Photo by Keith Stewart
Pictured is Brandi Novak, the owner of the newly opened primative/antique store Simpler Thymes, located at 110 E Harrison next door to the Sullivan Bakery.

New antique store opens in Sullivan

•July 29, 2015•

By Nick Fiala
Reporting in Sullivan

It is often said that every success story starts with a dream. In this case, it is a dream and an enormous collection of beautifully-aged odds and ends that Brandi Novak is using to start her own antique store, Simpler Thymes, located on Harrison Street, just east of the Little Theatre.

“I taught second-grade here.” said Novak, who is a former sales director and held her grand opening for the store over this last weekend. “I really enjoy the town; I think it’s a great area [and] they’re really doing a lot with it. New business is coming in, and that was a big factor in my decision to open here.”

A love for auctions and sales led Novak to start her own collections and open booths in places such as B&J Antiques and Copper Eagle in Charleston. But she said this opening, arranged since June, is an opportunity for her to realize a long-time goal and combine it with a deep personal interest.

“I’ve always been interested in being self-employed.” Novak said. “It still can be flexible when I need it to be...I’ve had antique booths for about seven years [and] I thought ‘it’s now or never’.”  Read More

November 12, 2014

Submitted by the Sullivan Chamber & Economic Development

There is a new doc in town. Dr. Katie Harley is a chiropractor whose main focus is to find the body’s nerve interferences and remove them with a chiropractic adjustment. This allows the body to function at its optimal level.

She was born and raised in Windsor and attended Eastern Illinois University for three years before transferring to Logan College of Chiropractic in Chesterfield, Mo. At Logan, she completed her Bachelors of Science degree and graduated with a Doctorate of Chiropractic in 2005. Read More

Photo by Keith Stewart
Amy Fultz prepares to enjoy her ribeye sandwich for lunch Tuesday at Lucky’s Food and Spirits in Sullivan.

October 22, 2014

A little Luck goes a long way for new restaurant

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

For Danny and Marissa Luck, stepping back into the restaurant business required, well, some luck.

The husband/wife duo planned for a soft opening Tuesday, October 7 and then be in full swing the following Wednesday. Read More

Photo by Keith Stewart
Barefoot Freedom Yoga studio owner Jolene Wright (bacground)breathes out along with her student Emilie Beagle Monday.

October 1, 2014

Sullivan native returns home to open studio

by Ariana Cherry
Reporting in Sullivan

To Jolene Wright, yoga is more than just exercise. It’s about finding a calm steady body and mind while living a peaceful productive life. Wright truly understands that meaning on a personal level. Not only is she the owner and yoga instructor at “Barefoot Freedom Yoga,” but she is also a veteran. After graduating Sullivan High School in 2001, she joined the Illinois National Guard. Soon after, she was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Barefoot Freedom in 2004.

After her return from Iraq, Wright entered Southern Illinois University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in forestry outdoor recreation. She then moved to Colorado to work as a forest technician. While in Colorado, Wright noticed yoga all around her. She, herself had been practicing since 2002, but it had become more prevalent during her time in Colorado. What seemed to be a new calling, she embraced it by undergoing training to become a yoga teacher. Her path to becoming a yoga instructor was lead by her teachers Shannon Paige, Nancy Kate Rau and Gina Caputo, and after dedicating her time and energy to yoga, Wright earned the credentials to become a 500 hour Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher while also becoming certified through Mindful Yoga Therapy. Read More

July 2, 2014

Submitted by Justine Brewer

The Sullivan Bingo Hall, located at 401 W. Water Street in Sullivan, recently celebrated five years of successful operation.

The Beacon, a non-profit organization that provides services to adults with developmental disabilities and mental illness, was previously struggling to find the dollars to make ends meet. The financially strapped state of Illinois budget has been unable to provide any type of funding increase or cost of living increase for the past six years, putting a strain on the annual budget.  Read More