Community Service

The North Danvers Mennonite Church is celebrating its 175th birthday, making it only 20 years younger than the county it stands in. The church still operates as usual, hosting Sunday services, celebrating holidays and sending members out for disaster relief.

The project has transformed more than two acres of turf grass into a diverse habitat of native wildflowers and grasses, providing long‑term ecological and educational benefits for the congregation and the community.

A big chunk of the community volunteers on appointed boards and commissions in Bloomington will have their terms expire at the end of the month. A few more terms will lapse at the end of June, according to the city website. And there were already a lot of vacancies among the 138 seats the mayor fills by appointment.

This year's goal of $1 million is 51% more than last year's, which ended up being surpassed by more than $20,000. Salvation Army Major Dan Leisher said the organization has experienced some losses in funding, while also seeing an increase in need.

Spreading Peace and Acts of Random Kindness in Blo-No, or SPARK, teaches children the importance of empathy and helping their local communities.

Bill Sulaski, a longtime community leader and booster of Illinois State University, has died at age 85. He was the first chair on ISU's Board of Trustees.

The Immanuel Bible Foundation has given its Van Leer Legacy Award to Normal City Manager Pam Reece.

The mayor of Bloomington acknowledged in a WGLT interview that the city's Human Relations Commission needs new people on it. The terms of all but two of the current seven members have expired.

Roger Schmidgall, the Citizen of the Year in the Town of Normal, has a long record of involvement in service organizations in town and internationally.

Five central Illinois cities declared July 17 as Kristian "KP" Philpotts Day, honoring an aspiring veterinarian and community servant who made an impact at Illinois State University, Eastern Illinois University and the University of Illinois. Philpotts was shot and killed in 2022 when three teenagers attempted to rob him while he was driving for Lyft.