Local Specials

Winds farms are dotting the landscape across Illinois, and now wind energy is working its way into school curriculum.
 
A new Illinois Wind Energy Program is being offered in three Central Illinois school  districts, including Cuba Middle-Senior High in Fulton County. The program is free of charge through the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Hedding Elementary School in Abingdon collected more pennies than any of the other seven Knox County schools that took part. The drive benefited the Carl Sandburg State Historic Site in Galesburg. The school raised over $635. The campaign raised a total of $1,901.

The annual drive takes it inspiration from a 1909 essay Sandburg wrote to honor the minting of the Lincoln penny. The essay was titled “Lincoln for Pennies.”

The students had just one week to collect the money. Fourth-grader Lukas Tinkham said, ”I just like, got the change out of my piggy bank.”

Holiday decorations are on display just about anywhere you go this time of year. Most of the ornaments are mass produced. But if you look around enough, you just might find some made by true artisans.

Mike Newsad is one such artist. He has converted the garage at his home into a glass blowing studio. He's been busy in recent weeks making glass ornaments for the season

People  find different ways to relieve stress.

Some take a trip to  a spa for a bit of rest and relaxation. Others curl up on the couch  with a good book.

A group of women from the tri-states have  a slightly unorthodox method.

They lace up their roller skates  and beat the daylights out of each other.

Among them is Heather  Kath.

By  day, "Miss Heather" is the children's programmer  for the Quincy Public  Library, organizing activities such as story  time and summer reading  events.

September  21 is the International  Day of Peace, which is also referred to as Peace Day. It's considered  a shared date for acts of peace.

For  example, the Philippine  military said it will declare a one-day truce  with communist rebels  to mark the International Day of Peace.

The  day was created  by the United Nations in 1981 and the first Peace Day  was celebrated  in 1982. The UN's General Assembly declared in 2002 that  September  21 would be the permanent date for the International Day of  Peace.

The  Keokuk National Cemetery is the final resting place for more than  600 Union and Confederate soldiers.

Most of the soldiers  were from Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri.

A total of 17 states  are represented in the cemetery, though, including Ohio, Alabama,  and Texas.

A  special ceremony was held to bring those soldiers "home."

Soil  was collected from all 17 states. It was spread on the graves so  soldiers could be buried under their native soil.