Makanda News

Natalie Stephens, soprano, has recently completed her Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

The lights were dimmed, the music was loud and the crowd was as eager as the three bands that performed Saturday night at Hangar 9. The Heat Tape, Owls and Crows and Troubadour Dali played for an audience that grew more packed as the night went on.

For artists, finding a job in the academic field may provide an otherwise elusive steady income, but that paycheck could come with some costs of its own.

Southern Illinois has witnessed a rash of house fires recently. In the last two months, the American Red Cross has helped 44 people recover from 13 house fires in Franklin, Jackson, Union and Williamson counties.