🌱 Meet the Effingham mother honored for her college journey
Effingham, Illinois Patch AM: a 4 min readGood morning Effingham! Your connection to what's happening around town is here. Take a sip of coffee and read on. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- Meet the Effingham mother honored for her college journey
- Effingham and Altamont split junior high basketball matchups
- Mid America Motorworks faces a long road back after tornado
Also on today's calendar: Business After Hours - Effingham Pelvic Health & Wellness and 8 more events.
Today's riddle: What are the two sides of a circle? 🤔 (Answer below!)
- Wednesday: A shower and thunderstorm, with a high of 66 and low of 40 degrees.
- Thursday: Breezy and cooler, temps: high: 48, low: 32.
- Friday: Breezy in the morning, with a high of 43 and low of 26 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. Lake Land College Honors 2026 Non-Traditional Student Of The Year Award Recipient And Nominees (effinghamradio.com) — Effingham’s Jasinda LaFine went from earning her GED at Lake Land College to pursuing pre-veterinary medicine, and now she has earned one of its top student honors. The mother of two shared the 2026 Non-traditional Student of the Year award with Charleston’s Eric Stanley at the college’s Nov. 5 banquet. 
2. Junior High Girls Basketball — November 9 Results (thexradio.com) — Effingham and Altamont split their junior high girls basketball games in Effingham on November 9. Effingham’s eighth-graders won 37–29, led by Liv Lauritzen’s 11 points and Gouchenouer’s nine. Altamont won the seventh-grade game 26–14, with Hadley Westjohn scoring six for Effingham.
3. Illinois took the brunt of tornado season this year, as fewer storms touch down in Tornado Alley (ipmnewsroom.org) — Months after a June 17 tornado devastated Effingham’s Mid America Motorworks, owner Michael Yager is still rebuilding the family business in a nearby building. Employees are sorting surviving inventory as he works with insurers on damaged cars, a prolonged recovery amid an Illinois season with more than 200 reported tornadoes.
4. Effingham High School Earns Highest State Performance Designation; Three Additional Unit 40 Schools Recognized (thexradio.com) — Effingham High School earned Illinois’ highest school performance designation, Exemplary, in the 2026 state report card. Effingham Junior High, Central Grade School and South Side School received Approaching Exemplary ratings. The evaluations consider graduation rates, attendance, academic growth and proficiency.
📸 Around Effingham
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🗓
Upcoming Events in
Effingham
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
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Executive Committee Meeting →
Effingham
Thursday November 12
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
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Business After Hours - Effingham Pelvic Health & Wellness →
Effingham IL -
Medicare Office Hours with Emily Garrard →
Effingham County Chamber, 903 Keller Drive, Effingham
9:00 am -
6th Annual Effingham Turkey Drop →
New Hope Church, 2210 N Raney St., Effingham
11:00 am -
6th Annual Effingham Turkey Drop 2026 →
Parking lot of New Hope Church, 2210 North Raney St, Effingham
12:30 pm -
County Board Meeting →
Effingham County Office Building – 3rd Floor Boardroom, 101 North 4th Street, Effingham
4:00 pm -
FACE Hometown Christmas Choir Rehearsal →
First Presbyterian Church, 600 W Temple Ave., Effingham
6:00 pm -
New Member Picture - All is Well Acupuncture →
Effingham IL -
Emergency Telephone System Board Meeting →
Effingham County Office Building – 3rd Floor Boardroom, 101 North 4th Street, Effingham
12:00 pm -
Public Hearing for Mason Plains, LLC Solar →
Effingham County Office Building – 3rd Floor Boardroom, 101 North 4th Street, Effingham
5:00 pm -
Nuts & Bolts of HR: For Professionals at All Levels →
Location Fairfield Inn & Suites 1111 North Henrietta Street Effingham IL 62401, 1111 North Henrietta Street, Effingham
Thursday November 12
Saturday November 14
Monday November 16
Tuesday November 17
Wednesday November 18
📣 Effingham Shout Outs!
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🗓 Events Nearby
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National Athletic Hall Of Fame →
Teutopolis Banquet Hall, Teutopolis
6:00 pm
Thursday November 12
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
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💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Denny's posted a job opening for Cook in Effingham. Apply here.
- Chili's Grill & Bar posted a job opening for Line Cook 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: "What are the two sides of a circle?" — The inside and the outside ! (Thank you James M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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