Did you know that Sesame Street wasn’t always the kind place we know it to be today?

Legend has it that Santa and his reindeer use to fly over Sesame Street because it lacked warmth and kindness.  That changed when Elmo’s great, great, great grandfather visited Sesame Street and started to act kindly to the people he found there.

Volunteers in Champaign-Urbana and Hoopeston are gearing up to serve free dinners on Christmas Day, to anyone who wants to come. Both events are asking people to make their reservations by Thursday.

A clarification in the language from the Miss America organization may mean Hoopeston can no longer hold its National Sweetheart Pageant, held during Labor Day weekend.  The competition has gone on since the 1940's. Its co-directors, Cliff and Michelle Crabtree, say they're looking into what it would take to become affiliated with the organization.