The Little Stove announces temporary closure
The Little Stove has temporarily closed its doors due to unforeseen personal circumstances affecting the restaurant’s ownership.
The downtown Jacksonville restaurant’s Facebook page shared recently, “This decision was made with great care and was not one we ever hoped to make. We are deeply grateful for the incredible support we have received from our guests, employees, local vendors, and the Jacksonville community. Your loyalty and kindness over the years have meant the world to us. This closure is intended to be temporary. While we are unable to provide a timeline for reopening at this time, it is our sincere hope that we will welcome our guests back to The Little Stove when the time is right. We will share updates through The Little Stove’s social media channels as more information becomes available. Thank you for your understanding, your patience, and your continued support of The Little Stove.”
Radford named Jacksonville Memorial Hospital July Colleague of the Month
Connie Radford, an occupational therapist at Jacksonville Memorial Hospital (JMH), has been named July Colleague of the Month.
Radford, who joined the nonprofit hospital in September 2015, is recognized for her dedication to her patients and contributions to a positive and supportive team environment.
Her nominator highlighted her focus on patient outcomes and her willingness to invest additional time to help others.
“She always puts her patients first,” wrote her nominator. “Her integrity is demonstrated in her work ethic, willingness to consider others, thoughtfulness, intentional positivity and willingness to learn.”
In addition to her patient care, Radford is known as a mentor to new colleagues. She supports others through change and brings a calm, positive presence to her team.
The Colleague of the Month award celebrates Memorial Health colleagues who exemplify excellence in their roles and embody the organization’s mission, vision and values.
Museum seeks participants for community art installation
The Jacksonville Area Museum is seeking participants for a community art installation that will be displayed in the museum at 301 E. State Street.
One hundred eight-by-eight-inch canvases are available free of charge to local creatives and each canvas comes with a small square image which depicts a piece of a larger image.
Participating creatives are asked to interpret the image they are given on their individual canvases, which will later be combined with the 99 other canvases into a larger work that reveals an image celebrating the Jacksonville area.
“The fun part is that each creative is only working on one-one hundredth of the finished piece of art without knowing what the final, larger image depicts,” said Jacksonville Area Museum Board member Marcy Jones, who is coordinating the art installation project. “So when we assemble all 100 mini pieces of art, it will reveal a piece of recognizable Jacksonville history.”
Participants should stop by the museum during normal hours of operation on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays from 1-4 p.m. They may pick up a random packet containing a canvas, a square of artwork to interpret and all needed instructions.
Then it’s up to each creative to paint, draw, craft or otherwise interpret their square onto the canvas.
The only restrictions are that creatives honor the color palette and image lines and edges, and they should not extend beyond the edges of the canvas. All mediums and interpretations are accepted and encouraged.
Creatives are asked not to open their envelopes until they get home. If they think they recognize the final painting, participants are asked not to reveal it on social media or discuss it to preserve the surprise of the installation.
Completed canvases must be returned to the museum no later than Saturday, September 12, and a Friday, September 18 event will be held to install all 100 canvases together to create the collective image. The event is part of the grand opening of a larger exhibit called “The Geography of Memory: Jacksonville in Art,” which will highlight artwork of Jacksonville by Jacksonville area residents. This exhibit, along with the collective painting, will debut the weekend of September 19.
Visit jacksonvilleareamuseum.org or connect with the Jacksonville Area Museum on Facebook for more information or to find out how to become a museum member or volunteer.
Free trauma-informed care training available at JMH
Free training on trauma-informed care is available for people who work in community-based organizations, health care or education settings or who work closely with people in vulnerable populations.
The training will be offered in-person on Thursday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m. to noon at Jacksonville Memorial Hospital (JMH) in Meeting Room 2. Attendees will learn about trauma’s complex impact, creative and compassionate responses and the importance of caring for self. Continuing education credits are available.
“The goal behind this training is to decrease the stigma around those seeking care for mental wellness,” said Claire Peak, a community health consultant at Memorial Health. “Participants will learn practical tools for how to approach their work in a trauma-informed way and increase client engagement, outcomes and community wellness.”
A virtual session is also available on August 11. For more information on both in-person and virtual trainings, email peak.claire@mhsil.com or register at https://memorial.health/Event/10034/TraumaInformed-Care-Training/event-details/.
JPL to hold WITS Fitness on Aug. 11
The Jacksonville Public Library, in collaboration with the Morgan County office of the University of Illinois Extension, presents “WITS Fitness” from 2-3:30 p.m. on August 11 at the library.
If you are aged 50 or older, please join University of Illinois Educator Karina Moore at the Jacksonville Public Library on August 11 for engaging, hands-on activities that help boost cognitive function and memory. This fun, informative class is perfect for keeping everyone’s mind sharp. Hope to see you there!
This is a monthly series offered by the University of Illinois Extension.
Please contact the library via 217-243-5435 or ajones@jaxpl.org with any questions. Find out more at jaxpl.org. The Jacksonville Public Library is located at 201 W. College Ave. in Jacksonville.
AMBUCS of Jacksonville grills for Camp Courage
Members of the Jacksonville AMBUCS chapter grilled steaks on July 22 for Camp Courage. The group purchases the steaks locally and grills them for a special camp lunch each year. If you are interested in joining the Jacksonville chapter of AMBUCS, please join the group for their weekly lunch meeting at noon on Wednesdays at Kim’s Place in Jacksonville.
Kiwanis gives $3,000 to help train surgeons treating spina bifida
The Kiwanis Club of Jacksonville is helping give hope to families facing a diagnosis of spina bifida by donating $3,000 to support the development of a fetal surgery training model.
The donation was presented during the Illinois-Eastern Iowa Kiwanis District Convention at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield. The $100,000 project will help train future fetal surgeons in a groundbreaking, minimally invasive procedure that can repair spina bifida before a baby is born.
Developed by Dr. Robin Bowman, Dr. Aimen Shaaban and their colleagues, the innovative three-port fetoscopic technique allows surgeons to close the spinal opening while better protecting the baby’s spinal cord. Early results have shown improved outcomes for babies while reducing complications for mothers.
“Kiwanis is all about helping kids,” said Phil Langdon, club president. “We’re proud to support a project that gives future surgeons the training they need and gives families more hope for healthier futures.”
Spina bifida is one of the most common birth defects affecting the spine and spinal cord. Advances in fetal surgery are giving babies a better start in life, and this training model will help more surgeons learn the specialized skills needed to perform these delicate procedures.
The Jacksonville Kiwanis Club is committed to improving the lives of children both in the local community and around the world through service projects, fundraising and charitable giving.
For more information about the Kiwanis Club of Jacksonville or to learn how you can make a difference in the lives of children, visit the club’s Facebook page or join members for a weekly meeting at noon each Thursday at Hamilton’s. New members are always welcome.
JPL to hold Andrew Carnegie presentation on Aug. 26
The Jacksonville Public Library presents “Andrew Carnegie’s Gospel of Wealth” with HFK (Histories for Kids) Presents at 6 p.m. on August 26 at the library.
Andrew Carnegie led the expansion of the steel industry during the late 19th century, becoming one of the wealthiest men in American history.
After his retirement in 1901, he became a philanthropist, believing in the “Gospel of Wealth”, meaning that he felt that wealthy people were obligated to give money back to members of society.
Hear how Carnegie’s philanthropic interests centering around education and world peace led to the establishment of public libraries, including our very own Jacksonville Public Library!
Terry Lynch, of HFK Presents, will be portraying Andrew Carnegie for the program. Presenter Terry Lynch has been a professional actor performing on stage, television, film and radio in the Chicagoland area for more than 40 years.
He has also appeared regularly on the WGN Morning Show. He and his wife, Laura, a certified educator, began Histories for Kids/HFK Presents more than 20 years ago as a way to bring history to life for all ages. Admission is free — hope to see you there!
Please contact the library via 217-243-5435 or ajones@jaxpl.org with any questions. Find out more at jaxpl.org. The Jacksonville Public Library is located at 201 W. College Ave. in Jacksonville.
Prairieland United Way launches 2026 campaign kickoff event
The 2026 Prairieland United Way campaign will get underway with a Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce ‘Business After Hours’ and Campaign Kickoff at 4:30 p.m. on August 20 at Future Champs in Jacksonville.
Business and community leaders, along with United Way employee campaign coordinators, are encouraged to attend. The Business After Hours and Campaign Kickoff will be sponsored by Rabbi Rob and Lauren Thomas; RE/MAX Results Plus, Judy Eoff, Scott Eoff and Lisa Watson; and Elam Rajaguru, CFP®, CPFA®.
The 2026 Prairieland United Way campaign theme is “Friends United,” and the fundraising goal is $500,000. Prairieland United Way helps local people by raising and distributing funds for health, education and employment-related service programs in Morgan, Scott, Cass and northern Greene counties.
The campaign leadership team consists of the board president, campaign chairs and the executive director. President of the United Way board this year is Erin Becker, COO and project manager with Turner Painting and Construction.
The Prairieland United Way Board is proud to introduce Jenissa Ezard, Julie Finn, Brittany Henry, Jennifer Pool, Jeni Rajaguru and Lisa Watson as the 2026 campaign chairs.
