Kym Ammons-Scott, writer

Kym Ammons-Scott came to Lincoln nine years ago when her husband, Augustus, became the prison warden. She was born in Chicago but raised in Waterloo, Iowa.

She is a self-proclaimed family manager with three children: Ashanti, Jamaal and Janel. Kym has a background in journalism, with a bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa in journalism and mass communications. She also has a master's degree in public administration from the University of Illinois.

Kym is currently on the board for the United Cerebral Palsy of Lincolnland, the Illinois Association of Minorities in Government and keeps very busy with activities at Second Baptist Church.

Wendy Bell, writer

Wendy Bell was born in Charleston, Ill., graduated from high school in Paris, Ill., and then lived in Springfield until moving to the Lincoln area in August of 1997. She has always lived in a county seat.

Wendy is the program manager for Main Street Lincoln. In addition, she serves as state director of the Miss Illinois Fair Queen Pageant. She calls this her "volunteer career" but loves being a part of it because of the people she’s met and worked with.

Her bachelor’s degree, from Saint Mary of the Woods College, included a triple major in marketing, management and business administration.

Wendy’s husband, Terry, is owner of Extension Staffing in Springfield and a school board member for West Lincoln-Broadwell. They and their two sons, Corbin, 11, and Carrington, 10, live five miles west of Lincoln in a Sears kit home built in 1912.

Wendy enjoys antiques, reading short stories and working on their home. She loves watching the changing seasons in their back yard — from the first spring planting in the 40 acres on either side to the clear, starlit summer skies at night to the combines working the harvest to the stillness of a winter morning when the miles are covered with snow. Her first memory of life in Lincoln was looking over the fields and watching the balloons come up on the horizon.

Joan Crabb, writer

Joan calls Hopedale her hometown. She has been living in Lincoln for about six years now.

She attended Hopedale High School (which no longer exists due to consolidation), Roosevelt University of Chicago and Loyola University of Chicago. She earned a master of arts degree in English.

Joan has four daughters, four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

She says of herself that she reads a lot — everything from Shakespeare to detective stories. She enjoys opera, Mozart, folk and bluegrass music. She is a “bird nut” and feeds all the birds in her yard. She seldom goes walking without her binoculars.

There are four generations of her family living — all female.

Mike Fak, writer

Mike Fak, a well-known commentator in Lincoln, also works as a restorationist and as a producer for Channel 15.

Writing is definitely a favorite activity for him. "I have boxes of stuff under the desk," he says. His book, "One Hour ’Til Dawn," was published this year. His commentaries, and other articles as well, have appeared in Lincoln Daily News since December 2000.

Fak graduated from Gordon Tech High School in Chicago and received associate degrees in business and English from Chicago City College.

Husband of Sharon and father of Timothy, he has lived in Logan County for 20 years.

Fak comments that he has "such a big mouth everyone who knows me knows everything about me," but one of the lesser-known facts may be that he paints landscapes as a hobby. He says he hates being on TV but loves to talk to large groups in person. He also likes bragging about and having debates with his son, "who at 16 is getting much better at winning."

Bob Frank, photographer

Bob Frank, a 10-year resident of Logan County, is working as a photographer for Lincoln Daily News and assisting in the LDN office.

He graduated from high school in North Chicago and has attended Pensacola Junior College, University of West Florida and Lincoln Christian College.

He started taking pictures for the school paper in high school and has had several photos win awards, including best of show.

He worked 10 years as a television news photographer and got to meet "a lot of very interesting people." He indicates that the highlight was being able to go to both the Republican and Democratic conventions in 1988. He says, "At the Democratic convention, we were able to interview a little-known governor from Arkansas, Bill Clinton, and his wife."

Bob and his wife, Cheryl, have five children and three grandchildren between them.

Besides photography, his interests include ’60s music, playing on the computer and a collection of ceramic bears. Also, he has two retired greyhounds and enjoys taking them to "meet-and-greets to let people know and meet the dogs and find out what a wonderful dog they are to have as pets."

John Fulton, writer

John Fulton has worked in Logan County for 17 years. He is currently the unit leader with the University of Illinois Extension. Prior to that he was the agriculture adviser for Logan County with the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.

He and his wife, Sherry, have three sons, Andrew, 12, David, 9, and Daniel, 9.

He graduated from high school in St. Charles, received his bachelor’s degree in ag science from Western Illinois University in 1979 and his master’s degree in agronomy from the University of Illinois in 1986.

His favorite pastimes are working around the family’s small-scale farm, hunting and fishing.

Mary Krallmann, copy editor, writer

Mary lived her earliest years in Marysville, Neb. (a rural spot about 30 miles west of Lincoln, Neb.). She  has lived in the local Lincoln since 1983.

She graduated from Pomeroy Community High School in Pomeroy, Iowa;  St. Paul’s College in Concordia, Mo.; and Concordia College in Seward, Neb., where she earned a bachelor’s degree in education.

Her favorite activities are playing the organ for church, jogging, walking and daydreaming.

She is currently working on the Lincoln Daily News project, serving as a staff writer and copy editor.

Jeff Mayfield, writer

Jeff was born in Oceanside, Calif. He grew up in nearby Escondido before moving up the coast to Sunnyvale. He graduated from high school far from the West Coast, in Mount Vernon, Mo. He has been living for the last 13-plus years in Logan County.

He is married to Melinda (Byers) and currently is employed as director of partnership at Lincoln Christian College and Seminary.

He attended college at both Lincoln Christian College and Southwest Missouri State University. He has also done graduate work at Lincoln Christian Seminary and the University of Illinois.

He enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife. His passions are evangelism and preaching. He also reads, watches movies, drives a few golf balls and is known to attend as many major sporting events as humanly possible. But if the truth were known, the pride of his life is his newborn son, Payne.

Kathleen McCullough, writer

Kathleen McCullough just finished writing a 200-page genealogy on the McCullough-Trobaugh family. She also writes part time for LDN.

Originally from Newton, she earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois. To save money for college, she worked in Fairbanks, Alaska, for a year (1951).

She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Now retired, Kathleen has lived in Logan County for 44 years. Her 99-year-old mother lives with her.

Her five grown daughters are Shawn, Bridget, Molly, Annie and Katie.

Cherie Rankin, writer

Cherie L. (Wibben) Rankin of Emden has lived in Logan County all her life. She and her husband, Gary, are parents of Chelsey, 12, Mary Rose, 7, and Erin, 5.

Cherie is a graduate of Hartsburg-Emden High School, Valparaiso University and the University of Illinois and is currently a full-time student in English education at Illinois State University. She earned a bachelor’s degree with a major in PE/athletic training and a minor in English/writing. Then she completed a master’s degree in kinesiology.

For pastimes, she enjoys reading, writing and cooking, especially baking.

Sam Redding, founder

Sam grew up in Towanda and currently lives with his wife, Jane, in Lincoln. Jane is a teacher at Washington-Monroe school. Together they have four children and three grandchildren.

Sam is a graduate of Normal Community High School and earned his B.S. in history, his M.S. in psychology and his Ed.D in educational administration from ISU. He also earned an M.A. in English from U.I.S.

He is the executive director of Academic Development Institute in Lincoln and in his spare time is an avid reader, playing a little golf. He dabbles in genealogy too.

Ryan Seggelke, founder

Ryan Seggelke works with LDN's ad layout and other general graphics needs. During the day he is a pre-press designer for Key Printing. Ryan was born and raised here in Lincoln, where he currently resides. He is quoted as having no spouse or children, but shares his home with a pet canary named Peep.

He graduated from Lincoln Community High School and later received a degree in mathematics from the University of Illinois.

He plays guitar, reads and is interested in shopping and traveling. His favorite food is "Chunky Monkey" ice cream. He is, curiously, both a night person and a morning person, requiring occasional daytime naps.

Tom Seggelke, founder, sports photographer

Tom Seggelke, an LDN partner, was born in Lincoln on July 25, 1948. He graduated from LCHS in 1966 and from Lincoln Christian College in 1970. He is married to Rita, who is a supervisor in the Springfield office of Department of Children and Family Services. They have four children.

Tom is the owner of Key Printing in Lincoln. He and Rita attend Lincoln Christian Church.

His claim to fame is that, although he was very young at the time, he once shook hands with President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Gina Sennett, technician, writer

Gina Sennett is assisting at LDN while she completes work toward a bachelor’s degree in English at Illinois State University in Normal. Her minors are in Spanish and religion.

She began her college studies at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, La., and moved to Lincoln in July 2001 with her parents, James and Tara Sennett.  Her parents work at Lincoln Christian College.

She is engaged to Matthew Mevis, who works for the city water department in Lake Charles, La.

Her favorite activities include reading, singing, dancing, playing the guitar, surfing the Web, writing poetry, hanging out in coffee shops and eating sushi.

She is also highly involved in Amtgard, a live action role-playing organization based in Texas.

Her favorite authors right now are Chuck Palhaniuk and Barbara Kingsolver. Her favorite poets are her friend Mary from Lake Charles, and Andy and Bakeem from Las Vegas.

Also, she loves “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

Gina has a site at www.livejournal.com under username “geenerswh.” She says, “You can sometimes read my poetry there when I am inspired to share it.”

Lynn Shearer Spellman, writer

Lynn Shearer Spellman currently writes articles on assignment for Lincoln Daily News. She is retired from Lincoln College and occasionally edits books for local authors.

She graduated from Toulon Community High School and received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the field of English from the University of Illinois in Urbana. She has lived in Lincoln for 35 years.

Lynn is married to Henry A. (Hank) Spellman and has two sons, Ed and Charlie. Ed and his family live in Bedford, Ind., and Charlie in Phoenix, Ariz. Both sons and the daughter-in-law are engineers.

The Spellmans have a cat, Ivan.

Lynn enjoys reading, attending plays and being a grandma. She also likes traveling and once celebrated a birthday in the Republic of Kirabati.

Greg Taylor, sports writer

Greg Taylor, assistant director of admissions at Lincoln Christian College, likes to watch the Cubs and the Illini. His reports on Illini games are posted for LDN readers.

He graduated from Champaign Centennial High School, earned a bachelor’s degree from LCC, and is currently working on a master’s degree at Lincoln Christian Seminary.

He enjoys spending family time with his wife, Marla, and their two children: Jordan, 4, and Peyton, 1. They have a golden retriever named Sammy.

Besides watching sports, Greg likes to read and also spends about eight to 10 days each year fishing in Canada.

John Welter, writer

John F. Welter grew up in Colby, Kan.. He has been living here in the Lincoln area for about 12 years with his wife, Tamara, son Brian and daughter Olivia. They have a wirehair terrier named Niblet.

John attended high school in Colby, Kan., received his B.S. from Kansas State University, a Masters from Eastern New Mexico University and has done advanced graduate work at UCLA.

John is currently working as professor of history and religion at Lincoln College.

He says his favorite pastimes include reading and listening to music of all kinds.

Fuzz Werth, writer

Fuzz Werth is a lifelong resident of Lincoln. He currently works for the Illinois Secretary of State at the Lincoln facility.

He graduated from Lincoln High in 1961 and from Lincoln College in 1963. He then earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and has done postgraduate work in public administration at the University of Illinois-Springfield.

He has four cats: Booker and Richard, indoors; and Hannibal and Harriet, outdoors.

Fuzz enjoys hot weather (July and August are his favorite months), working outside, reading, writing, fishing and an occasional golf game.

Jan Youngquist, managing editor

Jan moved to Lincoln 17 years ago and currently serves as managing editor for Lincoln Daily News, RMA manager for Computer Consulting Associates and as a tutor at Lincoln College.

She and her husband, Jim, have a daughter, Trisha, in college in Missouri. The Younquists share their home with Bob, the cat.

Jan graduated from Streator Township High School and has studied at Joliet Junior College (horticulture), Lincoln Christian College, Lincoln College (pre-nursing), and Millikin University (nursing).

Jan likes variety in life and a sense of adventure. She enjoys playing with the cat, gardening, reading (novels and gardening stuff), movies, listening to books on tape while driving or floating in the pool, traveling in the U.S., walking through parks and wilderness, and camping. She also lists worship on Sundays — not as a pastime, but a necessary time.

As far as dislikes are concerned, there’s coconut. And she takes mice caught on sticky traps and sets them free in the country.

Jim Youngquist, founder, CEO

Jim Youngquist grew up in Joliet and moved to Lincoln in 1984 with his family to attend Lincoln Christian College. He attended Joliet West High School and Joliet Junior College, where he majored in horticulture. Jim was a preaching major at LCC.

He lives quietly in Lincoln with his wife, Jan, and Bob, the cat. Jim and Jan have a daughter, Trisha, who is currently a junior in college.

Jim says that his hobbies are computers, collecting clocks and tropical fish, but his favorite pastime is actually teaching Sunday School at Eastview Christian Church in Bloomington.

Trisha Youngquist, office assistant, writer

Trisha Youngquist of Lincoln is a student and, during breaks from school, an LDN office assistant. Besides responsibilities at the front desk, she has written articles and trained other workers.

She graduated from the Illinois Math and Science Academy in 1998 and studied for two years at Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Virginia.

At Truman State University in Missouri she's double majoring in Russian and physics and loving it.

She enjoys swimming, embroidery, reading, watching movies, biking, traveling and sitting around drinking coffee. In addition, she does a great Animal (from the Muppets) impression.

Penny Zimmerman-Wills, writer

Penny Zimmerman-Wills is a self-employed communications/public relations consultant and freelance writer. She has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Western Illinois University and has done graduate work in public relations at the University of Illinois, Springfield.

A Kilbourne native, she graduated from Easton High School. She has resided in Logan County for 4½ years.

Her husband, Chris, is bureau chief for the State Capitol office of the Associated Press.

Penny and Chris have a dog, Cisco, and three cats, Minnie, Pearl and Chessie.

Penny’s favorite pastimes are gardening, antiquing, restoring their century-old home, walking and anything outdoor-related, and traveling.