Tazewell County Clerk & Recorder of Deeds John C. Ackerman spent “Help America Vote Day” inside a Pekin Community High School classroom, using a hands on lesson to show students how local elections are secured — and why their participation matters.

The visit was part of an ongoing civic education partnership with the office of State Representative Travis Weaver. Students cast ballots to choose what the official State of Illinois color should be, a lighthearted vote designed to introduce them to the mechanics of real world elections. As they marked and submitted their ballots, Ackerman explained the security features built into Tazewell County’s paper ballots and the tabulators used in every election.

Ackerman also used the opportunity to connect the classroom exercise to the national purpose of “Help America Vote Day,” established by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to encourage Americans to register, vote, and serve as poll workers. He noted that Tazewell County relies on more than 500 Election Judges each election cycle and has developed streamlined procedures to ensure results are calculated quickly while maintaining strict accuracy.

“Our office takes great pride in our transparency, outreach, and leadership of elections within the State of Illinois,” Ackerman said in a statement marking the day. Tazewell County remains the only county in Illinois to receive the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s Clearinghouse Award for “Excellence in Election Administration,” earning the national recognition in both 2024 and 2025.

During the PCHS visit, Ackerman encouraged eligible students to register to vote and highlighted the important role young people can play as Election Judges — a paid position that helps staff polling places and support secure, efficient elections.

He also emphasized that the Clerk’s Office welcomes residents with questions about election safeguards. “It is an honor and privilege to serve the citizens of Tazewell County in this vital role,” Ackerman said. “We invite anyone with concerns about how our elections are protected to stop by our office anytime and allow us to showcase our policies and procedures.”

For students at PCHS, the day offered a close up look at how local democracy functions — and a reminder that the next generation of voters and poll workers is already taking shape.

A winter storm may have delayed the celebration, but it certainly didn’t diminish the spirit. After a major December snow event forced the postponement of Delavan FCCLA’s annual Pink Out Night, the community packed Jake Poppenga Gymnasium on January 26, 2026, turning the rescheduled varsity basketball matchup against the El Paso/Gridley Titans into a powerful show of solidarity for metastatic breast cancer awareness.

A Sea of Pink for a Purpose

Well before tipoff, the gym was awash in pink—shirts, hoodies, ribbons, and even the uniforms of the Delavan Varsity Panthers, who took the floor in special pink-themed warmups. FCCLA members had pre-sold Pink Out t shirts in the weeks leading up to the event, and the crowd embraced the theme wholeheartedly.

The organization also hosted a bustling raffle table, offering baskets filled with treats, gift cards, and donated items from local supporters. Every ticket sold helped raise funds for metastatic breast cancer research and support services, a cause the chapter has championed for years.

A Halftime Tribute That Moved the Crowd

The most poignant moment of the night came at halftime. As the crowd rose to its feet, players from both the Panthers and the Titans walked into the stands carrying pink roses. One by one, they presented them to breast cancer survivors seated throughout the gym.

The gesture drew emotional applause—an unmistakable reminder that the evening’s purpose extended far beyond the scoreboard.

Community Strength on Full Display

Despite the rescheduled date and winter’s disruptions, the turnout rivaled any major home game. Families, alumni, and supporters from both communities filled the bleachers, creating an atmosphere that blended school pride with heartfelt advocacy.

FCCLA members circulated through the crowd, sharing information about metastatic breast cancer and thanking attendees for their support. By the end of the night, the chapter had raised meaningful funds and—just as importantly—renewed awareness of a disease that affects families across central Illinois and beyond.

More Than a Game

While the Panthers and Titans battled on the court, the true victory belonged to the survivors honored, the students who organized the event, and the community that showed up in force. Delavan’s Pink Out Night once again proved that when the town rallies behind a cause, it does so with unmistakable heart.

The Delavan community will gather Friday, February 13, to celebrate one of its most accomplished and influential basketball leaders. Former Delavan boys’ basketball coach Ryon Kramer will be honored at halftime of the varsity matchup between Delavan and Illini Bluffs in recognition of his 2025 induction into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Hall of Fame.

The ceremony will take place at Jake Poppenga Gymnasium, with varsity tipoff set for 6:30 p.m.

Kramer’s coaching career in Delavan spans nearly 25 years and includes standout success at both the junior high and high school levels. Across three seasons at Delavan Junior High and 21 seasons as head coach at Delavan High School, he compiled a combined 482–260 record.

At the junior high level, Kramer led the Panthers’ seventh- and eighth grade teams to a dominant 100–28 mark, helping establish a competitive foundation for the program.

His impact grew even larger at the high school level, where he amassed a 382–232 record and guided Delavan to four IHSA Regional Championships in 2002, 2005, 2008, and 2017. His teams recorded 11 seasons with 20 or more wins, highlighted by a standout 28–4 campaign in 2007–08, one of the best in program history.

In addition to his Hall of Fame coaching legacy, Kramer currently serves as assistant principal and Athletic Director for Delavan Schools, continuing his long-standing commitment to the district and its students.

The Delavan School District encourages alumni, former players, and community members to attend Friday night’s game to help celebrate Coach Kramer’s enduring impact on Delavan athletics.

The Mighty Panthers Speech Team capped their regular season with a strong runner up finish at the Lincoln High School Speech Tournament on Saturday, January 24, adding another impressive performance to an already standout year.

Delavan brought home three event championships and a total of 20 individual awards, underscoring both the team’s depth and its competitive edge heading into the postseason.

Leading the way were the Panthers’ three first place medalists:

Gwen Tierney, champion in Varsity Humorous Interpretation

Jaylyn Diekhoff, champion in Varsity Prose

Hayden Koehler, champion in JV Poetry

In addition to those top finishes, the Panthers earned 17 more individual awards across multiple categories, reflecting consistent strength throughout the roster.

Saturday’s tournament marked the final regular season meet for Delavan, who now turn their attention to the IHSA postseason. The Panthers will open regional competition on February 7 at Pekin High School, where they’ll look to carry their momentum into the post season.

You can’t explore Delavan’s early history for long without meeting the man whose name the town bears—though he never set foot here. The story begins in September 1836, when a group of Rhode Island settlers, led by Jonas R. Gale, traveled west in search of new opportunities on the Illinois prairie. During that journey, they selected a tract of land in southern Tazewell County as the site for a future community. Back in Rhode Island, the newly formed Delavan Association—named in honor of Edward Cornelius Delavan, the prominent New York temperance advocate—organized a formal bid for the land. Their purchase was completed on November 24, 1836, and the settlement that would become Delavan was officially founded the following year, in 1837.

Many readers already know the familiar milestones of Delavan’s early years—the first marriage, the first house, the first businesses—details preserved in state and local archives. What the records don’t describe, however, is how his prominence and philosophy shaped how the town’s founders chose his name to signal their moral aspirations.

Edward Cornelius Delavan did not begin his public life as a temperance crusader. In fact, his early wealth came from the very industry he would later renounce. As a young businessman in New York, Delavan invested in wine importation and liquor distribution, building a substantial fortune in the alcohol trade. That financial success eventually funded his philanthropic work, including the temperance campaigns that made him a national figure—and ultimately inspired the founders of Delavan, Illinois, to name their new prairie town in his honor.

“It is my opinion could the real truth be known, the whole community, with the exception of those whose appetite has already become depraved by indulgence, would abandon forever the use of intoxicating drinks,” Edward Cornelius Delavan wrote in his book Adulterations of Liquors,. Edward C. Delavan was a religious man who notably attacked the usage of wine for communion as he believed biblical wine was unfermented grape juice. The prior quote led into one of his twelve-page publication dictating his disdain for alcohol, its consumption, and how it hasn’t a place in religious proceeding despite there being conflicting ideologies on this matter. His conflict with wine actually led to him leaving the Presbyterian church in favor of joining the Episcopal church.

He was against alcohol ingestion in any scenario. This husband and father of five took it upon himself to take on the New York State Temperance Society to adopt the same zero-tolerance view he held but upon failing to do so on multiple occasions it prompted him to leave the society. Though parting from the society didn’t part him from his pursuit of achieving temperance.

The Delavan Association founded the town in the pursuit of creating a dry space. That’s right, Delavan began as an alcohol free town! The dramatic irony of which does not go unnoticed seeing as most of Delavan’s most successful and well-known businesses present-day are its bars. Just a mere two years after Gale surveying the area that would become Delavan, Illinois, Delavan sailed to Europe to preach temperance across the continent. He returned home to New York where in 1845 he erected Delavan House, one of the country’s first temperance hotels. “The hotel, however, lost money, and, much to Delavan’s annoyance, the manager used a loophole in the lease to introduce liquor.”

Though we may know him as the namesake of our town, Edward Cornelius Delavan’s biggest legacy is his relentless propaganda campaign. He wrote publication after publication and claimed to have personally financed “the publication and distribution of over 36 million anti-alcohol tracts and magazine issues”. His propaganda and lobbying directly lead to New York legislature enacting local option prohibition in 1846 which voters across the state voted to make 80% of the state’s towns dry – while this only lasted in most of them for a year, it was a sizable show of power and impressive victory for Delavan whether you agree with his beliefs or not.

On January 26, 2026, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, LuAnn Elaine (Goeken) Morton went home after a short battle with cancer.  She was born on December 27, 1962, in Hopedale, Illinois, to Richard W. and Charlotte J. (Lucas) Goeken.  She married Nathaniel “Nick” Morton on December 26, 1980.  They were the first couple to be married at the new United Methodist Church in Bloomfield, Iowa.

LuAnn started school in Delevan, Illinois.  After moving to Bloomfield with her parents and sisters, she attended school at Davis County Community Schools, graduating with the class of 1981.

LuAnn was a military wife, mother, and partner.  She enjoyed her fur babies, chickens, and even the cows on the farm.  She also enjoyed driving the tractor but only on level ground.  LuAnn was fiercely loyal to her family and friends.  She loved God and her country.

She is survived by her husband of 45 years, Nick Morton; four children, Brandon (Rachel) Morton, Jeremy (Laurisia) Morton, Ashley (Cody Woodard) Morton, Nathan Morton; six grandchildren, Adison, Leah, Christian, Charlie, Mackenzie, Serenity; two sisters, Barb (Randy) Lawson, Silvia (Bill) Stockham; several nieces and nephews; and several grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and three brothers, Darrell, Bruce, and Keith.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the Wagler Funeral Home in Bloomfield with Pastor Don Naftz officiating.  Burial will be at the IOOF Cemetery in Bloomfield.  Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, with the family present to greet friends from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the service.  A memorial has been established to the Lung Cancer Research Foundation. 

Frederick Thomas Minner, age 97, of Port St. Lucie, FL passed away peacefully, leaving behind a life marked by devotion to family, hard work, and faith.

Fred was born on October 23, 1928, in Ottawa, Illinois, to Fred and Edith (Sparrow) Minner. In 1932, his family moved to Delavan, Illinois, a place that would remain his lifelong home for many decades. He graduated from Delavan High School in 1947 and went on to build a strong and steady career spanning many years.

Fred was employed by several respected companies, including Material Services Corporation (Lake Michigan), Fairbanks Morse, AT&T (Western Electric), and Caterpillar in East Peoria, Illinois. He retired in 1986 from the Planning Department at Caterpillar, concluding a career defined by dedication and integrity.

On February 10, 1961, Fred married the love of his life, Wilma Runyon Gresham Minner, and together they shared a marriage filled with love, commitment, and partnership. Fred was a lifelong resident of Delavan until 1994, when he and Wilma began spending winters in Florida as snowbirds. They made Florida their permanent home in September of 2010.

Fred was a faithful member of Beacon Baptist Church in Jupiter, Florida, where he found community and spiritual fellowship.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Wilma Minner; his children Debra (David) Perez of Imperial Beach, California, Doug (Cheryl) Minner of Fort Pierce, Florida, Kenneth (Priscilla) Gresham of Licking, Missouri, and Gary Minner of Delavan, Illinois; 10 grandchildren; and 7 great-grandchildren, all of whom were a source of great pride and joy in his life.

Fred was preceded in death by his brother, Al Minner.

Fred will be remembered as a devoted husband, loving father and grandfather, and a man whose life reflected quiet strength, loyalty, and faith. His legacy lives on through the many lives he touched and the family he cherished so deeply.

A graveside service will be at 1:00 pm Monday, February 2, 2026 at Prairie Rest Cemetery in Delavan. There will be no visitation.  Davis-Oswald Funeral Home in Delavan is handling the arrangements.