2025 Community Spotlights: Local Heroes, History Gems, Unsolved Crimes & More

2025 Community Spotlights: Local Heroes, History Gems, Unsolved Crimes & More

Throughout 2025, the Community News Brief highlighted remarkable places and people who shaped our community through their dedication and service, as well as unsolved crimes and an assortment of unique stories and features. There are so many people in our region who do so much every day, and we’re proud to showcase those stories that happen to come our way (and we know there are many others who do work behind the scenes – even if they’re not featured here, we greatly appreciate the outstanding contributions they may day-in-and-day-out).

Here are just a few of the stories that captured our readers’ attention.

Multi-Generational Businesses In January, we recognized Arnold Brothers Heating and Cooling for more than 65 years of serving the Macomb area. In the second month of the new year, we took a look at the Armstrongs, Lowell and Jan, for celebrating 40 years in business as Mr. Sweeper in Macomb.

West Side Lumber celebrated its own milestones in 2025 … Jerome Nixa opened West Side in the 1950s, but in the 1980s, when his son, Jack, took over the business, the Macomb mainstay became an Ace Hardware franchisee. And now, Jack’s son, and the late Jerome’s grandson, John Michael, is at the helm of the family business, which his mother, Winnie, also had a hand in creating the West Side’s kitchen-and-bath design side of the house. West Side celebrated its 70th anniversary this year.

Former Educators Making New Marks February featured the Dean and Jan Rockwell, former educators in the Macomb and VIT districts, who now channel their talents into art. Dean creates pottery, while Jan works in multiple mediums. Both award-winning artists contribute pieces to the Community News & Market and Bloom for local purchase.

The educator spotlights continued with Ray Krey, a former American history teacher and principal at B-PC, whose passion for making history engaging sparked students’ curiosity. Ray maintains his love of history, particularly the Civil War, through re-enactments and portraying Victorian characters during Dickens on the Square.

In late 2025, we featured Craig Rigg, former English teacher, veteran, farmer and barbershop singer. Rigg, who is deeply committed to his community, has also recently joined the writing staff of The Community News Brief to bring even more local features and news to our readers.

All of these wonderful educators, along with so many more in our region, not only dedicated their lives and careers to teaching the children of our communities, they continue to give back in so many ways.

Macomb High School graduate and her spouse, Gloria (Caldwell) and Edwin Vankan, announced a matching gift up to $10,000 to support the Humane Society’s Animal Shelter Building Fund in memory of her parents Helen and Ernest Caldwell. They recently announced another $10,000 matching gift to help the shelter’s building fund.

Local Business Champions

Several business owners earned recognition, including Feathers Sports Center and its owner, the late Oliver Featherlin, Jr., who, in the 1950s, dreamt about bringing to Macomb the first sporting goods center, featuring fishing and hunting gear, guns, boats, campers and more. He followed his dream and for several years, provided sporting goods to the region.

Kelly’s Texaco (now Kelly’s Auto Supply) owner, Alvadore Wayne Kelly, began a gas station in the 1940s that transformed into a successful auto parts store. The mainstay business has weathered many storms, but still thrives today. The family’s connection now spans 79 years.

Hy-Vee honored two employees for their 40 plus years of service - honoring Scott Vogler and Chris Combs with a celebration and a surprise photo feature of both men on the side of a Hy-Vee semi.

We also shared the inspiring story of Tom and Daryl of WTND radio, two legally blind men whose love of music led them to create Macomb’s only local radio station. WTND features many surprise radio programs from years gone by, and the present.

More Remarkable Women Rachel Blevins, wife of McDonough County’s longest-serving sheriff John Blevins, was celebrated for her many years of courthouse service, family dedication and providing three daily meals to McDonough County jail inmates. The family above the jail, making the operations of the sheriff’s office and jail a true family affair.

Tiffany Erickson, former Macomb Public Library children’s librarian, left her position to pursue writing and published her first book, “The Snack Thief,” a fun mystery for kids. The Vandalia native’s favorite picture books as a child featured food, so it was only natural that she wrote a children’s book featuring a young chef with amazing creative snack ideas.

The Macomb Feminist Network selected Sandra Nelson, Bonnie Smith-Skripps, Kathy Veroni and Marla Vizdal as recipients of its 2025 Writing Women into History Award for their many contributions to the community.

One of Macomb’s first Lyft drivers, Janine Cavicchia, hit her latest milestone: her 30,000th Uber/Lyft ride – since joining the companies as a gig driver in Spring 2019.

Macomb longtime resident Belinda Carr was recognized recently from Chicago’s RayVon with the 2025 Raydient Award.

Macomb Police Officer Korri Cameron was awarded Officer of the Year, while Knox County Sheriff’s Office Detective and Macomb resident Morgan Jameson received two Meritorious Awards from the Spoon River Valley FOP Lodge for her work in solving high profile cases involving children and fraud.

Joanne Findley, music teacher, musician, active volunteer, was honored with the 10th Annual “Facing the Storm” award recognizing her for her humanitarian efforts in her lifetime. Joanne passed away Nov. 27, 2019.

Longtime former WIU Softball Coach, former Macomb Magic Coach and Macomb resident Kathy Veroni was honored this month with the National Fastball Coaches Association’s (NFCA) Humanitarian Award for her decades of dedication and contributions to the development of softball and for her charitable and volunteer work within the community.

Macomb High School Senior Jackie Rouse becomes the first female Eagle Scout in a four-county area. The Eagle Scout status requires scouts to earn at least 21 merit badges. Rouse earned 48 to achieve Eagle Scout status.

We paid tribute to two remarkable Macomb women, Essie Rutledge and Grace Baker, both of whom passed away in 2025: Dr. Rutledge, who passed away June 1, was a trailblazer who not only paved the way for Black students, faculty and staff at Western Illinois University, in her community and beyond, she also shattered numerous glass ceilings over the years, upheld workers’ rights and committed her life and work to social justice and equity.

Grace Baker died Nov. 2 at the age of 104. When Congress established the WAC and WAVE military corps in 1942, Baker wanted to help the national cause. She enlisted in the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) in Summer 1943 and served until 1946. Baker drew a WAVE assignment in Washington, D.C., where she worked for Naval Intelligence. Committed to helping children, she taught for a period of time and later worked as a librarian.

Making Our Communities a Better Place for All Early in the year, we were proud to feature relatively new Macomb “transplant,” Ximena Barreto, who, in January, officially launched her “We for Us” photo essay, funded by an Illinois Arts Council Catalyst Award. The complete photo essay, which features local residents and groups, can be found at we-for-us.com.

Ross Braun of Macomb was recognized this year with PATH International’s James Brady Professional Achievement Award for his service with the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.).

The Interfaith Alliance of Macomb (IAM), with the help of The Community News Brief, launched a new initiative to share and spread kindness throughout the county and beyond.

On June 27, the community mourned the loss of longtime doctor, Dr. Thomas Koch, who passed away at the age of 88. During the course of his career as an OB/GYN, the longtime Macomb doctor delivered over 6,000 babies.

The Wine Sellers’ Final Fridays gave back $25,000 to 28 area non-profit organizations over the last five years with the help of Bill Maakestad, who donates his tips and payment for playing to the cause. The local shop is owned by Craig and Julia Burns.

The Asian American Heritage Coalition (AAHC), a non-profit educational organization in McDonough County, founded by Maureen Marx and Andrea Jenkins, officially launched to highlight the contributions Asians have been making to America for centuries. In collaboration with the Western Illinois Museum, the AAHC has brought a collection of oral histories and podcasts from Asian Americans calling McDonough County home.

Ground was officially broken on the William H. Thorpe Park on Macomb’s east side. The project, which was spearheaded by Thorpe’s nephew, Carl Thorpe, honors Macomb’s first Black police officer.

The General Macomb Chapter of the DAR presented its Community Service Award to Allen and Patti Nemec. The award recognized the Nemec’s outstanding lifelong volunteerism, community leadership and benevolent service.

Anthony Kosel of Macomb launched a community project to build “little free pantries” stocked with food and essential personal items inspired by his previous work creating little free libraries.

With increasing food security, along with the rising cost of food, area organizations, including Maple Avenue Christian Church, Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, Eagles Club, West Prairie South Elementary and Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, Good Food Pantry and the Salvation Army among others provided food assistance and/or Thanksgiving meals for those in need.

Dot Foods brought hope to the region’s food pantries by delivering $60,000 in food to 15 area pantries, including WIU’s Food Pantry and The Good Food Pantry, a division of WIRC.

Thanks to Macomb’s Emily Sutton, the nation’s largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating and advocating for LGBTQ+people (PFLAG) will now have a local chapter.

Veteran Slater Scheurich of Macomb, and his brotherin- law, Danny Barth, who is a police officer with Western Illinois University’s Office of Public Safety, are working to establish The Iron Lantern Foundation (ILF) for veterans, service members, first responders, spouses and family members.

Historical Gems

The St. Francis Hospital series proved a reader favorite, exploring not only the institution’s history but the staff, students, and teaching sisters who shaped it. This was followed by features on Phelps and Holmes hospitals’ histories.

The old “Colchester Brickyard” or rather its proper name, Moses King Brick and Tile Works, was resurrected as Todd and Melonie Icenogle purchased the iconic Colchester landmark with plans to rebuild, improve, and renovate the property into the Iron Nail Brickyard Venue & Event Center.

We also featured a threepart series on the “beginning of the end” of Camp Ellis in Ipava from 1945 (end of the war) to 1955 when the land was sold back to the original owners along with many buildings which were moved to various locations throughout Western Illinois and beyond, Camp Ellis was a WWII Army camp that trained support services for the war efforts. It has been 80 years since US Army Camp Ellis was a fully functioning military camp with soldiers, civilians, and prisoners of war stationed on a little over 17,000 Illinois acres of prairie and woods and population of over 50,000 at its peak.

Unsolved Mysteries The Legend of Fay Raleigh returned us to the 1960s and the mysterious disappearance of a prominent Fulton County businessman, believed buried in his Cadillac at the bottom of a strip mine lake.

The death of Stevie Borders, who went missing in 2000 and whose body was found eight months later, has never been solved. An in-depth report from Tri States Public Radio Reporter Jane Carlson brought the 25-year-old unsolved crime to the public’s light. State Police say Border’s death was a drug-induced homicide and the concealment of the body was part of the crime but 25 years later, no one has been held accountable.