Celebrating Southern Illinois-area engagements, weddings, anniversaries and birthdays
We’re excited to celebrate your achievements.
Evertt Atkinson will be 100 years old on June 5, 2022. His birthday was celebrated during Memorial Day weekend in Mount Vernon, with friends and family. An open house was hosted at the Jefferson County Historical Village on May 28 with more than 200 guests in attendance. The Jefferson County Historical Society presented Mr. Atkinson with a bench, featuring a new plaque honoring his many years of service to the JCHS.
Evertt Atkinson was born in Webber Township on June 5, 1922. He went to Barrens, one room grade school. After grade school he went to Mount Vernon Township High School which was over seven miles from his home. His father was a dairy farmer and delivered milk, so he gave Evertt a ride to school, but he had to walk home. While he was a freshman in high school his mother passed away. Evertt had to quit school to help take care of his three younger brothers. Mr. Atkinson later entered the U.S. Air Corps. and became a Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on Aug. 30, 1943. He became a Flight Instructor in the Army Air Force. He married his wife, Doris McCauley, in December 1943. He served in World War II and was honorably discharged Feb. 15, 1946. As a First Lieutenant, Atkinson returned to Mount Vernon where he and his wife, Doris, raised their family of three children: Ruth Ann Clarke-Wheeler, Rebecca Louise Hill, and Dennis Dale Atkinson. His family now includes eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Evertt worked with his father-in-law on his dairy farm until he purchased his own farm in 1948. He still resides on this property today. The property is listed as a “State of Illinois Centennial Farm.” While working as a dairy farmer he lost his pole barn to a fire. He purchased a new barn from the Sturdi-Built Company and through this acquisition he came to work for the Sturdi-Built Company. Later this would lead to a full-time career. He worked with Sturdi-Built from 1961 to 1989. After retiring, Evertt enjoyed trips to Arizona with his wife Doris, who sadly passed away in 2009. Woodworking, gourd art, and gardening are other activities he has enjoyed over the years. The Jefferson County Historical Society is very thankful for the years of faithful service Evertt Atkinson has given to the JCHS. He is wished the happiest of birthdays with many more to come.
CARBONDALE — Bring out the masks, the gowns, black ties and make sure you dress to impress at the Southern Illinois University Africana Theatre Lab's Masquerade Ball next Friday.
It will be held at 7 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom B, and early arrival is encouraged. Tickets are $3 with a mask and $5 without a mask. If you don’t have a mask, one will be provided at the registration table.
There will be food catered and drinks provided.
ATL is also hosting The Masked Performer show, where five secret performers will go up and the crowd will vote on a winner. There will be a variety of acts from singing to rapping and spoken word.
The winner at the end will receive a $25 gift card and a surprise bag of gifts immediately after. All performers will reveal themselves at the end of the show.
ATL will have a final performance at the ball, and close the event with final remarks promoting the upcoming play in the School of Theater and Dance “Romeo and Juliet.”
The ball is supposed to be inspired from a scene of Romeo and Juliet, when Romeo invaded Capulet’s masquerade party, in honor of play.
Theater 101 students that come and those who help serve the food will receive extra credit, according to Cameron Noel, president of ATL.
Africana Theatre Lab was just revived in the past year by Noel. There had previously been a lack of commitment to the organization and he hopes this event will encourage people to get involved.
"We hope to show students that ATL is back with a passion, and that we're an inclusive, performance arts-based organization dedicated to bringing diverse talent and perspectives to our campus,” Noel said.
He also said prices will stay the same if you buy them now or purchase at the door. The event is for the SIU administration.
For more information and to find out where to purchase tickets, email Cameron Noel, the president, at cameron.noel@siu.edu.
CARBONDALE — At 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 23, P. Rico, a Chicago rapper, held a pop-up show at the Vegas Vape Shop to reel in an audience in for its grand opening.
Many are familiar with Omar’s Food Mart, a general store in Carbondale on 1123 East Walnut Street. Raed Albanna, who started working there in 2017 and would eventually go on to co-own the store for four years, recently sold his half of Omar’s to open the Vegas Vape Shop on the strip in Carbondale.
“I believed this location would generate more business,” Albanna said. “I love Omar's, but I wanted to move over here.”
Albanna and his team worked on the construction of the vape shop for almost three weeks before opening, he said his son inspired the name for the store.
“My son went to school in Nevada and he loved it. Ever since then we have been going to Vegas and I enjoy it too,” Albanna said. “I like Carbondale too, it’s good business.”
Albanna has been a resident of Southern Illinois for about 5 years now, he has one other store in Marion that opened this past January, and one more on the way opening by Schnucks and Region Bank.
“Marion Tobacco and Vape is my store, and my son runs it full-time,” he said. “No one has bothered me here, all my family is here and I know a good amount of people in the area.”
Albanna has been telling community members to be on the look out for his next store within the next couple of months, which is currently under construction.
Eddie Gardner Jr., store manager at the Vegas Vape Shop, has been side by side with Albanna since 2017 at Omar's Food Mart. Gardner was the cook and now works full-time at the vape shop.
Gardner said Albanna offered him to run the store and he has been promoting it through word of mouth.
“It’s just the beginning, so it’s [business] been moderate. It’s not a lot of traffic because people don’t know about us yet,” Gardner said. “The students are doing good, like we talked to them and they talk to their friends. Now they come in periodically you know. It’s a slow process but it’s working.”
Gardner encourages people to check the store out, as they have plenty of merchandise unrelated to vaping.
“The store is fully stocked. The business that comes is buying bigger things, bigger items,” Gardner said.
The Vegas Vape Shop's goal is to build a repertoire within Southern Illinois.
“Right now, I just want to expand this business, so it stands on its own,” Gardner said. “We want to get a name locally that we have the lowest prices in Carbondale of the shops that sell vapes,” Gardner said.
Gardner said they sell their vapes and other smoking materials for about 50% off the normal prices regular shops sell them for.
Vegas Vape Shop is at 516 S. Illinois Avenue between Bombay Olive and Old Town Liquors. It’s open seven days a week: Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to midnight, Friday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. and on Sunday's from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Mr. and Mrs. David Miller of Harrisburg will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with family at a later date.
David "Dave" Miller and Elizabeth "Beth" Waterman were married Oct. 31, 1972, in First United Methodist Church in Marion, with the Rev. Max Martin officiating.
Mr. Miller was attending SIU Edwardsville at the time of their marriage and in recent years retired from Ameren. He is currently pastoring Harco Baptist Church.
Mrs. Miller was a homemaker and worked various positions. She hosted the Baptist Hour on WEBQ.
The couple has three children, Matt Miller of Knoxville, Tennessee; Rachel (Miller) Downs of Eau Claire, Wisconsin; and Will Miller of Kalamazoo, Michigan. They also have seven grandchildren.
