Harrisburg native is 'Legend in Law' recipient ... and more Neighbors in the News

A. James Shafter, formerly of Harrisburg, was honored as a "Legend in Law" recipient at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C., by Burton Awards for Legal Achievements. The national awards program is run by the Burton Foundation and co-sponsored by the American Bar Association and Law360. Shafter was in private practice in Decatur for more than 30 years and later served in various positions with Archer-Daniels-Midland Company, retiring in 2012. He and his wife, Virginia (Robertson) Shafter, graduated from Harrisburg Township High School in 1965. Shafter presently is general counsel of COFCO International Ltd., a multi-flag global agribusiness based in Geneva, Switzerland, where he lives with his wife.

Students recognized

Alex Jones of Eldorado was named to the dean's list at Butler University in Indianapolis for the spring 2017 semester.

Trent Duncan of Harrisburg was named to the dean's list at Campbellsville University in Kentucky for the spring 2017 semester.

Meredith Wolf of Harrisburg was named to the dean's list at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, for the spring 2017 semester.

Cecily May of Harrisburg was named to the president's list at McKendree University in Lebanon for the spring 2017 semester for achieving a perfect 4.0 grade-point average.

Grace Alexander, Emma Eldridge and Kaitlyn Hutchison, all of Harrisburg, were named to the dean's list at McKendree University in Lebanon for the spring 2017 semester.

Daila Duncan of Carrier Mills received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management - Human Resource Management from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb at its spring 2017 commencement. Duncan also was named to the dean's list for the spring 2017 semester.

Hannah Logsdon of Shawneetown was named to the dean's list at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa for the spring 2017 semester.

Travis Bortz and Nathan Smith, both of Harrisburg, and Autumn Gibson of Shawneetown all earned Bachelor of Science degrees from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau at its spring 2017 commencement. Bortz, who graduated Cum Laude, majored in computer science. Smith majored in criminal justice with a law enforcement option, and Gibson majored in biology with a marine biology option.