Illini West High School Announces Homecoming 2026 Parade and Celebration Details

CARTHAGE, IL — The 2026 Illini West Homecoming is quickly approaching! The Illini West High School Student Council invites local businesses, community organizations, and area residents to celebrate Homecoming 2026 with this year’s theme, "Where the Party Never Ends."

The annual Homecoming parade will take place on Friday, September 18, 2026. Parade participants will line up at 4:00 p.m. at the Trinity Lutheran Church parking lot (located at the intersection of Washington and Walnut Streets) before proceeding west down Main Street toward the Carthage Square. The parade will officially begin at 4:30 p.m.

Directly following the parade, a community pep rally will be held on the Carthage Square. The 2026 Homecoming King and Queen will be announced on the north steps of the Hancock County Courthouse during the rally. Later that evening, the Illini West Chargers will face off against Hamilton/Warsaw in the Homecoming football game.

Parade Entry & Registration Information

Community members, clubs, and local entities wishing to enter a float, car, or walking group in the parade must submit an entry form prior to the event. Participants are asked to leave room during lineup for the Illini West Marching Band and the Homecoming Court.

To register, submit the following details via email, mail, or fax:

• Name of Group/Organization:

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• Contact Person:

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• Phone Number:

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• Email Address:

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• Type of Entry (e.g., walking group, car, float):

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Submissions can be directed to:

Attn: Melissa Sturlic

Illini West High School

600 Miller St., Carthage, IL 62321

Email: melissasturlic@illiniwest.org

Fax: 217-357-3569

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Illini West- Confirmed Case of MRSA  within Football Program - Principle Amanda Congdon   full transparency to community 

3rd annual Coach Rodney Blue Charitable Run on Sept. 19

The Sandburg Foundation will host the third annual Coach Rodney Blue Charitable Run at 8 a.m. Sept. 19 on the Galesburg campus to honor the late Chargers cross country coach and support his legacy for future cross country student-athletes at Sandburg.

Runners and walkers of all ages and skill levels are invited to register for this non-competitive event. Registration is $30 for ages 13 and over, $20 for ages 12 and under and free for current Sandburg students. On-site registration will also be available. 

An opening ceremony will take place at 8 a.m., and the 5K run/walk will start at 8:30 a.m. A 1K run/walk will begin at 8:35 a.m. Both routes will start in the circle drive of the Science & Technology Center, go through the bus lane in parking lot A, turn right onto Tom L. Wilson Blvd., turn left past building G and head south on Log City Trail. A return route will follow that same path.

Money raised will go toward the Coach Rodney Blue Cross Country Team Fund, which has raised more $14,500 to support the Sandburg cross country program and its student-athletes.

For those who don’t want to participate in the run/walk but would still like to support the Coach Rodney Blue Cross Country Team Fund, donations can be made through the Sandburg Foundation.

Blue passed away in July 2024 at age 66. He first joined the Chargers as an assistant in 2011 and led the men’s and women’s cross country teams from 2015 to his passing. Blue steered the program to its most successful stretch ever, winning five Region 4 championships and sending a team or individual to the NJCAA national meet in each of the eight seasons it fielded a squad during his tenure.

For more information, contact Emma Smith, student engagement specialist, at 309.345.3522 or esmith@sandburg.edu.

Due to the Extreme Heat, Dallas City Elementary will be dismissing at 12:30 p.m. Today.

Early Dismissal at 12:30 pm

Dallas Elementary School District #327

Wednesday, September 2, 2026

The new Carthage Library is Open and Amy Gee  and  Christina Geissler have all the updates