Photo furnished
Record Setting
OV Swimmer
Blue Dolphin swimmer Anna Wooters competed last weekend at the Illinois Senior State Championship meet, held in Lincolnshire, Illinois. She set a new Sullivan Blue Dolphins’ record in the 50 meter freestyle at Senior State this weekend with a time of 24.73 seconds. Old time was 25.09.
Hal Harshman
Hal R. Harshman, 85, of Sullivan died at 1:44 p.m. Monday, March 4, 2019 in Aspen Creek in Sullivan.
Arrangements are incomplete at Reed Funeral Home in Sullivan.
•March 6, 2019•
Lakeview College of Nursing recently honored one of their faculty members with a new award. Carolyn Rauch of St. Joseph received the Flame Award at the College’s recent White Coat Ceremony.
Rauch, who is an assistant professor at Lakeview College of Nursing, has been with the College since 2005. She is the first recipient of this new award.
Lanette Stuckey, who is the Dean of Lakeview’s nursing program, said the College’s administration wanted a way to honor and recognize a faculty member who has demonstrated a commitment to high-quality nursing care through their years of experience. The award itself was inspired by Lakeview’s logo. The logo is an evolution of three symbolic components, one of them being the flame, according to Stuckey. Read More
•March 6, 2019•
The Okaw Valley bass fishing team held their ninth annual fish fry Saturday, March 2 at the Findlay American Legion.
Approximately 100 people attended the annual fundraising event. This is the only fundraiser held by the team to raise money to pay for expenses needed during the season. Read More
•March 6, 2019•
The last day to register to vote has passed; however, it’s not too late to vote in this election by taking advantage of Grace Period Registration and Voting in the county clerk’s office.
This method of registration is available only in the county clerk’s office, 10 S. Main, Sullivan, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and runs from March 6 through Election Day. If a person registers to vote or change an address during Grace Period and wants to vote in the upcoming election, he/she must vote at the time of registration. Read More
•March 6, 2019•
Ellen Little VandenBrink, 86, passed away February 27, 2019, in the presence of her family who all loved her dearly. Ellen was born in Sullivan, Illinois, to Inis and Guy Little, Sr. The family was complete when her brother Guy Little, Jr. (who preceded her in death) was born a few years later. She attended DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, where she earned a degree in physical education. Upon graduation, she taught English and P.E. at Sullivan High School, her alma mater. Her world changed while at the wedding of a dear friend in Sullivan when she met the love of her life, Dale VandenBrink, MD. After marrying and starting their family in Sullivan, Dale’s medical career took them to Los Angeles where they lived happily together until Dale’s death in July 2015, three months shy of their 60th wedding anniversary. Read More
•March 6, 2019•
The Sullivan High School AP Spanish class recently visited a 102-year old veteran, William Dean Bennett, at Courtyard Estates to give him a heartwarming surprise.
After learning about heroes and how the identity of a country is determined by the sacrifices of soldiers who fought for them, they decided to create a wooden flag to give to Bennett as a thank you for his service during World War II.
When Bennett received his gift, he responded with, “This whole flag is for me?” Read More
•March 6, 2019•
By John F. Gilligan
History reveals that great and noble leaders are forged in adversity. Valley Forge was that crucible for George Washington where the mettle of his character was tested to the limit.
During that winter of 1777-78, a German newspaper from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, perceived that formation of a statesman. It described Washington as Des Landes Vater, “Father of the Country.” And we have known him thus ever since.
Valley Forge was “a place of squalid and horrendous conditions,” as Bob Drury and Tom Clavin have written in their latest book “Valley Forge.” “Men dying every day from famine, malnutrition, cold and disease.” Like a poisonous gas, the stench of fetid air from the rotting carcasses of starved horses, nearby latrines and the daily collection of corpses hung over all.
Alexander Hamilton, never one to mince words, attributed these conditions to the government the Continental Army was fighting for. Congress, he said, “was our greatest antagonist.” Read More
•March 6, 2019•
Lovington Grade School Kindergarten Pre-Registration for the 2019-2020 school year is Tuesday, March 19 from noon to 4 p.m.
•March 6, 2019•
The Sullivan Art Club will begin its 2019 season with an acrylic painting workshop led by area artist Ron Bartanen. The workshop will be held 9 a.m-3 p.m. Saturday, March 16 in the St. Columcille Church hall located at the east end of the church at the corner of W. Jackson and McClellan Streets in Sullivan. There is a dedicated entrance to the hall adjacent to the parking lot.
According to Bartanen’s mother, he started drawing as soon as he could hold a pencil. His brother introduced him to the use of pastels when he was a teen, but he only became serious about painting after attending an art show in Chicago when he was a young adult. He studied with Chicago artist Dorothy Frantz for three years. After that time, Bartanen used art magazines and books and membership in art clubs to hone his skills as an artist. Read More