Year in Review – Part II

By Editor | December 30, 2024 |

July
Greenfield School Board approved a junior high cross country program next year that will be 100 percent self-funded. In addition to doing the bathroom remodels, the board also approved the replacement of eight doors at both the elementary and high schools.
Pickle ball has become the new sporting sensation across the country with pickle ball courts popping up where tennis courts used to be. Realizing this quite some time ago and noticing that no one was playing tennis anymore on the courts at Stickley Park, the members of the White Hall Park Board, which is not a part of the city council, started seeking funds to turn those unused tennis courts into pickle ball courts.
The Carrollton High School Trap Team is heading to Nationals in Mason, Mich. this week. The Hawks have a group of five shooters headed to Michigan on July 11-14 to compete at the National level. The shooters competing in the team division are: Drew Adcock, Mady Faul, Blaine Kaiser, Brady Carroll and John Vandersand.
After a lengthy closed session, Carrollton City Council reconvened and approved 4-1 to give their three department heads raises that totaled over $14,500. This included giving the Pubic Works Director a $3 per hour raise and Police Chief and Treasurer a $2 per hour raise each.
Wild Times Exotics brought a variety of unusual animals to the Carrollton Public Library for the children to enjoy Thursday evening. There was a packed house with more than 90 children and adults on hand to pet a ball python, tarantula, blue-tongued skink, kinkajou, skinny pig and a tortoise.
Even though, technically, they didn’t reach their goal of raising enough funds through verbal commitments to pay for the first year’s installment of a new video board for the high school gym, the Carrollton School Board gave their approval for its purchase at the July 17 school board meeting. The total cost of the video board from NEVCO is $64,415. The first year the district is obligated to pay 50 percent which is $32,208, plus installation costs at $8,250 for a total cost of $40,458.

August
The 2024 Greenfield Queen Pageant crowned new royalty on Saturday night, Aug. 3. They are: Miss Greenfield, Lucy Rives; Jr. Miss, Ava Kinser and Little Miss Vivienne Pembrook.
The Second Annual Summer Bash, sponsored by Boyd Hospital, was held this past Saturday at the Greene County Fairgrounds. The cooler weather brought out a record number of children and their parents to enjoy the water inflatables, the petting zoo and games set up for the kids to enjoy. There was also food to enjoy, served up by Lifepoint Church.
For those who read the social media post announcing that the new owner of the Ice Cream Depot’s last day in business would be July 28 – hold those tears back because former owners Steve and Nancy Shive plan to continue to operate the Depot throughout the rest of the summer. The Ice Cream Depot, located at 208 Worcester, on the square in Roodhouse, was built by the Shives in 2013.
The Carrollton Knights of Columbus Hall has been serving the Carrollton and surrounding communities for the past 30 years hosting numerous wedding receptions and other events. But that will all end on Dec. 31, or possibly before if the Knights of Columbus get a buyer for the building.
There is so much negativity about the youth of today that when one runs across anyone trying to make a difference in the lives of young people it needs to be noted. Two young men from Carrollton, Zach Flowers and Trent Jilg, were part of a tent revival held in Kampsville on July 26-27 which sought to bring not only the youth but anyone to know the love of Jesus.
Pastor Steve Jacobson of All Redeemer Lutheran Church in Carrollton celebrated a milestone in his career at the end of July. He celebrated his 25th anniversary as pastor of the church on July 25. Jacobson was installed on this date back in 1999. It was only his second church.
The Carrollton Public Library participated in State Rep. C.D. Davidmeyer’s Summer Reading Program entitled “To The Library and Beyond.” The four week program culminated with a pizza party provided, and delivered, by Davidsmeyer himself.
The Greene County Board, at their Aug. 8 meeting, contracted with Riverbender.com to build them a website.
Carrollton Park Board is collecting a wide variety of plastic caps which will then be turned into park benches.
Greenfield School Board members heard what a fabulous season the Tiger Trap Team had during the District Highlights at the Aug. 12 school board meeting. The squad had 17 shooters this year who performed in both skeet and trap. Both categories placed fifth in the conference and five shooters advanced to the National Shoot in Mason, Mich. and one squad member advanced as an individual to the final competition.
Greenfield High School is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. Erected in 1924, the school is still providing education to Greenfield students.
To say Roger Lansaw has seen generations pass through the hallowed halls of Greenfield High School would be an understatement. After serving 48 years as custodian, Lansaw hung up his broom and mop for the last time on June 30 and retired.
The Roodhouse Rez improvements, funded mainly through an Open Spaces Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant, was supposed to be completed by Aug. 2 has been delayed again with a projected completion date now of Aug. 20. The council learned this at the Aug. 14 city council meeting. The city received a $450,000 OSLAD grant last year. The terms of the grant was 90/10 which means the city only has to put up 10 percent of the project.
After two years of having school lunches prepared and administered by a third party, the North Greene School District decided to go back to operating their own food service this year.

September
The Community Chorale will present their first concert since the COVID pandemic four years ago. They will present a program of praise and worship through song at the Carrollton United Methodist Church on Sept. 15 at 3 p.m. There is no charge to attend the event.
Mary Jane Steelman isn’t new to the White Hall Public Library. She has been a patron for many decades and a member of the Friends of the Library for many years. However, she is new to the role as Director of the library. Steelman was installed as Director on Aug. 19 and her granddaughter, Julia Janus, was named as her assistant on Aug. 19.
Mike Goodall brought his three bats, made by the Kane Bat Factory, to be on display at the Greene County Historical Society during Greene County Days. He also brought many other items from businesses that used to be in Kane.
Bev’s Baskets and Bows will soon be moving its Greenfield location up to the East side of the square. But, that move is several months down the road. Owner Bev Goode said the building they plan to move to is currently being remodeled by owners Tim and Amber Wright. Goode said she is planning to keep the current location, which is located behind the Greenfield Post Office. After the move, the current location will be used for wedding rentals.
Three young ladies have been crowned the new 2024 Greene County Days royalty. They are: Queen, Karsyn Monroe; Jr. Miss, Avery Wright and Little Miss, Hemi Swarringin.
Katie Williams, a nursing student at Lewis and Clark Community College, was awarded a PEO Program for Continuing Education grant from the International PEO Sisterhood. She was sponsored by Chapter BJ of White Hall.
The North Greene School District, in an effort to provide the safest possible environment for its students and staff, is participating in ALICE training in its schools. ALICE is an anacronym for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate. It is a training program designed to educate people on how to respond in the event of an active shooter or violent intruder situation.
Mandy’s White and Bark animal shelter in White Hall is the recipient of a $500 grant from Dimond Bros. Insurance, LLC of Jacksonville and their parent company IMT, based in Des Moine, Iowa. This grant will be used towards new gutters at their facility located at 333 Central St, former home to Dunlap Auto Body.
The recent partnership between two local businesses is a sweet one indeed. Greene Fields Farm and The Sweeter Side have joined forces to provide apple pies for purchase at the Farm. Sweeter Side owner Amy Pembrook and her crew take the apples, supplied by Greene Fields Farm, and turn them into luscious, juicy, sweet apple pies, that can be purchased at the Farm.
The IESA awarded one player from each team at the Regional Final in Carrollton last week the Good Sportsmanship Award. Winning the award for St. John’s was catcher Shyann Grafford and for Carrollton catcher Collins Newton.
For the second year in a row, the St. John’s Lady Redbirds will be playing in the State Final Softball Championships after defeating Central A and M 15-3 at the Sectionals Saturday morning in Assumption.

October
Some parents of Carrollton High School ninth grade students were irate when they found out what their children were being asked to read as part of their English class. These parents came out in force for the Sept. 23 school board meeting to let their feelings on the inappropriateness of the book be known to the school board. Ironically, it was during National Banned Book Week.
Carrollton Superintendent Jason Bauer announced to the board at the Sept. 23 board meeting that they will start the new fiscal year with a balanced budget.
The members of the 2024 Carrollton Homecoming Court are: Mara Beiermann, Vanna Holmes, Harper Darr, Abigail Flowers, Lauren Flower, Grant Cox, Koby Schnelten, Elijah Flowers, Carson Grafford and Lucas Howard.
Now in its ninth year, Greene Fields Farm, located between Carrollton and Greenfield, continues to expand, adding something new year every year. This year, they not only added a new building for folks to eat in, but they also added a tram to take folks to the back of the pumpkin patch so they can work their way forward, exploring the many different varieties of pumpkins.
The Board of Directors at Thomas H. Boyd Memorial Hospital announced that the Rural Health Clinic, which is currently located inside the hospital, will be moving into the Boyd Wellness Center in mid-October.
It has been over two-and-a-half years since the Greene County Board approved the purchase of a new ambulance, but due to COVID and the delay it caused in virtually every manufacturing field, the delivery of the ambulance was delayed. In fact, they are still waiting on it. Craig Smith, a representative of the company from which they ordered the ambulance spoke to the Judiciary Committee to let them know just where they are at as far as delivery.
Greene County Sheriff Rob McMillen informed the Judiciary Committee at their meeting last week that the completion of the elevator project had been pushed back till at least November 11. The county built a ramp for handicap individuals to get into the court house and access offices on the first floor, but there is no handicap access to the jury rooms or offices on the second floor, which include the State’s Attorney’s Office and Probation Office.
Greenfield-Northwestern’s Homecoming celebration was in full swing
Friday afternoon, October 11, as the homecoming parade was led by Grand
Marshall’s Edith ‘Dee’ Terpening Wheeler and Loyal ‘Cotton’ Brannan,
members of the Greenfield graduating class of 1947.
A new business will be opening soon in White Hall and they have asked the council to waive the fee on the sewer tap, which is currently $1,000. Alderman Todd Pinkerton-Riegel asked the council for a concensus to waive the sewer tap fee on a new business that is being opened on Lincoln St. by Eddie Ford.
Kathy’s Corner was a staple in Eldred for more than 40 years before they closed their doors for the last time on May 24. Lucky for the patrons of the restaurant, those doors didn’t stay shuttered for too long. Amy Newell, from Carrollton and Cody Johnson, from Medora, purchased the business and opened Bluffside Bar and Grill on Oct. 15.
The Greenfield School District welcomed the Illinois State Superintendent Dr. Tony Sanders and the Illinois State Board of Education Chairman Dr. Steve Isoye to the District on Oct. 2 for the first time in the school’s history.
The North Greene School District purchased a home in Roodhouse recently and now they are trying to decide what to do with it. The home, located on the corner of Cobb and North St., was offered to the district by the daughter of the homeowner who went into assisted living. However, before the building can be used for anything, there needs to be some repairs and updates made to it.
The first ever Miss Carrollton Queen Pageant was held Saturday afternoon at the Gazebo on the Carrollton Square. A large group of parents, grandparents, family and friends gathered to watch 19 young ladies vie for the various titles up for grabs. An independent panel of judges chose the following young ladies as the winners. Miss Carrollton Grace Custer, Teen Miss Carrollton Maggie Custer, Jr. Miss Carrollton Lillian Gourley, Little Miss Carrollton Lillian Gourley and People’s Choice Addi Campbell.

November
For as long as most Carrollton residents can remember, the city has come along each fall and vacuumed up the leaves for each homeowner who has raked them out onto the boulevard free of charge. Not this year. The city has decided to discontinue that service due to two main factors – the fact that the machine is in need of repairs and the cost of providing the service.
Tom Piper has been practicing law in White Hall for 47 years, but that will come to an end on Nov. 30 when he officially retires as both a lawyer and as the Greene County Public Defender, a title he has held for the past 42 years.
Dr. Dan Woodlock is calling an end to a stellar 44 year career in the dentistry business – hopefully at the end of this month.
Special recognition was given to the Rev. Bill Martin during the North Greene Veteran’s Day Ceremony held Friday morning at the high school. Rev. Martin celebrated his 100th birthday back in July. He is a veteran of World War II and one of the few remaining veterans from this war.
The Carrollton Hawks playoff hopes ended Saturday with a second round loss to Belleville Altoff Catholic 43-21. Altoff dominated the first half taking a 43-3 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Hawks ended their season with a 7-4 record.
One might have noticed an absence of home games for the St. John’s Lady Redbirds this season. That is because their gym floor was severely damaged during the heavy rains Memorial Day weekend. In fact, the entire school was damaged in the downpour that saw over five inches of rain come down in less than half an hour.
Just a Little Gym will have their grand opening in Roodhouse this coming Saturday, Nov. 23 at 309 West Briggs. There will be free hot dogs, chips and water for everyone who comes to check out the newest business in Roodhouse. There will also be drawings for door prizes of gym related materials. The owners are Eric and Stacy Little who moved to Roodhouse from Pike County earlier this year. Eric Little retired in May after more than 30 years with the Department of Corrections.
Boyd Memorial Hospital has partnered with Senior Life Solutions (SLS) to help older adults who are experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety or other mental challenges often associated with aging. The new SLS program is located inside Boyd Memorial Hospital located at 800 School St. in Carrollton.
The first of four Table Talk meals was held this past Sunday at the Carrollton Methodist Church Fellowship Hall and approximately 142 meals were served – the most ever during the nine years the program has been in existence.
The Carrollton School Board unanimously approved the seeking of bids to replace the HVAC unit in the grade school gym at the Nov. 18 school board meeting. The plan is to partially fund the project using the School Maintenance Grant. This program is a 50/50 matching grant that will provide a school district up to $50,000 for eligible projects with the district providing matching funds.
White Hall City Council had two special visitors to their November council meeting – Boyd Hospital Administrator Stace Holland and Director of Marketing and Public Relations Blake Schaefer who wanted to talk about the upcoming clinic to be built in White Hall.

December
The North Greene Class of 2029 donated a bench in honor of their classmate, Journee Vinyard, who lost her battle with kidney disease back in August at the age of 13.
At the November Greene County Historical Society, the subject was broached about the possibility of creating a Jr. Greene County Historical Society for the younger members of Greene County who are interested in the county’s history.
Greenfield School District is the recipient of a $2,000 grant from the Illinois Pork Producers Association which they will use to expand on their pig raising operation.
Greenfield is one of the few districts in the area which has a program whereby it produces the meat it serves its students in the lunchroom. This began this year thanks to a $2,500 grant from the Illinois State Board of Education called the Farm to School grant.
Greene County’s new coroner plans on saving the tax payers money by discontinuing autopsies and opting for a simple x-ray and toxicology screening from Boyd Hospital to determine a cause of death when a death occurs.
Greene County Sheriff Rob McMillen had some good news to pass on to members of the Judiciary Committee at their meeting Tuesday morning prior to the Greene County Board meeting scheduled for Thursday and that is that the work on the courthouse elevator is finally underway.
It has been almost a decade since Carrollton had a laundromat, but very soon that situation will be alleviated with the soon-to-be opening of the Carrollton Laundry and Lounge. The new venture is being opened by former Carrollton residents Kendall and Lisa Bridgewater, who purchased the former location of the Greene County Rural Water Office.
There are a lot of changes in the Greene County Courthouse, especially in the courtroom where the county not only has a new States Attorney with Craig Grummel taking over for Caleb Briscoe, but there is also a new Public Defender. After 30 years, Tom Piper retired as Greene County Public Defender a few months ago and Greenfield resident and former Macoupin County Public Defender Elliott Turpin was appointed to the position.
At the Dec. 12 County Board meeting, the members of the Board unanimously voted to approve appointing long-time Deputy Treasurer Brenda Albrecht to act as Interim Treasurer effective Jan. 1, 2025 following the retirement of Treasurer Kirby Ballard, effective Dec. 31, 2024.
If the Veteran’s Freedom Walkway Memorial looks a little bit bigger than it was three weeks ago – well, that is because it is.
Two more stones with more than 300 additional names of veterans were delivered and installed in mid-December after a more than six-month delay.
The St. John’s Lady Redbirds seventh grade team made it all the way to the State Finals before falling to a tough La Harpe team 32-24. St. John’s ended their season with an 18-6 record.