Photo by R.R. Best
Sullivan Cheer Camp
The Sullivan High School basketball cheerleaders held a Redskins-In-Training youth cheer camp last week for Sullivan Elementary School students. The Redskins-in-training learned cheers that they performed at the beginning of the varsity basketball game on Friday. All proceeds from camp will support new uniforms for SHS basketball cheer.
•January 19, 2022•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer
The County Board discussed the filling and/or assignment of planning and zoning duties and responsibilities. The Supervisor of Assessments office gave the board handouts last board meeting, and Chief County Assessment Officer Lori Barringer said they may take over these responsibilities without additional staff or salary. The other option is that the board could post a full-time job and get someone dedicated to doing the planning and zoning.
Lauren Sesko, the ESDA director, has been filling in as interim personnel in that office.
A motion was made to have Sesko continue in ESDA as well as do some GIS work for the county while planning and zoning responsibilities will be moved to the assessor’s office with the transition completed by or before February 14. The motion was approved with Tyler Graven voting no. Read More
Photo by Crystal Reed
Nate Hunter, Natalee Hunter and Rebecca Lawson stand near one of the trees in Wyman Park that inspired their writing contest entry “The Trees.”
•January 19, 2022•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer
Recently, a Sullivan High School student, her father and a retired Sullivan High School teacher received the news that they had tied for first place in the 2021 Rachel Carson Intergenerational Sense of Wonder/Sense of the Wild Contest. The team, which includes Natalee Hunter, Nate Hunter and Becky Lawson, won in the “essay with photograph” category in the Sense of Wonder theme.
The essay was written by Natalee and Lawson while the photograph was taken by Nate. The entry which is titled “The Trees” was written about the trees located near the Boy Scout cabin in Wyman Park. According to Lawson, the whole contest connects the love and sense for nature between generations.
Lawson said that the editing process was fascinating. “We discussed what we would write about and blended the two essays together,” she said. A proud moment for her was in the judges’ comments. A phrase that Natalee had written was used. “For them to select that phrase was magical,” Lawson said. Read More
•January 19, 2022•
Registered voters in Moultrie County will be receiving new Voter Identification Cards within the next week. As required by law, the County Clerk’s office is in the process of completing a purge of Moultrie County voters. County Clerk Georgia England explained that a purge is done to help maintain voter registrations by keeping them current and up-to-date, and to eliminate voters that are deceased, or have moved from Moultrie County.
England urges voters to check their voter card and familiarize themselves with their districts and polling location. This is particularly important for voters in Lowe Precinct and Jonathan Creek Precinct, as the Legislative Districts may have changed due to the Census mapping; and for Sullivan Precincts since the Precincts were recently redrawn to redistribute the number of registered voters in Sullivan Township. Voters should sign the new card and destroy their old card. Read More
•January 19, 2022•
Nominating petitions for candidates planning to run in the June 28, 2022 General Primary Election are now available in Moultrie County Clerk Georgia England’s office.
The first day to circulate petitions for established political parties and independent candidates began January 13, 2022. Filing period is March 7-11 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on March 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The county-wide offices up for nomination are: four full year terms for County Clerk, Treasurer and Sheriff; and County Board members with nine seats available. Precinct Committeemen will be elected during the primary as well.
For additional information contact theCounty Clerk’s office at 217-728-4389
•January 19, 2022•
The Moultrie County Food Pantry collaborated with Flesor’s Candy Kitchen again last year for their annual Food Pantry Candy Sale, donating 20% of their sales to the Moultrie County Food Pantry. The fundraiser broke a record again last year with the amount of candy sold and money donated to the pantry, with a record donation of $2,000.00 to the food pantry. CEFS Moultrie County Food Pantry thanks all donors and participants.
•January 19, 2022•
Zoe Ray of Sullivan has been named to the dean’s list at Greenville University for the Fall 2021 semester. To qualify for the GU Dean’s List, a student must successfully complete a minimum of 12 hours for the semester. Freshmen (0-29.5 credits) must have a semester GPA of 3.5 or above. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors must have a semester GPA of 3.7 or above.
Everett and Doris Elzy
Doris Elzy, 84 of Sullivan, passed away at 12:50 a.m. Thursday January 13, 2022 in the Sullivan Rehabilitation and Health Care Center.
Celebration of Life services will be 11:00 a.m. Monday January 17, 2022 in the Reed Funeral Home, Sullivan with Pastor Mark Bjornbak officiating. Visitation will be Monday from 10:00 a.m. until service time. Burial will be in the Greenhill Cemetery, Sullivan. Memorials are suggested to the Sullivan First Baptist Church. Online condolences may be sent to the family at reedfuneralhome.net. The family requests that those attending the visitation and funeral to please wear a mask and practice social distancing.
Everett was born March 6, 1932 in Doniphan, Missouri, the son of Delmar and Minnie Kidwell Elzy and Everett passed away on June 21, 2021 in his residence in Alton, Missouri. He had worked as a chemical engineer for U.S.I. at Tuscola from 1956 until 1993. Everett was a
U. S. Army veteran of the Korean Conflict and had been a member of the Sullivan First Baptist Church. He is survived by his sisters Darlene Burgess and Ina Pickle of Sullivan and brothers Gale (Charlene) Elzy of Sullivan, Kenneth Elzy of Gainesville, Texas and Marshall (Kathy) Elzy of Sullivan. He was preceded in death by his parents, an infant brother and sister and brothers Ralph ‘Red’ Elzy and Dean Elzy and granddaughter Rebekah..
Doris was born March 14, 1937 in Bethany, the daughter of Walter and Leota Hughey Oathout and Doris passed away on January 13, 2022 in the Sullivan Rehabilitation and Health Care Center. She had worked as a cook for the Sullivan School System and the Masonic Home in Sullivan. Doris had been a member of the Sullivan First Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brothers Marion Oathout, Bill Oathout and Clyde Oathout and granddaughter Rebekah.
Everett and Doris were married May 22, 1955 in Sullivan. They moved to Colorado in 1997 where they open their home and became foster parents to over sixty children until 2010. They were members of the Faith Fellowship Church in Canon City, Colorado. They are survived by sons Steven Elzy of Monrovia, Indiana, Gary Elzy of Mattoon and Daniel Elzy of Lake George, Colorado; grandchildren Evan Elzy, Bethany Elzy, Jacob Elzy and Samuel Elzy and great grandchildren Damien Martinez Elzy and Aiden Martinez Elzy.
•January 12, 2022•
By Cheri Burcham
Family Life Educator
Due to ongoing changes with the pandemic, there have been a few changes made to the Wits Fitness: Brain Exercise Classes schedule and locations. At this time, classes will be (changes are underlined):
· Every first Monday of the month at the U of I Extension office in Mattoon at 10:00 AM (except for January – there will be no class held.)
· Every first Monday of the month at the Shelby County Senior Center at 1:00 PM (except January 3 will be January 10 due to holiday.) Read More
•January 12, 2022•
The winter solstice marks the first day of winter. For people residing in the Northern Hemisphere, Tuesday, December 21, 2021, heralds the official arrival of winter (the Southern Hemisphere’s winter solstice is on Sunday, June 20).
Though it’s common to think of the winter solstice as an event that spans an entire day, it actually occurs for just a moment - specifically when a hemisphere is tilted as far away from the sun as it can be.
Winter is widely known as the coldest time of the year in most locales, but that’s not the only thing that makes the season unique. Explore these other cold, hard facts about wintertime. Read More