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 Cemetery Tours coming in October and proceeds will benefit Champaign County Preservation Alliance !
Oak Dale Cemetery was established in 1856 with 25 acres. Today the cemetery covers 60 acres. The tour will weave through one of the oldest parts of the cemetery where historical burials, monuments, and statues abound. You will be enlightened about some of Urbana’s past residents and their lives as the area’s history is revealed through stories involving mystery, victory, reveille, misery, glory, injury, chivalry, artillery, revelry, and maybe even purgatory. Come join us for an exciting evening! The tour will be led by local historian John Bry. John holds a Bachelor of Science in historic preservation from Southeast Missouri State University and a Master of Science in historic preservation from Ball State University. He is an expert in historic cemeteries. TIMES FOR THE OCTOBER 23 & 24 TOURS There will be four tours each evening starting at 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, and 8:00 Plan to arrive 20 minutes prior to your tour time to allow for parking and check-in Duration of tour is approximately 45 minutes Wear comfortable walking shoes & Bring your flashlight and your curiosity Each time slot will accommodate 45 attendees MASKS REQUIRED in areas where social distancing isn’t possible NO PETS PERMITTED TICKETS - PRE-SALE ONLY NO TICKETS SOLD AT THE DOOR Tickets are $10 per person --$5 for children 6-12 -- Free for children under 6 Tickets are available online Tickets are also available at the Urbana Chamber of Commerce Open: Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 4:00pm Location: 127 W Court Street, Urbana Ticket purchases are non-refundable The tour is not handicapped accessible
Official voting for the Best of Champaign County will be October 1st-31st. Voters are asked to donate $1 per vote to the Chamber of Commerce, so that it can continue to carry out its mission to connect Champaign County by promoting members and inspiring collaboration by offering resources and opportunities to enhance our community. Nominations and ballots will be accepted online, by mail, email or in person at the Chamber of Commerce located at 127 W. Court St. in Urbana.
Chamber Director, Sara Neer, explains, “With so many events being cancelled and postponed this year due to Covid the Chamber and Board of Directors thought long and hard about a fundraiser that we could carry out virtually to replace our in person events that we rely on for revenue to keep the Chamber in business. The Best of Champaign County contest does a few things: promotes local businesses, educates and involves the community, and assists the Chamber in raising funds by implementing a ‘donate to vote’ feature.” In a normal year the Chamber hosts monthly lunch & learns, business after hours networking events, first friday coffee hours, Safety Council meetings, Leadership Champaign County, along with other larger events. “We want to do all we can to continue providing valuable resources to our members and the community throughout this trying time and we hope that Champaign County will support our newest fundraiser”, says Chamber Board President, Tom Coles, “Small businesses add to the uniqueness of our county and we want to involve the community in recognizing and celebrating all that makes Champaign County a great place to live, work and play.”
 By Chelsea Bray- Elle A. Design
1. Explore a Cave If you have never been in a cave before what better time of the year to do it? Thankfully we have one of Ohio’s best caverns right in our backyard. You can visit Ohio Caverns any time of the year to experience the year-round temperature of 54 degrees. Directly above the caverns is a 35-acre park where you can have a picnic lunch before or after your adventure! 2. Local Wine Tasting If you are looking for a way to spend an afternoon outside in the crisp fall air, plan an afternoon wine tasting at Folck Family Farm. They make wine from the berries they grow on their farm including strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry. You can sometimes even catch some live acoustic music while you are there. 3. Enjoy Comfort Food for Dinner Lincoln and Main is a restaurant and bar located in Urbana, Ohio. It all started with a food truck, Dine and Dash, and has formed into an amazing restaurant where you can find great beer and food. Their menu is built of comfort food and slow smoked meats and they are constantly creating new dishes to add to it. 4. Pick Fresh Apples for Baking A classic fall date idea is to go apple picking! Head over to Nana’s Orchard to pick apples of 15 different varieties. Their apples are ready at different times throughout the season, but there will always be something great to choose from. Once you have your apples you can head home to make pie, cobbler, candy apples, and so much more! 5. Go on a Scenic Hike Tall, majestic oak trees and beautiful tulip trees make Davey Woods an excellent place to go for a scenic fall hike. The hilly terrain, unique for this part of Ohio, provides hikers with an unforgettable experience. Along your hike you might also run across the Pence family cemetery. 6. Enjoy a Classic Movie Night Gloria Theatre by GrandWorks has been hard at work on renovations to their building but this is not slowing the down! You can take in a movie here any day of the week but be sure to check their schedule online to see what they are playing. They often have throwback nights to nostalgic films of the past but play current films as well. 7. Carve Pumpkins Together Nothing says fall like carving pumpkins! Get the best pumpkin for the job at Seth’s Produce & Garden Center. Starting about mid-September you will find pumpkins and gourds of all shapes and sizes there. Get a little competitive and post your results on Facebook to have your friends and family vote on who’s is better! 8. Grab a Pumpkin Spice Latte This is a fall essential. It is the season for all things pumpkin spice, but the one that started it all is the Pumpkin Spice Latte. We recommend you ditch the chain shops though and grab one from the Spotted Cow Coffehouse. You can shake things up and try their Pumpkin Chai Tea Latte or the ShiverMoo with pumpkin! 9. Visit a Haunted Attraction If you like the kind of fall activity that leaves you feeling scared, try heading to a local haunted attraction like Crybaby Bridge. Legend has it that in the 1800’s a woman threw her baby off the bridge and you can still hear it cry to this day. The bridge was one located on Black Road but no longer stands. Allegedly all of the supernatural activity in the area has ended, but why not go see for yourselves? 10. Go for a Drive to see the Leaves Champaign County is lucky to have so many amazing spots to find fall foliage. There are an abundant number of backroads to travel but for the easy-going a drive straight down US Highway 68 will leave you with an amazing view of fall. If you have more time, consider traveling US Highway 36 which runs East and West through all of Champaign County.
Join FocalPoint Business Coach Scott Brown for a workshop focused on teaching you 5 key things to help you: 1.) Understand why we don't get better information 2.) Identify what can we do as leaders to get better information 3.) Develop your personal plan to transition from firefighting to fire prevention.
This event is FREE. October 6, 2020 from 12PM - 1PM. Click here to register today!
The project also includes the expansion of specialized telecare, telestroke and telecardiology services in hospital. “This technology enables specialists with Mercy Health Physicians to use virtual monitors at Urbana Hospital to remotely connect with patients and provide consultations. The patients can stay at Urbana Hospital instead of traveling to Springfield Regional Medical Center for specialist care,” said Jamie Houseman, president, Urbana Hospital. Additionally, the hospital has added a second state-of-the-art ultrasound machine allowing it to expand hours for outpatient services and schedule more tests to accommodate patients. This latest project is part of an overall $1.3M investment in the campus that has included: -Adding on site mammography services -Renovating the inpatient space, emergency department, operating rooms and central sterile services department -Building the hospital’s new, covered front entrance -Internal renovations on the first floor, including a new registration area separate from the emergency department, gift shop and a more accessible coumadin clinic -Renovated cardiac rehab space and helipad It follows 2017’s $3 million renovation and service expansion project that included: -Building a 10-bed senior behavioral health unit -Recruitment of an orthopedic surgeon and two general surgeons, which has led to a significant increase in surgery volumes -Doubling of the MRI service capability from two to four days weekly -Internal renovations to modernize the facility Hiring more employees
Champaign County’s largest employer, KTH is one of the largest Tier 1 automotive suppliers in the U.S., employing more than 1,100 associates in a 1.068-million-square-foot complex west of St. Paris. KTH makes underbody structural frame components for cars, with Honda its top customer.
KTH also has been busy on Sundays, hosting open interviews to fill 40 to 50 open production positions. Millice recently shared with the Champaign Economic Partnership (CEP): “The availability of candidates to fill these positions is very limited. We have been advertising these positions by radio, social media and news publications.” KTH is a Champion Level investor in the CEP, which is Champaign County’s economic development agency. “Good news like this is very encouraging, especially during the pandemic,” says CEP Director Marcia Bailey. “In Champaign County we’re very fortunate to have a diverse mix of businesses and employers like KTH that are growing, looking to the future and providing new jobs for area residents.” While keeping up with demand, KTH also has been closely following CDC guidelines to protect its workforce, Millice said. This includes: · Facial coverings, sanitizing and social distancing · Moving some workstations or placing barriers between workstations to ensure proper distancing · Requiring face shields and masks for associates who work in processes where social distancing cannot be accommodated · Hiring personnel whose full-time job is to wipe down high-traffic areas several times a day · Emphasizing that associates stay home when they are not feeling well · Restricting all non-essential visitors from entering the plant “At KTH we pride ourselves on our dedicated workforce, which is one of the best in the industry, as we work through labor demand constraints and follow COVID safe practices,” Millice says.
Each bomber had a crew of 12. Of the 30 crews, only 15 returned from combat. Lt. jg Walter was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and three air medals now on display in the Champaign County Historical Museum, which submitted these photos and information. The not-for-profit museum depends upon donations and dues to preserve, protect, archive and display the artifacts that tell the Champaign County story. The free public museum, 809 East Lawn Ave., Urbana, is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.
Given that this year is the 75th anniversary of the end of WW II, this is a look back at Champaign County involvement. Joseph W. Walter, long-time Urbana funeral director, enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1943 and became a navigator, pilot with multiple ratings, and an officer (Lt. jg). A photo of Walter is shown here. His unit, VPB-119, included the first heavy bombers to return to the Philippines once most of the Japanese had been driven out. The accompanying photo, taken by Walter, shows their PB4Y-2’s in formation March 1, 1945, on approach to Clark Field. Each bomber had a crew of 12. Of the 30 crews, only 15 returned from combat. Lt. jg Walter was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and three air medals now on display in the Champaign County Historical Museum, which submitted these photos and information. The not-for-profit museum depends upon donations and dues to preserve, protect, archive and display the artifacts that tell the Champaign County story. The free public museum, 809 East Lawn Ave., Urbana, is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.
 A Night of Workship will be taking place in Monument Square on Friday, September 4th at 7pm.
Click here to learn more abut this event. |
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