Fairbury News

16/08/2024

Doug Webel was fortunate to have some great experiences with FFA and sports while attending Prairie Central High School. He was back in town Wednesday at the Fairbury Fair as his son was judging swine.

“It taught me a lot about winning and what it takes to succeed both in sports and in life.”

Read more from the fair:

Doug Webel gained an interest in pigs years ago from being at the Fairbury Fair.He went to the University of Illinois for a bachelor’s degree and left 10 years later with a PhD in swine nutrition. The Prairie Central alum lives just north of Indianapolis working for United Animal Health and was at...

15/08/2024

KIDS DAY EVENTS HAVE BEEN RESCHEDULED for 10-2 TOMORROW. The gate will still be free during this event. The Rooster Crowing Contest will be at 11, Pinewood Derby registration will be at 12PM with racing beginning at 12:30. THE KIDDIE TRACTOR PULL, HOWEVER, IS CANCELLED.

Most of the people who participate in this event have kindly made room for this reschedule to happen. Thank you to you all!

Decisions for the Golf Cart Rodeo will be made later today. Please follow the page for updates.

15/08/2024

“You just kind of have to play around with it and the great thing with oil painting is there are many, many layers to build it up so you can always correct anything,” Desireé DeWeese told Fairbury News.

DeWeese received the judge’s choice award Wednesday for a large painting at the Fairbury Fair. Read more:

As a kid, Desireé DeWeese’s family was active in Floral Hall at the Fairbury Fair and she thought it was time to participate again this year.That participation paid off as DeWeese received the judge’s choice award Wednesday for a large painting of a college friend.“It’s basically just an un...

15/08/2024

Everett was a member of the First Baptist Church of Fairbury, American Baptist Men’s Disaster Relief Team, American Legion, Fairbury Fair and Speedway Board, and Farmers Grain Elevator Board.

Everett Meister, 82, of Fairbury, passed away at 2:44 p.m. Tuesday, August 13, 2024.His funeral will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, at the First Baptist Church of Fairbury. Cremation will be accorded following the service with burial at a later date in Avoca Township Cemetery.Vis...

15/08/2024

In 1974, Fairbury-Cropsey High School's AFS student arrived from his home in Puerto Deseado, Santa Cruz, Argentina and in 1984, a new pole building was erected for the fair by H & W Systems. Read more in Kari Kamrath's "Looking Back" sponsored by Duffy-Pils Memorial Home.

130 Years AgoAugust 11, 1894Dr. J. R. Rayburn has just added an electric motor to his dental parlors. It is a most perfect working machine and is used to run the drill in fixing teeth. It is a great improvement over the old foot power.J. G. Swing has purchased the Simon Baechler residence in the sou...

14/08/2024

Steve Weeks, Bill Fugate and Marlin Miller man the grill during the swine show on opening day of the annual Fairbury Fair Wednesday. Weeks, of Weeks-Brucker-Coleman Ltd, Fugate, longtime fair volunteer, and Miller, of Fairbury-Cropsey Community Bank, are all Fairbury Rotarians as well.

14/08/2024

Good morning from the 148th Fairbury Fair which opens today! We’ll talk all about it and the history behind it. Listen to “A Central IL Morning” with Kent Casson 5:06-6:00 a.m. on WGCY 106.3 or www.centralillinoisfarmnetwork.com.

13/08/2024

Online ordering for PCHS Football 2024 ends on Sun, Sep 1, 2024 (11:59 PM CDT)

13/08/2024

The 148th annual Fairbury Fair opens Wednesday. Read more:

Judging of exhibits and plenty of family entertainment are just some of what is planned this week during the 148th annual Fairbury Fair which runs Wednesday through Sunday (Aug. 14-18).Local bands will be featured opening night on Wednesday during the “We Are One” event at 6:30 in the grandstand...

12/08/2024

It’s Fairbury Fair week!! 🎡 Come out and support the Fairbury Lions at the Bingo tent! Check out the schedule below. ⬇️
We hope to see you all there!

12/08/2024

In the almost 170 years since Fairbury was established, eight murders have been committed. Chronologically, Lela Colwell was the seventh murder victim in 1959. Read more in this week's local history feature from Dale Maley:

Fairbury was founded in 1857 when the Peoria & Oquawka Railroad laid its tracks from Peoria to Indiana. In the almost 170 years since Fairbury was established, eight murders have been committed. Chronologically, Lela Colwell was the seventh murder victim in 1959 in Fairbury. The man convicted of mur...

12/08/2024

Breakfast items served during the fair will include biscuits and gravy, pancakes and sausage, scrambled eggs, coffee, milk and juice.

The VFW Auxiliary 9789 in Fairbury will serve breakfast Wednesday through Sunday (Aug. 14-18) at the Fairbury Fairgrounds from 7 to 10:30 a.m.Breakfast items served will include biscuits and gravy, pancakes and sausage, scrambled eggs, coffee, milk and juice.Carry-outs are available by calling 815-8...

12/08/2024

🍀 It’s Fairbury Fair week! We’re excited to serve you all of your favorites at family-friendly prices. See you soon! 🍀

11/08/2024

Country star Cole Swindell plays for a crowd at the annual Dancin’ on the Dirt event at Fairbury American Legion Speedway this evening. Avery Anna was his opening act.

10/08/2024

You’re looking at the Master Showmanship Beef Division Champion and 5th Overall Master Showman at the Illinois State Fair sponsored by Illinois Farm Bureau. Way to go Grace Lemenager! We are so proud of you!

09/08/2024

It was noted how the city, residents, businesses, police and other first responders handled the influx of people in the community. Read more from this week's regular Fairbury City Council meeting:

Several mentions were made at this week’s regular meeting of the Fairbury City Council of how well the recent Prairie Dirt Classic race went at Fairbury Speedway.It was noted how the city, residents, businesses, police and other first responders handled the influx of people in the community during...

09/08/2024

Regional Superintendent of Schools Wayne Blunier formally filed papers in 1984 putting the proposed consolidation of the Fairbury-Cropsey, Forrest-Strawn-Wing and Chatsworth school districts on the ballot and in 1994, State Police presented Troopers Gregory Beoletto and Mark Teske, District Six, with the Medal of Honor. Read more in "Looking Back" sponsored by Duffy-Pils Memorial Home.

130 Years AgoAugust 4, 1894Joseph Wright, one of the men at the Co-operative Coal Mine, was badly injured Thursday. He and his working partner, Richard McAllister, were firing a shot, using a rope fuse. The rope contained a bad spot, and they supposed it had gone out. They went into the room to see....

09/08/2024

Visitation will be 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, August 10, at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Chatsworth followed by her Funeral Mass which will begin at noon. Monsignor Eric Powell will officiate.

Dolores J. Haberkorn, 91, Fairbury and formerly of Chatsworth, died at 1:00 am Monday, August 5, 2024 at Fairview Haven Retirement Community, Fairbury.Visitation will be 10:00 am to noon Saturday, August 10, 2024 at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Chatsworth followed by her Funeral Mass will beg...

05/08/2024

Today City of Fairbury Fire Department responded to a car fire in the parking lot of Dave's Supermarket in Fairbury, IL. Although a passerby had extinguished the flames with a fire extinguisher, we cooled it down further with some water to remove the potential of reigniting. Here you can see us using a thermal imaging camera to identify any remaining hot spots.

05/08/2024

Frank Bradbury was a highly educated bachelor who enjoyed learning new things. In the early 1900s, he became well-known in Livingston County as the Eppards Point Weather Prophet. Read more in Dale Maley’s local history feature:

For thousands of years, farmers have dreamed of having long-term weather forecasts that would help improve their farming operations. In 2024, the best a weather forecaster can predict is three days with reasonable accuracy. In 1904, Fairbury area farmer Benjamin Franklin "Frank" Bradbury thought he....

03/08/2024

We are on air Saturday morning with the Route 24 Radio Racing Show around 10 a.m. as we look back at last week's big Prairie Dirt Classic Race and we’ll talk with Jonathan Clayton about a busy August for the MARS series!

Join Mike Norris LIVE from Fairbury American Legion Speedway!

Thanks to our racing show sponsors:

Aftershock Decals & Design
Varsitee Screenprinting
Livingston Stone
K&S FORD
Petersen Chevrolet Inc.
Fairbury American Legion Speedway

02/08/2024

02/08/2024

Dave farmed, was an auctioneer and owned and operated David Steidinger Shelling Service for many years in the Fairbury-Cropsey area.

David L. Steidinger, 82 of Fairbury, passed away at 4:00 pm, Tuesday, July 30, 2024 at Fairview Haven Retirement Community, Fairbury.His funeral service will be 10 am, Monday, August 5, 2024 at the Apostolic Christian Church of Fairbury with the ministers of the church officiating. Burial will follo...

01/08/2024

Planes from as far away as Washington, Arkansas, Kentucky and Ohio landed near Chenoa in mid-July for a summertime tradition on Bill Thacker’s property.The retired commercial airline pilot and aviation enthusiast hosts a gathering of fellow pilots and others interested in air travel prior to the b...

01/08/2024

Wells on Main was the perfect venue for Fairbury Rotary to host an evening social this week.

31/07/2024

On the same day he found a horseshoe in one of his fields, Doug Tollensdorf won $1,415 in the state's lottery in 1984 and Norman Rittenhouse presents plans for the new Walton Centre to the Fairbury City Council in 2004. Read more in this week's Looking Back from Kari Kamrath, sponsored by Duffy-Pils Memorial Home.

130 Years AgoJuly 28, 1894Rev. Dr. Dillon arrived in Fairbury this week and will take charge of the St. John's Church of this place and the Strawn church also.The trustees of Livingston Lodge No. 290, I. O. O. F., closed a deal on Wednesday by which they come into possession of the Duell Livery Barn...

31/07/2024

Cremation rites have been accorded with a graveside service at 11am, Friday at Graceland Cemetery Mausoleum, Fairbury. A Celebration of Life will be held for family and friends at Shabbona Park near Earlville, IL on Sunday, August 4.

Randy R. Rafferty 72, of Fairbury, passed away at 10:42 pm, on Monday, July 29, 2024, at OSF St. Francis Medical Center, Peoria.Cremation rites have been accorded with a graveside service at 11am, Friday, August 2, 2024 at Graceland Cemetery Mausoleum, Fairbury. Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Fairbury is...

30/07/2024

Another special meeting of the Prairie Central Board of Education is set for Monday, Aug. 5 with an additional meeting Thursday, Aug. 8 if needed. Meetings which were scheduled for the rest of this week have been canceled. Read more from Monday night's meeting:

Members of the Prairie Central Board of Education agreed on the bond amount needed to finance the new school project and work on those buildings staying open.The amount is $45 million and the financing terms will be defined more in the coming months. The board will discuss how long of a duration the...