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ALAH Knights Snap Streak with Sangamon Valley Defeat

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•January 30, 2019•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond boys’ basketball team snapped its six-game losing streak by defeating Sangamon Valley last Wednesday at Nancy Stiff Gym in Arcola.
The Knights took a 15-point lead after the first quarter then went on a 14-8 run in the second quarter for a 33-12 halftime lead.
The Knights held onto the same lead in the third quarter before pulling away in the fourth for the 62-37 win.
Austin Plank contributed a season-high 23 points to go with four rebounds, three assists and three steals to help earn the seventh-place finish in the Little Okaw Valley Conference Northwest Division Tournament.
Austin Romine hit double digits with ten points and added three rebounds, two assists and two points. Read More

Menus 1-30-2019

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Senior Peace Meal
For additional information or for reservations, please call 1-800-543-1770
Monday, Feb. 4 - Savory sausage stew w/beans, pineapple tidbits, biscuits, warm fruit strudel bites
Tuesday, Feb. 5 - Fried chicken, mashed potatoes w/gravy, breaded tomatoes, dinner roll, seasonal dessert
Wednesday, Feb. 6 - Ravioli w/meat sauce, broccoli, corn, whole grain wheat (1), banana
Thursday, Feb. 7 - Meatloaf, Delmonico potatoes, spinach, dinner roll, cranberry apple salad
Friday, Feb. 8 - Tuna noodle casserole, peas and carrots, bean medley, whole grain wheat (1), gelatin w/1/2 cup fruit

Sponsorships Available

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•January 30, 2019•

Show sponsorships are available until Feb. 15 for the 25th anniversary Sparrows Unlimited celebration.
The car, truck, bike, tractor show is May 18 in downtown Lovington. In addition to classic vehicles food, 50/50s, a bounce house and 50s, 60s and 70s music will be featured during the daylong celebration.
Sponsorships are available for entertainment, advertising and trophy expense. For more information contact Barry Morgan at 217-433-6123.
Sparrows is a 501C3 organization in Lovington helping families in need.

Honors Announced

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•January 30, 2019•

McKendree University student Atticus Harris was named to the President’s List for achieving a perfect 4.0 grade point average for the fall 2018 semester, and Elizabeth Inman, a senior marketing major, was named to the Dean’s List for the fall quarter. Both students are Sullivan residents. Read More

Out With the Old Begin With the New

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Drone photo by R.R. Best

•January 30, 2019•

It’s been a long time coming and in a short time gone.
The abandoned former location of Jackson Chevrolet that has marred the Jackson Street view for the past few years is gone.
Overland Corp Missouri is developing the $1.4 property for Dollar General Stores. City administrator Dan Flannell explained plans submitted to the city for permit applications reveal the new Dollar General Plus store is approximately 2000 sq. ft. larger than traditional stores and includes meat and produce.
According to Dollar General completion of the 106 N. Main St store is expected in fall 2019. Read More

Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom Announces Grants

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Sullivan Elementary School fourth grade students Carter Standerfer and Gavin Wade learned how cranberries are grown and harvested, then completed an Ag in the Classroom STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Challenge to see who could build the tallest free-standing tower using only cranberries and toothpicks.

•January 30, 2019•

The Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) program has announced that Moultrie County Ag in the Classroom has been funded for the 2018-2019 School Year. Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom based these grants to counties off the 2017-2018 year-end reports.
In 2017-2018, the Illinois AITC program reached 694,449 students with a message about agriculture. Additionally, 41,369 teachers and 1,166 pre-service teachers learned how to incorporate agriculture into their existing curriculum while meeting state learning standards.
Kevin Daugherty, Education Director for the Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom program, said, “County level programs are the biggest strength of our IAITC efforts. Illinois has the benefit of local contacts that provide content knowledge and easy strategies for teachers to utilize. The county programs work to integrate agriculture into existing classroom curriculum.”
In Moultrie County alone almost 6,000 students were reached with multiple lessons regarding agriculture. Students did everything from estimating the number of seeds in various sized pumpkins to looking at maps to learn where fruits and vegetables actually grow. The Moultrie County elementary students are engaged and enthusiastic about learning the vastness of agriculture, and how ag is needed for food, fuel and fiber. Read More

2019 Illinois Tax Filing Season Begins

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•January 30, 2019•

The Illinois Department of Revenue (“IDOR”) began accepting 2018 state individual income tax returns Monday, January 28, the same date that the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) began accepting federal individual income tax returns.  IDOR is reminding taxpayers that filing tax returns electronically and requesting direct deposit into a checking or savings account is still the fastest, most secure way to receive a refund.  Read More

SEA Recognizes Excellence

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SEA Recognizes Excellence
The Sullivan Education Association recognized the Teacher and Support Staff of the Semester for Sullivan Schools. The SEA received over 30 nominations, and three teachers and one support staff were chosen by their colleagues for their dedication and service to the students and families of the Sullivan School District. Janet McFarland, Scott Bales, Poppy Ann Graham, and Courtney Leach were the recipients of the rewards. The recipients were each gifted a $25 Chamber Bucks certificate donated by Zak Horn of Metro Communications and a car detailing by Kevin Landrus.

Remember When? 1-30-2019

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25 Years Ago This Week

Sara Dodd of Sullivan, a junior majoring in biology at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, is spending the month of January interning at a vet clinic. She is working under the direction of Dr. George Roegge DVM.
A senior from Bethany High School was selected to perform with the Midwest Grammy All-Star Choir in Chicago. Lindsay Patrick sang as an alto in the event sponsored by DePaul University. The 50-voice choir was made up of high school students from Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois and other midwestern states.
Lisa Maxedon of Sullivan will play the role of Lauretta in the Opera Theatre of Southern Illinois University’s production of Gianni Schicci and Suor Angelica. Read More

Understanding Illinois: School spending-achievement relationship? Not much

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•January 30, 2019•

By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist

This past week, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) proposed doubling 2019-20 state school funding, from $8 billion to almost $16 billion, the equivalent of raising the individual income tax rate from 5 to 7 percent. Should the money be available, which it won’t be, the challenge would lie in translating the new resources into significant gains in student achievement. The historical record is not encouraging.
At the outset here, let the record show: I favor all the money for education that will make a difference. I favor equal spending for all schools, more for disadvantaged kids. I am not writing to “blame the victims.” I am not writing to make a case for less school funding.
In the 1996, economists Richard Stout and Marty Eisenberg and I produced a report that ranked test performance of all Illinois public schools by the average household incomes of each district.
We found what umpteen research reports have found over the decades—that the incomes of district residents appear to drive achievement, rather than the amount spent in the schools. That is, the lower the incomes, the lower the achievement. Read More