Naturalization ceremony to be held at Illinois State Fair

Posted on August 13, 2024
Judge Colleen Lawless. (Dave Dahl/WJBC)

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – The 2024 Illinois State Fair will be unforgettable for two hundred fairgoers who will become United States citizens.

It’s a first-time event for the fair. Judge Colleen Lawless said becoming a citizen is a long journey, “and this is the finish line for them, and I know they are extremely excited about that and this opportunity to be able to take that in on that day, and then also go enjoy the state fair events afterwards is something that I am so happy to be able to provide through the partnership with the Illinois State Fair.”

Lawless says the fair manager, Rebecca Clark, approached her about putting on a ceremony. The two hundred people to be naturalized come from 49 countries.

The ceremony is at 11 a.m. Wednesday in the Orr Building.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…