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🌱 How Mattoon turned Lake Land College into a Wizard of Oz celebration.

Mattoon, Illinois Patch AM: a 3 min read

Cheers Mattoon! We’re back, helping you stay up to date with what’s happening. Let's take on the day together! ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How Mattoon turned Lake Land College into a Wizard of Oz celebration.
  • What Decatur’s air ambulance shutdown means for Mattoon’s emergency coverage.
  • See how Mattoon soccer fared in this weekend’s regional roundup.

Also on today's calendar: Craft & Connect: Booook Garland and 7 more events.

Today's riddle: What do an island and the letter "t" have in common? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Sunday: Warm with clouds and sun, with a high of 85 and low of 61 degrees.
  • Monday: Cooler with heavy t-storms, temps: high: 67, low: 57.
  • Tuesday: Cloudy with a shower in spots, with a high of 68 and low of 55 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Special Olympics Family Festival has 'Wizard of Oz' theme (jg-tc.com) — Hundreds of Special Olympics athletes and more than 1,000 volunteers gathered at Lake Land College in Mattoon for a Wizard of Oz–themed Family Festival packed with games, music, and a parade. Participants from Tuscola, Champaign, Rantoul, Charleston and beyond joined in, underscoring Mattoon’s role as a regional hub for inclusive recreation and community support.
   

• Air Evac closes Decatur base, cites limited resources (wcia.com) — Air Evac Lifeteam is closing its Decatur air ambulance base but says emergency air medical coverage for the region will continue through neighboring bases in Mattoon and Effingham. For Mattoon-area residents, that means local aircraft and crews become even more central to regional emergency response, as resources are shifted to where the company sees higher demand.
   

• Highlights/scores: High school sports (9/19/26) (wcia.com) — Mattoon boys soccer edged Mt. Zion 3–2 in weekend action, highlighting a busy slate of Central Illinois high school games. The roundup also includes numerous volleyball and football scores from nearby schools, giving local fans a quick way to track rivals and regional competition from Saturday’s matchups.
   

📸 Around Mattoon

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Mattoon

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📣 Mattoon Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Chick-fil-A posted a job opening for Team Member in Mattoon. Apply here.
  • McDonald's posted a job opening for 4 am Restaurant Opener in Mattoon. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Mattoon here.

🗞 Nearby News

Charleston

  • Photos: 2026 Special Olympics Family Festival (jg-tc.com)

Tuscola

  • Friday Football Fever (9/18/26) (wcia.com)

Ok Mattoon! 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: They are both in the middle of water. (Thank you Curt K. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

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Stay in the loop with what's happening in Mattoon

Never miss out on local news and events that matter to you.

Stay in the loop with what's happening in Mattoon

Never miss out on local news and events that matter to you.