•June 28, 2023•
Sullivan will celebrate the 4th of July with a parade at noon. Lineup begins at 10:00 a.m. at the Sullivan High School parking lot. There is no sign up for the parade, just show up before 12:00 p.m. Activities in the park will begin at 2 p.m. and there will be a watermelon eating contest, sack races and turtle races. Fireworks at dusk.
photo by Crystal Reed
“Wild Weather” with JC Fultz
Marrowbone Public Library continued their summer reading program schedule on Friday, June 16 with a presentation from Bethany resident JC Fultz. During his program he talked about what requirements a storm must meet to be considered a severe thunderstorm, what the difference between a funnel cloud and a tornado are, lighting and tornado safety, storm safety and flooding. Fultz shared that Illinois averages around 54 tornadoes a year.
•June 21, 2023•
On Tuesday, June 13 Governor JB Pritzker joined Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, along with state and local officials at Maplewood School in Cahokia Heights to announce Illinois’ partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The recently signed FY24 budget allocates $1.6 million to the program, which is dedicated to improving the lives of children by inspiring a love of reading. The initiative includes a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five, no matter a family’s income.
“Imagination Libraries are already working their magic at a few dozen locations around the state, and the teamwork of my administration and the Dollywood Foundation will make it possible to bring Dolly to every doorstep,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “As a longtime early childhood advocate, I’m incredibly excited for what’s to come. These are some of the most crucial years for learning of a person’s lifetime, and this initiative will connect low-income families to resources their children will need for lifelong success.”
“Every child deserves the opportunity to discover worlds beyond their imagination. Leaders who put education first make this possible. Thanks to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, children in every corner of Illinois can receive free books mailed directly to their home,” said Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. “I applaud early childhood advocates like Dolly Parton, who are helping our children find joy in reading and creating future generations of avid readers.” Read More
•June 21, 2023•
By Cheri Burcham
Family Life Educator
With vacation season coming up, I would like to reshare this article that we published a few years ago. It is an article originally printed in the “Working Families” newsletter.
Do vacations have to be completely stress-free to be enjoyable? No, of course not. When we stop to think about the fact that children on vacation are often away from what is predictable and familiar in their home life and routines, it is easier to understand when they are not on their best behavior. We can take some simple steps to prepare children for travel. With preparation, we can often eliminate missed snacks, meals or naps, and limit whining, sibling rivalry, frequent potty breaks and endless hours of car travel that leaves everyone feeling at the end of their rope. Read More
photo submitted by Jason Fleming
Troop 39 held their Court of Honor recently. Troop 39 scouts are (left to right): James Conlin, Ivan Moxley, Idrees Al-Arab, Anderson Crouse, Josh Bailey, Beau Fleming, Charlie Conlin, Liam Coil, Gavin Finn, Will Flexser, Everett Finn, Grant Martin and David Ryherd
•June 21, 2023•
submitted by Jason Fleming
On May 22nd, Troop 39 held their Court of Honor in the Boy Scout Cabin at Wyman Park with family in attendance. In total, the Boy Scouts earned 52 merit badges since last July, and 9 of them advanced in rank.
Boy Scouts of America offers 138 different merit badges for Scouts to earn by completing prerequisites, demonstrating skills and applying themselves to learn about the subject. Badges earned and awarded at the Court of Honor were: Archery, Astronomy, Camping, Chemistry, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Citizenship in Society, Communication, Emergency Preparedness, Environmental Science, Fire Safety, First Aid, Fishing, Forestry, Geocaching, Geology, Leatherwork, Mammal Study, Oceanography, Robotics, Safety, Search and Rescue, Wilderness Survival and Woodcarving. Read More
•June 21, 2023•
Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation recently announced the recipients who have been awarded the 2023 Elgin and Genevieve Daily Farm Scholarship. Local recipients of the scholarship are: Quentin Day who is a 2022 graduate of Arthur Lovington Atwood Hammond High School. He is studying agriculture at the University of Illinois, Clayton Bone who is a 2021 graduate of Okaw Valley High School studying agriculture at the University of Illinois and Hudson Ruppert who is a 2023 graduate of Okaw Valley High School and plans to study agriculture pursuing a degree in Conservation/Forestry. Read More
photo by Crystal Reed
Bennett’s Lemonade Stand
Harlan Bennett, 9, of Sullivan, has decided to set up a lemonade stand in front of his house every Friday this summer, weather permitting. You can find his stand on East Blackwood Street in Sullivan.
photo by Crystal Reed
Heartland Mini Hoofs Visit Senior Center
The Heartland Mini Hoofs visited the Mid-Illinois Senior Services and Community Center on Thursday, June 15. Heartland Mini Hoofs, a non for profit organization, has a mini equine visitation therapy program. They operate solely on donations. Pictured are Reva Martin and Carolyn Doss spending time with Oliver during the organization’s visit.
Jacqueline Jenkins
Jacqueline Ann Jenkins peacefully passed away on June 8, 2023.
She was born October 16, 1930, to Josephine (Bradley) and Cyrus Yantis at home on their family farm outside Findlay, Illinois. She lived in various places in Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana. Her final residence was at Mill Pond in Ankeny where she lived for almost 13 years. Jackie always loved working outside. She helped her father with the chores on the farm. She tended gardens at her own homes. She could be seen weeding the flower gardens at Mill Pond frequently. Read More
Jerry Decker, Sr.
Jerry W. Decker, Sr., 77, of Sullivan, passed away at 1:03 p.m., Monday, June 12, 2023, in Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center in Mattoon. Read More