The first Bailey Buzz of the new year has information about an upcoming event hosted by the Danville Fire Department, a new Westville business, a David S. Palmer Arena girls’ hockey event and Vermilion County’s Freedom of Information Act request processes.
Tommy Howard at his new Westville business, Hometown Garage. Its ribbon cutting and grand opening is on Saturday.
What is the new business in Westville that’s having a ribbon cutting on Saturday?
That business is Hometown Garage, 102 E. Main St., across from CVS.
Owner Tommy Howard and his wife, Dani, have lived their whole lives in Westville, and that’s where the name comes from.
They also aren’t new to the automotive business.
“I’m a mechanic,” Tommy said.
He said the opportunity came to buy the building, which formerly housed Hill’s Automotive, and start this shop.
They also have owned Wilson’s Body Shop in Danville for the past five years.
“And now we’ve branched out to here,” he said about their hometown.
They’ve been working to get the shop open for the last six months.
Remodeling has included help from the village with new signage and things, he said.
The business opened Monday, and a ribbon cutting will be at 10 a.m. Saturday during its grand opening, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Guests are welcome to tour the shop, and there will be free donuts and chances to win door prizes at the event.
Services offered at the business will include brakes, tires, shocks, exhaust, oil changes and engine code diagnostics.
Hours will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
He’s excited to open it and welcomes the public to the grand opening.
FOIA request processing won’t be handled through the Vermilion County State’s Attorney Office anymore.
Has the process changed for how Freedom of Information Act requests are handled by Vermilion County?
Vermilion County Board Chairman Steve Miller said the state’s attorney’s office requested to no longer be in charge of processing FOIAs, as of this month.
Since this is not a full-time job, a contracted paralegal, hired like an independent contractor, will be used to oversee FOIAs.
He said the county was notified around Dec. 1 of the request, to begin this past Monday.
County departments which handle FOIA requests on their own, such as the sheriff’s department, which sees about five to ten FOIA requests a week that Deputy Mike Vice handles the response to, will continue to handle them on their own, Miller said.
“I don’t imagine that will change,” Miller said. “Elected officials and department heads comply with requests.”
He said they are free to do so, when they have state-certified persons in place, to copy records that exist for those requests.
The county board, for example, has Human Resources Director Nancy Boose assisting with county FOIAs, Miller added.
Miller said the state’s attorney’s office didn’t announce a reasoning for its request.
According to Lucy Overlander, community affairs liaison and public information officer with the Vermilion County State’s Attorney’s Office, “this was an administrative decision by the state’s attorney. Any FOIA requests of the State’s Attorney’s Office can be sent to SAfoia@vercounty.org.”
The David S. Palmer Arena in Danville is hosting the Central Girls Hockey League Tournament this weekend.
Why are hockey teams coming to the arena this weekend?
According to David S. Palmer Arena General Manager Teri Gaffney, it’s hosting the Central Girls Hockey League Tournament.
Games will be taking place all day Saturday, starting at 8:30 a.m., and continuing again on Sunday from about 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This is the first time the arena is welcoming the event.
The tournament will feature talented young female athletes ranging in age from 13 to 19, traveling from Indianapolis, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Chesterfield, Louisville, Tennessee and Athens.
Fans can expect a weekend of fast-paced, exciting hockey as these teams compete at a high level, according to Gaffney.
The family-friendly event is free and open to the public. It offers the community a unique opportunity to support girls’ hockey and enjoy top-tier competition close to home.
The Danville Fire Department will be hosting firefighters at an event at the Fischer Theatre.
What is the ‘Firefighters at the Fischer’ event?
The Danville Fire Department once again is hosting firefighters from across the region at the historic downtown Danville Fischer Theatre for its “Firefighters at the Fischer” training program on Wednesday.
The evening program is free for firefighters and area departments and will share real-world lessons from high-risk incidents.
This year’s program, “Wichita Rescue — First-Hand Account,” features Isaac Frazier of the Wichita Fire Department. With more than 22 years of service, Frazier serves Wichita Fire’s Truck 2 and runs Tactical Advantage Training.
He previously has served as a special operations captain in St. Johns County, has taught across the country, led hands-on training at FDIC, contributed to Fire Engineering, worked as a NAVRA assessor, and founded the Into the Job Fireman’s Symposium. His courses place a strong emphasis on mental readiness and decision-making under extreme conditions.
Frazier will walk attendees through a demanding Wichita rescue operation, offering a detailed, on-scene perspective of how training, mindset and teamwork come together when lives are on the line. The evening will focus on high-stakes rescue, split-second decision-making and choices under pressure.
This event is building on the success of last year’s inaugural “Firefighters at the Fischer,” which brought more than 100 firefighters from departments around the Illinois/Indiana area together for a free evening of professional development.
The 2026 program continues the Danville Fire Department’s goal of providing high-quality training opportunities close to home, according to local fire department officials.
Networking and cocktail hours start at 5 p.m., with the main program from 7 to 9 p.m. Registration is free, and departments across the Midwest are encouraged to send firefighters, company officers and chief officers. Attendees can register at no cost by using the link at facebook.com/share/1CDszjceG1/.
