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Sonia Munoz’s love of cooking comes from watching her grandmother treat church members to meal after meal in Texas.

“Now I have a kitchen of my own,” the Georgetown woman said. “It’s been a dream of mine forever.”

On Friday, Sonia and her husband, Juan, plan to open their El Patron restaurant on Huffman Street in Georgetown. It’s the latest step forward in the industry after opening their El Patron food truck at the same site in 2021. They’ll keep the truck for catering but devote most of their energy into their brick-and-mortar business.

Sonia credits a growing customer base to a menu that features “authentic Texas food,” she said. Sonia grew up in Laredo and Juan in Mexico. They moved to Danville in 1989 and have lived in Georgetown for the last 15 years. Their five children— Bricia, Joey, Jessie, Justin, Johnathan — are graduates of Danville and G-RF high schools who plan to help at the restaurant.

Juan also works at a seed corn company in Fairmount while seasonal jobs keep Sonia going at all hours.

“We are very excited because it’s something we have been working on for a long time,” Sonia said, adding “it’s time to pay back my husband for all that he has done for his family.”

El Patron will have between 40 and 55 seats with hours Thursday through Sunday. Near the entrance will be a “Home of a Soldier” sign that veterans will be encouraged to sign — an idea from two of the Munoz children who joined the U.S. Army.

Expansion coming right along

ClarkLindsey’s new catered assisted living building is filling up fast — even though it won’t open until the spring.

Ron Wilcox, ClarkLindsey vice president and chief experience officer, said “about half of the apartments are reserved so far.”

Part of ClarkLindsey’s multi-year expansion plans, the three-story building includes dining rooms on each floor and underground temperature-controlled parking.

In January, construction will start on the final phase: a three-story building with 45 independent living apartments at the corner of Windor Road and Race Street. It also features underground, temperature-controlled parking.

Two wings of Meadowbrook Health Center will be removed to make way the building, which is scheduled to open in fall 2025. Wilcox said all 45 units have been reserved.

Wilcox also said ClarkLindsey plans on opening a bistro late in 2024 as part of the last phase of construction. It will it offer coffee, breakfast and lunch during the day and serve as a bar at night.

Newspaper’s new HQ

The Piatt County Journal-Republican has a new home in downtown Monticello.

In late October, the publication began a move from its Washington Street location to an office at 107 S. State St.

“It is with great pride that we relocate the offices of the Piatt County Journal-Republican to our new office on the square in Monticello. The move is way past due. The PCJR is one of our strongest papers financially and deserved a new home,” said Paul Barrett, executive vice president and publisher of Champaign Multimedia Group.

The office, located in room 307, houses a paper that has been in existence in some form or another since 1892.

The Piatt County Republican ran from 1892 to 1967 when it merged with the Piatt County Journal, which existed from 1936 to 1967.

“The new home of the Piatt County Journal-Republican demonstrates our commitment to providing a hyper local newspaper to the residents of the Monticello region,” said Larry J. Perrotto, chairman of Champaign Multimedia Group.

In addition to a new office, the paper also has a new editor. Nora Maberry has taken over as editor, starting Dec. 1. She was in an interim position since May.

Maberry started her journalism career as editor of the Tuscola Review and the Moultrie Douglas Review before moving to the St. Joseph Leader, which she ran for 10 years.

In December 2018, Maberry started the St. Joseph Record.

When she was offered the job to cover the Monticello area, she jumped at the chance.

“I love learning about new communities and telling their stories,” Maberry said. “I think community journalism is very important and vital to the history of towns.

“There are so many exciting and unique stories to tell in Piatt County. I am honored that I get to do it.”