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Teachers Appreciated

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Photo by Mike Brothers
Teachers Appreciated
Teacher Appreciation Day was extra special for three Sullivan school teachers last week. High school English teacher Rebecca Lawson received $1000 and a gift basket for being named Teacher of the Year by RV Horizons Property Management Co., owners of Sullivan Mobile Homes. With more than 300 communities participating Lawson received the most social media votes with the Denver, Colorado based company sending representatives to make the surprise presentations at Sullivan schools. Science teacher Troy Rogers was recognized in the middle school and fifth grade teacher Allison Wright received elementary gift basket honors. Pictured above is Wright’s fifth grade class along with (front from left) Ms. Wright and Lauren Brown and Kim Metz from RV Horizons. Sullivan Mobile Homes manager Brenda Watkins and district manager for RV Brad Peck attended with Supt. Ted Walk leading the surprise presentations.

OV Student Council Attends State Conference

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Photo furnished. OV Student Council Attends State Conference The Okaw Valley Student Council attended the State Conference in Springfield. The members were able to go to seminars, participated in team building activities, and networked with other schools. Pictured from right) Paige Robinson, Hannah Landreth, Chloe Ryherd, Kami Landreth, Kate Jeffers, Sydney Hagerman, Bella Benning, and Natalie Jeffers.

Rain Forest at SES

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Photo furnished
Rain Forest at SES
Sullivan’s first grade has been learning about different habitats and the animals that live in them. We focused on the tropical rain forest and each student made four different plants or animals to create their own model of the rain forest.

Sullivan Council Approves City Clean up Days

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•May 9, 2018•

By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

The city of Sullivan has received positive responses from donors for the new pavilion to be built on the square which has been widely discussed at recent city council meetings. The pavilion was first brought up when an anonymous donor offered a monetary donation to build a structure that would “house” farmers’ markets and other sales during the warmer seasons of the year.

From there, the council has discussed a variety of building possibilities.

Since then, different individuals have stepped forward offering donations to help fund the new pavilion. City administrator, Dan Flannell has met with two possible donors noting the Lions Club has shown interest in the project.  Read More

Sullivan Blue Dolphins Recognize Season Successes

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•May 9, 2018•

By J.D. Graham
for The Blue Dolphins

The Sullivan Blue Dolphin swim team celebrated another successful season with the year-end banquet.

Swimmers were recognized for their successes throughout the season.

Individual award winners were Gabrielle Spain who was voted Blue Dolphin of the Year by her teammates.

Ethan Schmohe received the Goggle Award selected by the coaches. Read More

V.F.W. Awards Grant To Summer program

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V.F.W. Awards Grant To Summer program
Sullivan V.F.W. Post 6410 recently presented a community grant of $1000.00 to the Wyman Park Summer Recreation Program. Pictured L-R  Post 6410 Eric Kenney, Melissa Haegen (Park Recreation program director), from Post 6410 Ryan Hobbs, Jolene Wright, and V.F. W. Commander Russell Craig.

Remember When? 5-9-2018

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50 Years Ago This Week

Billy Standerfer and Denise Horsman were crowned king and queen of the annual junior/senior prom at Sullivan High School.

Those people who still call the restaurant on S. Washington Street in Sullivan The East Side Grill will have even more trouble after mid-May when it will become The Red Fox. Fin Pifer, proprietor of Fin’s Townhouse, and Bernard Fox, president of F & F Laboratories of Chicago, expect to agree shortly on terms which will transfer ownership of the restaurant to Fox.

Selling 100 or more boxes of cookies during the annual Girl Scout Cookie Sales were Susie Florini, Jayne Reed, Kim Shasteen, Jody Grant, Rebecca Ellen Ray, Leesa Willis, Penny Grohler, Paula McKenzie, Laura DeVore, Belinda Ray and Mary Ferguson.

Deborah Montgomery of Lovington was a winner in the Youth To Washington essay contest sponsored by Coles-Moultrie Electric Cooperative. Read More

Community Comes Together for Pastor and Family

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Pastor Brandon Zoll and wife Jeanette with Lucas, Phoebe and five-month old Obediah.

•May 9, 2018•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

The Sullivan Ministerial Association is holding a benefit cookout for Pastor Brandon Zoll and his family from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, June 2 in the Sullivan IGA parking lot.

It was a cool November day when Pastor Brandon Zoll of the Church of God went for a run in preparation for an upcoming marathon.

In his mid-thirties and a longtime runner, he had always enjoyed good health and the day’s run had gone well. A short stop at the IGA and then he would return home.

When he came to, he was lying on the floor in the IGA break room surrounded by concerned people. He tried to stand up but lost consciousness again. He thought he hadn’t eaten enough breakfast.

An ambulance was called, and he was taken to the hospital where a CAT SCAN showed a tangerine-size mass in his brain. An MRI and a biopsy confirmed a grade II astrocytoma- a very aggressive, malignant brain tumor or, as his surgeon said, “a time bomb ticking in your head.” Read More

ALAH and OVHS Track Teams Participate in Conference Meet

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Photo submitted
Pictured is the OV HS Track Team.

•May 9, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports

The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond and Okaw Valley girls’ and boys’ track and field teams participated in the 12-school Little Okaw Valley Conference meet in Arthur Friday, May 4.

The Knights’ boys’ team won the LOVC championship with 95 points, and the girls team placed third with 82 points.

Top ALAH finishers included senior Logan Hall who won the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs with times of 4:22.65 and 9:25.45, respectively.

Kobe Wells high jumped 6 feet 4 inches for first place and triple jumped 41 feet 2 inches for second place, and he ran the 400-meter in 52.75 for fourth place. Read More