The Wethersfield School District met on Thursday night for their monthly School Board Meeting. At the meeting it was made official that Retired Kewanee Police Officer Chris Woods would take on the job of School Resource Office for the Wethersfield School District. Woods' hire was made official last night in an Executive Session. Meanwhile, Superintendent Brooks told WKEI that the Wethersfield School District is opting out of statewide sex education standards set forth in a bill in Springfield. Dr. Brooks said most schools he is aware of are not accepting the new sex education standards and that he's looking for further clarification of the standards before they would possibly be implemented in the Wethersfield School District.

Shawn Parr, who's show you hear each weekday afternoon on Hog Country 102.5 WJRE is coming to The Back Road Music Festival in Galva on Saturday, August 13th. Shawn will be our M.C for the event, introducing the incredible acts playing at this year's Back Road Music Festival including Callista Clark, Jerrod Niemann, Jameson Rodgers, and Kip Moore. Shawn joined Wake Up Tri-Counties on Friday morning to preview the fun and excitement coming to Galva this weekend.

Whiteside County Sheriff John Booker-CrimeStoppers by Regional Media

Scott Mann is the director behind the new movie Fall. The film is about two women who climb the tallest out of commission television tower in the country and wind up getting stuck when the ladder of the rusty tower fails. The two women are trapped 2000 feet in the air on a very small platform and have to figure out a way to get help. The technique that Scott Mann and his team used to get the women to 2000 feet in the air are incredibly effective and the movie is terrifying. I saw it and came away with a newfound fear of heights, that's how effective Fall is. it's a terrific movie and I had a very fun conversation with the director of Fall, Scott Mann.

Sara Billiet from the Kewanee Public Library was our guest today on Wake Up Tri-Counties. Sara joined us to talk about Billy Sunday, the revival preacher whose stops in Kewanee in the early 1900s brought in some of the largest crowds ever gathered in the City's history. Billy Sunday will be the subject of a presentation by Historian Craig Bishop at 2 Pm on August 26th in the Community Room at the Library. Sara also wanted to remind everyone of the Hog Days Book Sale which is hosted by the Friends of the Kewanee Public Library. The Book Sale will run from 7 Am to 11 Am on Saturday, September 3rd, Hog Days Weekend, in the parking lot of Johnson Appliance located at 114 North Chestnut Street.

Bethany Bland-Rock Falls Chamber of Commerce by Regional Media

The Henry County Farm Bureau Golf Fun Day is taking place on Friday, August 12th at Baker Park in Kewanee. It's the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Henry County Farm Bureau and there is still time for you to take part and show your support to the Henry County Farm Bureau. If you'd like to enter a foursome to play on Friday, call the Henry County Farm Bureau at 309-937-2411, Katie Laleman from the Henry County Farm Bureau was our guest on Wake Up Tri-Counties on Wednesday to invite people to play golf on Friday and talk about what the money raised does for the Henry County Farm Bureau and the community at large.

Gary Boyle is known as The Back Yard Astronomer. On Wednesday, Gary joined Wake Up Tri-Counties because tonight, August 10th, and tomorrow, August 11th, people across the northern hemisphere will have their best and brighest look at the Perseid Meteor Show. Perseid and the Earth crossed paths beginning in late July and we will be sharing space Perseid in orbit through early September, but the best time to see the incredible shower of meteors passing by the Earth comes with tonight's full moon and tomorrow's mostly fuil moon. In this interview, Gary Boyle talks about the best ways and the best time to get the best look at the remarkable Perseid Meteor Shower.

151st Whiteside County Fair with Todd Mickley by Regional Media

Kewanee Mayor Gary Moore was our guest on Wake Up Tri-Counties on Tuesday, August 9th, 2022. The Mayor joined WKEI to discuss Monday night's Kewanee City Council Meeting. At the meeting, the Council approved a road closure for Courtyard Estates for an event they are holding on August 28th. The Council then made the final decision regarding North Cottage between 5th and 6th Streets. The council voted 5 to 0 in favor of not upgrading the empty road to a street and will not try to qualify the space as an alley as some had suggested. The Mayor also discussed the long term savings that should come from a pair of upgrades set to occur on Kewanee's water treatment plant and water treatment infrastructure. Finally, there was a tabled vote regarding reimbursing a portion of cell phone use for top level City Hall employees. The Council has requested more information on the plan for the next Kewanee City Council Meeting.