•September 20, 2023•
Local Master Naturalists want to inspire you to appreciate Illinois’ trees and learn some interesting facts along the way. Our OAKtober Celebration will take place on Saturday, October 7, 9-11 a.m. at Douglas-Hart Nature Center. Read More
photo by Jeni Yantis
OVHS Crowns Homecoming Queen and King
Laila Christensen and Ryan Forlines were crowned as Queen and King at the OVHS Homecoming Dance on Saturday, September 16, 2023.
photo furnished
Patriot Day Thank Yous
The members of the East Central Illinois Red Cross Club sent thank you notes and treats to the Sullivan Police Department, Sullivan Fire Department, and the Moultrie County Sheriff’s Office on 9/11, also known as Patriot Day. They thanked them for their service to our community and recognized the heroic actions and sacrifices made by first responders on 9/11/2001. Pictured are (left to right) Fire Chief Larry Edwards and volunteer firefighters and SHS seniors Konnor Randol and Landry Still.
Mary Ruscin
Mary C. Ruscin passed away September 13, 2023, at the age of 92. Mary was born in West Frankfort, Ill. Read More
Emogene Burrows
Emogene Yarnell Burrows, 99, of Sullivan, passed away at 4:55 a.m., Wednesday September 13, 2023, in Aspen Creek in Sullivan. Read More
David Bowers
David Kirk Bowers, 73, of Paris, Illinois, passed away at 2:03 a.m., Tuesday, September 12, 2023, at IU Health Hospice House in Bloomington, Indiana. He was an engineer with the former Midwest Body Corporation and had previously worked at MECO. He later worked for many years in auto sales with Burger Dodge and Vigo Dodge of Terre Haute, Indiana. Read More
Linda Blankenship
Linda Carol Blankenship, 77, of Clinton, passed away September 15, 2023, after a long health battle.
Linda was born June 13, 1946, in Decatur, Illinois to her parents, Leonard Max and Tillie Emily Steele. Read More
•September 20, 2023•
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has endorsed the recommendation by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for the newly FDA-approved COVID-19 shots for everyone over the age of 6 months. The federal agencies have given the green light for updated mRNA vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer that target the currently circulating strains of the COVID-19 virus.
Heading into the fall, IDPH is closely monitoring data on COVID-19 as well as other respiratory viruses including flu and RSV. The federal guidance comes as data indicates an uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations in Illinois and the nation, with a seven percent increase statewide in the week ending September 2, the most recent period for which data is available. There are currently 12 Illinois counties at a medium level for COVID-19 hospitalizations according to the CDC national dashboard, meaning they exceed ten new cases per 100,000 population in the last week. Read More
•September 20, 2023•
Okaw Valley schools were placed on lockdown the morning of Friday, September 15, due to a potential threat made toward OVHS. The Bethany Police Department was contacted by Okaw Valley High School at 9 a.m. that day in reference to the potential threat which specifically mentioned OVHS, Homecoming and Friday’s date. The threat was first reported by a student in Pennsylvania to their local police department who in turn contacted the schools. Read More
•September 20, 2023•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer
There are those who say “mother-in-laws” and “attorney generals” and those of us who know the “in law” and “general” are modifiers.
You wouldn’t pluralize a modifier, would you? So it should be mothers-in-law and attorneys general.
Reader Bob Anderson pointed out to me the term “femme fatales” in a recent obituary. My first thought: That must have been a spicier-than-usual obit.
Bob’s point, however, is the plural should have been ”femmes fatale,” because “femme” is the noun modified by the adjective “fatale.” Think “Your mothers-in-law are femmes fatale.”
Man, I should be writing romance novels. Read More