General Community
General Community
By Jeff Smyth In the brave new world of text messaging, social networking and emails, news travels as fast as an opposable thumb can plunge down a send button. This noted, I watched in wonder as word of an alleged egregious misdeed by the sheriff of Perry County spread Dec. 19. I was forewarned that the news was going to break, but didn’t advance this information. I chose instead to witness its dissemination. Not that I reveled in the task. Like others, I stood in stunned disbelief of the account of the sheriff’s alleged actions. I won’t recount the tawdry details as they are now well known, but I will say they were shocking.
By Jeff Smyth This is the time of year we are bombarded by stories in the media about the dangers of overeating during the holidays, but few people are going to let journalists (many of whom have their own weight problems) set their holiday diets for them. Hence, the incessant repeating of the “don’t overeat” articles. There is, however, an undeniable fact that most of us ship a lot more groceries down the gullet from late November to early January than any other time of year. There is some debate on what is the average number of pounds people add to their guts during the holidays? Most report between five pounds and 10 pounds. But, would…
Veterans, families and grateful citizens gathered at the Perry County Courthouse Nov. 11 in honor of veterans. State Rep. Jerry Costello gave an emotional address in which he thanked former and current members of the military for their sacrifices in the name of freedom. He called to attention the parents of two fallen soldiers from Pinckneyville -- Wyatt Eisenhauer and Will Templeton - who died in the line of duty. Fred and Gay Eisenhauer and David and LeAnne Templeton were there in rememberance of their sons. (click on the image to view the photo gallery)
One night a year Pinckneyville let's it hair down and throws a helluva bash. Mardi Gras 2011 was no expection. (click on image to view photo gallery)
The Thersherman's Fall Show is a delight of sights, smells and sounds that includes hand-cranked pressing of apple cider, open vat churning of apple butter and coal-fired making of sorgum. Of course, any power needed such as hewing wood is provided by the smoke-belching steam machines. The runs through Sunday (Oct. 16) at the Perry County Fairgrounds in Pinckneyville. (click on the image to view the picture gallery)
The autumn version of the American Thresherman Association show starts Friday, Oct. 14. It is a fall classic with homemade apple butter and many other tasty seasonal treats for sale.
Volunteers joined crews from Contempri Homes to build a house for a family in tornado-flattened Joplin, Mo. The project started at midnight Friday and is expected to be completed by midday Sunday. It is part of an effort by the TV show, "Extreme Makeover, Home Edition" to build seven homes in seven days. (click on the picture to view more images)
More than 250 volunteers gathered for a kick-off rally in advance of participating in the “Extreme Makeover, Home Edition” project to build seven homes in seven days for victims of the E-5 tornado that ravaged Joplin, Mo. in May, killing 162 people and leaving thousands more on the streets.
The Timpner family was kind enough to allow The Post to take pictures of their turn-of-the-century (20th that is) barn. Take a tour of this unique structure.
American Thresherman Assoc. members harvested wheat south of the fairgrounds using a team of mules and a circa 1920s binder. The machine cuts the wheat and ties it with twine to create bundles . Farmhands then stack the bundles into shocks. It takes 11 bundles to make a shock. The wheat will be used during demonstrations at the group's annual show that this year runs from Aug. 18-21. (click on the picture to view the image gallery)
A local fireman died, a business was lost and two buildings on the Pinckneyville Square crumbled during a devasting fire June 17. Here are pictures of the day after it happened. The Post's perspective on why the town should consider razing other buildings in this area before another tragedy strikes is forthcoming. (Click on the image to view the picture gallery)
Perry County was under aerial assault this week as Bigham Farms began over-seeding its wheat fields with soybeans. Two planes – one, bi-winged version, and another that looked like it was built for aeronautical acrobats – were commissioned to conduct an agricultural version of “shock and awe” as they scooped down on the lush fields, pelting them with new seed.
BY JEFF SMYTH If you do any driving along the highways of Southern Illinois this time of year and stop sending text messages long enough to look out the windshield, you’ll surely ask yourself the same question that continues to perplex me: Why does the turtle cross the road? The unimaginative will say it is to “get to the shell station,” but I like to think they are playing a game of “terrapin chicken.” Whatever its motivation, when one is cowering in its shell at the centerline as cars whiz by, even a turtle’s pea-size brain realizes it has placed itself in a very dire teachable moment.
