Two new flagpoles on the southeast corner of the old Effingham County Courthouse square were dedicated on Wednesday with a flag raising ceremony. The two flagpoles are an addition to the Effingham County Heroes Memorial located on the corner of N. Third Street and Jefferson Avenue. The project was headed by sisters, Bonnie Mellendorf and Arnetia Osborn, who decided to add the flagpoles with donated money left over from the memorial. The Heroes Memorial Project was conceptualized in early 2015 and completed with Wednesday’s dedication that included speeches from Effingham City Administrator Jim Arndt, Effingham Mayor Jeff Bloemker, County Board Chairman Jim Niemann, and Mellendorf and Osborn. Mellendorf said that the end result was worth the effort.
The raising of the colors was handled by the MABAS Division 54 Honor Guard. The City of Effingham installed the flagpoles, and the necessary lighting. City Administrator Arntd said that the new flagpoles were great for the community.
Both the American and Illinois State flags will be flown at the memorial. The Effingham County Probation will be in charge of raising and lowering them on a daily basis. The flags were donated by Beck’s Hybrids. The flagpoles were housed at the Effingham Equity while details about maintenance and placement were discussed by the County Board.