The annual Bowling for Kids Sake event has been set for March 22nd. The event benfits the Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Macoupin and Montgomery counties. Event Director Lisa Rakey recently spoke with WSMI News.

The Montgomery County Cancer Association will be holding the annual Crazy Bowl Benefit on Saturday March 8th. Brenda Cobetto recently talked with WSMI News about this event.

Erika Harold Meet & Greet Planned

Erika Harold, Republican Candidate for Congress, will hold a meet and greet Thursday the 27th, from 4:30 to 7 at the Hillsboro Lions Club. Soup will be served and residents are invited to attend this no cost event.

The Bunker Hill 20th Century Club is sponsoring a "Meet the Candidate" forum on Saturday at 1:00pm in the Bunker Hill Municipal Building.

The public can meet the Macoupin County candidates for Sheriff and Regional Superintendent of Schools.

Candidates will get five minutes to introduce themselves, answer questions from the public and finish with a short summary.

Doors will open at 12:30pm on March 1.

The Litchfield Chamber of Commerece will be hosting their annual Awards Banquet on Thursday, April 3rd at the Magnuson Grand Hotel. WSMI News recently spoke with Brenda Masterstout about it.

The State Board of Education sent a letter to Illinois lawmakers and the Governor requesting Complete funding for education within this years budget. WSMI News recently spoke with State Rep. Wayne Rosenthal about how schools in his district are surviving.

National Small Business Week is May 12-16 and in honor of the occasion, Macoupin Economic Development Partnership will unveil an updated business directory located on their website.

The business directory was part of the first county-wide shop local program, Macoupin Matters, presented by MEDP in 2010. The current directory can be located on the home page www.macoupinpartners.com and click 'local businesses'.

If your business is currently not listed , provide the business name, address, city, phone and company website and send it to courtney@macoupinpartners.com. If your business is listed, verify all information is still current and provide MEDP with your company website to be added.

The Macoupin County Historical Society's Annual Meeting and Banquet will be held at 6pm Monday, March 3, in the Gillespie Civic Center.

At last year's meeting, Betty Kay, of Jacksonville, entertained audience members with a presentation on women who enlisted as men in the Civil War. This year, Kay will present a program about Ann Rutledge.

Rutledge was reportedly considered Abraham Lincoln's first love. Many believe the two were engaged to be married before Rutledge died from a fatal illness in 1835. Kay will impersonate Mrs. James Rutledge, Ann Rutledge's mother.

Reservations and payment for the dinner portion of the annual banquet can be sent to Jean Redolfi at 211 Broadway, Gillespie, IL. The cost per reservation is $8.50 per person. Reservations and payments should be made no later than February 27.

Kay's demonstration is open to the public and those not wishing to attend the banquet are welcome to attend the business meeting and program. Following the meal there will be a short business meeting before Kay's presentation, which will begin at approximately 7:15pm.

(Hillsboro)--Ameren Illinois announced that they will be investing nearly one and a half million dollars in electric upgrades in Montgomery and Christian counties. According to the plan released by Ameren, the company will relocate one and a half miles of power lines from Hillsboro to Litchfield; build two and a half miles of power lines; and respanning portions of the power lines from the North Road to Route 48.

Ameren Illinois will be investing three and a half million dollars over the next five years to build a next generation energy delivery system.

The Macoupin County Public Health Department is offering free Prostate Cancer Screenings to men of all ages from now until June, 30, 2014.

Free screenings will be offered the fourth Thursday of each month at a walk-in clinic located at 805 N. Broad St. in Carlinville or by appointment at the Maple Street Clinic in Gillespie. Call toll free 1-888-349-4482, then press 3 to make an appointment at the Gillespie location.

The deadline to register to vote or update voter information in Macoupin County is February 18th.

According to Macoupin County Clerk, Pete Duncan, if you have moved or changed your name, your voting registration record at the County Clerk's office must be updated in order for you to be a qualified voter in the approaching Primary Election.

Individuals may register by coming to the Election Office located at the Macoupin County Courthouse, contacting a deputy registrar or precinct committeeperson, or visiting www.macoupinvotes.com and using the application form available.

Voters can also check to see if they are registered and if their registration is up to date by visiting www.macoupinvotes.com and clicking 'Voter Lookup'.

Blackburn College will host a Spring Open House on February 14, for high school seniors and transfer students with registration starting at 9:00am.

The one-day Open House will feature a morning informational session, before breaking off into small groups for sessions which include a student panel, a financial aid presentation, and a transfer student session. In the afternoon, sessions on Blackburn's major offerings and campus tours will be held. Prospective students will also have the chance to meet the College's athletic coaches.

For more information about the Open House Program visit www.blackburn.edu.

An open house will be held for the new Bunker Hill Public Library on Saturday.

The new library is located on the grounds of the old library and will be open from 1-4pm. There will be a public ribbon cutting, raising of the flag by the Boy Scouts and refreshments.

Bunker Hills' new library was completed by January; however, the orginal open house in January was canceled due to bad weather.

The American Red Cross is seeking area heroes for its upcoming 9th Annual American Red Cross Heroes Breakfast in Springfield.

There are nine categories for hero nominations: Youth, Military, Public Safety, Senior, Education, Community, Workplace Civic and Healtcare.

Nominees must either live or work in Macoupin, Montgomery, Sangamon, Christian, Logan, Mendard or Shelby Counties. Local heroic acts must have taken place within the last 18 months to be eligible, unless the nomination is for a lifetime of service.

To nominate a hero, call 217-787-7602 to request a printed form or nominate a hero online by visiting arciillinois.org/springfieldheroes. The nomination must be returned no later than March 1st.

The Heroes Breakfast will be held April 25, 2013 at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield.

A Brighton woman was seriously injured in a single vehicle accident Sunday in Jersey County.

According to Illinois State Police, 41 year old Tamara Beachum was driving a 2006 Ford Fusion northbound on Oak Rest Road when she lost control of the vehicle at 8:03pm and the car left the roadway, struck a tree and came to rest in a driveway on Welsh Lane.

The driver was transported to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis for treatment of serious injuries.

State Police charged Beachum with DUI, illegal transportation of alcohol and driving to fast for conditions.