Community News
Sonya Levie informs Rotary of Pageant
Black Diamond Days Pageant set for June 1
The Area Rotary met for a regular meeting Tuesday, February 7 to hear from Sonya Levie. Sonya is Black Diamond Days Pageant Director that coordinates the pageant and prepares the contestants over the five month process.
The first meetings begin in early February and proceed until the day of the pageant. Levie got started in the pageant world in 2007 when her oldest daughter, Courtney Ostendorf, was crowned as Miss Black Diamond Days. Then for the next three years, Courtney went to the County level and won in 2009.
In 2009, Levie took over the task of pageant director for Miss Black Diamond Days. “It has been interesting,” Sonya said, “But it has been a lot of fun too.” Levie starts preparing for the pageant towards the end of January when she tries to find contestants. Forms are sent to school and it is announced in the local newspapers.
After contestants are found, they attend numerous meetings that last up to three hours at length. “They learn how to walk, how to pose, how to express their self. It is all a learning experience,” Levie explained.
First, Levie works with the contestants as they create resumes which help them get to know themselves. The pageant crew brings in judges from all over the state and sometimes even out of state to judge the pageant.
During the 5 month process, Levie explains what is expected from them. No drinking, no smoking, and no intolerant behavior is permitted. All Facebook pages are monitored very closely. “These girls are going to represent the town, so they cannot display poor behavior,” Levie added, “Little girls look up to the girls.”
The first thing the contestants undergo is a three minute personal interview which contains all sorts of questions. The girls are given a sample question packet to help prepare for the interview. After the interview, they move on to the competition level.
For the queens, it is bathing suit and evening gown while the junior misses model a party dress and a casual outfit. The contestants are then judged on their walk, their public speaking ability, their beauty, their poise, and their outfits. They then are asked a ‘pop question’ and are expected to answer the question immediately on stage in front of the audience.
Last year, the pageant started something new which was the junior division consisting of girls ages 12-14. According to Levie, the juniors do practically the same thing the Miss Queens do excluding the bathing suit. Miss Queens consist of girls ages 16-21.
‘Bling’ is this year’s theme and an opening dance act can be expected. In the past, crowned queens moved on to Macoupin County Fair Pageant. Now, queens will not be able to compete in the County Pageant. “We want them to represent Gillespie entirely,” Levie explained, “If they were to win county, they would be Miss Macoupin County and have to represent the county and not Gillespie.”
The newly crowned queens represent Gillespie at all the local parades, the fall festival, and any Chamber of Commerce event.
The first informational meeting is scheduled for February 19at TwinnCo Real Estate in Gillespie. The meeting is scheduled at 6:00pm. All the rules will be handed out and gone over. The pageant is set to take place June 1 at 6:00pm at the Gillespie Civic Center.
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Meet Professors and Current Students, Learn about Opportunities, Tour Campus, and Get Instant Admissions Decisions at the Events
CARLINVILLE, ILL. — Interested students and families will have two opportunities to learn more about Blackburn College this fall. The Admissions and Financial Aid teams will host Open House events on Monday, October 14, and Monday, November 11, beginning at 8:30 am. These events allow future first-time and transfer students to gather important information about the college application process.
Throughout their time on campus, prospective students and their families will explore and tour the beautiful 80-acre campus, make personal connections with current students and professors, and get to know what life is like as a Blackburn student. They will also see first-hand Blackburn’s unique approach to education—where students earn their degrees while building impactful skills and gaining real-world work experience–giving graduates a four-year head start to launch their future careers.
For Justin Norwood, Vice President for Inclusive Enrollment and a Blackburn graduate, these opportunities are valuable for prospective students and families because nothing is more important than finding a school that will be the best fit. “Finding the right college is more than just academics; it’s discovering a place where students feel supported and inspired to thrive,” Norwood said. “At Blackburn, our open house events provide an opportunity to experience what makes our community unique – the close mentoring relationships with peers and professors, the ability to build critical skills and gain real-world work experience, and a personalized financial aid approach that goes beyond affordability and is designed to meet the specific needs of every student.”
Blackburn’s Admissions and Financial Aid team will be available throughout the event to answer all your questions, including about opportunities like the Macoupin Promise – where qualified graduates of Macoupin County high schools can attend Blackburn tuition-free. For more information and to register for an event, go to blackburn.edu/visit or email admissions@blackburn.edu.
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Seven libraries in Macoupin County will welcome new visitors throughout October with a program sponsored by the region’s library system.
The 6th Annual Library Crawl invites patrons to explore new libraries throughout the Illinois Heartland Library System, which composes the southern half of the state. The Crawl also demonstrates the benefits of a library card, which allows users to check out materials from the libraries they visit.
Some 173 libraries across central and southern Illinois are taking part in the Crawl, including Gillespie, Staunton, Mount Olive, Carlinville, Brighton, Virden, and Benld. The event runs from October 1 through October 31.
The first Library Crawl was introduced in 2019 by the Bethalto Public Library, which continues to coordinate the event. The idea was designed to encourage library users to explore the resources of other libraries that are available to request and check out with a valid library card.
Twenty-eight libraries participated in that first year, a number that has now increased over six-fold.
Patrons may pick up a passport for the Crawl at any participating library, and try to visit at least five libraries during the event. A few enthusiastic individuals have actually visited every library on the Crawl in past years.
At each new library, visitors may stop at the main circulation desk to have their passports stamped. To complete the Crawl, patrons may simply return their passports to their home library.
Some libraries also offer special treats for visitors on the Crawl. After any visit to a participating library, patrons are invited to take pictures to post on social media, under the hashtag #IHLSLibraryCrawl2024.
Many libraries are closed in observance of Columbus Day on October 14, so anyone planning a visit should call ahead, to check on hours of operation.
For more information on the Crawl, visit www.illinoisheartland.org or call any of the participating libraries.
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Proceeds benefit St. Francis Cancer Center
LITCHFIELD, Ill. — The HSHS St. Francis Hospital Auxiliary will sponsor their sixth and final drive-thru dinner for 2024 on Monday, Oct. 14 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. to support the hospital’s Cancer Center expansion project.
Dinners must be ordered by noon on Monday, Oct. 7. Online ordering will not be available for this final meal, but dinner may still be ordered in the hospital gift shop or by contacting Paula Endress at 217-324-8200.
The Oct. 14 drive-thru dinner pick up will take place in front of the main hospital entrance.
The meal will feature a grilled pork chop, loaded mashed potatoes, green beans, roll and a dessert. Cost per meal is $14.
For more information about HSHS St. Francis Hospital, visit stfrancis-litchfield.org.
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Bunker Hill hosting Fall Festival this Saturday, Sept. 14
Gillespie Council votes to buy building for police department
Gillespie Council establishes penalty of late lake lot lease payments, green lights programs to display banners honoring local veterans
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Community News3 weeks agoBunker Hill hosting Fall Festival this Saturday, Sept. 14
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Community News3 weeks agoGillespie Council votes to buy building for police department
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Community News3 weeks agoGillespie Council establishes penalty of late lake lot lease payments, green lights programs to display banners honoring local veterans
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Obituaries3 weeks agoDeath of Beverly J. Katich