Latest local news, weather and high school sports for Tri-State area

QUINCY IL -- Quincy kids are out of school today for President's Day. And some of them celebrated the holiday this morning by donating pennies they've been collecting. The pennies are kicking off a fundraising campaign for improvements to the Lincoln-Douglas debate site in Quincy.

Former Quincy Mayor and campaign chair Chuck Scholz said that getting the community involvement will be key in getting the improvements made.

"We really need to get the community involved. Not just to fix up this site, and add storyboards that explain what happened here, but also for the big events that we have coming up. We're about to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the debates and in 2009 will be the big national celebration of the 200th year since Lincoln's birth," Scholz said.

The Lincoln commission hopes to raise $300,000 in the next two years.  Donations are being accepted by the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, 706 Maine Quincy IL 62301 (commission has 501C3 status, and donations are tax exempt).