Today's News

Carolyn Daniels is small in stature, but a giant in terms of the service, heart and dedication she has given to the Fayette County residents in need of counseling, help and advocacy in the courts.

Daniels, as the executive director of SAFE (Sexual Assault and Family Emergencies) for the past 23 years, she has been an understanding, compassionate person who cares enough to make a difference in the lives of others.

Vandalia was swept in a doubleheader against Effingham last Wednesday. The Vandals failed to capitalize on opportunities, and errors on routine ground balls and dropped fly balls allowed Effingham second-chance opportunities.

“You have to take care of your pitcher, and when a pitcher gets ground balls and fly balls, you have to take care of him and make those plays,” coach Luke Hohlt said. “A few guys are playing out of position and we’re kind of short-handed. They have to learn to make the plays when they’re out of position.”

Despite all of the rain in recent weeks, the downtown improvement project is moving along at a good pace.

At Vandalia Main Street’s fourth “Mornings on Main Street” meeting, Lorne Jackson of HMG Engineers told a group of downtown merchants that contractors have been able to stay ahead of the proposed pace.

“As you can tell, we’ve gone to stage II of the project, between Sixth and Seventha streets,” Jackson said.

It’s been nearly a month since the Vandalia City Council signed an agreement with a Michigan firm that could bring a $300 million sports complex to our community.

The 2-million-square-foot development is to be located on 150 acres south of Wal-Mart. The developer – Motown Technology & Sports Facility Inc. – told the city that the project will create about 2,000 temporary construction jobs and nearly 900 full-time jobs, once the facility is completed. Those are big-time numbers in a county with double-digit unemployment.