It was in the 1940s, when the Second World War was still raging, that the people of the Illinois city of Mattoon found themselves terrorized by a malevolent entity that became known as the “Mad Gasser of Mattoon.” Just like the monsters that constantly tormented H.P. Lovecraft as he slept, the insane gasser, on a. Read more »
African-American Museum marks Black History Month
Vicki Bennington For The Telegraph
Feb. 16, 2021
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Unique exhibits fill the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum in Springfield, Illinois. The museum is located at 1440 Monument Ave., in Springfield. For more details visit www.spiaahm.org or call 217-391-6323. Show MoreShow Less
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SPRINGFIELD What started with a project to record the history and contributions of African-Americans in the Springfield community, soon grew into The Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum.
Due to the Oral History Project’s success, the museum was founded in 2012 by Doug King and Barbara “Babs” Dickerman on Washington Street in Springfield. Since then, the museum has grown and moved to 1440 Monument Ave. And though the physical building is closed right now, due to COVID-19, it is still sponsoring or offering information in celebration of Black History Mont
Make mention of the sinister MIB to most people and they will likely think of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. Indeed, there is no doubt that the hugely popular trilogy of
Men in Black movies have cemented the image of the MIB in the minds of millions – and all across the planet. The movies have achieved something else, too: they have ensured that many people assume the Men in Black are the secret employees of an equally secret government agency which investigates the UFO phenomenon in stealth. The reality, however, is far different. It’s a fact that the overwhelming majority of people who have reported encounters with the MIB describe something which is far removed from the worlds of government, the military, or the intelligence community. Their encounters are far more Slenderman-like. In other words, Skinny monstrosities.
Larry Smith
Larry Smith joined the LEX18 team as evening anchor next to Nancy Cox and Angie Beavin in December 2020, after a lengthy broadcast journalism career in network and major markets.
Larry began his career during college at his hometown radio stations WLBH-FM & WMCI-FM in Mattoon, Illinois. His television career launched shortly thereafter at WICD in Champaign, Illinois. After a short stint there, he worked for WBIR in Knoxville and WPTV in West Palm Beach before landing a job as a sports anchor and correspondent at CNN. Based in Atlanta, he covered more than 60 major championships worldwide, including a dozen Final Fours, six Super Bowls, and four Olympics. He also served as a regular host for Major League Baseball playoff coverage and NBA TVâs âGametimeâ for Turner Sports.