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SPD Holiday Traffic Results

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•January 16, 2019•

The Sullivan Police Dept. conducted additional traffic enforcement over the holidays from Dec. 17 to Jan. 2., reminding motorists to drive sober and buckle up as part of the Illinois Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement effort.
The Sullivan Police Dept. joined the Illinois State Police and local law enforcement agencies across Illinois to reduce motor vehicle crashes, injuries and deaths by arresting impaired drivers and issuing seat belt and other vehicle code violations.
During the 16-day mobilization, Sullivan Police Dept. issued: • seven seat belt citations • three other traffic citations • one DUI arrests • suspended/revoked licenses • six uninsured motorists • seven speeding citations
The annual campaign may be over in Sullivan Illinois, but that isn’t an excuse to drive impaired. Driving drug or alcohol impaired is illegal and can result in a DUI because it’s extremely dangerous and irresponsible. Additionally, all vehicle occupants, regardless of seating position, are required to wear properly adjusted seat belts.
“Our officers are committed year-round. If you drive impaired, you will be arrested,” said James E Waggoner.
The Click It or Ticket/Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement effort is funded with federal highway safety funds administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation.[/s2If]

Obituaries 1-16-2019: Scott Blomeley

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Scott Blomeley

Walter Scott Blomeley, formerly of Sullivan, passed away peacefully Thursday, January 10, 2019 in Greenbriar Nursing Home in Bradenton, Florida at the age of 91. Visitation will be Thursday, January 17 from 5 to 7 p.m. in Reed Funeral Home in Sullivan. Funeral services will be Friday, January 18 at 10:30 am in Reed Funeral Home with internment and military rites conducted by Sullivan American Legion Post 68 afterwards at Greenhill Cemetery. Read More

Dine With Doc at Mason Point

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•January 16, 2019•

Senior Education Ministries, Inc. in partnership with the Sullivan Community has scheduled Dine with a Doc ® Sullivan on the first Tuesday of every month from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Max J. Knight Community Building Banquet Hall at Mason Point in Sullivan.
The Dine with a Doc®-Sullivan is scheduled for February 5, and Dr. Garrett Buell D.C. from Mattoon Chiropractic is the featured speaker.
Dr. Buell earned his Doctorate of Chiropractic from Logan University in St. Louis, MO. Dr. Garrett also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Eastern Illinois University. Read More

Obituaries 1-16-2019: Dale Bland

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Dale Bland

Dale W. Bland, 82, of Mt. Zion, formerly of Bethany, passed away at 12:16 p.m. Friday, January 11, 2019 in Memorial Medical Center in Springfield. Private family services will be held at a later date. McMullin-Young Funeral Home in Bethany is in care of the arrangements.
Dale was born April 24, 1936 in Sparland, a son of F.H. and Irma Waughop Bland. He served in the United States Army. Dale married Donna D. Kirkwood May 23, 1968 in Sullivan, and she survives. He was a graduate of Eureka College. Dale was a retired farmer and a partner in F.H. Bland & Sons John Deere Dealership in Bethany. Read More

Sullivan School Board Approves New High School Principal

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•January 16, 2019•

By Mike Brothers

Dan Allen was approved as high school principal by the Sullivan Community Unit #300 School Board at the January 14 meeting.
Allen, the Sullivan Elementary School principal, replaces Erik Young who starts the 2019-20 year as superintendent of Ridgeview CUSD #19.
Supt. Ted Walk noted Young was chosen from a nationwide pool of candidates and was unanimously approved by the Ridgeview School Board.
The Ridgeview School District is adjacent to Fairbury, the town in which Young grew up.
Young began his administrative career at Sullivan schools, serving as the high school and middle school assistant principal for four years before stepping into the role of high school principal for the past six years. Read More

Understanding Illinois: Will it be ‘Happy Days’ or ‘Blood, Sweat, Toil and Tears’?

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•January 16, 2019•

By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist

I hate to play the skeleton at the feast, because Gov.-elect J. B. Pritzker has an apparently strong desire to do more and better for the state of Illinois. Yet, he must face the harsh realities of having inherited a fiscal system that is broke, deep in debt, bankrupt in the sense that Illinois cannot pay its bills in anything close to a timely fashion.
So, will the themes for his forthcoming state of the state and budget messages be akin to “Happy Days Are Here Again” or a somber “Blood, toil, tears and sweat”?
Here is snapshot of the situation he faces. For probably two decades now, Illinois state government has been running annual budget deficits of roughly $3 billion or more, on average, when unfunded future obligations and piled up unpaid bills are included.
The situation is so bad that in 2017, according to Reuters, the state paid out more than $1 billion (a 1 followed by 9 zeroes) to vendors in late payment penalty fees, a frittered-away billion dollars of taxpayer dollars that did not buy a solitary good or service!
The state’s credit cards are all maxed out. If Illinois continues to spend more than it takes in, while bills pile up, the folks at the bond rating agencies will begin to mutter “Puerto Rico” under their breath (P.R., the bankrupt semi-sovereign American commonwealth).
During his campaign, J.B., as he likes to be called, pledged to enact a progressive income tax (higher tax rates for higher incomes), a big infrastructure building program, and increased spending for education, higher education, and more. Read More

Hang On!

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Photo by R.R. Best
Hang On!
Greenhill Cemetery was well covered with snow over the weekend and well travelled. So well traveled this young sledder closed his eyes as he went airborne during his flight down the hill.

Redskins Record Win Over Cerro Gordo-Bement

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•January 16, 2019•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Sullivan boys’ basketball team split a pair of games last week.
The Redskins lost to Warrensburg-Latham Friday but defeated Cerro-Gordo-Bement last Tuesday.
Against the Cardinals Friday, the game was tied after the first quarter, but W-L took a 26-22 lead into halftime.
The Cardinals broke the game open in the third quarter by doubling Sullivan’s score, 18-9.
W-L did it again in the final period with an 18-8 run for the 62-39 win. Read More

Okaw Valley Schools Facility Revitalization Advances

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•January 16, 2019•

The Okaw Valley CUSD #302 Board of Education approved a resolution to put the question to voters on the April 2 ballot to issue $6.5 million in school building bonds.
If approved by voters on April 2, the bonds will fund the construction of a new gymnasium to attach to the current gym at the high school, a new entryway into the front of the middle school and new playground equipment at the elementary school.
The current OVHS gymnasium was built in 1937 and no longer fits the school’s needs. The new project will provide significantly more gym space for practices, games and physical education classes. Read More