By JEFF LAMPE Weekly Post Staff Writer Winds gusting over 60 mph on Tuesday brought down tree limbs and power lines across the area and damaged several roofs, smaller buildings and trailers. In Elmwood, the winds ripped off the back half of the roof of the Horeb Lodge building at 114 N. Magnolia St. The building houses the Post Office, Uptown Cafe, the Mason’s meeting room and apartments. While a few bricks scattered below, most of the roof remained on top of the building, but allowed rain water to pour inside. There were no injuries. “All of the sudden, water…

By JEFF LAMPE For The Weekly Post One of the most anticipated elections in years sent record numbers of voters to the polls and decided some races – with a few still to be determined nationally and in Illinois. By Monday, more than 3.5 million voters had already cast early ballots across Illinois and turnout Tuesday was strong locally and across the state. The marquee race between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden was decided early in Illinois. With 74 percent of the vote counted, the Associated Press was calling Biden the winner in Illinois with 54.3 percent…

By JEFF LAMPE Weekly Post Staff Writer While some of Illinois’ questions were answered in Tuesday’s election, many more remain undecided in regards to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The continued debate over how best to deal with a recent dramatic upsurge in positive cases is resulting in special school board meetings, proclamations of civil disobedience, new lawsuits and more. First to the schools. Last week, the Illinois Department of Public Health changed its classification of basketball to a highrisk sport from its previous designation of medium-risk. And Gov. JB Pritzker has said that basketball can’t be played until spring. That…

Princeville boys take 3rd at regional By JEFF LAMPE Weekly Post Staff Writer PETERSBURG – There was no question about the winner at Saturday’s PORTA High School boys cross country regional. With runners divided into three flighted races instead of the usual one large race, Elmwood-Brimfield’s third-ranked team had an even better chance to prove its dominance. Trojans runners finished first and second in the first two races and swept the top three spots in the final boy’s race. E-B had five of the top nine finishers in the race and saw its top seven all finish in the top…

Elmwood’s first family of XC ends successful 13-year run By JEFF LAMPE Weekly Post Staff Writer ELMWOOD – After 13 seasons, more than $12,000 in running shoes and six state cross country trophies, the last Hoffmann will run a race for the Elmwood-Brimfield Trojans this Saturday. Senior Luke Hoffmann is the last of four brothers to run for E-B and Coach Gregg Meyers. Each has been part of a state championship team: Jordan, 26, in 2008, Kelly, 23, in 2013, and Cooper, 20, and Luke in 2017. Parents Bruce Hoffmann and Penny Silzer say that 2017 championship, when Luke was…

By BILL KNIGHT For The Weekly Post Rural communities had about 900,000 fewer jobs this August than August of 2019, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). However, the outlook is improving from earlier this year, and rural America is holding on to jobs better than urban or suburban areas. Besides the number of jobs, the average jobless rates also are better in rural areas than metro areas. In The Weekly Post area, Fulton, Knox and Peoria Counties all lost jobs in the year-to-year comparison, but the percentage declines in Fulton and Knox weren’t as bad as the national…

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By BILL KNIGHT For The Weekly Post FARMINGTON – The Board of Education on Monday approved a plan to reopen schools next month for in-person instruction by a 5-1 vote, with some concerns, especially the lack of an option for remote-learning for some parents. Kelly Brewer voted no, stressing the lack of alternatives for households that may have family members who are atrisk during the ongoing pandemic. Superintendent Zac Chatterton said Farmington’s plan complies with guidelines issued by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and Illinois Department of Public Health. However, “this is a framework,” Chatterton said. “There are…

By BILL KNIGHT For The Weekly Post PRINCEVILLE – The possibility of schools reopening next month has split parents about returning their kids to classrooms, and there’s little clarity coming from the federal government. President Trump on July 8 said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is “asking schools to do very impractical things” and asked the CDC to revise its recommendations, but the next day CDC Director Robert Redfield said it will not change its guidelines. Meanwhile superintendents in The Weekly Post area on July 2 conferred with the Regional Office of Education (ROE), and Princeville’s district on…