•April 15, 2020•
By Mike Brothers

These times keep changing and in order to hang on to my last bit of sanity I headed into the woods recently.
For a while I was able to escape COVID-19 reports while make a wonderful discovery... I like morel mushrooms.
I had only heard stories of the search for the famed fungal delight of the forest.
The morel mushroom is a funny cone shaped fungi, that prompts millions and millions of people to march the soft soils beneath favored trees every spring.
Signaled in southern Illinois by May apple sightings in the forest beds, my little brother Jeff turned the great morel mystery into reality for my very first time. Read More

•January 29, 2020•
Dr. Robert Blumthal, O.D. joined Dr. Jamison Boyd at Sullivan Eye Care Clinic recently.
Bringing 39 years experience serving central Illinois patients Optometry needs Dr. Blumthal sees patients in Sullivan on Wednesdays and at Tuscola Eye Clinic on Thursdays.
Last fall Dr. Boyd ran into Blumthal at a meeting in Champaign and explained he could use another doctor at the Sullivan and Tuscola clinics.
Always active in the area Optometry Association Dr. Blumthal knew Dr. Boyd and his practice, even back in the days when Dr. Best was still active. So he agreed to help out.
Not only is Dr. Blumthal serving Sullivan and Tuscola patients but he keeps an active practice in Paris while also keeping office hours at Prairie Eye and Lasik Center in Springfield. Read More

Photos by Ellen Ferrera
Director Darin Wall dressed as a hot dog mans the grill for the Mason Point Trunk or Treat night.

•November 6, 2019•
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

For Janelle Winans, Halloween isn’t just another pretty holiday – it is an obsession.
As Activity Director for Mason Point in Sullivan, she turned her first Halloween there into a week-long, activity-filled series of events, not only for the Mason Point residents but for the community as well.
“I have always loved Halloween and this was an opportunity to celebrate on a really large stage,” Winans said. “I think the staff enjoyed the decoration competition, because they had to choose a theme for several activities and interact with the community.”
Festivities began on October 24 with a community hot dog cook-out on Mason Point’s front lawn. That was followed by the “scary” tram rides through the campus where many of the duplex residents had decorated their front lawns.
The week of Halloween began with Dynamic Duo Day on Monday where Winans and another staff member dressed as Batman and Superman. Other staff from the medical center dressed as the Three Blind Mice and the physical therapy staff dressed as The Price is Right show. The residents were encouraged to wear Halloween T-shirts all week.
Tuesday was Orange and Black which were the dress colors for the day. Wednesday followed with crazy hair and make-up day. The hair salon staff helped create wild and crazy hair styles with scary make-up.
Thursday was the resident hall party as well as another community event featuring decorated car trunks which were filled with candy and treats for children of the community. The residents braved the cold to help pass out the treats. Read More

Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Nancy Burcham is pictured with her seventh published book.

A 40 year process

•October 9, 2019•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Noted Sullivan author, Nancy Burcham, has just published her seventh book. Entitled “Laughter with the Pastor 101” the book puts forth the theme of embracing the attitude of gratitude along with some very funny stories.
“ I actually started writing the book 40 years ago but presses kept going out of business and I couldn’t find a publisher,” Nancy said, noting hip surgery put the book away for a spell.
“Later I was watching a story about the Boston Marathon where one of the bomb victims spoke of embracing the attitude of gratitude and this inspired me to begin again,” she said.
Burcham wrote to ministers and pastors asking them to share some of the funny incidents that had happened in their ministries.
The result is a collection of wonderfully funny stories which Nancy has enhanced with her own spiritual philosophies on being happy and grateful. She also included appropriate quotations from scripture to underscore her points.
Some of the best stories from the book involve baptisms where ministers forgot to fill the baptistry with water. In one, a minister fell backwards into the baptistry located below the floor and in one case, the person being baptized in a river panicked, broke loose from the pastor and floated down the river before being rescued. Read More

Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Lilly Bennett donates to Genesis Rescue & Rehab.

•September 11, 2019•
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

For her 11th birthday in September Lilly Bennett decided that she would rather help provide for rescue animals than receive presents. Specifically, she wanted to raise money for their care, food, bedding, toys and adoption.
“ I just love animals and I wanted to do something to help,” said Lilly.
The eleven-year-old wasted no time raising $470 on Facebook, $272 in cash and donated $60 worth of supplies which included a dog bed, toys, and cat food. She proudly presented a check for $802 to Genesis.
As it happened, Elizabeth Bennett, Lilly’s mother, is a co-worker with Taylor Rich, who is involved with Genesis Rescue and Rehab which provides foster homes for dogs, cats and kittens throughout central Illinois. Read More