50¢ MAY 19, 2021
PITTSFIELD, IL Thank you,
David F. Graham of Pittsfield, for subscribing to Pike Press!
NEWS
New addiction support group in Pike County. See page A2
Graduation events highlighted at Western board meeting. See page A2
SPORTS Watch PHS bass fishermen on television. See page A10
WEEKEND WEATHER FRIDAY, MAY 21
85 65 High
Low
SATURDAY, MAY 22
87 67 High
Low
SUNDAY, MAY 23
88 67 High
Low
ONLINE pikepress.com
INSIDE Classified . . . . . . . A9
Pike Press
VOL. 179, NO. 20
Vendors persist during damp Pickin’ Days By DAVID CAMPHOUSE Pike Press Communities throughout Pike County hosted vendors, yard sales, antique/vintage wares and food trucks this past weekend for Pike County Spring Pickin’ Days. Rainy weather on Saturday dampened spirits and deterred attendees, but the weekend ended on a high note with a largely dry Sunday. Despite the less than ideal weather, several vendors – including Judi Sutton, who owns Judi’s Country Store in El Dara – reported good attendance and a successful weekend. “You know, in El Dara, it went fantastic,” Sutton said. “We couldn’t have done better, even with the rain.” Sutton believed that attendees were influenced to participate, because they had been unable to take part in public events during the pandemic. “Everybody was in a great mood and well pleased to be out,” Sutton said. “People are looking for things to do this spring.” Sunday, too, typically a slower day during weekend events, enjoyed good attendance according to Sutton. “We couldn’t be any more pleased,” Sutton said. “Sunday is usually slow, but we were busy all weekend.” Sutton is optimistic that Spring Pickin’ Days will continue to gain momentum in
David Camphouse/Pike Press
Members of the Lions and Leo Clubs hunkered down under their tent to avoid the rain on Saturday. The clubs sold fried fish sandwiches on Pittsfield’s courthouse square during Spring Pickin’ Days. Rainy weather deterred many attendees on Saturday, but Sunday provided drier weather. Many vendors throughout the county, however, reported good attendance and a successful weekend.
subsequent years. “I think it will continue to grow,” Sutton said. “People are always looking for things to do in the spring when the weather gets warmer. The yard sales are a great way for people to get rid of stuff they’ve accumulated through the
Save the Date
for local graduation ceremonies Griggsville-Perry Q Baccalaureate for the Griggsville-Perry Senior Class will be May 23 at 2 p.m. at the Griggsville Methodist Church. Q Eighth-grade promotion will be held Thursday, May 27, at 7 p.m. at Griggsville-Perry Middle School at Perry. This will be a ticketed event—only those with tickets will be allowed to enter per current capacity restrictions. There will be live-streaming of the promotion ceremony on the school’s Facebook Page. Q High School Graduation is Friday, May 28, at 7 p.m. in the Nichol Gym at Griggsville.
Pittsfield
Q Pikeland Community School eighth-grade promotion will be May 27 at the Glenn C. Smith Football Field. Rain date is May 28. Q Pittsfield High School graduation will be May 29 at the Glenn C.
Community . . . . . A3
Smith Football Field. Rain Date is May 30.
Pleasant Hill
Q Baccalaureate for the high school seniors will be Wednesday, May 26 at 7 p.m. Q Graduation is Friday, May 28 at 7 p.m. Q Eighth-grade promotion is Thursday, May 27, at 7 p.m. Baccalaureate, high school graduation and eighth grade promotion will be held in the large gym.
Western
Q Baccalaureate is Wednesday, May 19, at 6 p.m. in the high school gym. Two guests per graduate. Q Graduation is Saturday, May 22 at 2 p.m .on the softball field. Backup dates in case of rain: Sunday, May 23 at 2 p.m. and Monday, May 24 at 6 p.m. There is a limit of 10 guests per graduate.
County News . . . . A2–4 Social. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Court . . . . . . . . . . A9 Marketplace . . . . . A8 Obituaries . . . . . . A3 Opinion . . . . . . . . A4 Public Notice . . . . A9 Sports . . . . . A3, A10 Obituaries in this issue: Ham, Haschemeyer, Johns.
Pike Press © 2021 All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
pikepress.com
David Camphouse/Pike Press
winter.” Picture Pittsfield President Patrick Lamb said despite the poor weather, Spring Pickin’ Days was a good way to encourage residents and visitors to get out and enjoy Pike County businesses and pop-up vendors.
“Given the weather, we were pleased with attendance,” Lamb said. Lamb said, however, he hopes for better weather for other outdoor events sponsored by Picture Pittsfield. “Hopefully we have better weather for Christmas in July,” Lamb said.
PCHD to start vaccinating children as young as 12 By DAVID CAMPHOUSE Pike Press As of May 12, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), have all signed off on the use of the BioNTech Pfizer vaccine for use in adolescents ages 12 to 15 years old. The American Academy of Pediatrics reported that trials showed the PfizerBioNTech vaccine was 100 percent effective and presented no serious safety concerns in adolescents, leading the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to grant emergency use authorization (EUA) of the drug. The most common side effects in adolescents were pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, chills, muscle pain, fever and joint pain, consistent with trials in older teens and adults. The Pike County Health Department (PCHD) will begin vaccinations for those age 12 and older once state-level guidance and recommendations from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) are finalized. “They’re working on it,” PCHD Director of Nursing Sharon Bargmann said of IDPH. “The authorization just came out. They’re following the science.” Bargmann said that one benefit of vaccination for school-aged children is that those fully vaccinated will no longer need to quarantine if exposed to COVID-19 unless the child exhibits symptoms of the virus. “It will help students once they get back to school in the fall,” Bargmann said. “A lot of parents were upset that students had to miss school because they were quarantined. Once students are fully vaccinated, they won’t need to quarantine.” According to Bargmann, vaccinations could be especially beneficial to students in sports and extracurricular activities, which present a greater possibility of exposure to and close contact with COVID-19. During this past school year, many
parents became frustrated with children being quarantined multiple times, especially those whose children participate in sports or other extra-curricular activities. “It’s upsetting when students have to sit out or they can’t finish the season,” Bargmann said. “That’s not an issue if they get vaccinated.” Bargmann said that PCHD is in the process of building a list of adolescents wishing to be vaccinated, so the department will know how much Pfizer vaccine to request from IDPH. “We need to find out who wants it before we get supply,” Bargmann said. “We have a list going. Once we get several on the list, we’ll have a Pfizer vaccination clinic.” Bargmann said that residents may request to be vaccinated with any of the three approved drugs, although Johnson & Johnson and Moderna are more readily available than Pfizer. “Residents can absolutely specify which vaccine,” Bargmann said. “They won’t get Pfizer as quickly as Moderna of Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), but we totally understand people wanting one vaccine over another. What we care about is that people get vaccinated.” To register for a vaccination, residents are directed to call PCHD at 217-2854407 and use option 8 to leave a message with their name, phone number and date of birth. To register an adolescent, parents/guardians should call and leave their child’s name, date of birth, the parent’s name and phone number. Residents can also register online at https://pikecountyil.org and click on the red banner at the top of the page. Once PCHD receives the Pfizer vaccine from the state, additional clinics will be added to their online scheduling option. PCHD currently has the following upcoming COVID vaccination clinics scheduled: Q May 20, Johnson & Johnson: 10:45 –11:45 a.m. and 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Q May 27, Johnson & Johnson: 3 – 4:30 p.m.
ILLINI CELEBRATES NATIONAL HOSPITAL Coatsburg man arrested in armed robbery WEEK WITH COMMUNITY COOKOUT By BETH ZUMWALT Illini’s Charlie Hull and Pastor Greg McClain cook hot dogs at Illini’s Community Cookout Friday, May 14. Illini staff provided a drive-thru lunch to community members to celebrate National Hospital Week, which runs from May 9 to May 14. According to Illini CEO Kathy Hull, National Hospital Week coincides with the birthday of famed English nurse Florence Nightingale, who was born May 12, 1820. Nightingale is recognized for modernizing and professionalizing nursing roles for women.
Pike County Fair on the horizon By BETH ZUMWALT Pike Press The Pike County Fair is just two weeks away, and fair board president Micheal McKinnon says the board has made many plans to make this fair special to make up for the lack of a fair last year. “We start June 8 with the pageants,” McKinnon said. “Wednesday, June 9, is family night with entertainment by Madd Hoss Jackson. Thursday is the Pike County Truck and Tractor pull, Friday is the Lucas Oil Professional Pullers Association’s western show, and Saturday will be the demolition derby put on by Mike Brown
Productions.” McKinnon said he is excited about the carnival coming this year. “They have promised us 12 items for our midway and two food stands,” McKinnon said. “Plus, we have several local food vendors setting up.” A livestock show is scheduled for June 9 for sheep, June 10 for beef and June 11 for goats. All shows start at 9 a.m. Juliana Frey is in charge of the queen and junior miss pageants. Girls 16-21 are invited to vie for queen and girls 11-14 can enter the junior miss pageant. (See, FAIR, A2)
Pike Press A Coatsburg man is in custody of law enforcement in Adams County after he crashed his vehicle on I-72 near mile marker 13 around 9 p.m. May 13. Law enforcement was alerted to the suspicious activity after receiving numerous calls about a male subject knocking on doors in Hull asking for a ride. Earlier in the day, both the Barry Jiffi Stop and a Quincy Dollar General were robbed by an individual using a screwdriver. After a thorough investigation, it was determined the crashed vehicle belonged to Richard A. Behnke, 33, Coatsburg, a suspect in the robberies earlier in the day. The PCSD later received a call from the Quincy Police Department, stating Behnke had been arrested in Quincy. Law enforcement was notified of the robbery in Barry at 5:29 a.m. after a call came into 911 dispatch advising a
Submitted photo
Submitted photo
white or Hispanic male came into the Barry Jiffi Stop, walked to the cash register, opened it, removed cash and walked out. No contact with store personnel was made. The same male subject was seen at the New Canton One Stop a short time later but did not commit any crimes in the One Stop. He was captured on surveillance camera. The Barry Jiffi Stop was robbed, also in an armed robbery Oct. 16, 2019. The suspect in that case was apprehended one year later. Edward Mullins, 49, Sewell, N.J., was charged with that offense and several others across the west and midwest.