StatePoint - While gathering for Thanksgiving is intended to be a joyous occasion, everyone who has hosted the feast knows it can also come with a lot of stress, and expenses. The good news is that whether you’re a Gen Z-er hosting your first Friendsgiving on a budget or you’re a busy family preparing for guests, there is a lot to be thankful for this year. That’s because this holiday season, Sam’s Club’s private brand Member’s Mark is unveiling an innovative pre-cooked Thanksgiving meal that is ready to serve in under two hours, priced under $100 for up to 10...

TUSCOLA - St. Joseph-Ogden’s girls’ cross-country team secured a second-place finish at the Tuscola Regional on Saturday at Wimple Park, earning a spot in the upcoming sectional meet at Lakeland College. Senior standout Savanna Franzen led the Spartans, placing fourth overall with a time of 18:11.90. Her strong performance continued a season that saw her receive an offer to run at Eastern Illinois University.

TUSCOLA - The Unity girls' cross country team secured yet another triumph on Saturday, winning the Tuscola Cross Country Regional at Wimple Park. The Rockets, defending three-time Class 1A state champions, extended their dominance with a first-place finish, posting a team score of 40 points, well ahead of second-place St. Joseph-Ogden’s 70. Paxton-Buckley-Loda rounded out the top three with 94 points. Unity’s success was built on a balanced performance from its top runners, as five Rockets finished in the top 15, showcasing the depth and strength of the team. Senior Emily Decker led the charge for Unity, finishing second overall with...

TUSCOLA - The Urbana University girls cross country team placed fourth at the regional race held at Wimple Park in Tuscola on Saturday. Despite the crisp fall weather, with temperatures hovering around 40 degrees, the Illineks' top three runners set personal bests in the three-mile race. Freshman Clara Knutson led the way for Urbana University, finishing 12th overall in 19:33.73, breaking her previous best of 19:54.8. Cadence Scheunemann, a sophomore, also set a new personal record, placing 17th in 20:01.33, improving upon her previous best of 20:31.2. Junior Ella Ylagan rounded out the top three for the Illineks, finishing 18th overall...

(11) Tuscola (5-4) @ Elmwood-Brimfield .::. 7 pm. (4) Elmwood-Brimfield (8-1) (3) Mahomet-Seymour (7-2) (14) Sacred Heart-Griffin (5-4) (3) Gibson City (Melvin-Sibley) (8-1) (6) Monmouth-Roseville (8-1) (11) Paxton-Buckley-Loda (6-3) @ St. Joseph-Ogden .::. 2 pm. (1) St. Joseph-Ogden (9-0) (16) West Frankfort (5-4) @ Roxana .::. 2:30 pm. (8) Roxana...

by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator This may be the most frightening Halloween of all time. People across America are scared stiff as we are bombarded 24-hours a day with terrifying scenes splashed across television, our telephones and tablets. We can’t get away from the howls, screeches, growls, ghastly facial expressions and horned headed characters spewing menacing rhetoric. All of this has been brought to us by our Democratic and Republican parties. The scariest part of Halloween is that there will be five more days of political campaigning and political advertisements. But wait, what happens if the election is...

With Mahomet-Seymour defender Ethan Ramirez on his heals, Urbana's Nana Winner fires a shot on the Mahomet-Seymour goal. Winner missed the mark on the second half shot that could have extended the Tigers' season another week. URBANA - In a thrilling display of skill and determination, the Mahomet-Seymour Bulldogs clinched...

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks Exhausted and heartbroken, junior Zach Harper (standing) and senior Logan Mills take a moment to regain their composure after Spartans' season-ending loss to Normal U-High at the Monticello Sectional on Saturday. MONTICELLO - St. Joseph-Ogden’s remarkable soccer season came to a close on Saturday as they fell 6-0 to Normal University High School in the sectional semifinal at Monticello’s soccer complex. The Spartans, who had been dominant throughout the season, were held scoreless for the first time all year in a tough matchup against the defending Class 1A state runner-up. The loss marked only the...

In farming, you often have to work even when you're not feeling well. There are no options to call off or get substitutes when you need time off. The strong work ethic passed down from fathers to sons (and daughters in many cases) is admirable, but it can lead to medical issues if not managed properly. Photo: Melissa Mayes/PEXELS by Tim DitmanOSF Healthcare ALTON - While living in Greene County, Illinois, in the 1980s and 1990s, Lea Anne Varble took a gut punch each time she heard about a suicide in her...

Illustration: Goska Malgoska/Pixabay by Tim DitmanOSF Healthcare Lavender Zarraga, APRN, a behavioral health provider at OSF HealthCare, says it’s not uncommon for her patients to ask for a medication that isn’t the right fit. The culprit? She says symptoms of common mental health issues like depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and bipolar disorder can overlap. So, it’s important to stay in contact with your provider to make sure you’re on the best treatment plan. On depression mimicking ADHD: “You have changed executive functioning. You can’t decide. You feel dull. You can’t concentrate,” Zarraga says. “You have a hard...

During last November's Open House, Local 149 instructor Andy Currie provided a high school student with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in pipefitting. At the beginning of the week, officials from Parkland College and the University of Illinois, along with Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski, will tour the training facility. PhotoNews Media file photo SAVOY - One year after opening its state-of-the-art training center, United Association Local 149 will host U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski and officials from Parkland College, the University of Illinois, and the chemical industry for a tour on Tuesday at 3 p.m. The event, held...

Seniors Gabe Mata (71), Charlie Schmitz (21) and the Spartans celebrated a win #9 over Paxton-Buckley-Loda at Dick Duval Field on Friday. The St. Joseph-Ogden football team will be back on their home turf on Saturday for their first-round playoff game against 5-4 West Frankfort. ST. JOSEPH - The St....

ST. JOSEPH - St. Joseph-Ogden running back Justice Wertz is hoisted into the air by teammate Nolan Earley after scoring his third and final touchdown of the evening during the Spartans' home game against Paxton-Buckley-Loda (5-4) at Dick Duval Field. Wertz, who led all rushers with 148 yards, scored on runs of 14, 25, and 41 yards. The Spartans defeated the Panthers in their last regular season contest 42-14 to become the 12th team in program history to finish with an unblemished record. The last time SJO enjoyed a lossless season was in the fall of 2015 under longtime head coach Dick Duval. Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Photo: Alora Griffiths/Unsplash by Matt SheehanOSF Healthcare In the sports world, victory can be just inches or seconds away. Photo provided Dr. Karan Rai BLOOMINGTON - Think about ‘The Longest Yard’ in Super Bowl 34 between the Tennessee Titans and St. Louis Rams. In the final play of the game, one yard was all that stood between the Titans and the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Or look at the 2024 Summer Olympics! Noah Lyles earned the United States a gold medal after winning by just five thousandths of a second in the 100-meter...

ST. JOSEPH - At the end of October, St. Joseph-Ogden High School announced the recipients of the first quarter Honor Roll and High Honor Roll. To be recognized on the Honor Roll at SJO, students must achieve a grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Those with a GPA exceeding 3.74 are honored as High Honor Roll students. Freshman Honor Roll Ava Alexander Miles Atwood Lucas Barton Coleton Beckett Draven Black Evan Brown Liam Carter Caleb Courter Emily Cross Hunter Dilley Jameson Ehler Casen Goff Jackson Good George Hale Holden Hausle Averie Helfrich Keira Landers Leigha Larson Pete Martin Aubrey Matheny Wyatt McKinney Atleigh Miller Michaela Morrison Cameron Palmisano Averie Puckett Isaiah Reynolds Mitch Riesel Keegan Roberts Samantha Ryan Dalton Trotter Logan Umbarger Ryder Van Meenen Henrik...

ST. JOSEPH - At the end of October, St. Joseph-Ogden High School announced the recipients of the first quarter Honor Roll and High Honor Roll. To be recognized on the Honor Roll at SJO, students must achieve a grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Those with a GPA exceeding 3.74 are honored as High Honor Roll students. Freshman High Honor Roll Kira Aase Tyler Bonny Ava Bronowski Patrick Clark Carly Coffey Tessa Cox Avarie Dietiker Ainsley Dirksmeyer Trey Divan Connor Eaton Olivia Edington Eli Franklin Isabella Frerichs Ava Gallo Conlan Gill Brandon Grindley Colton Heidel Nathan Hinkel Kellyn Irwin Ashlee Jannusch Lilyah Jones Isabel Kates Megan Kearney Lillyan Kelley Addison Knight Avery Lappin Gavin Little Royce Loschen Charles Martin Landon May Aiden McBride Henry McCannon Lane...

Unity Junior High School announced the names of students who achieved high honor roll status during the first quarter. Congratulations to all the students who earned the requisite grade point to qualify for recognition during this period. 6th Grade High Honor Roll. Wyatt James Aughney. Lylla Lorene Bennett. McKenna Ilene...

Unity Junior High School announced the names of students who achieved honor roll status during the first quarter. Congratulations to all the students who earned the requisite grade point to qualify for recognition during this period. 6th Grade Honor Roll Nolan Matthew Astroth Molly Margrethe Bailes Madelyn JoAnn Bear Journie Elizabeth Castle Madisen Diane Coy Avery Brooks Curry Claire Bronte Davis Dominic Dees Hayven Corrine Douglas Jackson Carter Elam Caroline Elizabeth Greenwald Ezekiel Makai Hastings Emilia Hibbs Christian Timothy Vincent Johnson Airyanna Alene Jones Khloe Nikita Kellogg Elijiah Cole Lambert Jerzey Lawler Avalee Susan Little Gavin James Lutz Bentley Michael Mcduffie Hunter Reed McIntosh Brielle Raine Molina Logan Alexander Nasser Xavier Lee Perry Robinson Autumn Polaczek Tucker Lee Pruiett Emory Grace Renfroe Nolan Dwight Seidlitz Paige Elizabeth Siuts Brody Lee Skibbe Lila...

by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator The average monthly car payment for a new vehicle is $734 according to second-quarter 2024 Experian data — up 0.1% year after year. Used cars have an average monthly payment of $525, down 2.1%. Meanwhile, new lease payments average $586, a 2.3% decrease. The average house payment is around $2,700 per month. The average rent payment is between $1,300 and $1,789 per month. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the average single person can spend between $238.46 and $434.33 per month on groceries. Many factors will impact a given individual's expenses, such...

HOOPESTON - Oakwood-Salt Fork (OSF) claimed their second consecutive IHSA regional soccer title Wednesday with a commanding 6-0 victory over Georgetown-Ridge Farm-Westville (GRFW) in the final at Hoopeston Area High School. Led by a standout performance from Ethan Merritt, who tallied three goals and an assist, the Comets controlled the match from start to finish, adding yet another chapter to an impressive season under head coach Eric Fenton.