills... ***
A fully restored and operational hand-cranked blacksmith forge is one of tool restoration enthusiast Tony Calabrese’s projects. Photo by Benjamin Marxer.
For over 50 years, Tony Calabrese of Union County has been collecting and restoring the tools and machines of industry from ages past. 
A tiger swallowtail butterfly was making its way...slowly...across a creek bed at the Trail of Tears State Forest.
It’s been a while since we had a photograph of a turtle...or two...or three. Just for the record, these turtles were real. Well, I think they were. They looked real...
Heather Coffman of Anna earned a bronze medal in competition at the U.S. Open ISKA World Martial Arts Championships (International Sport Karate and Kickboxing Association) in Orlando, Fla. Photo provided.
Area students attended a summer reading program “Night at the Ballpark” event in Marion hosted by three Southern Illinois state legislators. Photo provided.
A fellow traveler on the Journey Through Life was kind enough to share this photo of a windmill turbine being transported on a train which went through Cobden on a recent Sunday afternoon.
A fully restored and operational hand-cranked blacksmith forge is one of tool restoration enthusiast Tony Calabrese’s projects. Photo by Benjamin Marxer.
Anna-Jonesboro Community High School’s 2023 homecoming celebration is underway this week. Homecoming activities have been organized by the A-JCHS Student Council.  The theme for this year’s celebration is “Beneath the Blue.” Spirit days are being held all week. The theme for Thursday, today, is...
A celebration of Constitution Week in Union County is scheduled to begin Saturday, Sept. 16, with special activities which are planned at the Lincoln Memorial Picnic Grounds at 521 N. Main St. in Jonesboro. Constitution Week is celebrated each year from Sept. 17 through Sept. 23. The picnic grounds...
The Illinois state flag. From the Illinois Department of Natural Resources website.
SB1818, which creates the Illinois Flag Commission for the purpose of exploring the creation of a new state flag and developing new state flag designs, was signed into law in early August by Gov. JB Pritzker.  The commission will make recommendations to the Illinois General Assembly concerning...
The Anna-Jonesboro Community High School girls’ and boys’ cross country team competed in two recent events. Murphysboro Invitational A-J freshman Jadyn Gerardi won the Murphysboro Cross Country Invitational hosted by the Red Devils Wednesday, Aug. 30. A-J cross country head coach Matt Denny said...
The Daniel Chapman Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution invites area students to enter an essay contest  celebrating “Stars and Stripes Forever,” the patriotic march composed by John Philip Sousa.  The essay is open to students in grades 5 through 8. Entries are to be between 300 and...
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, IDNR, is reminding waterfowl hunters about key dates and other information regarding the 2023-2024 waterfowl seasons. Season Update This is the third year of a five-year waterfowl season plan that was developed in 2020.  Early Canada goose and teal...
Plans are being made for the 2023 Veterans Day parade in Anna. Veterans of Foreign Wars Carroll P. Foster Post No. 3455 of Anna again is sponsoring the parade, which is set for 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 11.  The theme for this year’s parade is “Korean War – The Forgotten Victory.” Letters of...
A Cancer Warriors Walk of Hope is planned Saturday, Sept. 23, in Metropolis. The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Dorothy Miller Park, which is located next to Harrah’s Casino. Health care providers and businesses serving area cancer families and those impacted will host the one-day...
The Anna-Jonesboro Community High School Student Council is making plans for the Union County school’s 2023 homecoming celebration. Homecoming week is planned Sept. 18-22. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Beneath the Blue.” Spirit days for the week include Beach Bums (PJs) on Monday, Glow...
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, IDNR, on Saturday, Aug. 19, recognized recipients of the 2023 Outstanding Volunteer of the Year awards. The department expressed gratitude to individuals and members of outdoor organizations for their volunteer service to IDNR and the people of Illinois...

Obituaries

Scott David  Rothschild
Scott David Rothschild, 59, of Anna, died unexpectedly on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, at his home.  He was born on July 14, 1964, in Brookfield, Mo., the son of David and Kay Penninger Rothschild.  He is survived by three children, McKenna (Alex) Jacobs-Montes of Midland, Texas, Raquel Rothschild (...
William Lee  “Bill” Gurley
William Lee “Bill” Gurley, 69, of Jonesboro, died Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, at home, surrounded by his loved ones.  He was born on April 10, 1954, in Anna, the son of Carlos and Willma Musgrave Gurley.  He married Peggy Goins on June 15, 1984. They shared 39 wonderful years together. Mr. Gurley...
Randall D. “Randy” Tucker
Randall D. “Randy” Tucker, 74, of Jonesboro, died Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born on Sept. 3, 1949, in Anna, the son of Ralph and Matella J. McIntosh Tucker.  He married Alice Crowell on Aug. 17, 1968, in Jonesboro.  Mr. Tucker is survived by his...
William H. “Willie” Chapman
William H. “Willie” Chapman, 74, of Wolf Lake, died Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, at St. Clare Hospital in Fenton, Mo.  He was born on Aug. 16, 1949, in Anna, the son of Herchel Wilber and Olga Evalee Andrews Chapman.  He married Sandra Kay Williams on Aug. 27, 1968, in Grand Tower. She preceded him in...
Georgia W. Smith
Georgia W. Smith, 82, of Jonesboro, died Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, at Effingham Rehabilitation and Health Care Center.  She was born on June 12, 1941, in Cape Girardeau, the daughter of William and Kathleen Marie Diamond Niblack.  She married Bill T. Smith. He preceded her in death on Feb. 15,...

Sports

The Anna-Jonesboro Community High School girls’ and boys’ cross country team competed in two recent events. Murphysboro Invitational A-J freshman Jadyn Gerardi won the Murphysboro Cross...

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