St. Francis Solanus School to perform spring play May 3-4

QUINCY — St. Francis Solanus School will present its spring play, “Oz,” at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, May 3-4, at the school, 1720 College Ave. Admission is by free will donation. The play is being directed by Jane Ann Petty. Those attending the play should enter the school through the College Avenue doors. 

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Quincy University choirs to present Christmas concert Sunday at St. Francis Church

QUINCY — Quincy University’s music department choirs will present their December concert, “A Service of Lessons and Carols,” at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, at St. Francis Church, 1721 College Ave. Choirs will perform under the direction of Kristin Ramseyer, director of choirs, and choral conducting students Evan Conover, Phil Haverstock, Jesse Mose, Hallie Mundle…

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Radel selected to be principal at St. Francis Solanus

QUINCY — Julie Radel has been selected to be the principal at St. Francis Solanus School for the 2022-23 school year. Lori Shepard, who retired as principal after 43 years in Catholic education, will be Radel’s mentor for the first semester of the school year. Radel was hired at St. Francis Solanus in 2017 to…

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St. Francis Parish Picnic set for June 11

QUINCY — St. Francis Solanus Parish will hold its annual parish picnic from 5 p.m.-midnight Saturday, June 11. The picnic will offer a variety of food and beverages, live music, cash raffle, silent auction, basket raffle, dunk tank, kids’ games, train ride, bounce houses and more. The Heidelberg Band will play from 5:30 to 7:30…

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Historical Society’s trivia night set for March 19 at St. Francis

QUINCY — The Historical Society of Quincy & Adams County is having its first trivia night at 7 p.m. March 19 at the St. Francis Parish Center, 1721 College. Categories will be general trivia, music, movies, television and special categories on Quincy and local history. Tables are $100, and teams may have up to eight players. Participants should bring…

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Muddy River News to look back on St. Francis School fire of 1899

Beginning Dec. 1, Muddy River News will present a series of stories about the St. Francis School fire in December 1899 when 12 girls burned to death in one of saddest chapters of the Quincy community’s history.   This series is written by Carolyn Freas Rapp and dedicated to her mother-in-law, Lucille Middendorf Rapp, whose…

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QU music department to present Christmas concert Dec. 5 at St. Francis Solanus Church

QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University music department will present “Gloria! A Christmas Concert” at 3 p.m. Dec. 5 at St. Francis Solanus Parish, 1721 College Avenue. The concert is free and open to the public. Under the baton of Kristin Ramseyer, director of choirs, and accompanied by Laura Kammerer on the piano and organ, the Quincy University choirs will sing “Gloria, RV…

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Francis Eugene “Gene” Peak

Funeral services for Francis Eugene “Gene” Peak, 85, of Laddonia, will be at 11:00 AM, Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at the Laddonia Christian Church, with Pastor Bill Maupin officiating. Burial with military honors will follow in the Laddonia Cemetery.   Visitation will be from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M., Monday, March 18, 2024, at Bienhoff…

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Quincy Catholic Elementary Schools Foundation to honor Franciscan friars at Friend of Catholic Education Award dinner

QUINCY — The Franciscan friars will be the recipients of the 2022 Quincy Catholic Elementary Schools Foundation’s Friends of Catholic Education Award for their impact on Catholic education dating back to the 1860s. Established in 2009, the award recognizes an individual, couple or organization whose contributions have significantly fostered and strengthened Catholic education in the…

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Quincy University celebrating Franciscan Heritage Week

QUINCY – Quincy University is celebrating Franciscan Heritage Week through Friday. The public is encouraged to join faculty, staff and students at the events hosted by QU Campus Ministry. Masks are required at all events. The week-long celebration began Sunday night with the Transitus Service in the QU Chapel. Transitus, Latin for passage, interactively depicts and commemorates the…

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Everybody Wins Mega Raffle to award $169,250 in cash and prizes; ticket sales begin Thursday

QUINCY — The Quincy Catholic Elementary Schools (QCES) Foundation and the Quincy Notre Dame (QND) Foundation are kicking off the 13th annual Everybody Wins Mega Raffle on Thursday, April 4. Since its inception, the Mega Raffle has raised more than $2.3 million to support tuition assistance, technology updates and more to Quincy’s five Catholic schools. …

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BSA Troop 22 recognizes five new Eagle Scouts

QUINCY — Boy Scouts of America Troop 22 chartered by Holy Name Society of St. Francis Solanus Parish in Quincy recently had five Scouts — Trevor Nelson, Cole Willer, Jack Costigan, Joel Nelson and Joseph Radel — earn the rank of Eagle. Fewer than four percent of Scouts earn this rank in the United States.…

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Richard “Dick” Gengenbacher

Richard “Dick” Gengenbacher, 80, of Quincy, passed away at 12:26 pm Friday, February 23, 2024, at Blessing Hospital in Quincy, IL. Friends and family are invited to Dick’s Life Celebration at a visitation that will be Thursday, February 29, 2024, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm at O’Donnell-Cookson Life Celebration Home in Quincy, IL. A…

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Sixty local nonprofits receive grants totaling more than $400,000 from Community Foundation

QUINCY — More than $400,000 recently was granted to 60 local nonprofit organizations that benefit from an endowment fund at the Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri. These year-end grants bring the Community Foundation’s grantmaking total to more than $4 million in 2023. The grants were awarded from designated funds, which support…

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Winter commencement ceremony for Quincy University to be held Saturday

QUINCY — Quincy University will host its winter commencement ceremony at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9, in St. Francis Solanus Chapel in Francis Hall, 1800 College Ave. The winter graduating class is comprised of 46 undergraduates and five graduate degree recipients. University marshal Robert Mejer, distinguished professor of art, and assistant marshals David Kirchhofer…

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Gill ‘coming back home’ to take newly created position as chief administrative officer of Quincy Catholic Schools

QUINCY — Christopher Gill has been hired to be the chief administrative officer of Quincy Catholic Schools. Gill has been the vice president of student affairs and dean of students for Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio. He previously was the dean of student life at Culver-Stockton College. The search committee was composed of…

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Fr. Michael Grawe, OFM, Obituary

Fr. Michael Grawe, OFM, a Franciscan friar of the Sacred Heart Province, died in the early hours of Monday morning, June 12, 2023, at the age of 78, at Shady Lane Nursing Home in Manitowoc, WI. Born on December 6, 1944, in Quincy, IL, to Alvin and Florence (Hilgenbrink) Grawe, he was baptized and confirmed…

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ENCORE! awards 10 summer music camp scholarships to local high school students

QUINCY — ENCORE!, the volunteer council of the Quincy Symphony Orchestra Association, recently announced this year’s recipients of music camp scholarships. The 10 scholarship recipients attending music camps this summer are: This is the 67th year these music camp scholarships have been awarded to students throughout the local area. These scholarships are funded by the…

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‘Crisis pregnancy centers’ in Illinois could face legal action under measure poised for Pritzker’s signature

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois would become one of the first states to make so-called crisis pregnancy centers subject to the same consumer fraud standards as car dealerships, retailers and service-based businesses under a bill that will soon head to Gov. JB Pritzker. Upon the measure becoming law, crisis pregnancy centers could be sued under the Illinois…

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Accounting professor to deliver commencement address to QU graduates on Saturday

QUINCY — Quincy University will have its 160th commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 13, in Quincy University’s football stadium, 20th and Sycamore. The spring graduating class is comprised of 146 undergraduates with an additional 32 graduate degree recipients. The procession will be led by university marshal, Robert Mejer, distinguished professor of art,…

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Real estate transfers in Pike County from April 1-14, 2023

Muddy River News transaction information is obtained from Illinois Real Estate Transfer Declaration forms accompanying recorded documents. Dates provided may differ from actual transaction or recording dates. Further details may be obtained from the PTAX form or recorded documents.  Werner E. Von Burg III and Tammy Von Burg of Liberty sold a residence at 1169…

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50 Years: Mike and Lyn Schlipmann

Mike and Lyn were married March 24, 1973 by Father Don Knuffman at St. Peter Catholic Church in Quincy. They have three wonderful sons and daughter in laws — Dan (Rachel) from Normal, Bob (Rachael) from Fenton, Mo., and Tom (Stacey) from Forest Park. They also have five awesome grandchildren — Rolen and Dane Schlipmann…

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Aldermen vote to spend $28,700 for design work on alleys as part of Sixth Street project

QUINCY — The Quincy City Council approved spending $28,700 in TIF dollars with Crawford, Murphy and Tilly of Springfield for additional design services of the streetscape and engineering design of North Sixth Street between Maine and Vermont. Aldermen had approved a contract on Sept. 8, 2020, with Crawford, Murphy and Tilly for $151,735.00 for streetscape…

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QND announces 2023 Fund Drive goal of $470,000

QUINCY — Quincy Notre Dame announced a goal of $470,000 for the annual QND Fund Drive, which kicked off Jan. 20 and runs through the calendar year. Since its inception in 1977, the fund drive has raised more than $17.5 million and plays a vital role in QND remaining a pillar of Catholic secondary education…

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Father Roy Bauer to receive Friend of Catholic Education Award Feb. 4 at QCES dinner

QUINCY — Father Roy Bauer will be posthumously honored as the recipient of this year’s Quincy Catholic Elementary Schools Foundation’s Friends of Catholic Education Award. Established in 2009, the award recognizes an individual, couple or organization whose contributions have significantly fostered and strengthened Catholic education in the Quincy community. Father Bauer will be honored and…

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Community Foundation gives out $376,000

QUINCY — More than $376,000 was distributed on Wednesday to 58 local nonprofit organizations that benefit from an endowment fund at the Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri. The nonprofits were celebrated and recognized during an open house hosted at the Community Foundation. These year-end grants bring the Community Foundation’s 2022 grant-making…

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Missouri’s new voter ID law faces lawsuit claiming it’s unconstitutional

Voting-rights advocates filed a lawsuit Tuesday arguing that a new law requiring Missourians to present a government-issued photo ID to vote is unconstitutional. While lawmakers have approved voter ID laws numerous times, and voters signed off on putting it in the state constitution in 2016, the proposal has never withstood a legal challenge.  The voter ID law is…

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50 Years: Dennis & Connie Hoyt

Dennis and Connie Hoyt of Quincy, IL are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on June 17, 2022. They are long-time members of St. Francis Church. Connie is retired from the Great River Economic Development Foundation and Dennis is retired from Farmers National Company. They have three amazing kids: Brad (Nikki) Hoyt, Mark Hoyt, and Shannon…

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‘We wanted somebody who really had touched all of Quincy’: Scholz to receive Exchange Club’s Golden Deeds award Friday

QUINCY — It’s probably easier to list all of the community activities Chuck Scholz hasn’t participated in and all of the awards he hasn’t been given. Scholz, 68, is best known for his three-term stint as the mayor of Quincy from 1993-2005, but he’s been a board member, trustee, chairman or volunteer for dozens of…

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Driscoll receives Bishop’s Scholarship from Quincy University

QUINCY — Jack Driscoll is the recipient of the 2022 Bishop’s Scholarship to attend Quincy University. Driscoll will graduate this spring with honors from Mount Zion High School and will begin at QU this coming fall. In a press release, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield said, “I am thrilled for both…

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Quincy Catholic Elementary Schools discuss next steps following listening sessions

The Quincy Catholic Elementary School Leadership Team appreciated the opportunity to share our proposal of a shared vision for the future of our Catholic Schools, and the feedback we received will be extremely beneficial as we continue through this journey. Two of the themes we heard during these sessions were the request for stronger communication and greater transparency into the process and to share the data gathered that led us to this proposal. We are committed to meet both of these requests, and we hope this information along with the video and additional information linked below serves as a first step.

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Mega Raffle offering $100,000 grand prize; proceeds to benefit Catholic elementary schools, QND

QUINCY — The Quincy Catholic Elementary Schools Foundation and Quincy Notre Dame Foundation will kick off the 11th annual “Everybody Wins” Mega Raffle on April 6. Since its inception, the Mega Raffle has raised more than $2 million to support tuition assistance, technology updates and more to Quincy’s five Catholic schools.   “As we embark on…

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Enrollment open for Quincy’s four catholic elementary schools; tuition assistance available, new scholarship announced

QUINCY — Enrollment for the 2022-23 school year is open for Quincy Catholic Elementary Schools. Blessed Sacrament, St. Dominic, St. Francis Solanus and St. Peter offer 3-year-old preschool through eighth grade. The QCES Foundation has opened applications for tuition assistance for the 2022-23 school year through the FACTS Grant & Aid Management System. Families may…

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Coffey receives five-year appointment to endowed chair in history at QU

QUINCY, Ill. – Justin Coffey, professor of history, recently received a five-year appointment to the Father Aaron Pembleton Endowed Chair in History at Quincy University. The appointment begins in the spring semester of 2022. A donor will sometimes establish an “endowed chair” to allow a university to honor and retain highly accomplished professors. The Father Aaron Pembleton Endowed Chair…

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Four to compete for Miss Quincy title on Saturday at Quincy Community Theatre

QUINCY — Miss Quincy Scholarship Program officials announced Saturday the 73rd annual Miss Quincy and Miss Quincy’s Outstanding Teen Competition, presented by Gully Transportation, will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday at Quincy Community Theatre.  Lindsey Hess, executive director of the program, is pleased the competition is moving forward after the pageant was canceled in…

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Non-profits receive $250,000 in grants from Community Foundation

More than $253,000 was distributed today to 56 local nonprofit organizations that benefit from an endowment fund at the Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri. The nonprofits were celebrated and recognized during an open house hosted at the Community Foundation. These year-end grants bring the Community Foundation’s 2021 total to more than $1.6 million

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‘Helpless and shocked’: Collision of airplanes on runway 25 years ago deadliest incident in Quincy history

QUINCY — Chuck Scholz fondly remembers most of his time as Quincy’s mayor from 1993 to 2005. He doesn’t hesitate, however, when asked which day was his worst. Tuesday, Nov. 19, 1996. 5:02 p.m. Twenty-five years ago today. United Express Flight 5925, a Beechcraft 1900 twin turboprop plane, collided as it tried to land with…

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Increased maximum number of video gaming terminals among proposed changes to city’s municipal code

QUINCY — The Quincy City Council looked for the first time during Monday night’s meeting at an ordinance that Quincy Mayor Mike Troup says brings the city’s municipal code for video gaming licenses more in line with the Illinois Liquor Control Statute. “We’re not looking at creating additional revenues, but just maintaining and cleaning (the…

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Paraeducators perform critical functions for little pay

QUINCY — Anne Meyer remembers why she became a paraeducator. She had been teaching physical education classes at St. Francis School, but when her daughter, Grace, started kindergarten at Washington School, Meyer changed her teaching role. Fourteen years later, with Grace now out of high school, Meyer knows why she continues as a paraeducator in…

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DAILY DIRT: The Swift-Kelce romance could generate $1 billion for Chiefs and NFL through added viewership and merchandise purchases 

But will the new first lady of the NFL be able to be at the Super Bowl? … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 856 of The Daily Dirt. 1. Never underestimate the power of a woman, especially one as successful — and popular — as Taylor Swift. (Yes, the Daily Dirt…

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Riley Gaines brings her ‘Speak Louder’ campus tour to Hannibal LaGrange University

HANNIBAL, Mo. — Riley Gaines spoke to a local crowd at Hannibal LaGrange University on Wednesday night after spending the afternoon getting to know some HLGU students. Gaines, the director of The Riley Gaines Center at the Leadership Institute, has become a leading national voice in preserving women’s sports for biological females. She has been…

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DAILY DIRT: If you discovered the love of music in the ’70s, you can probably thank some of these groups and singers

My personal favorites that decade were Nos. 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10 … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 852 of The Daily Dirt. 1. Were you a child of the 1970s? If so, I’m pretty sure you had excellent taste in music. According to Far Out magazine, the following were…

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Daily Dirt: These guys all have ‘the vocal range and a captivating stage presence’

Daily Dirt for Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024 I never knew Elvis had that kind of influence on The Boss … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 844 of The Daily Dirt. 1. It’s a man’s world, right? Well, at least when it comes to rock music, according to writer Laura McMillan. MacMillan, who…

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