By Bailey Schultz

Fri May 22, 2026

Have you ever had the desire to drive a three-wheeled car from London to Southern Africa? Well, you’re crazy if you haven’t. Recently, Ollie Jenks and Seth Scott took a three-wheeled car from London to Southern Africa, driving 14,000 miles over 22 countries.

Not only did they drive a car that only has three wheels, but this car was made in the 1970s, and production was stopped in the 2000s. This means this car is over three decades old. This car's name was Sheila. As Ollie Jenks described it, “no power steering, no air con, and it doesn’t do well up hills or down them,” what better car for the journey! 

This adventure took four and a half months, along with about $50,000 going into it. This car was not expected to make it more than 20 miles and succeeded with a whopping 14,000 miles. I think everyone owes Sheila an apology for doubting her.

By Baily Schultz

Fri May 22, 2026

We all love Kiwi birds. So cute and Kiwi-like. I bet you didn’t know it was New Zealand’s national bird! This is common knowledge, by the way. Also, I bet you didn’t know they’ve been absent from New Zealand’s capital for a century, though!

In the wise words of Paul Ward (The Kiwi Master), “They are a part of who we are and our sense of belonging.” Kiwis are actually an endangered species. Every year, their population drops by 2% because of us humans. We drove them out of their original habitat, so we’re trying to get on their good side by bringing them back. These little Kiwi birds will disguise themselves as the fruit kiwi to attack unsuspecting victims. They are very mad that we have driven them out of their home and want revenge. Paul Ward did a very good job at keeping them semi at bay. They will wait till dark to strike now, so I suggest being inside with all doors, windows, and other entrances locked until the first rays of the sun in the morning.

It doesn’t matter where you live; the Kiwis will find their way in and strike to get their revenge. Another way to get on their good side is to wish them a happy 250th anniversary for their arrival in New Zealand.  “This animal has given us as a people so much in terms of our sense of identity” (Paul Ward, The Kiwi Master).

By Bailey Schultz

We all know about Houdini, but did you know he trained a toucan named Toucan Sam? 

Toucan Sam lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he escaped from his enclosure months ago and has still not been captured. He is found primarily hanging out around Burger King, with the usual order of a Spicy Ch’king Deluxe Sandwich, with fries, and a large chocolate shake. 

Since Sam is camera-shy, there is very little information on him besides the fact that everyone who has tried to capture him has failed.

By Bailey Schultz

Which is better, cake or pie? We, as a class, took matters into our own hands. With an anonymous survey left on Mr. Price’s board, the results weren’t that close. While the sample size wasn’t large, some students have spoken, with 11 votes for cake and 6 for pie.

Well, I didn’t like that, so I took matters into my hands, because those who voted don’t get it. I might go so far as to say, those results are ABSURD! Sure, cake is good, but it is nothing compared to a good pie. If you were at a party, which would you choose? A delicious pie, or a mediocre cake?

By Bailey Schultz

Why do we get sick in the winter? It could be a part of the fact that America is an unhealthy country in terms of food and exercise, but there are also very high levels of sickness in the winter in the UK. So why are we getting sick in the winter?

One main reason that we get sick is due to the fact that blasts of cold winter air weaken the immune system, especially in the nose. Your nose and the bacteria-fighting cells in your nose are very sensitive. Just a 9°F drop can destroy the bacteria-fighting cells, which then have to rebuild. That is half of your immune system that is wiped out right there, and there is an easy access entrance with almost no security for germs. Once the germs get into your system, they fight and take over healthy cells, not just bacteria fighting cells. On the bright side, these cells build back very quickly, so you don’t have to worry.

Another reason can be staying inside or going out without proper dress for the weather. You may have heard that you have to wear a jacket and pants in the winter, and it’s not just for hypothermia or frostbite. The colder you are, the weaker your immune system is. The best way to prevent this is to wear layers. What you shouldn’t do is hide inside. Even though it’s cold, you still need to go outside to get vitamin D. A lack of vitamin D can cause sickness, weaken the immune system, and, to an extreme level, cause cancer. This only applies to the healthy. If you have a chronic illness or are very old, stay inside when it is cold.

Not only is the air cold, but it is dry as well. This is even worse for fighting germs because those nasal cells have a hard time building up in cold, dry weather. I know it sounds gross, but if your nose gets so dry to the point that it is bleeding, put vaseline up your nose on a Q-tip.

Some other ways to battle winter illness are:

• Layers

• Staying Warm

• Going Outside

• Prevention (Don’t do things that will make you sick)

• Wash your hands and shower regularly

• Clean your bedding once a week, also right after being sick

• Coughing or sneezing into your elbow or a tissue, do not cough  or sneeze into your hand

By Bailey Schultz

Fri March 6, 2026

We all know that today's government is controversial, but when has it not been? I guess ours got so bad that animals had to take it into their hands to fix it. One very well-known animal, at least to locals, happens to live in Ohio and goes by Agent Nutcase.

Agent Nutcase was born in Ripley, Ohio, on September 27, 1909. As a child, Nutcase lived in a small two-bedroom shrub with his six siblings and mother. They lived on the outside of the forest, eating scraps thrown down by joggers or children. This made Agent Nutcase decide that he wanted to live a better life, one without crime. This made Agent Nutcase join the SIA (Squirrel Intelligence Agency).

When Agent Nutcase went to college at Stanford University, where he was the mascot (Stanford Tree), he studied foreign languages, STEM, and criminal justice. He was top of his class, and in 1931, he graduated and joined the SIA. He quickly climbed up in ranks until he reached Director, where he was. He had been sent on multiple missions before this one, such as trying to prevent the Kennedy assassination and convincing Nixon to resign before being impeached.

Agent Nutcase took this mission very personally. After the Nixon resignation, he met a lovely red squirrel with whom he settled down and had a litter of four kits. He was living under one of the government offices. This was perfect for eavesdropping. He had heard some information which angered him, information that the SIA is yet to disclose. This sent Agent Nutcase into such a fury that he chewed through power lines, sending the offices into chaos. 

He evacuated his family the night before so they could be safe, but we have yet to hear back from Agent Nutcase. Is he alive? Is he dead? Or is he hiding to find out their secrets?

By Gawain Schaefer

Fri February 13, 2026

Twenty-five million deaths. The black plague, tormenting Europe in the 14th Century, and yearly in America today, was a very infectious and potent disease. This is how bad it went.

Lots of bleeding, swollen lungs, black tissue, usually in your toes and fingers, sometimes with nausea/vomiting, and not to forget excruciating pain every moment you’re conscious! Most notably, however, are swollen lymph nodes, or the swollen groin, neck, or armpit region. They puff up and grow until they ooze out pus, usually the size of a boiled egg. 

The bubonic plague is a bacterial infection caused by Yersinia pestis, carried by filthy rodents that are bitten by fleas. Those same rodents crawled around and let the fleas free-roam onto humans and beds. This spread so quickly because all of Europe did not have anything clean, from beds to the streets that people lived in. They also shoveled excess food and waste into the streets, which, surprisingly, didn't help. This disease is always fatal; if contracted and left untreated, you might only have six days, if you’re lucky. Sometimes you might only survive a full twenty-four hours based on initial contraction, especially if it’s serious. 

Speaking of serious, there were many failed cures, like bloodletting. Bloodletting was very common, with the usual wrist-slit, which only weakened the patient, duh. Doctors also tried to cut out or remove the swollen lymph nodes, which again only killed the patient faster. Some went as far as to fill the air with flowers, which might have made the air smell nice, and even deterred the infected fleas, but didn’t kill the airborne virus. Some were also a little weird like that, whipping themselves so the sins could leave their bodies. A weirder cure than that, even, was strapping chickens to the lymph nodes, to uh, “breathe out” the virus. The chickens died.

By Dulce Reyes

Thur February 12, 2026

A pair of pooch porch pirates were recently caught on camera stealing an Amazon package from a residence in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma City Police Department shared the video that has now gone viral, showing the thieves in action. They shared on a Facebook post, “Evidence shows clear intent, flawless teamwork, and zero remorse- just pure tail-wagging confidence.” 

The video showed one dog coming into view around the corner, walking up to the door, and snatching the package. Its accomplice followed, and both fled. Later, the property stolen was found, torn to pieces, and completely destroyed. The contents of the package are unknown, and the motive remains a mystery. The two thieves are being charged with theft and conspiracy. The delinquents later stated the package had been delivered to the wrong address and demanded that charges be dropped and doggy treat compensation. 

Of course, the two dogs weren’t charged, not that you could probably charge a dog. If that were the case, thousands of dogs would be in prison for intentional property damage, theft, and, not to mention, disorderly conduct. 

On Facebook, police continued to joke, saying charges pending against the thieves included: “Conspiracy to Commit Snack Theft” and “Paw-sitively Impersonating Master Thieves” along with being “Fur-ociously Adorable.” Oklahoma City has two new fur-ocious porch pirates. Pet stores better watch out because these thieves are gaining experience and are out and roaming the Oklahoma City streets. 

Tavin Harshfield

Thu February 12, 2026

As interesting as the headline of this article sounds, it was even more interesting watching our very own Mr. Price attempt to scream without any air in his lungs. 

He sat there in front of our whole class, took a deep breath, releasing all of the air out of his lungs, and attempted to scream, making a very high-pitched, ”eeeh.” That wasn't the end of it, either; he proceeded to do it close to 10 more times after that. 

Not only did he do it, but he tried getting our whole class to do it, but it turned out that it didn’t work, and he was the only one making high-pitched, attempted screams in a room full of quiet high schoolers, all watching him. 

Whether it was built-up anger and stress from his 5th-period journalism class, or he was just trying to be cool by doing a TikTok challenge, either way, it was a strange sight to see and hear. 

In conclusion, it may be possible to let out a little squeal, attempting to scream without air in your lungs, but if your teacher tries to make you try such a thing, that's on you to decide.

By Natasha Forsythe

The end of January did find Providence in a blizzard,

and Frank Hardy did find himself with an injured lizard.

Cold and losing the warmth of his home,

Hardy opened his arms, creating the first lizard party.

The blizzard lizard, later dubbed Frankie after her savior, 

was picked up by ET reptiles to be taken to the emergency vet, 

where she was on her best behavior. 

As a Lizard not equipped for the blizzard, 

Frankie lost two tips of her tongue. 

After surviving, the vets' praises were sung. 

But over 2 weeks later, and still no luck,

no owner has been found, and Frankie is stuck. 

So if you know who lost their lizard, 

ring them up, for Frank found them in the blizzard. 

By Dulce Reyes

El 7 de septiembre de 2025, la iglesia católica de St. Boniface en Monee celebró la primera misa en español, expandiendo así su comunidad para incluir a la comunidad hispana. La misa se celebra cada domingo a las 12:30 de la tarde y hay confesiones antes de la misa. Con el inicio de las misas en español se necesitó más que nunca el servicio de la comunidad. La iglesia está en busca de ministros eucarísticos, ujieres, lectores, monaguillos y miembros del coro. 

Como miembro del coro quiero hacerle la invitación a todo el que tenga el deseo de unirse a nosotros y participar en el coro. El ministerio de música es hermoso. Los cantos en la misa no solo son ruido para llenar el silencio de la misa, son un canto de adoración que no solo alegra el alma, si no que agrada a Dios. Desde niña he formado parte de un coro y mi amor a la música se convirtió en un instrumento para glorificar a Dios a través de cantos. San Agustín una vez dijo, “el que canta ora dos veces.” A través de los años he descubierto que esto es verdad. La música es oración convertida en una melodía armónica. 

El coro también es un lugar seguro y de crecimiento. Como coro hemos crecido en número y en armonía. También el coro puede ser un lugar de crecimiento propio. Crecimiento en la vida espiritual, en la oración y en habilidades musicales. El coro se reúne antes de la misa para ensayar y repasar los cantos. Recientemente se unió un nuevo coro, así que cada coro canta cada 15 días en misa. 

Si alguno de estos ministerios te interesa, date la oportunidad. Invita a tus familiares y conocidos para seguir creciendo como comunidad. La iglesia de San Bonifacio y sus ministerios reciben a todos con brazos abiertos. Para más información pueden llamar a la oficina parroquial a el número (708) 534-9682. 

La iglesia de St. Boniface celebrara una misa de miercoles de ceniza en español a las 7:30 de la tarde el 18 de Febrero. 

By Natasha Forsythe

By Bailey Schultz

Wed January 14, 2026, 

What's the best way to start the New Year? Emus are taking over the world. Ask the deputy in St. John, Florida. He experienced their terrors firsthand.

I’m not sure if you’re aware, but Emus can grow up to six feet tall with talons. Vicious talons. Not only that, but they have a stare that terrifies the bravest of soldiers, and a beak that is always in an unnatural smile. 

Recently, an Emu escaped from its enclosure. A deputy was dispatched after that. This deputy may be the bravest I know. He sacrificed his life for the sake of a soulless beast of a creature. The deputy chased the Emu down before getting within reach. Little did he know, Emus are fighting experts. The deputy reached to grab the Emu and was immediately kicked repeatedly. The deputy did not back down, because what the Emu didn’t know was that this deputy happened to train at the Miyagi-Do karate dojo with Daniel Larusso and Mr. Miyagi himself. The deputy immediately used his crane kick against the Emu, stunning him momentarily. While the Emu was stunned, the officer quickly thought back to his time on the ranch as a child and made a makeshift lasso. He lassoed the Emu long enough to handcuff its legs and immobilize it before returning it to its home.

As you know, I made most of this up. A deputy in St. John, Florida, really did have to chase an Emu though. He did get kicked repeatedly, and he also made a makeshift lasso and handcuffed the bird's legs. 

Gawain Schaefer 

Fri January 16, 2026 

The history of the infamous 911 call is actually very young, and has developed greatly since the 1970’s.

On February 16th, 1968, in Haleyville, Alabama, a successful 911 call was made to test the system that led the call towards a local police station. Over the next twelve or so years, and beyond, the system of safety would improve much.

It started out as a redirection of the caller’s call. Once you called, after making sure you  dialed, your call would forward to a Public Safety Answering Point, or PSAP, not CPAP, which linked into a police station or fire department. From that point, you, as the caller, had to describe everything going on, your location, any victims or injuries, for the call-taker to then notify the authorities or whoever was there to help. Enhanced 911 (E9-1-1) came next, with the caller being able to receive the caller’s location and number, from their call, which was released in the 1980’s. Years later, and up to today, the emergency phone call continues to evolve and transform. You can now transmit texts, videos, and overall data to the call-taker, in most states. Thanks for reading, that’s about it, see you.

By Dulce Reyes

By Lanie Griest

January 16 2026

On January 3, 2026, President Trump launched a military attack on the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The operation was code-named Operation Absolute Resolve; its purpose was to take the Venezuelan President and his wife. The said operation was a success, but what does that success mean?

For one, President Trump did take the President of Venezuela unlawfully, as he did not ask Congress for approval, which is still an act of war, even if an unlawful one. For another, President Maduro was an Authoritarian Dictator who wasn’t even rightfully the President; he didn’t win the election. Yet, since the attack had occurred, the people of Venezuela have been celebrating the loss of the President, not mourning it.

President Trump has also stated that the United States has control over Venezuela, and as for what that means, no one quite knows. After all, President Maduro does have a Vice President who has already been sworn in. 

No one can give a sure answer on the economic and political fallout that will occur now that President Maduro has been taken by the United States, and it seems the United States has some capacity of control over Venezuela. For a long time, we won’t be able to either; this sort of attack on a country will have consequences that will be over twenty years down the line, still unresolved. So if you're waiting for the ball to drop, don’t, because action will not be all at once and will not have a true solution in the next few months, maybe not ever.

By Mikayla Peters

Fri December 5, 2025

It’s cold, icy, and there is plenty of snow on the ground to last us all winter. Summer days are long gone, and the winter ‘wonderland’ has just begun. Sometimes it’s amazing to experience the fluffy snow and brisk air, other times not so much. It’s not like summer, where you can jump into the water and bask in the sun all day. With winter comes the seasonal depression, and bed rotting. Don’t let that be you; overcome it by finding new places to go and experience winter to the fullest potential.

That's hard, though, we live in Peotone and that speaks for itself. Not much to do, and the nearest town is twenty minutes away. I can’t help with the drive, but I can help make the drive worth it. Every year, Olivet Nazarene has an overwhelming number of talented students who perform musical entertainment. From Orchestra, to vocals, dancing, and even lights. It is a whole production that takes time and effort, that can last up to two hours, full of talent. This performance is called Sounds of the Season, a holiday performance that will take place on December 5 & 6.  Even if you’re not into musical performances, the special treat of hearing talent harmonizing and syncing with a piece of artwork is unforgettable. 

Take the time to consider visiting Olivet this weekend. This performance is a groundbreaking experience; the raw talent you witness is remarkable, and you can even see it for free!

By Bailey Schultz

Thur December 4, 2025

Everything looks much better when it snows. It’s like your own winter wonderland. The only downside is icy or snow-covered roads. 

We’ve all seen or been in a situation where you (or the person driving you) spun out or got stuck in a ditch. The first thing you do when you spin out is to stay calm. Freaking out will make the situation seem a lot worse than it is. The second thing is NEVER press the brake. It will only make you spin more. What you should do is turn in the direction you’re spinning. It will help gain control over the vehicle. If you still end up in a ditch, you should have some things with you. You should have a hat, gloves, and a jacket if you don’t already, a full tank of gas, a snow brush, water, and a charged phone. Some cars and trucks keep sand in the trunk for weight so they can get out easier, but if that doesn’t work, you can use the sand in the bags and put it on the tires for traction. If you’re still stuck, call a family member or friend who has a truck. Most times, they will know what to do. If they don’t, call a tow truck. You don’t necessarily need to call 911 unless you or someone else is injured. 

It also helps to keep jumper cables in your car, so if the cold messes with your engine and shuts the car down, you can find another car to help. Before leaving the house, though, you should be aware if it is going to snow or be below 32℉ so you can put your windshield wipers up. You should also make sure your tires have ‘hair’ and air. You should also check to have windshield wiper fluid. The fluid will help get stubborn ice off. You should give yourself extra time in the morning as well, so that if your car is stuck in the driveway or won’t start, you won’t have to rush. Once you have left the house, make sure you give yourself enough time to brake so you don’t slide. If you think you can brake at the same time as you normally do, it might be different due to the ice. It will make the car slide and harder to stop.  

Even if the roads aren’t extremely bad but still have some ice, it is better to brake and be safe than to brake and slide around. It is difficult to drive in conditions such as snow or ice, so it is always better to be prepared.

By Bailey Schultz

Fri November 14, 2025

Are you excited for discounts this Black Friday? Don’t get your hopes up too high. Some stores are only giving little to no discounts at all. Some people have forgotten about going to stores entirely as well and have just started doing their shopping online.

Black Friday discounts are getting smaller as tariffs rise. Some stores would rather upset customers with their normal price than risk discounting the price and not profiting. This is an especially difficult decision for smaller business owners. Since they usually aren’t getting a whole lot of revenue already, lowering the costs could jeopardize their income. Most of these small businesses also import their goods, which makes the cost go up. Brazil, India, Canada, and others all have increased import costs. If I were to buy a ten-dollar item from Canada, that item would come up to about thirteen dollars and fifty cents, not including shipping. While this may not seem like a lot, if you are buying in bulk, it adds up. Stores like Apple, Canada Goose, MAC Cosmetics, Peloton, and Trader Joe’s are not having any deals or very few. Some stores, such as Target, Walmart, and Amazon, almost always have Black Friday deals, though.

Another problem that is affecting Black Friday is that everyone is shopping online. No one goes into the stores to try and get the deal anymore. Most people would rather go online than in person, which is causing certain stores to just close altogether on Black Friday. With Cyber Monday, Black Friday is almost becoming a thing of the past. If you do decide you would like to get a nice Black Friday deal on something, I hope you would go in person because the way I see it, this was a holiday created for going out and shopping with less guilt.

By Tyler LaPapa

Thu November 13, 2025

Students were busy doing big things that meant the world to the tiniest people and their families. 

The FFA students who are enrolled in the Ag Construction: Textiles class at Peotone High School recently completed a meaningful community service project. In October, they created and donated 40 felt Halloween costumes to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, NICU, at St. Francis Hospital.

With their newly learned sewing skills, this project allowed students to put their knowledge to a good cause. Students were required to create four felt costumes for babies in the NICU. Each of them was carefully made as a flat piece to be placed over the babies to ensure they would not interfere with any medical equipment. The class produced amazing, creative costumes; one costume was a charcuterie board.

This project had a personal connection for Mrs. Cowger, the teacher of the class. The donation was made in honor of her best friend’s twin boys, who sadly passed away last year in the NICU. It is safe to say that the students had a little extra commitment and care for this project. Mrs. Cowger plans to continue this service project yearly. 

Thank you, Peotone FFA, for your continued commitment to community service. Your acts of kindness brought some joy and smiles to the otherwise stressful times in the NICU. Keep spreading your kindness around because we all can use it!

By Gawain Schaefer 

Mon October 27, 2025

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek supports the MAGA campaign as well as ICE, using the popular music app Spotify to do so.  

As recently as last week, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek willingly put ICE advertisements on the platform and will not take them down. Users have canceled memberships and have outright deleted Spotify, mostly because of the vulgar speech used in the advertisement and the disregard for their own rules and regulations. This was in addition to the endless supply of advertisements beforehand, which was another big problem for those who weren’t willing to spend around $14, plus taxes, a month for their “Premium” version without advertisements. During the time of Donald Trump’s election, Ek donated $150,000 from Spotify’s sales to the MAGA movement as well. 

If you are upset by this, I would recommend trying apps like Tidal or Qobuz, as many users have started doing. They have subscription plans with similar options.

By Bailey Schultz

Thur October 23, 2025

At 9:30 on Sunday morning, only a half hour after opening, eight crown jewels were stolen in the span of four minutes.

At the Louvre in Paris, France, a basket lift drove up to the museum windows. It is suspected that four people, two dressed in yellow construction vests, used disc cutters to force the window open and get inside. 

The museum was already quite crowded. It was said to have been a sort of barrier in the Apollo Gallery, where the crown jewels were, only a few feet away from the Mona Lisa. In the four minutes before the alarm went off, two display cases were broken and eight jewels were stolen. The total value of all the jewels is $102,000,000. The stolen jewels include a sapphire diadem, necklace, and single earring from a matching set, possibly belonging to French queens Mare-Amélie and Hortense, an emerald necklace and earrings from the matching set, belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte’s second wife, Empress Marie-Louise, a reliquary brooch, Empress Eugénie’s diadem, and her large corsage-bow brooch. The thieves then drove away on motorbikes, leaving a broken, but repairable, diadem belonging to Empress Eugénie.

The museum was under scrutiny long before the heist. Luca Romano, a man temporarily living in France, said, “If you can plant a freight lift at a palace and no one stops you, that’s a system failure.” Employees were on strike for understaffing, claiming that there were too few staff and too many rooms to watch over. These strikes have been going on for years. 

The security has never been good in the Louvre, I mean, countless items have been thrown at the Mona Lisa, and what do they do? Put a piece of glass up. Now, after some of their most priceless items are being pilfered, they decide to up their security. Not to mention that only a day after the heist, the museum was open and running again. Even the far-right leader, Jordan Bardella,  agrees that it “...is an unbearable humiliation for our country (France).” 

Even staff members have lost hope in getting these jewels back. Their solution to this whole heist is covering it up, hiring forensic teams, and putting in expensive cameras. How are they going to prevent these things from happening if they keep doing the least instead of the most? Following this, was there inside assistance? How come it was completely unsuspected by employees working?  The whole gallery was blocked, and no one asked if that was supposed to be happening. 

By Lanie Griest

Thur October 23, 2025

As of October 1, NASA has been temporarily closed. Due to Congress not being able to reach an agreement on a funding bill by the set deadline, NASA has been forced to temporarily close its doors.

Not all of NASA’s work has stopped; missions like monitoring the ISS, protecting active satellites, and keeping the planetary defense strong have all continued. A small team has been working to keep everything running smoothly, but the vast majority of NASA’s workers are currently temporarily laid off and without pay.

NASA’s research, mission planning, and public-facing events have been put on a back burner until fun is once again granted. This will cause delays in research and development that may lead to an accumulation of work when employees return, as well as push back launch dates. The Partnerships NASA has established with a variety of parties might also be affected. This could lead to NASA taking quite a few hits that would not be the company's fault, but would still affect them in a large way. 

One can only hope that Congress will reach an agreement on the bill soon and will allow NASA to continue its research and development for the betterment of tomorrow.

By Lanie Griest

By Dulce Reyes

Thurs September 25, 2025

Local author Michael Hofer is coming to Peotone this Saturday, September 27, 2025. He’ll be giving a presentation from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM in the Peotone Public Library, at 515 N. First St. Peotone, regarding his book “Lightning Bugs and the Harvest: A look back at life in the baby boomers beginning years.” Registration or RSVP is required for attending, both of which can be done through the Peotone Public Library Website

By Bailey Schultz

Thur. September 25, 2025

Nine pig heads were left at multiple mosques in Paris, France.

On the night of September 8, two men pulled into a farm owned by a man in Normandy. Those men then bought 10 pig heads. On the morning of September 9, members of the Javel mosque were disturbed to find a pig head with the name ‘Macron’ scribbled on it in blue ink. The members called the rector, Benali, who then contacted French authorities. They were then informed that they were one of the nine mosques that had been targeted.

Since the war in Gaza started, Islamophobic acts have increased by 72% in France alone. This particular crime was immensely disrespectful to the Muslim culture because, as a Muslim, you are forbidden to eat pig since it is considered unclean. Islamophobic acts have also increased in many other countries.

The two men remain unidentified but were seen on CCTV cameras wearing a t-shirt, surgical mask, and baseball cap. They were also caught taking pictures of their work, which has been common with most recent Islamophobic and other anti-religion acts.

The car that the pig heads were picked up in is registered in Serbia. Late Monday night, a ping from a Croatian cell phone was caught in that car crossing over into Belgium. French authorities believe that the men are of Moldovan origin, but that this act was a part of French interference. Although “...Russia denies meddling in the affairs of other states…” (Ataman, Bairin, and Vandoorne, CNN)

Definitions:

Mosque: “A Muslim temple or place of public worship.” (Dictionary.com)

Rector: The ‘leader’ of a mosque.

Islamophobia: “An aversion or hostility to, disdain for, or fear of Islam or Muslims.” (Dictionary.com)

By Tyler LaPapa

Mon September 9, 2025

The Peotone FFA hosted their annual plow for a cause on the morning of August 16, 2025, at Ginders Farm of Peotone, this year all the money raised was donated to the Manhattan Fire Department to buy a Mr. Mister Rehab fan.

Any fire is a tragedy but rural fires, especially barn fires, can be difficult to fight. The Mr. Mister Rehab fan system can be used during barn fires and other agriculture related incidents where shade and cooling options are minimal. It is very helpful in firefighter rehab and victim care. Misting fans can lower body temperature and combat extreme heat stress. The fans are also portable and easy to set up. 

Plow for a cause was created to support a local cause while still honoring agriculture's past. This event was successful in raising enough money for the fire department to receive a Mr. Mister Rehab fan. Thank you to everyone that donated and volunteered for this year’s event, your kindness does not go unseen. Lastly, thank you to the firefighters, who are selfless heroes, that protect our communities everyday!

If you missed this event, please join the Peotone FFA next summer to support another Plow for a Cause. Information about this annual event is typically posted on the Peotone FFA Facebook page.