Effingham's News and Sports Leader, 979XFM and KJ Country 102.3

Indoor "Whatever" Sale at Village Square Mall
2026-04-18
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Pirate Island with 3 Chicks And A Stage
2026-04-18
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Pirate Island is a comedy by Martin Follose that follows a band of pirates searching for treasure on a deserted island. They mistake a castaway’s trunk for the legendary loot, leading to a chaotic chase when it’s stolen by natives. The show is a family-friendly comedy, with a cast of about 15, featuring pirates, castaways, and a humorous plot about mistaken identity and treasure hunting.
Friday April 17th & Saturday April 18th
Effingham Elks Lodge, 2102 S. Banker St, Effingham, IL
Tickets Available at:
– Effingham Elks – 3-9pm Mon.-Wed., 3-11pm Fri. and Sat.
– Effingham Computers -1906 S. Banker St., Mon.–Fri. 8am–6pm, Sat. 8am–2pm
– Jansen Computers – 101 W. Main St., Teutopolis, Mon.–Fri. 9am–5:30pm
– Order by phone 812-783-0853
– Purchase at the door!
Cash Bar Available

Saturday's Schedule
2026-04-18
PrintHIGH SCHOOL
Baseball
Effingham at Champaign Central, 12:30 p.m.
Brownstown/St. Elmo, Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City at Red Hill Round Robin, TBA
Newton at Mattoon, 10 a.m.
North Clay, Flora, Woodlawn at South Central Wooden Bat Tournament, 10 a.m.
Teutopolis vs. Sacred Heart Griffin at Unity Round Robin, 12:45 p.m.
Teutopolis vs. Unity at Unity Round Robin, 2:30 p.m.
Softball
Dieterich at Casey-Westfield Tournament, TBA
Neoga at Mulberry Grove, TBA
Newton vs. Greenville at Greenville, noon
Newton vs. Belleville at Greenville, 2 p.m.
Teutopolis vs. Unity at Unity Round Robin, 11 a.m.
Teutopolis vs. Marengo at Unity Round Robin, 12:15 p.m.
Boys Tennis
St. Anthony, Teutopolis at Alton Tournament, 9 a.m.
JUNIOR VARSITY
Baseball
Effingham at Champaign Central, 9:30 a.m.
St. Anthony at St. Joe JV Round Robin, 10 a.m.
Softball
St. Anthony at Mount Zion, 10 a.m.
Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg at Altamont JV Tournament, TBA
FRESHMAN/SOPHOMORE
Baseball
Edwardsville at Teutopolis (DH), 10 a.m.
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Track
Neoga at Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond, 10 a.m.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
New York Mets Chicago Cubs, 1:20 p.m.
St. Louis Cardinals at Houston, 6:10 p.m.
NASCAR
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race at Kansas Speedway, 6:30 p.m.

Teutopolis - St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Weekends
2026-04-19, 2026-04-26

Sunday's Schedule
2026-04-19
PrintMAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
New York Mets Chicago Cubs, 1:20 p.m.
St. Louis Cardinals at Houston, 1:10 p.m.
NASCAR
AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, noon

Red Cross Blood Drives in April
2026-04-20, 2026-04-21, 2026-04-23, 2026-04-24, 2026-04-28
PrintAmerican Red Cross Blood Drives in April:
4/2, Thursday, Knights of Columbus-Newton, Noon – 5:30 PM
4/7, Tuesday, Mason Christian Church Annex, 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
4/7, Tuesday, Greenup Village Municipal Building, 12:30 PM – 5:30 PM
4/8, Wednesday, Stewardson-Strasburg High School, 2:30 PM – 6:30 PM
4/9, Thursday, South Central FS, Effingham, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
4/10, Friday, Newton High School, 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM
4/15, Wednesday, Dieterich High School, 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
4/16, Thursday, Flora Church of the Nazarene, Noon – 5:00 PM
4/20, Monday, Grace United Methodist Church, Neoga, 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM
4/20, Monday, St Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church, Sainte Marie, 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
4/21, Tuesday, Floyd Henson Junior High School, Flora, 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
4/23, Thursday, Neal Center YMCA, Toledo, 1:00 PM – 5:30 PM
4/24, Friday, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Shelbyville, Noon – 5:00 PM
4/24, Friday, Oblong Grade School, 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM
4/28, Tuesday, Flora High School, 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM
4/29, Wednesday, Altamont Elementary School, 2:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Those giving blood through April 12 will receive an exclusive American Red Cross x Life is Good t-shirt, while they last! Donors giving blood from April 13 – 30 will receive a $15 e-gift card to a merchant of choice. See rcblood.org/hope
To make an appointment, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), or download the Red Cross Donor App.

Leith Cemetery Association Annual Meeting
2026-04-20
PrintThe Leith Cemetery Association’s annual meeting for 2026 is scheduled for Monday, April 20th. The meeting will take place at the residence of Frank Webster at 1816 North 1150th Street in Mason. The meeting will start at 6:00 p.m.
All individuals with an interest in Leith Cemetery are welcome to attend.
Those wising to contribute to the maintenance of the cemetery may send donations to:
Leith Cemetery
c/o Frank Webster, Treasurer
1816 N. 1150th St.
Mason, IL 62433

Dog Obedience Classes
2026-04-21

Caregiver Support Group Meeting
2026-04-21

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Group
2026-04-21

Enduring Freedom Ministries Distributions in April
2026-04-22, 2026-04-25
PrintEnduring Freedom Ministries distribution days for April:
Tuesday, April 7th from 4-6pm, 304 S. West Street, Shumway
Wednesday, April 8th from Noon to 2pm, 304 S. West Street, Shumway
Saturday, April 11th from 9-Noon, 861 E. Washington, Mason (Mason Civic Center)
Tuesday, April 14th from 4-6pm, 304 S. West Street, Shumway
Wednesday, April 15th from Noon to 2pm, 304 S. West Street, Shumway
Wednesday, April 22nd from Noon to 2pm or until we run out of food (no appointment necessary). This is a Mobile Drive-Through Food Pantry at the Kohl’s Parking lot in Effingham.
Saturday, April 25th from 8:30-Noon, 304 S. West Street, Shumway
Please call 217-240-0059 to sign up. It’s free and for everyone!

Girl Scouts Unicorn Party
2026-04-23

HSHS Community Connect
2026-04-24
PrintHospital Sisters Health System introduces HSHS Community Connect
Connecting communities with local resources
For 150 years, Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) has been a leader of health and wellness in the communities serving across Illinois and Wisconsin. To address the needs of our communities, HSHS proudly launches HSHS Community Connect, a digital database of free or reduced cost community-based programs and services available in the communities we serve.
HSHS is committed to improving community health and addressing ever-changing needs and factors within the community landscape,” said Kim Luz-Mobley, M.S., C.H.E.S., System Executive Director of Community Health. “Across our health system and the communities we serve, HSHS strives to fulfill our Mission to provide high-quality health care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay.”
In 2024, HSHS hospitals conducted a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) to identify the health status, needs and issues in the communities we serve. HSHS Community Connect is a powerful tool that will support our goal to improve community outcomes by working to address social determinants of health, including access to medical care.
“As a health care system, we see members of our community every day who are experiencing food insecurity, homelessness, or in need of financial aid. With HSHS Community Connect, we can find local resources to connect our patients with the support they need,” said Luz-Mobley.
Across Illinois, patients and community members can find hundreds of local resources that meet their needs, including:
• Financial aid
• Food pantries
• Medical care
• Housing and temporary shelter
• Personal safety
• Baby items
• Transportation
• And more.
Patients can also access HSHS Community Connect on our website at hshs.org/connect or through MyHSHS. If you need to create a MyHSHS account, be sure to use your full proper name that matches your HSHS medical record. If you have questions about MyHSHS, call the MyChart support line at 1-866-312-5023 or email MyHealthRecordhelp@hshs.org.
For more information about HSHS, visit hshs.org.

‘Unsinkable Freedom’ Movie at ALPLM
2026-04-24
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The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum caps off its celebration of Black History Month by introducing a new short film recounting the exciting story of Robert Smalls, who used his wits and seamanship to lead 15 people on a daring escape from slavery.
“Unsinkable Freedom” begins running at the museum on February 27, a day after its world premiere at a special event. It will run every 15 minutes throughout the museum’s day for the next three months.
Smalls was an enslaved man in Charleston, SC, when the Civil War began. He was forced to work aboard the Confederate ship Planter in Charleston Harbor and nearby coastal waters. On May 12, 1862, Smalls and the other enslaved men were left aboard ship by white officers. Seizing the opportunity, they launched a long-simmering plan to sneak their families aboard and sail to freedom.
“Unsinkable Freedom” dramatizes that dangerous trip. The 11-minute film shows how Smalls got the families aboard, impersonated the ship’s captain, sailed past Confederate checkpoints and finally reached U.S. Navy ships and freedom.
“Very few stories can match the escape of Robert Smalls for both drama and inspiration,” said Christina Shutt, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. “He risked everything to win freedom for his friends and loved ones. And after their escape, he served with the U.S. Navy and was later elected to Congress. We at the ALPLM are proud to tell part of his amazing story.”
“Unsinkable Freedom” was written and directed by Kameron Gates, an artist and animator based in Petersburg, Illinois. It stars ALPLM actor Reggie Guyton as Smalls.
The film was created using a hybrid of production techniques from animation, VFX and video games. It has a hyper-wide aspect ratio to take advantage of the three screens surrounding audiences in the museum’s Mr. Lincoln Theater. It also features 5.1 surround sound.
The actors’ faces and body performances were recorded using motion capture. Additional animation was created using classic keyframe techniques. The historic Charleston Harbor was built and rendered inside Unreal Engine a tool created for video games that has expanded into visual effects for TV and film.
The mission of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is to inspire civic engagement through the diverse lens of Illinois history and share with the world the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. We pursue this mission through a combination of rigorous scholarship and high-tech showmanship built on the bedrock of the ALPLM’s unparalleled collection of historical materials – roughly 13 million items from all eras of Illinois history.
For more information, visit www.PresidentLincoln.illinois.gov. You can follow the ALPLM on Facebook, X/Twitter and Instagram.

Frozen The Broadway Musical at Teutopolis
2026-04-24, 2026-04-25, 2026-04-26
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Tickets are available at the door for $10.

Garage Sale for Humane Society
2026-04-24, 2026-04-25, 2026-04-26

Orphan Benefit & Jason Gray Concert
2026-04-25

Name That Tune Fundraiser for The Study Shoppe
2026-04-26

Cooking Across Continents Program
2026-04-28
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You can register for one session or any number of them. This program will run on the dates linked below:

September 30, 2025: go.illinois.edu/HomeSchoolCooking93025
October 28, 2025: go.illinois.edu/HomeSchoolCooking102825
January 27, 2026: go.illinois.edu/HomeSchoolCooking012725
February 24, 2026: go.illinois.edu/HomeSchoolCooking022426
March 24, 2026: go.illinois.edu/HomeSchoolCooking032826
April 28, 2026: go.illinois.edu/HomeSchoolCooking042826
May 19, 2026: go.illinois.edu/HomeSchoolCooking051926

RECOVERY Roll Bowl with Pizza
2026-04-28
