Ramsey News~Journal

Headline News

State Champion Rich in Nat'l Rodeo competition
Douglas Rich, an eighth grader in Cowden-Herrick Junior High, not only earned a spot on the Illinois Wrangler Jr. High Rodeo Team which is competing at the Nationals in New Mexico, but Doug is also this year's Boy's All-Around Champion!

Doug and his parents Lonnie and Cindy Rich of Herrick are in Gallup, New Mexico, this week. Doug has been in competition since Monday and events continue daily through Saturday evening's Short Go.

Doug placed 9th among 800 competitors in the Short Go last year.

To be named Illinois State Champ, Doug and partner Cole Gibson of Petersburg won the Team Roping, he and partner Katelyn Eike of Glenarms won Ribbon Roping. Doug also won the Goat Tying event, took 2nd in Boys Breakaway Roping and 2nd in Chute Dogging.

More than 1000 contestants are in New Mexico for the Nationals. They compete to finish among the top 20 for more than $75,000 in prizes and $50,000 in college scholarships.

Bloodmobile date
Ramsey hosts the Red Cross Bloodmobile four times a year. The next visit is July 21 in First Baptist Church, 2 to 7 p.m. Walk-ins welcome or schedule appointment at 1-800-448-3543.

Clean up day in Herrick
Herrick mayor Steve Seaton (above right) and Rick Green toss stuff into the large roll-off dumpster during Saturday's community Clean Up Day. Herrick overflows with visitors for the July Celebration which is today, Friday and Saturday and they are sure to notice the results of this community-wide effort. Photos courtesy of Sydney Seaton.

'Victory in the Park'
Photos & information
by Paul Moore
Lions Park in Ramsey was alive Saturday evening with the sounds of enjoyment. Grace Fellowship Church of Fillmore hosted Victory in the Park. The public was invited to share in free food and drink, games, a petting zoo, strong man demonstration, contemporary music and speakers.

Pastor Myron Kirk explained that God's word and joy can be shared by open travel as well as in church. A similar party was previously hosted by Grace Fellowship in Herrick's Carroll Memorial Park.

A well mannered miniature pony was enjoyed by all the youth. Lance and Mary Mallory of Fillmore brought the pony. Youth minister Jonathan Simburger gathered a group for a football toss while others got involved in a balloon toss. Prizes were offered.

Personal testimonies were provided by several individuals including one lady who explained how she got free from meth-amphetamine

GAMES IN THE PARK. Jonathan Simburger, youth minister of Fillmore's Grace Fellowship Church, is left with a smile after playing with youth in Lions Park during Victory In The Park, Saturday.

Independence Day parties
This area is blessed with Independence Day festivities this weekend. You will find one day or multi-day celerations in any direction. But some quality parties can be found very close; like Herrick, Oconee, Vandalia and Pana.

It is a three-day bash in Herrick's Carroll Memorial Park, starting tonight at 6:45 with the traditional flag ceremony, crowning of royalty and church service and gospel music. In the park are concessions, craft, flea and food vendors..

Music is a staple in Herrick and this weekend will have lots of it. Friday's band is "Almost Country." "Misdemeanor Band" takes the stage Saturday at 11:00, followed at 4:00 by "Renegades."

Of course, Saturday is the full day of fun. Boy Scouts offer breakfast from 6-9 a.m. then the popular Herrick Fourth Parade comes down Broadway at 10:00. Fireworks at Tom Davis Park at dusk.

Oconee avoids the Saturday hubbub by celebrating on Sunday. The 14th annual Independence Day celebration starts with a parade at 4:30 p.m. Sons of the American Legion host a barbecue dinner until 7:30 during which a Garden Tractor Pull and Waterball are going on nearby in Lions Park, then fireworks.

There will be a carnival Thursday through Saturday in Pana's Kitchell Park. Entertainment will be easy to find in the Chautauqua building, along with food and drink. Fireworks Saturday evening.

Progress on new studio
Radio station manager Dick Wheeler, John Saunders and Larry Williams stand in the middle of what will be the new radio station studio; a 35 x 70 ft. building to replace the mobile home used since Christian radio WJLY/ WTRH started broadcasting in Ramsey in 1989. Larry is foreman of the construction project, John and his crew are doing all the concrete work. Securely stuck in the ground, Wheeler said Ron Nash was able to drag the old trailer out of the way (where it remains in service) through mud, roots and all.

A Volunteer Texas Baptist Men group will arrive July 5 to construct the building in three weeks. Citizens are welcome, says Wheeler, to each evening's campfire and to watch the progress.

June was hostile
April and May rainfall was more than three inches over normal so a lot of plans and prayers were riding on a friendly June climate.

If your well was going dry, June was your month. For most everyone else, it was 30 days of repeated disappointments due to persistent rainfall that helped fill wells, rain barrels and cisterns (do you still use those?).

Fayette County was under the single thunderstorm in central Illinois last Wednesday. Another 1.02 inches of rain. Along with Saturday night's shower, June rainfall came to 7.69 inches. Not a record but it brought yearly rainfall to 25.9 inches which is some 5.8 inches ahead of normal. The wettest June on record was in 1970 with 9.16 inches.

A wet final week of June was not the last straw for planting corn. That came weeks earlier. Soybeans are being planted a little late and are also going into fields that were supposed to be corn.

Farmers throughout southern Illinois were cutting wheat last week while driving in water. Wheat quality is generally poor in a wet spring. But there is the potential for a great harvest of straw!

Japanese beetles hatched in last week's heat wave. Ten out of the last 14 days in June heated to the mid 90's. The month overall averaged 83.7 which was close to normal, along with normal nights that averaged 63.7 degrees.

June 23 was the longest day of the year. By July 1 our days are already five minutes shorter. But today's 15 hours and 13 minutes is still a much longer day - by four hours-than the winter solstice!