Post Office has jobs

The U.S. Postal Service has scheduled job fairs in central Illinois next week to recruit applicants for jobs in Champaign and other parts of Illinois and Missouri. The fairs will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. November 27th at the Danville Post Office and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. November 28th at the Eagle Station in Bloomington. The Gateway District of the postal service is recruiting for positions at the Champaign Processing and Distribution Facility. Positions available include postal support employees and casual mail handlers. Officials will also seek applicants for other positions across central and southern Illinois and northeastern Missouri. Those posts include postmaster relief employees, rural carrier associates, and transitional employees.

 

Festival 56

“Festival 56” isn’t just doing summer plays, it’s offering them now as well. The Princeton theatre group is offering “Almost Maine” this Wednesday thru Saturday evenings. The play is a look at love beginning and ending in unexpected and often hilarious ways in this mythical town. Regular tickets are $26, seniors $24 and students under age 18 – thirteen dollars. The cast is drawn together from across the country. Additional plays are planned this winter.

Pearl Harbor ceremony

Pearl Harbor survivors are still marching these days – the next time will be this Saturday. Peru’s annual rememberance of the “Day of infamy” starts with coffee and donuts for the vets at the Rescue station at 9:30. Those marching line up outside the station at 10:45 and step off at 11:30. It will be a short trip to the South Shore boat club for a service including a laying of the wreath on the water and the TBM avenger flyover. Confederate soldiers of Princeton will fire their cannon as part of the festivities.

Wedding reception fight

May they live happily ever after….but, not so the guests. A wedding reception Saturday night at the Oglesby Elks concludes with an argument and fight requiring help from four police agencies. Oglesby police were first notified about ten people fighting at the Elks Lodge at 8:40pm. At the scene, an Oglesby officer attempted to break up a fight, but was pushed back by the forearm of 35-year David Moleterno of Willow Springs. David and his 36-year old wife, Laurie, were each charged with obstructing a police officer. LaSalle, Peru and the District 17 police assisted at the scene. The Moleterno’s each received a notice to appear before being released.

Governor Quinn and the pension crisis

The weeks ahead may be Governor Pat Quinn’s ultimate test. He has set a January deadline for solving the state’s pension crisis – a decades-old problem he says he was “put on this earth” to solve. But Quinn insists in an interview with The Associated Press this weekend that he runs Illinois as a peacemaker, aiming for consensus.

 

Rooftop vigil is back on

A pastor who camped on the icy roof of a dilapidated Chicago motel for three months to protest violence on the city’s South Side has resumed his vigil. The Reverend Corey Brooks is again camping out on the site where he wants to build a community center to promote anti-violence initiatives. Brooks and 15 supporters have been camped out in tents since Thursday and intend to stay until today to raise donations for the center.

Gingerbread houses – large and small

How do you judge a “gingerbread” house contest? You may be able to find out today at Reddick Mansion at 100 W. Lafayette in Ottawa. Judging will be done today in the second annual “Gingerbread House Contest”. Though it’s now too late to submit one of your own, if you have children or grandchildren, take them to the Reddick Mansion today between 11 – 2 so they can walk thru a large version of a gingerbread house. Reddick Mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites.

Vendor Fair

About fifty vendors with personal care and other products will participate in a “Relay for Life” vendor fair today (Sunday) at Grizzly Jack’s Grand Bear lodge south of Utica. Hours will be 11 – 4. Food and drinks will be served. Proceeds go toward Relay for life.