January 2010

Pets Are Worth Saving, PAWS, Inc., a local not-for-profit animal welfare organization, plans to have its annual dinner/auction fundraiser at the Great Boars of Fire Lodge on Kratzinger Hollow Road between Anna and Cobden Saturday, Nov. 13. 

Doors open at 5 p.m. and dinner is served until 7 p.m. 

The dinner menu includes chicken or vegetable lasagna, tossed salad, cheesy potatoes, green bean supreme, assorted rolls, coffee/tea/water, and desserts.

There will be a silent, and oral auction, as well as raffles, and new PAWS shirts for sale.

Anna-Jonesboro Community High School wrestling heads coach Rick Bittle returns a strong contingent of wrestlers from last season.

“We’ve got a lot of experience coming back,” Bittle said. “We’d like to compete for the conference and regional title. They’ve got to work for it.”

The Wildcats have 27 grapplers competing in the different weight classes.

Seniors who return are Brett Turner, 215 pounds; Brad Cerney, 140-145 pounds; Chase Hargrave, 145-152 pounds; Daniel Heath, 119-125 pounds; and Taylor Fitzgerald, 189 pounds.

A woman who became lost in the Bald Knob Wilderness Area near Alto Pass was found safe and uninjured Monday afternoon.

A search for the woman also led to a Southern Illinois man being cited for possession of methamphetamine, Union County Sheriff David Livesay reported.

The woman was in a group of four people, all from Murphysboro, who went camping in the wilderness area over the weekend.

The group was made up of the woman, a man and two young men.

The woman apparently left the group’s campsite early Sunday afternoon and became lost.

Loyd and Carlena Wright Thompson of Anna will celebrate their golden anniversary. 

Loyd and Carlena were married Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, 1960, in Carpentersville. 

They have three children, Karen (Dale), Daniel (Rhonda) and Michele (Brian); and five grandchildren, Corey, Faith, Heather, Hunter and Xander. 

Loyd is retired from Anna School District 37. Carlena is semiretired from Edward Jones Investments.