•December 3, 2025•
by E. Scott England
The Sullivan Lady Redskins hosted two games last week prior to the Thanksgiving holiday. The first one was against a notoriously sound Mt. Zion Lady Braves while the second game was host to the Robinson Lady Maroons.
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On Sunday, November 9th, the local Theta Psi Chapter of Psi Iota Xi chapter celebrated its 50th Anniversary with approximately 70 guests, including current and past Psi Otes and our National Vice President, Mona Knight, and West Central District Officer, Pam Karle. They celebrated with sisterhood fellowship, cake, punch, memories, and scrapbooks. Sue Yarnell was gifted with a garden rock for her 50 years of service to the community and their first Legacy honoree.
•December 3, 2025•
Through December 31st, the residents and businesses of Sullivan are encouraged to display an inflatable elf for all to see. While inflatable elves are encouraged, any elf will work. Your elf could be inflatable, a wooden cutout elf, or even a painted elf on your window/storefront. The only requirements are to go with the Elf theme, make it fun and unique if you wish, and have fun with it.
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•December 3, 2025•
by DM Williamee
With winter now here, ensuring your vehicle is prepared for the colder months is essential for safety and reliability. From icy roads to unexpected snowstorms, being proactive can help you avoid breakdowns and keep you safe on the road. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to DIY prepare your vehicle for winter and what to carry for emergencies.
Winter driving can be tough on your vehicle’s fluids. Here’s what to check: Antifreeze/Coolant: Ensure your coolant levels are adequate and consider using a winter-grade coolant to prevent freezing. Oil: Check your oil level and consider switching to a winter-grade oil for better performance in cold temperatures. Thinner oil flows better in frigid conditions. Windshield Washer Fluid: Use a winter formula that won’t freeze, and top off your washer fluid reservoir. This is crucial for maintaining visibility in snowy conditions.
Cold weather can drain your battery faster than you think. Here’s how to ensure it’s up to the task: Check Battery Health: Look for corrosion on battery terminals and clean them if necessary. If your battery is more than three years old, consider having it tested at an auto parts store. Secure Connections: Ensure battery cables are tight and free of corrosion to avoid starting issues.
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•December 3, 2025•
As the holiday shopping season begins, the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) is urging residents to stay alert when shopping online and to take simple steps to protect themselves from fraud and identity theft. With more Illinoisans shopping online each year, the threat of cybercrime continues to grow.
“This is one of the busiest online shopping periods of the year, and cybercriminals are waiting for people to let their guard down,” explained IDOR Director David Harris. “Every Illinois shopper can protect themselves with simple precautions and prevent months or even years of financial and personal hardship.”
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•December 3, 2025•
Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 51,409 deer during the first weekend of the Illinois firearm deer season between November 21st through 23rd. Comparatively, hunters took 54,661 and 53,348 deer during the first firearm weekends in 2024 and 2023.
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•December 3, 2025•
by DM Williamee
As many are basking or tasking this holiday season, shopping, cooking, spending time with friends and family, watching football, wrapping gifts, caroling, and making New Year’s resolutions, 2026 feels close but not quite here. For many, thinking about changes to expect in 2026 will not likely happen until the glow of the holiday season wears off and they are back to the grind after the ball drops. Others are always looking to the horizon, and from what is being forecasted, it’s a broad one.
According to analysts of all types and sectors (including socio-economic forecasters, economists, job market forecasters, and a host of other pundits), 2026 will be a year filled with changes that will impact all Americans, some more than others. The top ten predictions according to these professionals are the following:
Integration of AI into Daily Life: AI will be more seamlessly embedded into existing software, search engines, and enterprise operations. The public will interact with AI agents for tasks from customer service to personalized education, many times without realizing it. Currently, we unlock phones and electronics with Face ID and fingerprints, ask Alexa and Siri questions, and utilize search engines as well as social media, and behind these searches? AI tailors content based on what it believes we want to see. If autocorrect can create random ‘ducks’ in speech-to-text, one must wonder what these tailored search results are giving us.
Read MoreThe National Road
•December 3, 2025•
by Janet Roney
All history books that feature the story of the settlement of the Midwest tell the history of the National Road. It was created by Congress in 1806 and became the principal route for westward migration. It went from Wheeling, West Virginia, passed through Columbus, Indianapolis, and Terre Haute in Ohio and Indiana, then on through Effingham before ending at Vandalia, Illinois.
The route of the National Road, which US Highway 40 generally follows, is designated as a historical landmark in every community it passes through. They hold festivals celebrating their history. Inns along its way have been restored. A whole shelf full of books has been written about the old road. I have nothing to add to what has already been said about that road...except, maybe, the fact that the National Road was not the only important trail across central Illinois, as I hope you have been noticing in these articles.
The National Road deserves all the attention it gets, but I just think there might be a little more attention paid to old trails and roads that are a lot less famous. They affected history, too, and in some places, unlike the National Road, they still look like the old trail, only with a few layers of oil or gravel thrown on top.
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•December 3, 2025•
Moultrie County Monthly Quarter Madness will hold its December Quarter Auction on Wednesday, December 10th. The event will be held at the Sullivan American Legion. Mid-Illinois Senior Services, Inc. is the organization of the month. Since 1984, Mid-Illinois Senior Services, Inc., an Aging & Disability Resource Center, has provided free services to seniors age 60+, disabled individuals aged 16-59, caregivers, their care recipients & their families, as well as relatives raising children/ grandparents raising grandchildren. The Peace Meal Senior Nutrition Program is found at their facility in Sullivan, providing an in-house, hot lunch every Monday through Friday at 11:30 am. They are SHIP (Senior Health Insurance Programs) site and provide free SHIP Counseling by appointment. SHIP Counselors are available to discuss health insurance questions, including Medicare, Medicaid, VA, and other insurance.
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