Stock named Colleague of the Year for Jacksonville Memorial Hospital:
Matthew Stock, RN, with the Emergency Department at Jacksonville Memorial Hospital, is the nonprofit hospital’s 2024 Colleague of the Year.
Stock was born at Passavant Hospital, now Jacksonville Memorial Hospital, and lives in Chapin with his wife and three daughters.
“Providing service to the Jacksonville area means it is common to have some sort of connection with our patients,” he said. “I find it rewarding to take care of people we know. I like to think those connections help put our patients, and their families, at ease during difficult times.”
Stock was nominated by an appreciative family member for the care he provided in the Emergency Department.
“Matthew is always an advocate for his patients and their family members,” the patient’s spouse wrote. “He ensures they understand the course of care to be taken, are involved in making decisions and treats them with respect, compassion and understanding. He is an exemplar nurse.”
Stock has worked for Jacksonville Memorial Hospital since 2013, and in September 2024, was named Colleague of the Month. The Colleague of the Year is selected from individuals previously named Colleague of the Month in 2024.
Elise Griffin named new Museum Manager of the Jacksonville Area Museum:
Elise Griffin of Jacksonville has been named the new Museum Manager of the Jacksonville Area Museum and the MacMurray College Foundation and Alumni Association. Griffin started work in mid-January and replaces previous manager McKenna Servis, who accepted another employment opportunity.
“I am thrilled to be a part of this exciting and growing museum and look forward to welcoming even more visitors during the city’s bicentennial year,” Griffin said. “Jacksonville is such a welcoming town and has a unique history. I am honored to be involved in presenting that history to the city, state, and the world.”
Griffin is a May 2024 graduate of Illinois College in Jacksonville, majored in Public History, and worked in the Khalaf Al Habtoor Archives, located on the college’s campus. Griffin also worked as a seasonal interpreter at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site in Collinsville, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that preserves the remnants of a huge Native American civilization that flourished more than 1,000 years ago.
“We conducted extensive interviews with several very qualified candidates and Elise impressed us with enthusiasm, knowledge and a passion for presenting Jacksonville’s history,” said Jacksonville Area Museum Board Chairman Allan Worrell. “We are pleased that Elise is joining us during this time of rapid growth for the museum.”
The Jacksonville Area Museum, located in the old Post Office Building in downtown Jacksonville, is undergoing an expansion project that will triple the institution’s exhibit space with unique and engaging exhibits. The new exhibit area, funded through donations to the Jacksonville Area Museum Foundation, will open to the public in time for the city’s official Bicentennial Celebration on October 4, 2025.
The Jacksonville Area Museum uses original artifacts, storytelling exhibits and the building itself, as well as items from the MacMurray College Foundation and Alumni Association collection, to show people of all ages and backgrounds why the Jacksonville community has been and continues to be one of a kind. The museum is located in the old Post Office building at 301 E. State Street, and its regular schedule is Wednesday and Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday from 1-4 p.m. There is no admission fee but a donation of $5 is suggested to keep the museum operating.
Citizens Police Academy Alumni to host spring bass tournament:
A spring bass tournament will help support a new scholarship for students who want to major in law enforcement or criminal justice.
The Citizens Police Academy Alumni will host the tournament April 26 at Lake Jacksonville. The event, coordinated by fundraising chairwoman Cindy Beddingfield and organizer Glenn Robson, is designed to bring a minimum of (20) two-person teams for one of the season’s first tournaments.
Projected proceeds not only will help with CPAA’s annual budget but also will provide additional funding for a new scholarship program. CPAA is affiliated with Jacksonville Police Department, providing logistical and moral support along with specialized equipment purchases.
The new tournament “is more of a fun fundraising tournament,” Robson said. “We’re going to keep it lighthearted and fun.”
The tournament is open to any ability level; Robson describes it as a “buddy tournament” set up for charity and not cutthroat sportsmen. “Yes, you can win [something], but you’re not out there to become a millionaire,” he said.
Robson, son of former Sheriff Jim (wife Pat) Robson and brother of late JPD Officer Bruce Robson, has organized the Bruce Robson Memorial Bass Tournament for more than two decades. Those proceeds have been shared among CPAA and other groups; starting this year, proceeds will benefit an education fund for a Robson grandson.
With that change in mind, Glenn Robson pitched the idea of a CPAA-branded spring tournament, with all proceeds going to CPAA. He expects his usual supporters to support the new tournament.
There’s a $100 entry fee per team, cash prizes and options for award buy-ins for biggest and smallest fish. A drawing for $100 will be offered to anyone who signs up before April 19.
Cash prizes, from $500 to $100, will be given for first through fourth places. To sign up or for more information, call Robson at 217-883-2742 or visit his Facebook page, or call CPAA President Everett Beddingfield at 217-370-0751.
Cindy Beddingfield said the group is excited to partner with Robson and the extended Robson family. “They’ve always been big supporters of CPAA and the work we do,” she said.
Some of the spring tournament proceeds will be directed to a new CPAA scholarship fund, with awards of $1,000 and $500 given to local students majoring in law enforcement or criminal justice. Seed money of $1,500 came from CPAA’s annual budget.
“It’s our first [tournament],” Beddingfield said. “We hope for good weather and a lot of boats.”
The scholarship fundraising will be in a “quiet” phase in 2025, with the first awards announced at the 2026 Policeman’s Ball. Special consideration will be given to students who have participated in the Teen Academy and/or Cadet program. Application information will be announced later this year.
CPAA members help at a variety of community events, freeing up officers to spend time on calls for assistance. Money raised during the Policeman’s Ball fundraiser is used to buy equipment for JPD, including night-vision goggles, a drone, a K9, tactical vests and first aid kits.
‘Ellie Presents: The Rich & Romantic History of Valentines’ coming to JPL:
At 6 p.m. on February 12, “Ellie Presents: The Rich & Romantic History of Valentines” will be presented at the Jacksonville Public Library, 201 W. College Ave. in Jacksonville. Admission is free.
Join the Jacksonville Public Library in welcoming Ellie Carlson of Ellie Presents as she shares with us the rich and romantic history of Valentines. Part exhibit, part historical talk, part workshop, join Ellie as she celebrates her very favorite holiday! Who was St. Valentine really? Who sent the oldest Valentine that is still in existence and what did it say? How did sending paper Valentines to loved ones catch on in so many places? These and other questions will be answered in this fun and informative presentation.
Ellie will also share her collection of vintage Valentines and her research into the history of the holiday with participants. And as a special treat, Ellie will be bringing Valentine making supplies to the event so that everyone in attendance can create their own special handmade Valentine to take home!
This event is for all ages, and no registration is required. We hope to see you there! Find out more at www.jaxpl.org or 217-243-5435.
Illinois Libraries Presents ‘Slowing Down with Amy Tan:’
At 7 p.m. on February 19, “Slowing Down with Amy Tan” will be presented at the Jacksonville Public Library, 201 W. College Ave. in Jacksonville.
Please call 217-243-5435 or email ajones@jaxpl.org to register via Zoom. There will be an in-person viewing event at the Jacksonville Public Library as well.
National Humanities Medal winner and bestselling author of “The Joy Luck Club,” Amy Tan joins us via Zoom on February 19 at 7 p.m. to share on her body of work and reflect on the wonder of slowing down and savoring the quiet moments. Her connection to nature is captured in her latest, “The Backyard Bird Chronicles,” a collection of sketches and essays which debuted at #1 on both The New York Times and the Indie bestseller list.
Born in the U.S. to immigrant parents from China, Tan’s first bestselling novel, “The Joy Luck Club,” offered a look at the immigration experience from the perspective of mothers and daughters. Other New York Times best-sellers followed, including “The Kitchen God’s Wife,” “The Hundred Secret Senses,” “The Bonesetter’s Daughter,” “Saving Fish from Drowning” and “The Valley of Amazement.” Tan is also the author of two children’s books, a memoir, and other works. In keeping with her love of science and childhood love of doodling, she recently took up nature journal sketching. When she found herself overwhelmed by our increasingly divisive culture, she turned to nature and the world of bird life outside her own window.
This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present (ILP), a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. ILP is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).
Illinois Libraries Presents ‘An Evening with James McBride:’
At 7 p.m. on February 4, “An Evening with James McBride” will be presented at the Jacksonville Public Library, 201 W. College Ave. in Jacksonville.
Please call 217-243-5435 or email ajones@jaxpl.org to register via Zoom. There will be an in-person viewing event at the Jacksonville Public Library as well.
On February 4, in collaboration with the Jacksonville Public Library, Illinois Libraries Present via zoom James McBride, an award-winning author, musician and screenwriter. His landmark memoir, “The Color of Water,” was published in 1996 and is considered an American classic, read in schools and universities across the United States. His 2013 novel, “The Good Lord Bird,” won the National Book Award for Fiction and was adapted by Ethan Hawke and Jason Blum into a Showtime series bearing the same name. His latest, “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store,” was named one of The New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2023.
In 2016, President Obama awarded McBride the National Humanities Medal “for humanizing the complexities of discussing race in America. Through writings about his own uniquely American story, and his works of fiction informed by our shared history, his moving stories of love display the character of the American family.” In 2024, he became the latest recipient of the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction. A native New Yorker, McBride is a Distinguished Writer in Residence at New York University.
Heather Marie-Montlilla of PBS Books will join McBride in conversation.
This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present (ILP), a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. ILP is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).
The Jacksonville Public Library presents ‘The Kanopy Big Movie Watch:’
At 2 p.m. on February 8, “The Kanopy Big Movie Watch!” will be presented at the Jacksonville Public Library, 201 W. College Ave. in Jacksonville. Admission is free.
Coming soon to a device and public library near you: “The Kanopy Big Movie Watch!” Now, Kanopy users at libraries in the United States and Canada can share their love for film with “The Big Movie Watch!” Kanopy is a subscription-free, ad-free platform for viewing movies, documentaries, foreign films, classic cinema, independent films and educational videos for adults and kids that inspire, enrich and entertain.
From February 7-17, anyone with an in-district library card can participate in the ‘Big Movie Watch,’ a new film club from Kanopy, which includes a film discussion board where you can chat about the film with others across the country. Kanopy’s Big Movie Watch title is“Molli and Max in the Future,” a sci-fi rom-com about a man and woman whose orbits repeatedly collide over the course of 12 years, 4 planets, 3 dimensions and 1 space-cult. You may watch this film anytime from the comfort of your own home from February 7-17.
There will be an in-house viewing of “Molli and Max in the Future” at the library on Saturday, February 8 at 2.pm. Popcorn and water will be provided.
No registration is required. We hope to see you there! Find out more at www.jaxpl.org or 217-243-5435.
Jacksonville Public Library presents a Lotus Lantern Craft Workshop:
At 6 p.m. on February 26, a Lotus Lantern Craft Workshop will be presented at the Jacksonville Public Library, 201 W. College Ave. in Jacksonville.
Please call 217-243-5435 or email ajones@jaxpl.org to register. Registration is required.
The Jacksonville Public Library, in partnership with The Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project (KSCPP), will teach participants step-by-step via Zoom how to make a lovely lotus flower lantern using colored paper and a pre-made wire frame. Participants will also learn about Korea’s unique history and culture and watch a short documentary film. Materials will be provided. Ages 12 and up.
Call or email us to register today. We hope to see you there! Find out more at www.jaxpl.org or 217-243-5435.
New drop-off location for Jacksonville Sunrise Rotary’s Troopon program:
Jacksonville Sunrise Rotary Club announces a new drop-off location for their ongoing Troopon program. Sinclair Foods in Jerseyville has agreed to be the latest location to accept manufacturers’ coupons to support United States armed forces personnel in bases across the country and around the world.
The project was the brainchild of Jane Becker, who has been the club’s project coordinator since its inception in November 2020. The idea was to encourage those who had manufacturers’ coupons to use them at their local retailers. Those who had coupons but were not intending to use them locally, have been encouraged to drop them off in the brightly colored Rotary drop boxes located at retailers in our communities. Those discarded coupons then become Troopons and are sent to our troops where they can be exchanged for value in base commissaries.
“There is no cost to local retailers, no cost to those dropping off coupons, and Sunrise Rotary members pay for the postage to ship the sorted Troopons to the Support Our Troops organization in Boise, Idaho, where they are then shipped to our troops,” said project coordinator Jane Becker. “All of the benefit goes to the young men and women serving our country in uniform.” Becker noted that coupons with expired expiration dates will be accepted at base commissaries.
This project has been in continuous operation since Veterans Day 2020. The coupons are sorted under the categories of Food, Non-Food and Baby, giving young service families help with household consumables. Jacksonville Sunrise Rotary has collected, sorted and shipped thousands of manufacturers’ coupons. The latest dollar amount of $909,027.22 worth of coupons collected, was announced at the club’s January 21 meeting.
Dropbox location in Jerseyville is Sinclair Foods. Dropbox locations in Jacksonville: Cedarhurst of Jacksonville; Production Xpress; Jacksonville AMVETS; Jacksonville Walmart (at the service desk); Jacksonville American Legion; Linda Meece, CPA; The Farmers State Bank and Trust Company (State Street location); and First National Bank of Arenzville (Morton Avenue branch).
