Eureka Marching Band took the field for competition at Morton Community High School on Saturday, Sept 15.  The band, 100 members strong, demonstrated a solid performance and is hard at work improving skills for the rest of the competitive season.  Shown above, Eureka’s Color Guard won Grand Champion of the day. (Photo courtesy EHS Marching Band)

STATE

Federal funds to help Illinois fight opioid abuse

Illinois’ fight against opioid abuse has received a $43.5 million boost in federal money.

That is the state’s portion of a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services $1 billion distribution to all states as part of the department’s five-point opioid strategy.

Illinois will get about $29 million from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. It will increase availability of addiction treatment using medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration and to reduce overdose-related deaths through prevention, treatment and recovery activities.

A $14.5 million Health Resources and Services Administration grant will help 50 federally funded community health centers, academic institutions and rural organizations in Illinois expand substance-abuse and mental health treatment services.

Applications to be accepted for heating bill aid

The state’s winter heating assistance program for seniors and people with disabilities will begin scheduling appointments and accepting applications for aid Oct. 1. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is funded through the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity’s Office of Community Assistance.

Customers must bring all required documentation when applying for assistance including:

• Proof of gross income from all household members for the 30-day income period beginning with the date of the application.
• A copy of current heat and electric bills issued within the last 30 days (if they pay for their energy directly).
• A copy of the rental agreement (if they are renting) showing that utilities are included, the monthly rental amount and landlord contact information.
• Proof of Social Security numbers for all household members.
• Proof that the household received Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); Aid to the Aged, Blind, or Disabled (AABD); or other benefits, such as Medical Eligibility or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), if receiving assistance from the Illinois Department of Human Services.

Disconnected households and families with children ages 5 or under can begin applying for LIHEAP assistance Nov. 1. Individuals not eligible for priority enrollment can start applying Dec. 1. LIHEAP applicants will be served on a first-come, first-served basis until May 31, 2019 or until funding is exhausted.

For additional information about the program, go to liheapIllinois.com or call 877-411-9276.

EUREKA

College announces plays for fall semester

A comedy will kick off the fall semester of productions presented by the Eureka College Theatre Department and Nitsch Theatre Arts.

“This Random World” by Stephen Dietz will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Sep. 26-Sept. 29 and 2 p.m. Sep. 30 in Pritchard Theatre. Eureka College professor Holly Rocke will direct.

Mining the comedy of missed connections, “This Random World” asks the serious question of how often we travel parallel paths through the world without noticing. From an ailing woman who plans one final trip, to her daughter planning one great escape and her son falling prey to a prank gone wrong, this funny, intimate, and heartbreaking play explores the lives that may be happening just out of reach of our own.  Recommended audience is age 13 and up.             

The next performance will be the fifth annual performance of The 24-Hour Plays: Eureka College 7:30 p.m. Oct. 20 in Pritchard Theatre.  Students and volunteers will direct.

The 24-Hour Plays is part of a worldwide project to bring together  artists to create time-limited theatre. Actors, directors, and writers will converge 24 hours before opening to conceive and create new plays. First and last rehearsal will be during the 24 hours of fun that culminate in a world-premiere performance of new theatre.

The world premiere of the play “Imprimatur” by Newt Holt will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7-Nov. 10 and 2 p.m. Nov. 11 in Pritchard Theatre. The director will also be Newt Holt, of the class of 2019.

“Imprimatur” is a cat-and-mouse game between the forces of Pendleton and Bergeron, both of whom wrestle with the ramifications of truth, and the price that must be paid to attain or destroy it. Knuckles are bloodied, bullets are fired, books are burned, and people are consumed by lions. What more could you want from a play?  Rated PG-13 for some adult themes.

Capping the fall semester will be Nitsch Theatre Arts’ production of the musical “Annie” at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 9-Dec. 15 and 2 p.m. Dec. 8 and Dec. 16 in Pritchard Theatre. The book is by Thomas Meehan, Music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charnin. Kelleen Nitsch will direct. 

Annie is determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of a New York City Orphanage in the 1930s that is run by the cruel, embittered Miss Hannigan. With the help of the other girls in the orphanage, Annie escapes to the wondrous world of the city. In adventure after fun-filled adventure, Annie foils Miss Hannigan’s evil machinations and even befriends President Franklin Delano Roosevelt! She finds a new home and family in billionaire, Oliver Warbucks, his personal secretary, Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy. Rated G for all audiences.

Pritchard Theatre is at 300 E. College Ave. For tickets, call 309-467-6363.

–Woodford County News Briefs–