Area News

     With a Heart of Illinois Community Foundation grant, University of Illinois Extension provided a variety of family-focused nutrition education activities to eight Decatur Public School locations between fall 2024 and fall 2025. Participating schools included Baum Elementary School, Eisenhower High School, Hope Academy, Johns Hill Magnet School, MacArthur High School, Montessori Academy for Peace, Parsons…

     The Decatur Community is once again invited to come together in support of Night to Shine, a prom-like experience designed specifically for individuals with developmental disabilities.      The event will take place on Friday, February 13, at GT Church, from approximately 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and promises an evening of celebration, dignity, and joy for…

The Golden K Kiwanis Club of Decatur has announced its upcoming program schedule for January, 2026: …On January 7, Tanya Melendez, Executive Director of Good Samaritan Inn, will bring us up to date on the status on their Mercy Gardens. Six acres of land are used to grow fresh produce which enhances the noon meal…

     Decatur, IL – Happy Noon Year is back at the Children’s Museum on Wednesday, December 31!      This annual event is a fun-filled way to ring in the new year with the whole family. Come out to the museum for fun activities, crafts, snacks, noisemakers, and, of course, our gigantic balloon drop and countdown at noon.…

     In 2025, local volunteers became a lifeline for thousands of neighbors reeling from disasters across the Illinois region.      In a powerful display of community, over 3,000 local volunteers responded alongside partners to provide safe refuge, hot meals, emotional support and basic health services for families devastated by tornadoes, flooding and hundreds of home fires. The…

     Decatur First United Methodist Church, located at 201 W. North Street, is happy to announce that they will have three Christmas Eve services:      December 24 4 PM candle light service      December 24 5:30 PM family service      December 24, 10:30 PM candlelight service with choir participation      They have not had Christmas Eve services for a few…

Decatur, Illinois — December 14, 2025, The Good Samaritan Inn, a longstanding community resource providing daily meals and support to individuals and families in need, announced today that it is facing a significant funding shortfall that threatens its ability to continue operations at current capacity. Over the past year, the organization has seen a steady…

     Macon County has been issued a tentative property assessment equalization factor of 1.0000, according to David Harris, director of the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR).      The property assessment equalization factor, often called the “multiplier,” is the method used to achieve uniform property assessments among counties, as required by law. This equalization is particularly important because…

     Donor support to the Decatur Memorial Foundation enabled Decatur Memorial Hospital (DMH) to provide lifesaving breast cancer screenings for eligible women throughout Macon County during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.      DMH conducted a total of 925 mammograms with 26 free mammograms provided through the Mammogram Mondays program – fully funded by the Decatur Memorial…