LaDonna Jean Calloni-Christopher, IL

LaDonna Jean Calloni, 72, of Christopher, passed away on Wednesday September 29, 2021 at Herrin Hospital.

She was born on June 1, 1949 in Christopher, IL to Walter and Ellen (Humphrey) Overturf. She married Charles “Mush” Calloni on April 15, 1967 and he preceded her in death on March 14, 2018.

She is survived by her children Charles (Tricia) Calloni of Coello, Michael (Donna) Calloni of Mulkeytown and Melinda (Ron) Walker of Christopher; grandchildren Caleb (Erika) Calloni of Mulkeytown, Joshua (Breanna Lawrence) Calloni of Coello, Michael Taylor (Kirstin) Calloni of Christopher, Sierra (Dakota) Gregge of Buckner, Nicholas Walker of Christopher, Kaitlyn Walker of Christopher and Giovanna Walker of Christopher; and one great grandchild on the way; one sister Shirley (Tom) Calloni of Buckner and two brothers Harold (Debbie) Overturf of Marion and Kevin Overturf of Buckner.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband.

Funeral services for LaDonna will be on Tuesday October 5, 2021 at 1:00 PM at the Gilbert Funeral Home in Christopher with Brother George Marshall officiating. Visitation will be on Tuesday from 11:00 AM until the time of the service at 1:00 PM at the funeral home. Burial will be at Smith Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association and will be accepted at the funeral home.

For more information go to our website www.gilbertfuneralhomes.com

RLC to put on free Halloween Concert this October

INA, IL – Rend Lake College is once again inviting the community out for a “Spooktacular” night of music just in time for All Hallows’ Eve.

The Halloween Concert will be held in the RLC Theatre on Thursday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. The free event features performances from the RLC Choir, the RLC Concert Band as well as the Southeastern Illinois College Choir.

RLC Music Professor Sara Alstat-Sanders said the first collaborative Halloween Concert happened in 2019. The blending of the two college choirs provides the chance to work on more complicated arrangements.

“It gives our students an opportunity to perform with a larger choir,” Alstat-Sanders said. “We will be able to combine additional voices and have more selection.”

Musical selections for the choirs include songs from popular film and stage productions. The setlist features “The Hanging Tree” from “The Hunger Games” movie franchise; the title track from “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas;” and a medley from the hit Broadway show “Little Shop of Horrors.”

Others included in the collaborative performance are “Old Abram Brown” and “Et in terra pax.”

The RLC Concert Band includes college and high school students as well as members of the community. For the Halloween Concert, the band will bring its own brew of performances. Renditions include “Mars,” “Shadow Waltzes,” “The Witching Hour” as well as selections from “Suite from Symphonie Fantastique.”

With the Halloween holiday right around the corner from the concert date, Alstat-Sanders said the return of live performances on the RLC campus is sure to be a hauntingly good time.

“We’re hoping to get everyone in the spirit,” she said.

For more information about the RLC music department, visit rlc.edu/music.

Mr. A Day!

RLC President Terry Wilkerson (standing) is pictured with Gene “Mr. A” Alexander during a ceremony on the Ina campus that honored the longtime Benton educator.

Mr. A Day!

Murphysboro barbecue competition draws nearly 100 teams

MURPHYSBORO — After a being cancelled in 2020, Praise The Lard – Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-Off drew nearly 100 teams from 14 states to compete for prizes totaling $27,500.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

Carbondale commits $450K in COVID-19 relief to Eurma Hayes Center for critical repairs, renovations

The Eurma C. Hayes Center is a mess today due to construction, but Bob Wills, executive director of the center, says the mess is necessary to renovate and bring services to Carbondale’s Northeast community.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

It’s flu vaccine time, even if you’ve had your COVID shots. Here’s what you should know

Amid all the focus on COVID-19 vaccinations, U.S. health experts have another plea: Don’t skip your flu shot.

Here’s the link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

Illinois teachers sue districts over statewide vaccine mandate

Ten teachers in the Metro East who refuse to comply with statewide vaccine and mask mandates are suing their school districts over the policies.

Here’s a link to the story at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Abortion rights rallies planned in Chicago, cities nationwide on Saturday

Reproductive rights activists are hosting marches and rallies across Illinois on Saturday to support abortion access nationwide and protest recent restrictions in Texas, which have all but banned the procedure there.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

Will Illinois lawmakers help the Bears move from Soldier Field? Unlikely

A possible state role in the Chicago Bears’ potential move from the lakefront to the northwest suburbs has yet to be formally discussed, but any request from the team for financial assistance would likely prove a tough sell as Illinois emerges from the coronavirus pandemic and continues to grapple with chronic fiscal ills.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

R. Kelly’s long-overdue conviction should be a turning point

(CNN)I vaguely remember when I first heard a rumor about an alleged R. Kelly sex tape. I was in college and a casual fan of the singer, songwriter and producer. Within days, I heard that the other person on the tape was a teenage Black girl.

Here’s a link to the column at CNN.

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