January 2009

Last Sunday, March 1, 1959, will be a remembered date for the citizens of the Cobden community and the surrounding area. More than five hundred people gathered to dedicate the community's new Medical Center and to welcome the new physician, Dr. Helmut Hartmann.

Approximately 2,400 letters are being run off and mailed this week to Union County residents asking for donations toward a $3,000 quota in a drive to erect a chapel at Anna State Hospital.

State and federal disaster officials scheduled three briefings in the area this week to help representatives from state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations in nine Illinois counties to apply for federal disaster assistance in the wake of late January's severe winter storm.

The nine counties have been declared as a federal disaster area as the result of damage caused by the storm.

This week's briefings are scheduled in Ullin, Metropolis and Harrisburg. The schedule follows:

Southern Illinois University Carbondale recently named fall semester dean's list students.

Dean's list recognition goes to students who compile grade-point averages that meet or exceed performance standards set by SIUC's schools and colleges.

The minimum standards vary by college and range from 3.25 to 3.75 on a scale of 4.0, which is perfect.

Students from the Union County area who were named to the dean's list are named below by their hometowns as provided by the university. An asterisk (*) denotes straight A grades.

Alto Pass

A Union County resident has been recognized as a 2009 Illinois Master Farmer.

This year's Master Farmers were announced in the March issue of Prairie Farmer magazine.

Those honored as Master Farmers are Randy Lambdin of Wolf Lake, Rick Nelson of Paxton, Doug Block of Pearl City, Kent Schleich of Fairview and Tom Block of Pearl City.

The Master Farmers program recognizes the finest farmers in Illinois.