The Eureka-Goodfield Fire District will benefit from the proceeds of its annual pancake breakfast, that this year will be held from 6-10 a.m. Feb. 23, at the fire station, 211 N. Main St., Eureka. Admission is free and donations will be accepted.

STATE

Lawmakers want higher minimum wage for teachers

The Illinois Senate education committee is pushing again to raise the minimum salary for teachers to $40,000 a year by the 2023-24 school year. The bill to raise the teacher minimum salary was approved last year, but it was vetoed by former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. Democrats have majorities in both the Illinois House and Senate.

The current minimum wage for teachers in Illinois is $10,000, or $9,000 for those without a bachelor’s degree. That standard was set in 1980.

If the bill is signed into law, teachers would see a new minimum salary of $32,076 for the 2020-21 school year. The salary would increase every year until hitting $40,000 in 2023.

CENTRAL ILLINOIS

Lincoln’s intellect is focus of new exhibit

In its continuing mission to study Abraham Lincoln, the man, the Lincoln Heritage Museum at Lincoln College is opening a new exhibit about his intellect, including Lincoln’s focus on education and knowledge and his interest in how inventions worked.

The new exhibit, opening on Lincoln’s Birthday, Feb. 12, focuses on the Young America movement of the 1840s and 1850s.

Among the items to be displayed in the exhibit is the plat map for the incorporation of the Logan County town named for Lincoln, which Lincoln helped survey and christen with the juice of a watermelon.

Although the Young America movement was primarily a Democratic movement — the exhibit includes documents featuring two Democratic presidents, James Polk and Franklin Pierce — Lincoln also made references to it. In his speech “Second Lecture on Discoveries and Inventions,” delivered Feb. 11, 1859, at Illinois College in Jacksonville, Lincoln said, “Young America … Is he not the inventor and owner of the present and sole hope of the future?”

The exhibit asks visitors how they are going to grow their intellect, exercise their voice and take a stand for a movement.

In an upcoming event at the museum, author Tim Pletkovich will discuss and sign copies of his book, “Civil War Fathers: Sons of the Civil War in World War II,” 3 p.m. Feb. 28.

Admission to the museum is $7 for adults and $4 for children 6 and older. Children younger than 6 are admitted free. Museum hours are 9 a.m.-4 pm. Monday-Friday and 1-4 p.m. Saturday. The museum is closed on Sundays and Lincoln College holidays and breaks.

COUNTY

Public health award nominations sought

The Woodford County Board of Health is seeking nominations for the next Public Health Award recipient. The county is looking for someone who has dedicated his or her time to help improve the health and well-being of the community. Service could be in the form of a volunteer at one of the health departments many drills, clinics or programs, or an employee who went above and beyond their responsibility to help others in the community. 

Nominees for the award may include agencies, groups, individuals, media or organizations whose contributions to Woodford County have improved the public’s health. The nomination form should include a description of the nominee’s participation in public health, and the reason why this person deserves the award.

Applications are available online at woodfordhealth.org. Nominations must be received by 12 p.m. March 15, and may be submitted by hard copy to the Woodford County Health Department, 1831 S. Main St, Eureka, 61530.  An electronic nomination may be submitted to Hillary Aggertt at haggertt@woodford-county.org.  

EUREKA

Pancakes on the menu at firehouse

The firefighters of the Eureka-Goodfield Fire District will be cooking and serving at their annual pancake breakfast, that this year will be held from 6-10 a.m. Feb. 23, at the fire station, 211 N. Main St., Eureka. Admission is free and donations will be accepted. The public will have an opportunity to meet local firefighters and EMS personnel at the event.

‘Pippin’ on stage at Pritchard

The Theater Department of Eureka College is presenting its production of “Pippin,” theTony Award-wining Broadway play which debuted in 1972. Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14-Feb. 16, and 2 p.m. Feb. 17 at Pritchard Theater, 300 E. College Ave., Eureka.

The musical uses the premise of a mysterious performance troupe, led by a Leading Player, to tell the story of Pippin, a young prince on his search for meaning and significance. The prince longs to find passion and adventure in his life. To prove his loyalty to his distracted father, King Charles, Pippin goes to war. But when the Leading Player convinces the prince to fight tyranny, Pippin takes over the throne. Realizing his mistake, Pippin begs the Leading Player to bring his father back, and she obliges. The prince falls in love with a widow with her young son, and (much to the Leading Player’s chagrin), Pippin struggles to decide whether he should settle down and pursue a peaceful life or continue to make magic with the dazzling troupe of performers.

Price of tickets is pay-what-you-decide, and tickets can be purchased at the door or reserved by email. The email address is tickets@eureka.edu.

Financial adviser moves to new office

Financial adviser Timonthy Funderburk with the financial services firm, Edward Jones, has announced plans to move to a new office at 126 S. Main St., Eureka. The new office will open for business Feb. 19. The phone number will be 309-467-9379.

Funderburk has been a financial adviser since 2008.

Edward Jones, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in St. Louis, provides financial services in the U.S. and, through its affiliate, in Canada. Every aspect of the firm’s business, from the investments its financial advisers offer to the location of its branch offices, caters to individual investors. The firm’s 17,000-plus financial advisers serve more than 7 million clients and care for $1 trillion in assets under management.

–Woodford County News Briefs–