William Fowler
William “Bill” Dale Fowler, 78, passed away Saturday, September 9, 2023, at 9:15 p.m. in Sullivan. Read More
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Obituaries 9-13-2023: James Bulla
James Bulla
James Wesley “Jimmy” Bulla, 55, of Sullivan, formerly of Findlay, IL, passed away at 10:00 p.m. Saturday, September 9, 2023 in his residence. Read More
Obituaries 9-13-2023: Raymond “Bud” Brown
Raymond “Bud” Brown
Raymond L. “Bud” Brown, Jr., 87, of Sullivan, passed away at 2:15 a.m., Thursday, September 7, 2023, at his home in Sullivan. Read More
Cami Badman’s Honors English III Student Letters to the Editor
•September 13, 2023•
More letters will be published in next week's edition.
Cami Badman‘s SHS letters provided this special section for News-Progress readers in partnership with Sullivan Community School District 300. Thank you to Sullivan Schools for expecting excellence and to these letter-writing students for delivering.
Letters to the Editor written by Cami Badman‘s Honors English III students at Sullivan High School explored controversial subjects with maturity and logic.
Badman opened the school year challenging these 20 students to present well-rounded arguments for student-selected controversial subjects and letters to the editor.
Throughout history, letters to newspapers about important topics have crafted public opinion into pivotal changes in society in an age of electronic dominance and sound-bite arguments. Exploring topics in depth brought some interesting and convincing results.
Students explored a wide range of topics ranging from discontinuing the penny to gun control. Read More
C.E.F.S. Announces the Start of the Energy Assistance Program
•September 13, 2023•
C.E.F.S. Economic Opportunity Corp., as administrator of the Energy Assistance Program in Moultrie County, is pleased to announce that funds are available to assist income-eligible households with their natural gas, propane and/or electric bills and furnace assistance for inoperable heating systems.
The program will begin taking applications on October 2, 2023, for seniors, people with disabilities and families with children under the age of six years.
On Wednesday, November 1st, households that are disconnected from their utilities, have a disconnection notice or have less than 25% in their propane tank can start applying for assistance.
All other income eligible households can start applying December 1, 2023. Read More
Facts for Families
•September 13, 2023•
By Cheri Burcham,
Family Life Educator
Ideas for youth to explore and connect with nature
This year, I have been working with other family life educators and horticulture educators to explore and create programs and materials that support the fact that spending time in nature is beneficial to our health and well-being. So, I wanted to share this article written by Extension Educator Brittnay Haag about this topic – especially for youth! Brittnay says: spending time in nature can improve our mood, make us feel more relaxed, help us be more active, and even connect us with our community. For children, time playing in nature is needed for healthy development. Don’t let the benefits of time outdoors end with summer. As youth return to school, help your family unwind and connect with nature, using one of these activities. Read More
To Dissemble Is Not to Take This Column Apart
•September 13, 2023•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer
Sometimes — when I’m talking to myself, because, really, who else would listen to me for more than 20 column inches once a week? — I wonder whether words that are very similar are synonyms, whether they have minor differences or whether they have nothing to do with each other.
The following four pairings entered my inner dialogue: ineptness versus ineptitude, plenty versus plenitude, gentility versus gentleness, and dissemble versus disassemble. Read More
Remember When? 9-13-2023
25 Years Ago This Week
A 25 year family tradition came to a close when the late Charles Elder’s three sons and other friends gathered Sept. 4 to bale the family’s 12 acres of hay. Elder started his hay baling business for his three sons, Kevin, Steve and Tom in the spring of 1973. The three brothers, using an old gas baler, ran the business until the summer of 1977 when they went their separate ways. Their father upgraded to more modern equipment and continued the business for 21 more years with his sons helping out occasionally. However, Elder had many other helpers during those years and baled hay for many customers in Moultrie and surrounding counties. Read More
Illinois Amish Heritage Center to host program on quilting techniques
•September 13, 2023•
by Crystal Reed
The Illinois Amish Heritage Center will host Sharon K. Jack of Country Home Quilting and More on Saturday, September 30, at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on their campus. Cost is $10 which includes admission to the campus and the program. Jack will be doing a techniques demonstration on the evolution of quilting techniques from how her grandmother made quilts and how she makes quilts. She will have samples of the different tools used as well as display boards. Read More
City Council Approves Ordinance Amending Electric Rates
•September 13, 2023•
by Crystal Reed
The Sullivan City Council held a meeting Monday, September 11, and voted to approve an ordinance amending electric rates. Commissioner Doug Shook was absent due to being on vacation. Commissioner Mike Kirk said the last council hired a company to do a study, and they broke down the fixed rates including meter reading, meter replacement, billing, customer service, etc.
The total of that was $9.00 currently, but the fees come to $17.37. He said that over the years they are going to get that number. Starting October 1, this will change from $9.00 to $11.80 on residential.
“Every class of rates is charged differently,” he said. Kirk noted the average of all of the six different classes is a 3.5% increase. The ordinance was approved. Read More