Community Corner
🌱 How will Effingham County’s new contract and funding decisions affect you?
You won't want to miss Encore Story Time @ Effingham Public Library – Effingham, IL on the Effingham Patch calendar

Morning Effingham! We've got the scoop on the latest happenings in town. Read on to get looped in. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- How will Effingham County’s new contract and funding decisions affect you?
- What costly fixes are coming to Effingham Unit 40 school buildings?
- Which Effingham players stepped up in Friday night’s road losses and wins?
Also on today's calendar: Christmas With Elvis.
Find out what's happening in Effinghamfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Effingham? Post it to Effingham photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️
Today's riddle: Can February March? 🤔 (Answer below!)
Find out what's happening in Effinghamfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Tuesday: Sunny and not as cold, with a high of 42 and low of 30 degrees.
- Wednesday: Times of clouds and sun, temps: high: 43, low: 36.
- Thursday: Windy with rain and a t-storm, with a high of 56 and low of 18 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!
📰 News we're reading
1. County Board Approves Contract w/Circuit Clerk Staff - Effingham's News and Sports Leader, 979XFM and KJ Country 102.3 (thexradio.com) — Effingham County Board approved a three-year contract for circuit clerk staff with phased raises and a higher starting wage, and also funded Lake Sara beach expansion. Members handled a wide slate of local business, from employee handbook updates and tax sale timing to senior services funding and use of county office space.
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2. Unit 40 School Board Gets Health/Life Safety Update - Effingham's News and Sports Leader, 979XFM and KJ Country 102.3 (thexradio.com) — Effingham Unit 40 schools are mapping out a 10‑year plan to fix key health and life safety issues in several buildings, including asbestos under Central’s gym floor and HVAC at the junior high. The Board also approved a slightly lower tax levy rate, recognized the successful junior high softball team, and is seeking a $50,000 grant to help fund new fencing at South Side School.
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3. Bulldogs Beat Eagles, Hearts Fall to Braves In Boys Basketball - Effingham's News and Sports Leader, 979XFM and KJ Country 102.3 (thexradio.com) — Effingham High School’s Hearts fell 48-36 at Mount Zion in Apollo Conference boys basketball, while Effingham St. Anthony’s Bulldogs rolled past St. Elmo/Brownstown 55-32 in National Trail play. Both varsity and JV box scores highlight key Effingham-area performers and scoring runs from Friday night’s action.
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4. Lake Land College Navigator News Wins Awards At Illinois Community College Journalism Award Ceremony (effinghamradio.com) — Effingham residents are part of Lake Land College’s district, whose student newspaper, The Navigator News, just earned multiple statewide journalism awards. Students and staff from Mattoon, Charleston, and around the world were honored for reporting, columns, photos, and overall excellence, underscoring the quality of media education available to Effingham-area students through the college.
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5. Use Precision Technology to Make Data-Informed Decisions (no-tillfarmer.com) — A longtime engineer-turned-farmer is helping run his family’s 7,000‑acre operation in Effingham County using precision ag tools from more than 200 miles away. By relying on cloud data, GPS, and soon drones, he constantly evaluates whether each technology actually boosts return on investment for their corn, soybean, and wheat fields.
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📸 Around Effingham
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓 Upcoming Events in Effingham
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
- Encore Story Time @ Effingham Public Library – Effingham, IL
Effingham Public Library, 200 N 3rd St, Effingham
10:30 am
Friday December 19
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
- Christmas With Elvis
Effingham Performance Center , 1325 Outer Belt W , Effingham
7:00 pm
Saturday December 20
📣 Effingham Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
🗓 Events Nearby
- Story Time @ Effingham Public Library – Effingham, IL
Effingham Public Library , 200 N 3rd St , Effingham
10:30 am - Teutopolis Boys JV Basketball @ Effingham
Effingham High School , 1301 Grove Ave , Effingham
7:30 pm - Teutopolis Boys Varsity Basketball @ Effingham
Effingham High School , 1301 Grove Ave , Effingham
7:30 pm - Inspiration Group
Family Mental Health Support , 202 N Banker St , Effingham
1:00 pm
Tuesday December 16
Tuesday December 23
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- FedEx posted a job opening for Freight Handler Part-Time in Effingham. Apply here.
- Panda Restaurant Group posted a job opening for Assistant Manager (P1-1357692-6) in Effingham. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Effingham here.
Ok Effingham! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don't know, but April May!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!
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