COMMUNITY BULLETIN: April 12-18, 2026

April 11, 2026 46

HILLSBORO — Imagine Hillsboro and the Hillsboro Health Junior Board are organizing the annual Spring Clean-Up on Saturday, April 18, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. Residents in need of help with clearing leaves, brush, and simple outdoor repairs may call either Doug Johnson at 217-313-1125 or Melissa VanGiesen at 217-532-4477. Those seeking assistance are asked to provide a name, address, phone number, and the type of assistance needed.

AgeLinc to host hearings

The Area Agency on Aging for Lincolnland has scheduled public hearings on the fiscal year 2027 area plan. The purpose of the public hearings is to gather feedback and accept testimony from interested individuals pertinent to the fiscal year 2027 area plan.

The first public hearing will be on Tuesday, April 14, at 10:30 a.m., at Senior Services of Central Illinois, located at 209 E. Sheridan Road in Petersburg.

Another hearing will be at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 15, at the Litchfield Community and Senior Center, located at 1100 S. State St.

A second hearing will be on April 15, beginning at 1 p.m. at the Taylorville Senior Center, located at 701 W. Adams in Taylorville.

Host sites will have a copy of the public information document, containing the summary draft of the area plan, available for review prior to the hearings. The Public Information Document is also available for review online at https://agelinc.org/general-public-information/. Questions concerning the public hearings of the Public Sale Information Document may be addressed to the Area Agency on Aging for Lincolnland.

At the public hearings, testimony will be accepted without discussion. Written testimony will be accepted at the Area Agency’s office through 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 25.

The Area Agency on Aging for Lincolnland is a planning and service organization designated by the Illinois Department of Aging to develop and coordinate programs and support services for older adults and family caregivers in a twelve-county area.

Montgomery County Historical Society to host speaker

HILLSBORO — The Montgomery County Historical Society will be hosting a free program with “buttonologist” Cindy Catron of Greenville, who will be teaching attendees about clothes fasteners, history, and customs.

The event will be at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 14, in the lower level of Hillsboro Area Public Library, where Catron will display her button collection and urges attendees to bring buttons for show and tell. The lower level can be accessed by elevator.

The practice peaked between 1860 and 1900, when young ladies exchanged buttons at social gatherings. It was believed that a gentleman who gifted a lady with her 1,000th button would be destined to marry her.

ImpactLife blood drive in Litchfield

LITCHFIELD — HSHS St. Francis Hospital will be hosting a community blood drive on Tuesday, April 14, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1215 Franciscan Drive, inside the donor bus.

Those interested in donating should contact ImpactLife at 800-747-5401 or visit www.bloodcenter.org and use code 60456 to locate the drive. Appointments are requested.

Blood donation is a safe, simple procedure that takes 45 minutes to one hour. Individuals with diabetes or controlled high blood pressure may be accepted as eligible donors.

Potential donors must be at least 17 years of age (16 with parental permission form available through www. bloodcenter.org) and weigh more than 110 pounds. A photo ID is required to donate.

For questions about eligibility, call ImpactLife at 1-800-747-5401. Donors who last gave on or before Feb. 17 are eligible to give at this drive.

All donors will receive an ImpactLife promo voucher for their choice of either an eGift Card (Target, Amazon, Walmart, etc.) or use the bonus points in the reward store or direct a donation to charity.

Signups begin for Nokomis Homecoming royalty pageant

NOKOMIS — Sign-ups will open this Sunday, April 12, for this summer’s Nokomis Homecoming Pageant, “The Summer I Turned Royal.”

Candidates will receive consideration in the following five categories:

Miss (ages 16 to 20)
Junior Miss (ages 13 to 15)
Pre-Junior Miss (ages nine to 12)
Little Miss (ages five to eight)
Little Mister (ages five to eight).

Potential candidates must live or attend school within the Nokomis School District. There is an exception for those within the district who are undergoing homeschooling. They must also be the age of the category on the day of the pageant (July 10). Candidates may not currently hold a title in another pageant.

For more information, visit the Nokomis Homecoming Pageant Facebook page.

The royalty pageant will kick off the 2026 Nokomis Homecoming at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 10.

Nokomis pet salon to host adoption event

NOKOMIS — Sit-N-Stay Pet Salon in Nokomis will host a Shelter Bath Day from 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 18. The event is to help local shelter pets at the Montgomery County Animal Shelter look, feel, and smell their best. The team will be providing baths for shelter dogs while allowing the community to meet the pets in person.

Dogs will be available for adoption, so community members can learn more about giving a shelter pet a forever home. Donations are welcome and greatly appreciated. Donations will go partly to the shelter and partly to SitN-Stay for supplies. There will also be a bake sale at the event.

Sit-N-Stay is located at 410 E. State St. in Nokomis.