.....Advertisement.....
.....Advertisement.....

Editorials

  • Band concert raises $11,395, teaches lesson

    Though Tuesday’s band concert at Vandalia Community High School was tabbed “A Night of Music,” there was a lot more going on than 240 young musicians playing notes on a score.
    Instead, those students were banding together to settle a score with the forces that threaten to diminish their band program. They were playing to save the job of their director, Tony Hicks, whose position has been eliminated by the school board unless alternative funding can be raised.

    Click here to read more...
  • Support the band; go to the concert

    Music is a special thing. It moves the soul and touches us in ways that few other things can.
    When it’s well taught, it creates unique learning experiences that cannot be duplicated in other areas of our educational system. And it instills an appreciation for music that will go with our students for a lifetime.
    In the Vandalia School District, we currently are in the enviable position of having strong instructors who are imparting the musical skills and passion to our students.

    Click here to read more...
  • Sunshine Week promotes access

    Welcome to Sunshine Week 2013. This is the week during which media outlets across the nation point out the importance of openness in government offices and access to vital information.
    A transparent and accessible government is obviously a priority for newspapers and the media generally. But it’s also important to all citizens, businesses and organizations that need to interact with government entities at all levels.
    When our government is responsive to its constituents, we all win.

    Click here to read more...
  • It's time to step up to keep our school programs

    Once again, the resilience of Vandalia’s residents has been shown. They’ve been given a sour lemon in the form of multiple cuts to our school programs, and they’re well on their way to making lemonade.
    Though last month’s cuts to district programs touched nearly all areas of the school district, two of the most visible cuts were in music and athletics. And those are the areas in which we’ve seen people step up.

    Click here to read more...
  • Legal Notices a vital window

    Each week, in the pages of The Leader-Union, we strive to keep you informed about the news of Fayette County.

    Click here to read more...
  • Good luck to area athletes

    It’s the time of year when all the preparation and all the hard work come together to give our local high school athletes a shot at post-season glory.
    They’ve endured the conditioning. They’ve mastered the drills of their sport. And they’ve pulled together as a team to give it their best shot.
    Now is payoff time.

    Click here to read more...
  • Lincoln weekend good for Vandalia

    It was a good weekend to be in Vandalia if you were a fan of all things Abraham Lincoln. Everywhere one looked, it seemed, there was something going on related to our 16th president.
    And that was a good thing for Vandalia.
    Among the major events of the weekend were:
    • Special programs for children and adults at the National Road Interpretive Center on Saturday.
    • The third annual Lincoln Victory Ball on Saturday evening at the Moose.

    Click here to read more...
  • We all must step up to aid schools

    Last month, we criticized the Illinois General Assembly when it adjourned its lame duck session without offering a solution to the state’s out-of-control finances.
    They failed to address the chronic overspending. They failed to take any action to rein in the $96 billion pension deficit. And they failed to grasp the impact their irresponsibility was having on the state.
    Those failures have now come home to roost in Vandalia.

    Click here to read more...
  • Flowers, Lindberg deserving of Abes

    Each year, the Vandalia Chamber of Commerce presents a pair of Abe Awards. And most years, the announcement of the recipients elicits the same reaction: “It’s about time they were recognized for all the things they have done.”
    This year’s honorees – Tony Flowers and Bob Lindberg – fit that pattern. They’ve both toiled for years, sometimes in obscurity and sometimes in the spotlight, but always working for the good of others.

    Click here to read more...
  • Openness at VCC helps public see challenges there

    For most area residents, the only view of the Vandalia Correctional Center is the one they get from driving past on Ill. Route 51.
    From that vantage point, they can see the fences, the buildings and the 1,500-acres of land on which the facility is located. They may occasionally observe inmates in the exercise area, when the weather allows. But those superficial glimpses are about the extent of the contact most residents have with the county’s largest employer.

    Click here to read more...