The Bailey Buzz, Oct. 2, 2025 | Arts & Entertainment

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Was there a Danville resident on Jeopardy?

Regular Jeopardy! viewers might have been surprised to see Danville native Jaedon Jerue on the Sept. 24 episode of the popular long-running game show. The show can still be viewed through streaming services.

Jerue, 30, was born and raised in Danville. He’s a Bismarck-Henning High School 2013 graduate, now lives in Catlin and teaches seventh-grade math in Westville.

He says, “I have always wanted to be on Jeopardy!. I have taken the test every year since I was a teenager. This was actually my third time auditioning for the show. The first was at age 15 for the Teen Tournament. I later auditioned again at age 22 and finally at age 29, where I was finally selected to participate. I am a huge fan of anything trivia- or knowledge-based. I competed in scholastic bowl in high school, and I currently coach junior high and high school scholastic bowl for Westville.”

Jerue taped the episode on Aug. 8.

“I kept it a secret aside from family and a few close friends. The hardest part was convincing my parents not to tell everyone they knew because I think they were more excited than I was,” he states.

According to Jerue, “The show itself was a blast. But my biggest challenge (and he thinks his frustration was visible on the show) was the signaling device. I had always heard what a beast that device was to tame, but I never actually knew how hard it was going to be. After rewatch, I now see that I would have been able to answer 39 of the 60 clues on the board had I been able to get in. I only managed to buzz 11 times. That was by far the most challenging part. A lot of success on the show depends on speed and reflex, not just knowledge.”

He also expands on the brief mention on the show to host Ken Jennings about how Jeopardy! helped his mom.

Jerue says his mom, Angela, was the only person he knew who was better at trivia games than he was.

When she had a stroke, “it was clear her mind was not working the way it had before. Her recall was stunted. It was like she knew the answer but was unable to form the words or names in her head to come out of her mouth. Binge watching Jeopardy! once she got out of the hospital really did help. Now, you would never know she suffered such a brain injury as she holds her own against me once again.”

When Jerue didn’t know the Final Jeopardy! answer, he wrote on his screen “What is Love you, Mom.”

He says, “her reaction to my final Jeopardy! response was more a laugh than anything. She had always joked, ‘If you ever get on Jeopardy!, you should shout me out since I’m the one who made you love learning so much.’ Well, she was right, and that’s exactly what I did. As for her being on the show, she won’t even take the test because she knows if she gets called, she would be too nervous to even hit the buzzer. She has a terrible fear of public speaking.”

In the end, a returning Jeopardy! champion was too overpowering for Jerue and the other contestant to win.

“I was disappointed to come in third, especially after seeing box scores and buzzer attempts, knowing that had I had a better hold of the signaling device, the game could have been much different. But as everyone keeps reminding me, it is a huge accomplishment alone making it as far as I did. It is an experience I will never give back. But, if producers are reading this, yes, I would absolutely love a chance to compete in the Second Chance tournament,” Jerue says.

His students also have been supportive.

“The students’ reactions have been a mix of excitement, apathy and endless curiosity. I have been answering question after question about the experience from students. Everything they can think of. My principal did ask all teachers to show the episode during their study halls, so we all watched it. It was funny to see as soon as my face popped up on the screen, the classroom cheered. As soon as my competitors’ faces popped up, they booed relentlessly,” Jerue said, adding sorry, Steven and Natalie.

What are Ameren’s Smart Switches?

According to Ameren Illinois, it’s taking another step forward in its modernization of the electric grid in Vermilion County with the installation of cutting-edge 69kV Viper®-HV reclosers, also known as smart switches.

Fithian is the site of the first-ever installation of this technology on sub-transmission power lines, according to Ameren, which is adding the switches to other sub-transmission power lines in its service territory.

The new smart switches detect problems on the electric system and help determine whether power should be re-routed from another source. The reclosers work in tandem with other outage detection devices to isolate outages and reduce the length of service disruptions while reducing the number of customers who experience an outage, according to the company.

Ameren partnered with G&W Electric, headquartered in Bolingbrook, to develop the recloser. Key features include: encapsulated vacuum interrupters for high-voltage fault isolation; integrated protection and control relays; SCADA compatibility for remote diagnostics and operation; and modular pole-top design for streamlined installation and maintenance.

Ameren currently has 12 units installed across two states. Nine more units will be added in Illinois this year as part of its broader strategy to improve overall reliability.

“This is an industry-first solution designed to enhance customer reliability and a solution we hope to use to re-route power on additional sub-transmission lines across our broader service territory,” according to Patrick Smith, senior vice president of operations and technical services for Ameren Illinois.

What is the Danville Birth Project and its upcoming fundraiser?

According to the group, the Danville Birth Project is a local nonprofit dedicated to empowering birthing individuals and their families through education, advocacy and hands-on support. The organization strives to create a community where every birthing person feels supported, respected and confident throughout their journey.

Its inaugural fundraising event, The Golden Hour Gala, will be from 6 to 11 p.m. Friday at Turtle Run Banquet Center in Danville. It’s a formal dance dedicated to supporting the organization’s mission of providing compassionate and comprehensive care to birthing mothers, and postpartum families in the community.

Attendees can look forward to an evening of elegance with dinner, drinks, live music and dancing, all in support of a vital cause.

“We are incredibly excited to host our first-ever gala,” said Executive Director Elizabeth Cannon. “The funds raised at this event will be directly used to expand our services and reach more families, ensuring they have the support they need during the beautiful, but often challenging, journey of childbirth and the postpartum period after. Mothers are often left needing support that our fast-paced world no longer can accommodate, and we want to be that pillar for them to lean on.”

Founder Hannah Landis said about the difficulties families face in the area, “Many people don’t realize that some of these critical services are not covered under Medicaid and even when they are, there’s a lack of enrolled providers. Because we can’t rely on Medicaid funding, we need to utilize community resources and private fundraising events and activities. This event and the support of our community will help us to achieve our goal of serving more families who are not privately insured.”

The organization works to bridge the gap in what is needed and what is available in the community.

The Danville Birth Project is committed to providing accessible and high-quality services, including doula support, childbirth education, and prenatal and postpartum resources. All proceeds from the Golden Hour Gala will go directly toward these programs.

Tickets for the Golden Hour Gala are available at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/the-golden-hour or the link is available through the organization’s Facebook page.