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Remember When? 6-28-2023

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25 Years Ago This Week

Because of high temperatures in past weeks the Sullivan Municipal Power Plant had registered record-breaking levels of electricity use. The all time record was broken around 5 pm June 24 with 13,000 kilowatts and the record was broken again on June 26 at around 3 pm with 14,200 kilowatts, or 260,000 kilowatt hours by the end of the day.
Rob LeCrone, a tree care contractor from Sullivan, took part in the Illinois Pro Logger Training program sponsored by the Illinois Council on Forestry Development. The five day course on safety and improvement of productivity and profitability in the workplace was designed to help reduce chain saw related injuries. Read More

City Council Tables Invitation of Bids For City Building Project

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•June 28, 2023•
by Crystal Reed

The Sullivan City Council tabled the possible approval and issuance of an invitation of bids for the City Building project during the Monday, June 26 meeting. Commissioner Abbey Sherwood said she was touching base to see if there were any additional questions in regards to the project. Commissioner Doug Shook said that even though the basement has been eliminated from the bids he noted they would still have to excavate down.
“Even though the basement is not going in the contractor will have to do a significant amount of excavation into the existing rock to get that soil bearing pressure,” he said. He said they would potentially need to go down 8 to 10 feet. Shook had ADA questions but they were cleared up with the plans. Shook estimated they would be in the 4-5 million dollar range to get that building built.
Commissioner Mike Kirk said he is not opposed to a new city building, he is opposed to the timing. He noted there a numerous projects that are upcoming that they don’t know the cost of. Commissioner Chuck Woodworth brought up the possibility of withdrawing some of the Titus funds and use them for the new city building. Commissioner Sherwood said she can’t get on board with using Titus funds for this purpose. Read More

Moultrie Amateur Radio Klub Celebrates Field Day

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photo by Ellen Ferrera.
Shane Ramos, VP of MARK, demonstrates a locator antenna used to find rogue operators. The Moultrie Amateur Radio Klub held a Field Day event on Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 25 at Wyman Park in Sullivan.

•June 28, 2023•
by Ellen Ferrera

On Saturday, June 24, members of the Moultrie Amateur Radio Klub (MARK) met at the Boy Scout cabin in Wyman Park to celebrate the annual Field Day with some 2.5 million ham radio operators around the world.
Since 1933, Field Day has been celebrated by amateur radio operators and clubs in the U.S. and around the world. The primary purpose of the Field Day is to practice and demonstrate emergency procedures and share information on new technologies, but each club determines their own activities.
Mike Morris, President of MARK, has been a ham operator for many years. He said, “It is an opportunity to combine a hobby with public service. We work closely with the weather bureaus to help issue warnings to remote areas or where communications have been damaged.”
The Moultrie Klub has been in existence for more than 60 years and meets the third Monday of each month at the Honey Bee restaurant in Mattoon. Dinner is at 5 p.m. with the meeting at 6 p.m. Visitors and those interested in joining the Klub are always welcomed. Read More

Knee High by the Fourth of July

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Photo by R.R. Best
Knee High by the Fourth of July
Courtyard Estates residents Harry Woolen, June Miller, Nadene Cochran, Bev Devore and Keith Richardson show that the corn has gotten more than knee high by the 4th of July.

Shamdin Graduates

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•June 28, 2023•

Katherine Shamdin of Mattoon was among the students conferred their degrees at the University of Iowa. Shamdin was a student in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences whose program of study was Enterprise Leadership. The degree awarded was a Bachelor of Arts.

Nuzzo Graduates

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•June 28, 2023•

Jadon Nuzzo of Sullivan graduated from Monmouth College on May 14 with a degree in exercise science. Nuzzo is the son of Jerry Nuzzo of Sullivan.

Dental Hygiene Graduates

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•June 28, 2023•

Lake Land College dental hygiene graduates received their pins at the annual pinning ceremony. Graduates from our area who were pinned during the ceremony were Kelly McGill and Nashlynn Williams of Findlay and Carlin Shumard of Sullivan. Williams received the Linda Lee Fletcher Scholarship earlier this year. McGill was also recognized for receiving a Heartland Dental Scholarship earlier in the year. Shumard received the Best Dental Hygienist Award, which was voted on by students in the program.

EMS Program Graduates

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•June 28, 2023•

Lake Land College recognized EMS program graduates at an annual pinning ceremony in May. Preston Ozier from Bethany was pinned by his dad Assistant Fire Chief/Paramedic Phil Ozier. Zachary Homerding from Lovington was pinned by his daughter Raelynn and wife Dakota. Homerding was the recipient of the Top Student Award for highest score in the program and The Shirley Sherwood Award for Excellence in EMS education.

Nursing Graduates

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•June 28, 2023•

Graduating nurses received their pins at the 2023 Lake Land College Associate Degree Nursing pinning ceremony. Students from our area that received pins were Maria Garza and Shelbi Swartzentruber, both of Arthur; April Decesaro and Savannah McKee, both of Bethany; Alison Beard, Elizabeth Green, CJ Yoder and Sinead Yvonne Weber, all of Sullivan; Scott Fleenor of Windsor. Fleenor also received one of the Associate Degree Nursing Peer Awards for exhibiting excellence in the classroom and in clinical, showing willingness to help others, caring nature, professionalism and spirit.