•August 19, 2015•
SBL Lincolnland Home Care and Lincolnland Hospice will conduct a free blood pressure clinic 8:30-9 a.m. Thursday, September 17 at the Senior Center in Sullivan. For more information, call Lincolnland Home Care at 1-800-879-3212. Read More
•August 19, 2015•
The following is a list of Sarah Bush Lincoln programs and support groups for September. The locations of all programs are posted daily in the main lobby of Sarah Bush Lincoln.
Pathways Through Grief
7 p.m. Wednesday, September 2, in the Lumpkin Family Center for Health Education at Sarah Bush Lincoln. Open to anyone who has lost a loved one. For more information, contact Lincolnland Hospice at 1-800-454-4055.
Parent 2 Parent Support Group for Expectant and New Parents
6 p.m. Tuesday, September 8, in the Lumpkin Family Center for Health Education at Sarah Bush Lincoln. A free service offering information, discussion and support about becoming a parent. For location of meetings contact Pam Hood at 217-258-2229.
Cancer Support Group
10 a.m. Monday, September 14, in the Lumpkin Family Center for Health Education at Sarah Bush Lincoln. This group is open to anyone dealing with cancer, as well as family members. For more information, contact Bob Clapp at 217-232-2537.
Ostomy Support Group
Evening meetings four times a year in Mattoon and Effingham. For dates, times and locations, call Ramona Tomshack, R.N. at 217-258-4112 or Christa Schulte at 217-238-4804. Read More
Photo Submitted
Begin “Building” for the School Year
Six local FFA members have taken on the responsibility of leading 13 FFA chapters in the planning and organizing of their Section FFA career development events, leadership conferences, and community service projects for the upcoming school year. These Section 16 FFA officers include President Brodie Scribner, of the Sullivan FFA, Vice President Jack Curtin, Taylorville FFA, Reporter Alyssa Garner, representing the Maroa Forsyth FFA, Secretary Mary Kate Curtin, of the Taylorville FFA, Treasurer Lauren Burgener, of the Central A & M FFA, and Sentinel Kristy Burford, representing Okaw Valley FFA. These officers have selected “Building a Future…one brick at a time” as their theme for the upcoming year. They will start the year by welcoming three of the major state FFA officers into the local section for a week of chapter visits and a leadership training workshop during the week of September 14 -18. Section 16 FFA has more than 600 FFA members representing the FFA chapters of Blue Ridge, Central A & M, Cerro Gordo, Clinton, Edinburg, Heartland Technical Academy, Maroa Forsyth, Mt. Zion, Okaw Valley, Sangamon Valley, Sullivan, Taylorville, and Windsor.
Joan Davis
Funeral services for Joan Davis, 82, of Lovington were held at 10:30 a.m. today (Wednesday) in McMullin-Young Funeral Home in Lovington. Burial was in Keller Cemetery in Lovington.
She passed away at 8:35 a.m. Sunday, August 16, 2015 in Sullivan Rehabilitation & Health Care Center.
Joan was born March 3, 1933 in Decatur, a daughter of Frank and Juanita Howard Wood. She married Joe A. Davis October 29, 1955, and he preceded her in death September 25, 2013. Joan was an Avon representative for many years. She loved her grandchildren and enjoyed the time they spent together. Read More
•August 19, 2015•
Forty new practical nurses including Tracy Carrington and Alexandrea Robinson, both of Sullivan and Stacy Gee of Allenville were welcomed into the nursing field at a recent pinning ceremony held at Lake Land College.
The Practical Nursing Program is a three-consecutive-semester program that includes classroom, skills laboratory and clinical experience in various healthcare agencies. Upon successful completion of the program, the graduate may apply to write the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nursing (NCLEX-PN). Upon successful completion of the NCLEX-PN, the graduate may apply for PN licensure. Read More
•August 19, 2015•
The Moultrie County Historical and Genealogical Society will hold their monthly general meeting at 7 p.m.Thursday, August 20 in the Heritage Center in Sullivan.
The program for the evening will be the History of the Boy Scouts in Sullivan and some information on scouting in Lovington and Bethany.
The speaker for the evening will be Gerry Wood, former scoutmaster. Wood holds the award of Eagle Scout, district award of Merit and the Silver Beaver award.
Tall Pepper
Arletta Dolan of Gays planted a Patio Pepper in an old iron kettle outside her back door in May and thought nothing of it until it started growing about three inches a week. Now that back door is hidden by the six foot tall plant nestled among the petunias, and Arletta is reaping the benefits. Above grandchildren Gareth, 8 1/2, and Anyssa, 7, Coffer of Sullivan examine the abundance of peppers, determining they are not quite ripe enough for consumption.
•August 19, 2015•
by Mary Hughes
Moultrie County Dove Inc., Outreach Coordinator
Studies consistently report victims are at a 75% higher risk of serious injuries and/or death once the victim has decided to end a relationship and/or while they are trying to leave. The abuser believes he no longer has the power to get the victim back and under his control. This is the most dangerous time for the victim and her children. Although no one can accurately predict when or if a batterer will kill or escalate violence to a life threatening level, there are many indicators that can serve as warning signs that a batterer may be reaching that level. It is important to note that while these indicators are a valuable assessment tool, the presence or absence of one or more indicators cannot definitively predict the behavior of a batterer.
The most important indication of life-threatening violence is the victim’s perception of her danger. If the woman is very afraid and says she will be killed or may be killed, then the possibility of life-threatening violence is present. National experts on domestic violence state that battered women are usually the best evaluators of the potential for lethal violence because they generally have more information about the batterer than anyone other than the batterer himself. At the present time it appears that the best approach to screening for life-threatening violence is a combination of the women’s perspective and the domestic violence advocate’s assessment.
As long as the perception exists that the victims’ reluctance is the problem, efforts will be focused around what the victim should and should not do. The question frequently asked is “How can we get victims to cooperate better?” But that is the wrong question to ask since it is not likely to lead to greater perpetrator accountability or victim safety. The questions most likely to lead to effective, long term solutions are: “What can be done to hold perpetrators accountable? And who is in the best position to do that?” Read More
Photo by RR Best
Patti Woods of Shelbyville provided Windsor Picnic crowds with some of Paddi’s Air Filled Fun on Saturday. She shaped balloons into a variety of animals and flowers for an appreciative group.
•August 19, 2015•
By Nick Fiala
Reporting in Windsor
The Saturday afternoon events for this year’s annual Windsor Harvest Picnic kicked off under a blazing summer sun that would make anyone think twice about sitting outside for an hour.
But that didn’t stop shop owners from setting up extra seating outside their Main Street storefronts. By the 2 p.m. parade starting time, sidewalks were lined with kids and adults alike cheering as the fire and police departments, the American Legion, local churches, beauty pageant winners, and more all blared their horns and threw candy to smiling parade goers.
A half hour before the parade even began, a rectangular patch of empty lawn chairs was set up to reserve a good seat for that night’s music entertainment.
By 6:30, there was a solid line of guests that was almost as long as the park itself, each of them standing there just to get a part of the main dinner course. Some of the vendors, serving funnel cakes and corn dogs and ice cream cones, tried to meet demand by serving two lines at a time.
An auction was also going on about that time, selling off two gooseberry pies from the stage..
“Just bid like your husband was bidding on a piece of farm equipment, Ma’am.” That was the advice that the energetic auctioneer gave to one bidder, earning laughs from the crowd.
And it seemed to work. Prices on the pies skyrocketed as dozens of bids came in from everywhere in a crowd . The first pie finally peaked at $150 and the second one got up to $405. Read More
Photo by Keith Stewart
Patricia Reid is one Sullivan resident who regularly uses the Central Illinois Public Transit system, including last Wednesday when she needed a ride to her doctor’s appointment.
The Illinois budget has the possibility of affecting services
•August 19, 2015•
By Ariana Cherry
Reporting in Sullivan
It is easy to take your mode of transportation for granted when it is readily available-whether it is the car in your garage or a ride from a friend or family member. But when you don’t have a way to get to doctor’s appointments or even the grocery store, it can be frustrating. Those who don’t have other means of getting from one place to another, depend on public transportation. For some, it is their only way to gain some type of independence.
“It is important to get around for every day needs such as going to store and doctor appointments. Without it, I would never get to the doctor because I have no other way,” commented Patricia Reid, who often uses the bus from CIPT (Central Illinois Public Transportation). “Without the bus, I would have to go to the nursing home because I wouldn’t be able to get around anywhere and I can’t walk that far,” she added.
Sandy Siler, who also takes advantage of services from CIPT, depends on public transportation. “My husband died two years ago, and I am disabled. I can’t walk and if Ii didn’t have it to transport me and my scooter, I wouldn’t be going anywhere and I would stay at home all the time,” she said.
CIPT has been in business for 30 years, offering public transportation to anyone needs it. While it is viable for seniors and disabled, anybody can ride the bus. It gives those who ride a sense of independence and security by knowing that they can see their doctors, purchase groceries and still get out every once in awhile and not be stuck at home. “We give them their freedom back by being a part of the community and continuing with their daily lives,” quoted Dennis Shiley, the director of CIPT. Read More