The Macoupin County Veterans Assistance Commission will be in Benld on Tuesday, November 4 and Thursday, November 6 from 9 to 11:30am. Superintendent Joe White will be at the Cahokia Township Office. He will be able to help qualified veterans and needy veterans and their families with claim work and assistance such as shelter, food, utilities and more.

During the months of September and October, the commission provided assistance to 56 veterans and their families which included $9710.25 in financial assistance to 46 veterans.

(Vandalia)--Three members of a famliy were killed when their SUV was struck by a freight train at a crossing. Fayette County Coroner Bruce Bowen says a woman, a boy and a girl were killed in Thursday's accident in Vandalia. Vandalia Police Chief Jeff Ray says two other people in the vehicle were airlifted to a hospital.

Carlinville's Shop Local First organization has teamed with the Macoupin County Military Support Group to collect boxed, non-perishable food items and everyday accessories to ship to Macoupin soldiers serving overseas in time for Christmas.

The "Christmas for a Soldier" drive starts on Saturday, November 1, and ends on Veteran's Day, November 11. On November 12, members of MCMSG will gather all of the donated items and then sort, pack, and mail them in time for the individual soldiers to receive them by Christmas.

Items can be dropped off at Abella's Restaurant, Ace Hardware, Angus Bailey's, Cheryl Beanblossom/Edward Jones, Boente Food Mart, Bruckert-Daley Inc., Carlinville Area Hospital, Cherry Tree Treasures and Gifts, Dimond Brothers Insurance, Fitness-A-Go-Go LLC, Happy Dog Stay-n-Play Daycare, Heinz Furniture and Floor Covering, My Sister's Closet, Plaza Truck Service, and US Bank.

Suggested items to donate include breakfast bars, "squeeze" cheese, chocolate, crackers, coffee and tea, fruit roll-ups, sausage sticks, beef jerky, trail mix, gum and similar easy to use items. Accessories for donation include bath towels, bug spray, foot powder, shoe insoles, DVDs, gloves, hand warmer packets, ornaments and miniature artificial Christmas trees.

In conjunction with the "Christmas for a Soldier" campaign, the Reverend Gary Farthing will lead a service entitled "Honoring Our Veterans" at Memorial Christian Church on November 9 at 7:00pm. The church is on the corner of First North Street and Charles Street in Carlinville.

One person was killed and another was injured in a plane crash Sunday afternoon in Macoupin County.

According to Macoupin County Coroner Brad Targhetta, 66 year old Thomas Huebbe of St. Charles, Missouri was pronounced dead at 4:45pm at Carlinville Area Hospital shortly after the crash.

Thomas Huebbe, the pilot of the plane and his son 35 year old John Huebbe were returning to St. Charles from Taylorville when the plane experienced a mechanical failure. Thomas Huebbe attempted to land the plane in a harvested field near Route 16 and Stagee Coach Road. As the plane traveled on the harvested field it traveled into a unharvested area and flipped over onto its roof.

John Huebbe was able to make it to a farm house to obtain help and authorities responeded around 4:13pm to the crash site. John Huebbe was injured and taken to a local hospital for treatment.

The Federal Aviation Administration and local authorities continue to investigate the plane crash.

(Springfield)--Two people were killed in a two vehicle accident on Route 125, west of Route 97. Saturday evening at 10:39, a car driven by a 27 year old female from Springfield was eastbound on Route 125. She passed another vehicle, and ran off the road.

The driver then drove back onto the road, and clipped a westbound car driven by a 16 year old female from Pleasant Plains. The 16 year old and a passenger in the 27 year old's car were pronounced dead at the scene.

According to Illinois State Police, alcohol is believed to be a factor in the accident, and charges are pending.

The Carlinville Rotary's 75th Annual Halloween Parade will be held Saturday, October 25, in Carlinville.

This years theme is Rotary's 75th Halloween Parade Anniversary Celebration. All former queen winners from 1952 to the present will be the grand marshalls of this years parade.

The parade will kick off at 6:15pm from the Carlinville Plaza and follow Route 4 south to the Carlinville Square and will disassemble on North East Street near the Macoupin County Courthouse.

Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative will hold a Member Appreciation Breakfast of sausage and biscuits Saturday, October 25, from 8-10am at the Pleasant Hill Christian Church near Raymond. The church is on West Frontage Road along Interstate 55, just north of Exit 60.

While no formal program is plannned, President/CEO David Stuva says co-op members can see some of the new communications tools offered by RECC including SmartHub bill presentment and payment, online outage maps and member notification options. Board of Directors members and several employees willl be on hand to talk about any isssues or questions members may have, and about the operations of the cooperative according to Stuva.

(Raymond)--A failed experiment during a Cub Scout meeting in Raymond sent four people to the hospital. According to Raymond Police Chief Valerie Sheldon the incident happend at 7:20pm at the Living Center in Raymond.

Reportedly the Cub Scouts were conducting an experiment when an explosion happened. The Raymond Harvel Fire Department and Ambulance Service responded to the scene.

Three juveniles were airlifted by ARCH helicopter; and adult was transfered by ambulance. They were taken to either Memorial Medical Center or St. John's Hospital in Springfield for treatment of injuries.

Mt. Olive will hold its Fall Festival and Flea Markert on Saturday, October 18, from 9am until 4pm in the city park.

Over 30 vendors and crafters will be in attendance. Attendees will find a petting zoo, pony rides, and a quarter carnival.

Historian Roger Kratochvil will provide information on the city of Mt. Olive from 10am until 1pm. "Scrap Iron and Gold" will entertain from 11am uitl 2-pm from the gazebo.

There will also be a full menu of food including BBQ, cabbage rolls, Italian beef, kabobs, ham and beans, funnel cake, kettle corn and more.

The Girard Chamber of Commerce's 9th Annual Pumkin Festival will be held Saturday, October 11.

The festival will be in "Pumpkin Park" located just southwest of Girard on Farmersville Road.

The feature of the day will be the popular "Pumkin Chunkin from 1-4pm. Human powered and mechanical powered pumkin launching will entertain attendees with some pumpkins traveling a half mile or more. Lawn chairs are recommended.

A Harvest Parade will start at 10:30am at Morgan Thermal Ceramics Advanced Materials Parking lot and travel to the Girard square.

Other activities include a chili cook-off from noon until 3:00pm, a food tent with various food items from 10am until 3pm, and various forms of entertainment all day.

The Coal Country Chamber of Commerce has signed a contract with the Kelly Miller Circus for the exhibition of an all new 2014 show on Wednesday, October 8, 2014 in the Benld City Park with performances at 4:30 and 7:30pm.

As the circus rolls into town the morning of October 8, everyone is invited to come and watch the animals being unloaded and fed, and the elephants raising the big top. Activities will begin at 7:30am and the tent will be raised at 9:00am. Guides will be furnished for school groups and anyone attending.

Tickets are available at the following locations before the day of the circus: Benld City Hall, FNB--Benld Banking Center, Gillespie City Hall, Furniture Rescue, and Michelle's Pharmacy. No tickets will be available at these locations the day orf the circus.

(Hillsboro)--A truck driver who hit and killed Illinois State Police Trooper Kyle Deatherage on Interstate 55 near Raymond has pled guilty in Montgomery County Court to two felony counts. 54 year old Johnny Felton, Jr. of Georgia was sentenced to thirty months of probation and fined twenty five hundred dollars plus court costs in a negotiated plea deal.

Felton was charged with reckless homicide and operating a commercial vehicle without a valid commercial driver's license.