Mike Oltman, Woodford County Emergency Management Agency

COUNTY

Volunteer honored for years of service

The Illinois Emergency Services Management Association (IESMA) has named Mike Oltman Volunteer of the Year, an award that recognizes his work with the Woodford County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) for more than 30 years. He started working with the agency when he was a student at Roanoke-Benson High School.

Oltman currently serves as deputy director of the Woodford County Emergency Management team. He is the chief storm spotter and damage assessment coordinator for the county EMA. He has worked with the IEMA and FEMA following disasters in Woodford County by mapping out the damaged area to make it more efficient when officials from those departments arrive on site.

Oltman is an expert on radio operations and installs all the radios in EMA vehicles and in the Emergency Operations Center. He also performs most of the maintenance and does electrical projects at the EMA building. Oltman also trains volunteers on radio and command trailer operations.

Earlier this year, Oltman worked throughout the night coordinating response efforts and communicating with the EOC when there was a tornado touchdown in the northern part of the county.

Oltman is assistant fire chief for the Roanoke Fire Protection District and volunteers for the Roanoke ambulance service.

MINONK

Taste local flavors at festival

Come sample the flavors of local eateries June 17 at the second Taste of Minonk. From 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., local musicians will entertain at the festival, which will include chalk drawing, face painting, balloon animals and barrel rides for kids. Drawings for a television set and weather radio will he held.

The time from 2 to 5 p.m. will be designated Public Safety Day, where first responders will be on hand. The Minonk Fire Protection District will sponsor a smoke house and display emergency vehicles.

A family movie will be shown at dusk at the intersection of Chestnut and Fifth streets. Admission is $5.

The Old Settlers Day Parade will be June 24, part of this year’s Old Settlers Days festivities.

METAMORA

Mark your calendars: Old Settlers Day 

Old Settlers Days will be celebrated in Metamora, June 21-24.

The annual event will begin June 21 and 22 at 5:30 p.m. with carnival rides and music until 10 p.m.

The carnival will open at noon on June 23, and all-you-can-ride wristbands will be sold for $16 and honored from 12-5 p.m. Rides will reopen from 6-10 p.m. Free crafts and a raffle will be held the kids’ tent from 1-4 p.m. for children 15 and younger.

Admission will be free to Barnyard Discoveries from 2-4 p.m. and the evening will end with a performance by the Joe Stamm Band from 7-10 p.m.

Festivities will begin June 24 with the 45th annual Lincoln Douglas Run, organized by Metamora Township High School. At 7:30 a.m., the 8-Mile and 3-Mile runs will begin. Walkers are welcome in the 3-mile run. Children 12 and under are invited to participate in a 1/2 mile-run at 8 a.m.

The Old Settlers Day Parade will begin at 10 a.m.

As on June 23, the carnival will open at noon on June 24, and all-you-can-ride wristbands will be sold for $16 and honored from 12-5 p.m. Rides will reopen from 6-10 p.m. Free crafts and a raffle will be held the kids’ tent from 1-4 p.m. for children 15 and younger.

There will be a performance by Merilee Studios at noon, and the evening will end with a performance by Jake Maurer from Nashville, formerly of Metamora, from 7-10 p.m.

EUREKA

Business moves to larger space

The Skirt Outlet has a new home. The shop, which was located on south Main Street for the past five years, has moved to 203 E. Bullock, to a historic century-old building, which formerly housed a pair of canning factories: Dickinson and later Libby, McNeill & Libby.

The move was needed because the clothing and accessories store outgrew its former space. The new location has 4,000 square feet of space and includes a showroom, dressing rooms, an office and storage space.

 –Woodford County News Briefs–