Farmington, Brimfield boys battle back from injuries, sickness to win By JEFF LAMPE For The Weekly Post The tragic death of area player Jacob Look overshadows what has already been a difficult week for players sidelined with flu and the aches and pains of bodies relearning the toils of a basketball season. Some of those players, however, were able to return to play last week to help their teams. Farmington The Farmers (5-1) got back to full strength in time to win at Monmouth-Roseville on Friday, 44-43. The Farmers rallied from a 15-7 deficit after one quarter despite foul trouble and…

BRIMFIELD – Tragedy struck the Brimfield basketball team Tuesday with the death of senior Jacob Look. “It’s a big loss for us,” Brimfield Coach Kevin Kreiter said. Brimfield’s game at ROWVA-Williamsfield Tuesday was cancelled. Kreiter said the status of Friday’s home game vs. Havana is uncertain.

Lady Indians ranked first in Illinois in AP Class 1A girls hoops poll By JEFF LAMPE For The Weekly Post Polls mean nothing real when it comes to sports, except in college football. But they are fun. And that’s the way the Brimfield girls basketball team has been treating its spot atop the state Class 1A rankings released last week by the Associated Press. “They’re having a blast with it,” Brimfield Coach Maribeth Dura said. “There’s been a couple pieces about them in the papers and on the internet and they’re having a good time.” Part of the reason for that…

My frame of reference for Tuffy Bowen of Farmington has always been too narrow. To me, Bowen is the guy who caught two bass weighing 18 pounds, 2 ounces off their spawn beds in one hour on June 19, 1970 – a pair of fish that still rank as the best duo this area has ever seen. To folks who appreciate big bass, that’s a pretty cool way to be known. But there’s so much more to tell about Harold “Tuffy” Bowen, and many of those stories were flowing freely Saturday at the Farmington Moose, where a crowd gathered to celebrate…

Builders eyeing land east of park By LORI HEROLD For The Weekly Post BRIMFIELD – Builders have shown “significant interest” in building spec homes, duplexes, quadplexes and possibly a senior living facility on eight acres of farm land east of Brimfield’s municipal park, according to Dan Fishel, president of the Village Board. Fishel discussed the two builders at Monday’s monthly meeting and said the land would be a good spot for a possible TIF district. Fishel said TIF funds would help finance expansion that is “not fast but steady.” “Likely something will happen this summer,” Fishel said. In other business, board…

Area boys hoops teams win some, lose some in Thanksgiving play By JEFF LAMPE For The Weekly Post While no local boys basketball team brought home a Turkey Tournament title last week, the winning overshadowed the losing for all area teams. Here’s a rundown. Brimfield BRIMFIELD – The Indians finished 2-1 at their Turkey Tournament, topping Tremont (60-53) on Nov. 23 and Midwest Central (69-50) on Nov. 26 before falling to a loaded Knoxville team last Saturday, 51-39. “Knoxville got off to a hot start and we didn’t play well to start and just got in a hole that we couldn’t…

Elmwood girls hoops starts strong Elmwood girls hoops starts strong By JEFF LAMPE For The Weekly Post ELMWOOD – With four starters graduated and two players after sitting out last season, it would have made natural if Elmwood’s girls basketball team took time to find its stride. Instead, Elmwood has gelled quickly and ran its record to 4-1 with Monday’s 55-36 home win over Midwest Central. Sophomore Mae Herman scored 11 of her team-high 21 points in the first quarter as Elmwood avenged its lone loss of the season. The Trojans led 13-7 after one quarter, avoiding the slow start that…

By JEFF LAMPE For The Weekly Post FARMINGTON – For the second night in less than a week, a Farmington bar and restaurant was declared a total loss after being engulfed by fire. The latest casualty was Asher’s Bar and Grille at 36 E. Fort St. A fire was reported at 9:19 p.m. Thanksgiving Day and crews from 18 fire departments worked to get the blaze under control later that evening, though not before the structure was badly damaged. “There is some pretty significant structural damage and water damage throughout the whole building,” said Mike Watters, Farmington Fire Chief. “It appears…

By JEFF LAMPE For The Weekly Post Santa Claus is going to be busy this weekend, as the jolly fat man will be making appearances Saturday in Brimfield, Elmwood and Farmington. Yes, it’s Christmas Walk weekend across the area, with business and organizers decking the halls in three local communities. Here’s a look at the particulars for each. • Farmington – The second WinterFest returns with activities from noon to 6 p.m. downtown after being sidelined last winter during the pandemic. The larger event replaces the traditional Santa Parade typically held in one evening. “We’ve tried to turn it into more…