Lincoln Trail College’s Broadband Telecom program has received a significant equipment donation from Metro Communications, made possible through program alumnus Collin Alger, a 2025 graduate now employed by the company. The contribution provides critical Outside Plant Construction tools that will expand hands-on learning opportunities and strengthen workforce preparation for future students.

Dual credit courses at Lincoln Trail College continued to provide significant financial and academic benefits for area high school students during the Fall 2025 semester, with more than 170 students earning college credit and saving thousands of dollars in tuition and fees. Students from four Crawford County high schools enrolled in dual credit classes through Lincoln Trail College, allowing them to earn college credit while still in high school. In total, students completed 366 dual credit classes during the semester.

Lincoln Trail College will hold auditions for its spring production of Disney’s Newsies, the Tony Award-winning musical based on the 1992 Disney film, on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, and Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, both at 6 p.m. in the Zwermann Arts Center Theater.

OLNEY, Ill. — Outstanding students at Olney Central College have received academic honors for the Fall 2025 Semester. Students named to the Chancellor’s List have attained a grade point average of 3.90 or higher, on a 4.0 scale. Those on the President’s List have achieved a grade point average between 3.75 and 3.89, while those students named to the Dean’s List have earned a grade point average between 3.50 and 3.74.   Chancellor’s List:  Albion: Tabitha Rhodes and Travis Roosevelt  Allendale: Ava Bogard

Frontier Community College has released its academic honor lists for the Fall 2025 semester. Illinois Eastern Community Colleges recognizes students who demonstrate academic excellence through three distinctions: the Chancellor’s Academic Honors List, the President’s Academic Honors List, and the Dean’s Academic Honors List. To qualify for any of the honor lists, students must be enrolled full-time (12 credit hours or more) and be taking college-level courses.

Welding is back at Lincoln Trail College, and early momentum shows the program’s return is being met with enthusiasm from students, industry partners and the community. January 8’s Welding Open House at the college drew strong attendance, giving prospective students an opportunity to tour the welding lab, meet instructors, learn about career pathways and receive help enrolling for Spring Semester classes. The event marked an important step in rebuilding the program after welding courses were paused during the fall semester.

Lincoln Trail College has released its academic honor lists for the Fall 2025 Semester. Three lists have been established by Illinois Eastern Community Colleges to indicate students who have achieved academic excellence. They are the Chancellor’s Honors List, the President’s Academic Honors List, and the Dean’s Academic Honors List. To qualify for any of the honor lists, a student must be enrolled full-time (12 hours or more) and must be taking college-level classes.

Lincoln Trail College will host a Welding Open House on January 8 from 4 to 6 p.m., giving prospective students and community members an opportunity to meet the program’s new instructors and learn more about welding education and career pathways. The open house will feature LTC’s new welding faculty members Will Bookhout and Kenneth Pearson. Dennis York, a current LTC faculty member who is the lead instructor for the college’s Broadband Telecom program, will teach a course this spring on welding blueprints. 

Wabash Valley College will host a new Gas Utility Construction Bootcamp, a hands-on training program designed to prepare students for entry-level careers in the natural gas utility and pipeline construction industry. The bootcamp runs Saturdays, Jan. 10–March 14, 2026.  The intensive 10-week course will be held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the WVC campus in Mt. Carmel, offering 90 hours of expert training in gas main and service installation, safety protocols, and readiness for Department of Transportation Operator Qualifications (OQ). 

Illinois Eastern Community Colleges (IECC) Business & Industry, in partnership with the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at IECC, will host Blueprints for Growth: Tools for Economic Development on January 15, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Terry L. Bruce West Richland Center in Noble, Illinois.