Today's News

The Illinois General Assembly’s lame duck session ended Tuesday with a whimper, as legislators once again refused to deal with the state’s out-of-control finances.
After failing to come up with a plan to begin fixing the $96 billion (billion!) pension shortfall, the house and senate adjourned – kicking the can down the road to be dealt with by the next legislative session.
Or the next. Or the next.

20 Years Ago

1993 – Elvis Presley commemorative stamps went on sale at the Vandalia Post Office, and all were gone within an hour.
Maranatha Felmlee, the reigning Miss Fayette County, was competing in the Miss Illinois County Fair Pageant in Springfield.
A logjam in the Kaskaskia River threatened to damage the city of Vandalia’s river intake and a United Cities Gas Co. Line.

Vandalia graduate Josie Earnest has qualified for Team USA in women’s bowling for the second straight year.

Placing third at the Team USA Trials in Henderson, Nev., Earnest is assured a spot on the team, a place in the QubicaAMF World Cup and prize money.

Defending trial champ Danielle McEwan took first in the national field on Monday, while Diandra Asbaty, a 15-time team USA selection, finished second.

In the championship ladder semifinals, Earnest lost to McEwan, 199-181, but the third-place finish was good enough to qualify for Team USA.

VANDALIA – After losing to Pinckneyville on Saturday in what may have been the worst performance of the season, first-year boys basketball coach Brian Buscher gave the Vandals a homework assignment.

Players were required to write down 10 reasons why they play basketball, and at Monday’s practice, they worked together to learn each other’s answers and set new team goals.