Features

A new florist has opened its doors in Vandalia, and Drake Thompson is the fifth generation of his family to carry on the tradition of providing flowers for the citizens of Vandalia and surrounding areas.

The stories on the kiosks for St. Elmo, Brownstown and Vandalia, though briefness was a necessity, seem to get to the heart of each of the towns, both through the text and photographs that compose the panels on the kiosks.

The story begins 25 years ago, when Henry “Hank” and Clara Voss came from Villa Park with their dream to start a Christian radio station in this area.

The third kiosk placed in Fayette County by the National Road Association of Illinois bears the words “End Of The Road” and is located in Vandalia, about a block west of the Vandalia Statehouse and the silent, strong sentry of the Old National Road, the Madonna of the Trail.

Vandalia Little Community Garden has a new feature this year ­ an area designated as “The Educational Garden.”

That new area has been created through local gardeners’ creativity, commitment and desire to make the garden an attractive, pleasant and serene place to visit. It’s also their love of gardening and just plain willingness to dig in the dirt, plant, weed and do whatever else is necessary to turn out the delicious fruits and vegetables to put on kitchen and dining tables.

Picture this: a hearty country-style breakfast with freshly-brewed coffee, cooked in fullview in an immaculate, cheery kitchen and served by a friendly waitress.

Dean Black is on a mission – getting the word out to Fayette County in-need families that the First United Methodist Church of Vandalia has a Back(Pack) 2 School program for children preK-12.

The Matt and Rhonda Howard family has always been a close-knit, caring family. Whatever the kids – Madison, Maisie and, Brady – have been interested in, the parents have encouraged and supported them, while still giving them the freedom to think and do for themselves.

D. Wayne Swofford Jr.’s mother, Mrs. Don (Charlotte) Swofford, taught her children that no matter what the circumstances were financially, that soap and water were cheap and there was no excuse not to be clean and to have a clean house, that even if you don’t have fancy things, you can still be clean.