Letter to the Editor 6-10-2026
Sullivan area merchants and community members,
The Sullivan American Legion Post is happy to announce that this will be our 5th year working with J & M Displays of Yarmouth, Iowa, to provide the 2026 4th of July fireworks display. This year’s program is $23,500.
During the month of June, our Legion members will be conducting our Annual City-Wide Walk Around, asking for donations. All monies collected as part of this fundraiser go into a special savings account specifically set up for funding the fireworks and 4th of July activities.
Read MoreLetter to the Editor
•June 3, 2026•
Dear Editor:
In agriculture, we often pride ourselves on resilience. Farmers work through long hours, rising costs, severe weather, uncertain markets, and other circumstances outside their control. But the pressures facing agriculture today are unlike anything we have seen in 40 years.
Across Illinois, farmers are navigating financial uncertainty and the mental strain that comes with an increasingly unpredictable industry. These challenges do not stay in the field or the barn. They follow farmers home, impacting stress levels, family relationships, and mental health.
Read MoreLetter to the Editor 1-28-2026
The News Progress
Following recent discussion of water supply and infrastructure concerns in Sullivan, it is important to address another issue: the reliability and capacity of the town’s electrical system.
I want to be clear, I am not personally affected by this issue. My electrical service is supplied by Coles Moultrie Electric. I am raising this concern not out of self-interest, but because it reflects a broader pattern of poor governance, and because the consequences are very real for many in this community.
Residents have been told that available electrical capacity is tightening, that local generators may need to run more frequently during high demand, and that brownouts have been discussed as a contingency. These are acknowledgments of strain and reduced safety margins.
Read MoreLetter to the Editor 12-23-2025
To the Editor,
The News Progress
I read the recent article regarding water levels, drought conditions, and strain on Sullivan’s water supply.
What was missing from that discussion was not data, but honesty.
I live in Sullivan Township. I do not receive Sullivan city water. I pay my water bill to Moultrie County Rural Water, and the water delivered to my home comes from Lake Mattoon, a surface water source known for algae blooms and recurring boil advisories that township residents are not always clearly or promptly notified about.
This matters because while township residents are being told there are concerns about water availability, quality, and even future rationing, we are simultaneously watching new residential and commercial construction move forward at a rapid pace, particularly within TIF districts.
Read MoreLetter to the Editor 12-10-2025
A heartfelt thank you to our valued community partner
Moultrie County Dove Inc. Domestic Violence Services extends its deepest gratitude to Mid-Illinois Senior Services for their outstanding partnership and commitment to supporting our clients and the wider community. Your generosity is essential to our mission, particularly during difficult times.
For yet another year, your support ensures our annual Santa’s Little Helper workshop is a success by consistently providing us with a warm, welcoming space to host and hold this important event. This partnership ensures our clients, their children, and the entire community can experience the joy of the holiday season.
Read MoreLetter to the Editor 11-19-2025
Dear Editor,
I am writing to highlight the vital work of the Sullivan Area Ministerial Association (SAMA) and to ask for the continued generosity of our community.
For decades, SAMA has provided crucial assistance to those in need throughout Moultrie County, addressing a wide range of basic needs such as utility bills, rent, transportation, temporary lodging, food, fuel, and Christmas support. In just a 12-month span, SAMA distributes significant funds to help scores of individuals in our community, offering a lifeline to those facing hardship.
Read MoreLetters to the Editor 10-8-2025
Letters to the Editor
To the Editor,
I applaud our City Council and our mayor for trying to deal with unhappy folks. I have always said, “Different strokes for different folks.” This holds true in life.
People, please use good judgment when it has to do with animals. They are a good choice if you love them.
Read MoreLetter to the Editor 4-2-2025
Letter to the Editor
Sometimes we find a pearl of wisdom in an unlikely spot. Ed Dunphy, a familiar name in the Illinois ag community, often told an amusing story that offers this. He has been gone for a number of years, but his story is worth repeating.
Read MoreLet’s Talk About Electronic Devices, Communication and Guns
•October 23, 2019•
By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist
I muse widely, yet my knowledge base in quite narrow. So, I could sure use help from thoughtful readers who know more than I about the topics below, which I am beginning to explore for possible essays. If you have informed thoughts and links to good sources, please email at jnowlan3@gmail.com.
First: There will be war-like conflicts in the future, and the U.S. won’t be spared, as we have been in the past. As drones and cyber conflict replace much of the boots-on-the-ground-warfare, the first thing to go down in any major future dust-up would likely be our electric power grid.
Would apocalyptic chaos ensue on the streets? Would a nation like ours be brought to its knees, just like big corporations that make huge ransomware payoffs to hackers, to get their systems back up and running?
Could Americans benefit from “civil defense” training, or would it be useless? How would you and your family fare if you were without electricity for several weeks? Should every family buy a small gas-powered generator to keep the lights on, and a supply of food and water? Read More
Illinois Higher Education in Disarray; Can it be Saved?
•October 9, 2019•
By Jim Nowlan
NP guest columnist
Illinois higher education is in disarray as a result of an exodus of students from our state, uncertain state funding, declining high school graduation numbers, excess capacity, and the seeming implosion of several state universities.
Background. Three-quarters of a million of our citizens enroll each year at the state’s 12 public university campuses, 48 community college districts (with many campuses) and 110 private non-profit and for-profit institutions of post-secondary learning. In addition, our major research universities such at the University of Illinois in Urbana and Chicago pump out top engineers and scientists, who generate patents and startups. Strong higher education is critical to our state’s future.
In 2000, a national group that knows about such things declared Illinois to have the best higher education offerings among the states for quality and affordability. No longer.
Because of reduced state spending for higher ed in recent years, Illinois’ public universities and colleges jacked up their tuition, making our in-state student costs among the highest in the nation. Read More