Area Breaking News
“I Wake Up in War”: Infantryman Recalls Final Days of Tet Offensive
Ron Harre, a Ramsey resident born and raised in Brownstown, decorates his bedroom in Vietnam memorabilia: a hand-embroidered jacket with a map of the country on the back, caps, a carefully-arranged shadowbox, a collection of patriotic statuettes and displays on a shelving unit. But like many Vietnam veterans, Harre’s experiences aren’t limited to the medals…
Read MoreBicyclist, Support Crew Stops In Altamont on 4,150-Mile Fundraiser Trip
By the time this paper hits newsstands on Monday, May 13, Bob Hood, Laura Ghosn, and Ron Calabrese will be in western Ohio, passing through Dayton. When the paper reaches subscriber mailboxes on Tuesday, May 14, the crew will be north of Columbus, heading for the shore of Lake Erie. Maybe that’s not an impressive…
Read MorePersistence, Faith, and Love: Ina Maroon’s Story
If anyone in Altamont can claim a storied life, it’s Ina Maroon. In her 80’s, Maroon looks back at her days raising five children, facing struggle after struggle and coming out a survivor each time. And on the morning of Tuesday, April 23, Maroon took time out of her preparations for a move and sat…
Read MoreService with a Smile: Supporting the Community with S&W Supermarket
Since early March of 1978, Altamont residents have been turning to S&W Supermarket for the essentials close to home—produce, fresh meat and cheese, boxed and canned goods, frozen foods, and household sundries alike. And in a time when many small towns have lost their grocery and general stores, the city of Altamont still has a…
Read MoreLocal Students Learn Valuable Trade Skills at Okaw Area Vocational Center
In a presentation to the Altamont Chamber of Commerce on Monday, April 8, Nick Casey and Altamont student Gabe Asplin spoke about the benefits of the Okaw Area Vocational Center, a workforce training program that has supplied central Illinois with skilled tradeworkers since 1968. Casey, the Okaw Area Vocational Center director, introduced the program as…
Read MoreEaster Egg Hunt at Altamont First Baptist
The First Baptist Church of Altamont, 102 First Baptist Drive, will host an Easter Egg hunt on April 13 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine, for children sixth grade and below. The church recommends an adult accompany the children. There will be hot dogs, popcorn, and a bounce house, as well as drawings for…
Read MoreMake A Wish Foundation Grants Altamont Student’s Wish to Visit Disney
On Monday afternoon, April 1, a number of Altamont Grade School early childhood and lower elementary classes packed into the cafeteria for a memorable party, celebrating five-year-old Altamont student Owen Savage and the granting of his wish through the Make A Wish Foundation of Illinois. At around 1:30 p.m., volunteers and family members began setting…
Read More“The Lord Was Good”: Remembering a Year in Phan Rang
(Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing series featuring the Vietnam War veterans of St. Elmo and the surrounding area. If you or a loved one served in Vietnam and want to tell your story, get in touch with us at news@altnewsban.com or (618) 483-6176.) 50 years later, David Cox sits at his…
Read MoreFirst Grader Plans to Donate Toys to Hospital on One-Year Transplant Anniversary
BY SHELBY NIEHAUS The way six-year-old St. Elmo resident Kinley Walker tell it, there’s a pile of “six million hundred” new toys, games, and plush dolls in the basement of her grandmother’s home. Her mother Hannah clarifies the real figure, but the mountain of toys is still massive: one stacked-full table, six plastic totes, and…
Read MoreFirst Annual Fiesta for CF Will Raise Money for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
BY SHELBY NIEHAUS A celebration of life meets and assurance of more to come when the Fiesta for CF comes to Altamont’s Carriage House Event Center on Saturday, Feb. 9 from 4 to 11 p.m. Beecher City resident Allyson Anderson, the Fiesta for CF’s organizer, spoke to the News and Banner on the afternoon of…
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