Senior Peace Meal
For additional information or for reservations, please call 1-800-543-1770
Monday, October 22 - Roasted turkey, mashed potatoes w/gravy, green bean casserole, dressing, peaches
Tuesday, October 23 - Chili w/beans, mixed lettuce salad w/dressing packet, crackers, Waldorf salad
Wednesday, October 24 - Beef stroganoff over noodles, corn, broccoli, whole grain wheat, banana
Thursday, October 25 - Ham, frosted sweet potatoes, midair blend vegetables, dinner roll, cranberry gelatin salad
Friday, October 26 - Liver and onions, scalloped potatoes, buttered pears, graham crackers, whole grain wheat, dreamsicle gelatin
webmaster
Obituary 10-17-2018: Elaine Craig
Elaine Craig
Mary Elain “Elaine” Craig, 88, of Sullivan, passed away Thursday, October 11, 2018, in Lakeland Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in Effingham.
Funeral services to celebrate her life will be 11 a.m. Thursday, October 18 at First Church of God in Lovington; visitation will be one hour before the service. Burial will take place in Greenhill Cemetery in Sullivan. Read More
SOV Football Team Recognizes Seniors on Victory Field
Photo by RR Best
Cullen Dyer finds a hole in the line to run through.
•October 17, 2018•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor
The Sullivan/Okaw Valley football team could not find its first win of the year on Senior Night against Clinton at Victory Field Friday night.
“Defensively we played better than we had the previous two weeks,” said Sullivan coach Jeff Myers. “Played better assignment football most of the time. The offense didn’t do the defense any favors by continually giving them a short field. Offensively, we continue to lose at the line of scrimmage.”
Clinton scored on a 36-yard pass in the first quarter and scored 14 more points in the second quarter to take a 21-0 halftime lead. Read More
Sullivan Spark Group Selects Improvement Areas
Photo by Sonya Best
Sullivan Mayor Ann Short participates in the Sullivan Spark project rating the various projects identified by the eight person groups during last week’s meeting.
•October 17, 2018•
By Sonya Best
for the News Progress
“Sullivan Spark is a group of citizens from the Sullivan area bringing a spark to ignite the future of Sullivan.”
At the last meeting the 80 area residents attending were randomly divided into eight person groups. From the ideas presented by those groups, four areas were identified on which to focus.
The group as a whole voted on four areas which they feel can be improved upon in no specific order; parks and recreation, entertainment and tourism, retail and dining, and housing.
About 80 area residents have committed to developing a strategic visioning for community and economic development. Spark meets bi-weekly to discuss the challenges of the community and develop ideas to enhance the positives. Read More
Understanding Illinois: Illinois Higher Education—from Best to Bleakest
•October 17, 2018•
By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist
In 2000, a national group that knows about such things declared Illinois to have the best higher education offerings among the states for quality and affordability. Today, in contrast, nearly half all Illinois high school grads headed to college flee to institutions out of state. This can be turned around, but not without a renewed collaboration among state leadership on affordability, focus and understanding of the new realities.
Some background. Though not everyone needs a bachelor’s degree, every youngster who can benefit needs post-high school training and education. To meet these needs for three-quarters of a million of our citizens, Illinois offers four “layers” of higher education.
There are graduate research universities (think University of Illinois) and teaching universities (such as Illinois State University). And private colleges (e.g., Northwestern and Knox, which in total educate more four-year college students than the publics), and community colleges, which blanket the state. There are also for-profit colleges, which range from good to rip-offs.
There was dramatic growth and lavish spending on higher education and student financial aid post-World War II up to the 1980s, when student numbers boomed and the state had some money. Read More
Remember When? 10-17-2018
25 Years Ago This Week
The 1993 soybean crop in Moultrie County shows signs of being a “bin buster” with yields of early beans exceeding 50 bushels an acre according to Sullivan Grain. A photo shows beans on the Melvin Wiley farm that were testing under 11.8 percent moisture.
When the pumpkin crop comes in, things get busy at Spencers’ produce. The farm, located south of Sullivan, owned by Clarence and Phyllis Spencer has been operating at its current location since 1975. Pumpkins at Spencers’ come in all shapes and sizes, and if you want, a variety of decorations thanks to the artistic flair of their daughter, Beth Cole. Cole has spent many hours transforming pumpkins and gourds into witches, ghosts, and other inspirations to sell to customers. Read More
“Mistletoe Magic” is SBL Winter Wonderland Event
•October 17, 2018•
The holiday season is just around the corner and plans are well underway for the 20th annual Festival of Trees at Sarah Bush Lincoln.
Beautifully decorated Christmas trees, wreaths and home décor will adorn the Lumpkin Family Center for Health Education at Sarah Bush Lincoln from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, November 16, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, November 17. The public is invited to share in this winter wonderland event, themed “Misletoe Magic.”
Net proceeds from this year’s Festival of Trees will support Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Foundation’s initiative, “Life . . . Nothing Beats It,” a capital campaign to raise funds for the cardiology expansion project that includes a new Heart Center and 21 new private patient rooms that recently opened. Read More
ALAH Volleyball Knocks off Heyworth
Photo furnished
•October 17, 2018•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor
The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond volleyball team competed in the St. Thomas More Tourney Saturday and bookended the tournament with two close matches.
During the tournament, ALAH defeated New Berlin and Heyworth but lost to Cerro Gordo, St. Thomas More and Mt. Pulaski.
Before the tournament last Tuesday, ALAH lost to Blue Ridge and after the ALAH knocked off Arthur Okaw Christian Monday night.
There is one more game to be played in the tournament. ALAH’s current record is 19-10.
In the first match of the tournament, the Knights knocked off Heyworth 25-21, 25-23.
Taylor Powell corralled 12 kills and seven digs, and Emma Harris followed with six kills and a clock. Read More
Auditions Open for Christmas Show
•October 17, 2018•
The Charleston Alley Theatre in conjunction with The Mattoon Area Arts Council along with Black Op’s Productions is holding open auditions for the show “Ornaments: 6 Christmas Stories in One Act”.
This is the second year the theatre is putting on an original script by Sullivan’s Matthew Gerard Burns. He wrote last year’s Tinker, Tailor Elf, Spy. Read More
It’s Flu Shot Time: New Flu Vaccine-Nasal Spray Option Available
•October 17, 2018•
As soon as the influenza (flu) vaccine is available in your community, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) recommends everyone six months and older be vaccinated. The nasal spray flu vaccine is once again a recommended option for influenza vaccination. During the past two flu seasons, the nasal spray was not recommended due to concern about its effectiveness.
“It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies that protect against flu to develop in the body,” said IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D. “The flu season typically starts around October so we recommend you make plans to get vaccinated now, before flu season begins.” Read More