Latest news with #Morrisonville
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘It's home:' Diving into 72 years of family history at Sloan Furniture in Our Town Morrisonville
MORRISONVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — They say some of the best memories are made around the kitchen table. In 'Our Town Morrisonville,' one family has dedicated the past seven decades to making sure people have some of the best furniture inside their homes. Sloan Furniture took over a space that had previously been a grocery store and then opened its doors in the 900-person town of Morrisonville in 1953. Between then and now, the current owner, Rita Sloan, has seen a lot of changes within the business, whether that's trends leading to selling more items like recliners, or fewer kitchen sets. 'Back in those days, people had big families and big family dinners. But now, people have eliminated their dining rooms,' Sloan said. At 96, Sloan is still going. She's dedicated to the shop and everyone who walks through the front door. Taylorville High School class introducing teens to live broadcasts, creating foundation for professional careers 'I like working with people, and I also like working with furniture,' she said with a smile. Here's the thing: she didn't necessarily think she would ever call this her career. First, she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in Missouri. Then, she worked for the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) in Springfield. 'I worked as a social worker for many years,' she explained. After retiring, she found her way back to the family business to help her mom. Little did she know that lending a helping hand would spark a love story for furniture she never saw coming. 'It's home! This is where my roots are!' she said. Sloan is from a family of 11 and is now the oldest of four living children. She'll be turning 97 next month! She grew up going to the Morrisonville Bull Frog Festival as well. That's where you can find the WCIA-3 News team on Friday, Aug. 8, during the 5 and 6 p.m. broadcasts. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Clinton County Fair returning for six days
MORRISONVILLE — North Country residents can get their annual dose of family friendly fun at the Clinton County Fairgrounds next week as the fair is back for six full days. Set for Monday through July 12, the 77th annual Clinton County Fair will soon light up the night sky with its iconic and colorful midway, featuring amusement rides and games for all ages and a variety of crave-worthy carnival concessions. Additionally, the contemporary country music hitmakers Parmalee take the Glenn Gillespie Stage on Friday with their acclaimed melodies and energy-infused guitar licks. Rising star Thomas Mac will open for the group. Other grandstand entertainment includes the Lucky E Rodeo on Monday, a cornhole tournament Tuesday, the New York State Tractor Pullers Association on Wednesday and the Della Auto Group Demolition Derby on July 12. Throughout the week, the fairgrounds will also host daily performances of the popular children's shows 'Pipsqueak's Party Time Clown Show' and 'Buffalo Barfield,' both longtime fair favorites. A few mischievous marine mammals will also be on hand making daily waves as part of the 'Sea Lion Splash' show, and wagon rides will be provided by Country Dreams Farm. As always, the fair will feature a robust agricultural component, with a variety of 4-H livestock exhibits, agricultural displays and demonstrations and educational contests. Admission to the fairgrounds is $9 per person and free for children age 12 and younger. A special rate of $5 for individuals age 4 and older will be offered Monday. The reduced rate will be offered to all veterans with ID on Tuesday and to senior citizens age 62 and older Thursday. A season pass for fairgrounds admission can be purchased for $35. Admission to the fair does not include admission to rides or grandstand events. Wristbands, which provide unlimited access to most rides for a single day, can be purchased for $35. Tickets to grandstand events can be purchased online at For more information, visit
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Schuyler Falls begins major water improvement project
MORRISONVILLE — After more than two decades of planning, the Town of Schuyler Falls officially broke ground Thursday on a transformative water infrastructure project set to replace nearly 30,000 feet of aging asbestos cement water mains in the Morrisonville Water District. At a ceremony held at the Schuyler Falls Town Hall Thursday, community leaders, engineers and residents gathered to celebrate one of the largest infrastructure projects the town has ever undertaken. 'This brainchild started back in January 2020,' Kevin Randall, Clinton County Legislator (R-Area 5) and former Schuyler Falls Town Supervisor, said. 'When I talked to Mr. Laberge about wanting to do this project, he asked me, 'Are you sure? Do you know what you're biting off here?' We worked really hard on it.' Randall's persistence paid off, in coordination with the town and engineering firm the Laberge Group, millions in funding were secured from various federal and state programs. Funding includes $2.56 million in Community Project Funding from Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-Schuylerville), Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand; $1.3 million in USDA Water and Environmental Program grant funding; $1.25 million in Community Development Block Grant funds; and $5.56 million in USDA low-interest loans. 'Our first real goal was the CDBG funding and then USDA low-interest loan funding,' Randall said. The project, with the help of The Laberge Group, will replace deteriorating water lines originally installed in the 1950s with modern infrastructure designed to last the next 100 years. The project includes the installation of approximately 12,000 linear feet of 12-inch water main along State Route 22B and Flat Rock Road to the water storage tank, as well as an additional 17,000 feet of 8-inch water main throughout the remainder of the district. The Laberge Group has been a crucial partner in the project, conducting the Preliminary Engineering Report, assisting with grant applications, and now overseeing implementation. Ronald Laberge, Laberge Group Vice President, acknowledged the long road it took to get here. 'This project has been in the works for 25 years,' Laberge said. 'Former town boards have looked at replacing the water system for a long time. Laberge Group has helped in the past, but it never flew until Kevin came into office in 2020. He helped get the funding, which was about 50% grant funding and 50% low-interest loans.' Once complete, the upgrades will reduce service disruptions caused by leaks and breaks, improve water pressure, ensure adequate fire protection, and conserve water. Town Supervisor Mindy Smith, who inherited the project as it moved into its most critical phase, called the milestone a 'breath of fresh air,' and that residents should not expect major disruptions from the project. 'It should not disrupt things. Some side streets may need to be closed, if they are more narrow, but we will have at least one lane open on New York 22B,' she said. Smith emphasized the impact this upgrade will have on the daily lives of residents, including less frequent breaks and leaks and potential growth. 'Of course breaks happen in an outdated system. That will happen less with the new system,' she said. 'We expect to possibly grow our water system further over the years.' According to Laberge, this project is absolutely necessary to consistently provide residents with clean water. 'These asbestos pipes have plagued the area for a long time, not in health, but with breaks and leaks,' he said. 'The current system leaks about 50% of the water supply, and that will be reduced to near zero in the new system.' The replacement process will be 'very methodical,' according to Laberge, crews have already begun setup, and construction will proceed on a street by street basis. 'You can already see down the street, we are setting up,' he said. 'We will be going through every street, replacing the main from the old to the new main.' The project has also garnered support from neighboring communities and state-level representatives. Michael Cashman, Town Supervisor of Plattsburgh, attended the groundbreaking and expressed his enthusiasm. 'I applaud the leadership,' he said. Assemblyman Billy Jones echoed those sentiments in a statement. 'Everyone deserves clean water, and I applaud the Town of Schuyler Falls for working diligently for years to fix their water system in Morrisonville,' he said. 'Unfortunately, the Town is not alone in facing issues with aging water infrastructure, and that is why I continue to push for more funding to help local governments address this issue.' As the Laberge Group's golden shovels turned the first soil of the project site, residents and officials alike reflected on the teamwork and dedication that made the moment possible. 'There's been a ton of hours of work behind the scenes,' Randall added. 'It's nice to finally see shovels in the ground. So excited to get things going after so much hard work.'
