Veterans enjoy day of tribute at the Illinois State Fair      

[AUG. 15, 2006]  SPRINGFIELD -- On Sunday, the Lincoln Stage at the Illinois State Fair provided the setting for the honoring of armed forces past and present. Roy Dolgos, director of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs, hosted the event. Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn and military officials addressed the crowd. The Marine Corps Silent Drill Team also provided a musical tribute to our nation's veterans.

Husband and hog calling competition entertains fairgoers on Grandstand Avenue

The annual husband- and hog-calling contest was another crowd favorite, with a variety of different sounds and styles of calling. The event was sponsored by Hog Inc., which awarded cash prizes to the top three finishers. Placing first in the hog-calling contest was Chris Karr of Seymour. Second place went to Joe Rhodes of Effingham, and the third-place title went to Lisa Reed of Springfield. In the husband-calling contest, Sherry Day of Springfield received first place, Kelley Tierney of Cornland placed second, and Joanne Bravato of Cresthill took third. Along with the cash prizes from Hog Inc., the Illinois State Fair will provide premiums to the first-place winners.

Knox County teen wins 2006 Illinois State Fair Sheep Show

A Suffolk wether named Ernie helped Sarah DeSchepper, 13, to the top two honors for sheep at the Illinois State Fair.

In just her third year at the Junior Show, DeSchepper was awarded the grand champion title, pending verification, as well as the Land of Lincoln award given to the best wether born and raised in the state of Illinois.

Sarah will sell Ernie in the governor's Sale of Champions on Tuesday. She is uncertain how she'll spend the money from the auction but said she would "probably put some of it in the bank."

The daughter of Rich and Beth DeSchepper, Sarah will be in the eighth grade at ROWVA Junior High this fall. She is a member of the Cloverleaf 4-H Club in Knox County.

This year's reserve grand champion honors went to 14-year-old Jared Whitcomb and his Hampshire-Suffolk crossbreed. The son of Ed and Coni Whitcomb of Greenview, Jared is a member of the Greenview Boosters 4-H Club in Menard County. Jared showed the 2005 grand champion sheep.

2006 grand champion steer is first big win for Kane County youth

Nineteen-year-old Brock Foster of Kane County had never won a title bigger than at his county fair until Saturday night, when his 1,280-pound crossbred steer was named the grand champion steer at the 2006 Illinois State Fair, pending verification. "We call him Little One because all my other steers are much bigger framed," Foster said. He feeds his steers with show feed, "and as the shows get closer, the harder I work," he said. His hard work has paid off this season. In addition to the state fair title, Little One won third overall at the University of Illinois spring show.

Johnna Thompson's 1,314-pound steer, a crossbred from Friction, was named this year's reserve grand champion. Thompson won the grand champion title last year.

For the first time the Land of Lincoln grand champion will also be included in the Sale of Champions, which will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

[Illinois State Fair news release]