🌱 How Unity softball showed Coach Ellars no one fights cancer alone

Hey there, Tolono! Let's get started with what's happening in and around town. Read on and stay in the loop. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• How Unity softball showed Coach Ellars no one fights cancer alone

Also on today's calendar: Pinckneyville Varsity Softball @ Tolono Unity.

Today's riddle: What did the inventor of the knock-knock joke win? 🤔 (Answer below!)

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From our Partner
Today's Tolono Patch AM is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. After investing billions to light up their network from big cities to small towns, T-Mobile is America's best mobile network in the US, according to Ookla Speedtest. We thank T-Mobile for their support in helping to keep communities like ours connected and for making today's Tolono Patch AM possible.
Find a T-Mobile store near Tolono.

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Weather forecast:

• Friday: Becoming windier and warm, with a high of 82 and low of 49 degrees.
• Saturday: Very windy; cooler, temps: high: 57, low: 37.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny and windy, with a high of 57 and low of 33 degrees.

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📰 News we're reading

• Unity softball comforting assistant coach, community legend amid cancer battle (wandtv.com) — Unity High School’s softball community in Tolono is rallying around longtime coach and community fixture David Ellars as he finishes radiation treatment for prostate cancer. Players, including his granddaughter, created light blue “Coach Ellars – No one fights alone” wristbands that have spread through Tolono and beyond, honoring his decades of mentorship and his determination to keep coaching throughout treatment.
   

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📸 Around Tolono

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Tolono

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Saturday April 18

• 2026 ROGER EBERT’S FILM FESTIVAL: “THE LAST DANCE”
  Virginia Theatre, 203 W Park Ave, Champaign
  9:00 am

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

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Other local events

Saturday May 16

• Pinckneyville Varsity Softball @ Tolono Unity
  Unity High School , 1127 County Rd 800 , Tolono
  12:30 pm

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📣 Tolono Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

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🗓 Events Nearby

Friday April 17

• Chamber Shred Day 2026
  Champaign County Chamber of Commerce Parking Lot
  9:00 am

Saturday April 18

• Safe Sitter
  Phillips Recreation Center , 505 W Stoughton Street , Urbana
  9:30 am

Tuesday April 21

• Read and Rebound
  Garden Hills Elem School Champaign, IL 61821
  4:00 pm

Wednesday April 22

• Spring Musical DAYTIME PREVIEWS
  Centennial High School Champaign, IL 61821
  7:30 am
• Play NATURE @The Scratching Post, Win Prizes!
  The Scratching Post is Champaign's Cat & Board Game Cafe. Enjoy our light snack and drink menu, purchase a game pass to access our massive library of 500+ board games, or make a reservation to visit our cat lounge where 20+ adoptable cats are waiting
  2:00 pm
• Earth Day at Sola - Save the Date! — Sola Gratia Farm
  2200 Philo Rd , Urbana
  9:00 pm

Thursday April 23

• Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend
  University of Illinois Gies Memorial Stadium , 1402 S 1st St , Champaign
  4:00 pm
• Track Meet @ St. Joseph (SJO High School)
  International Prep Academy Champaign, IL 61821
  4:00 pm

Friday April 24

• The City and the City
  Krannert Center for the Performing Arts , 500 S Goodwin Ave Room 4-122 , Urbana
  12:30 pm

Saturday May 2

• Verdi's Requiem
  Foellinger Great Hall , Krannert Center for the Performing Arts , 500 S Goodwin Ave Room 4-122 , Urbana
  12:30 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

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Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• GrubHub posted a job opening for Grubhub Driver - Champaign-Urbana, IL - Fast Cash, Flexible Work! in Tolono. Apply here.
• Sonic Corporation posted a job opening for Crew Member in Savoy. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Tolono here.

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🗞 Nearby News

Savoy

• Illinois National Guard soldiers return from 10-month Europe deployment (stripes.com)
• Community prepares to welcome thousands for Illinois race weekend (wixy.com)

Champaign

• Ebertfest returns to Champaign for 'One Last Dance' (chambanatoday.com)
• 'Untold Stories' initiative shines light on overlooked voices in central Illinois (wandtv.com)
• Champaign County leaders honored among illinois' outstanding young persons (wixy.com)

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Ok Tolono! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: The NO-BELL prize (Thank you Gina M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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