* Twain Book: Joe Fulton, professor of English at Baylor University, recently was named the winner of the 2010 Jules and Frances Landry Award for Best Book on Southern studies for "The Reconstruction of Mark Twain." The book, a blend of biography, history and literary criticism, is a radical reappraisal of Twain and his evolving political allegiances, actions and writings during and after the Civil War. Fulton spent years traveling to sites where Twain lived, among them his boyhood home in Hannibal, Mo.; Virginia City, Nev.; and Elmira, N.Y., the author's summer home and where he wrote books. The book will be released in fall 2010, the 100th anniversary of Twain's death.

* Century Mark: Kathy Brink, program director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of West Central Illinois, said the organization should reach its goal of "100 Mentors in 100 Days" by the Tuesday deadline. "We're close, and I think we will make it," Brink said. "We've had a great response." The West Central Illinois chapter covers Adams, Brown, Cass, Schuyler and Morgan counties, with offices in Quincy and Jacksonville. A year ago, a similar drive brought in 109 mentors, including 52 from Adams County. For more information, contact Brink at (217) 223-5452.

* Change of Heart: A local woman was overjoyed when a family of deer started bedding down around their rural home. She would see their eyes reflecting back at her when she took her dog for his walks after dark. She told her husband, a bow hunter, to leave the three does and a buck alone. That changed last weekend when she returned home from a shopping trip to find a dogwood tree she had planted this year shredded by the buck. Now she's encouraging that her husband target the buck, but still wants the does left alone.

On the Street is a compilation of tips and tidbits gathered by The Herald-Whig staff. Readers may contribute by e-mail at onthestreet@whig.com.