•October 4, 2017•

Sullivan Post Office will offer a “Passport Fair”, with extended passport hours 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and extra staffing October 7 to help travelers prepare for international trips. “Many families are now making plans for holiday and spring break trips”. If those plans involve travel abroad, this is the perfect opportunity to get that necessary passport”, said Postmaster Cindy Temple.

“Passport applicants must apply in person so many customers, especially families with children, appreciate the convenience of Saturday hours,” said Temple. “With just one visit to the post office, the passport application process can be completed.”

Applicants must provide an Application for Passport Form DS-11. To save some time, the form may be downloaded from the USPS website, www.usps.com/passport for completion before arrival at the post office. The form will also be available at the passport fair.

Applicants, including infants, must present a proof of U.S. citizenship: a previous U.S. passport or a certified birth certificate issued by a city, county or state, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Certification of Birth, a Naturalization Certificate, or a Certificate of Citizenship. A picture ID is also required. Go online at http://travel.state.gov/passport for more information.

The clerks at the Sullivan Post Office recommend visiting the post office as early as possible to apply for your passport - at least two months or earlier before your departure - to avoid any extra costs involved in expediting your application.

Information on the cost and how to apply for a passport book and/or passport card may be found at www.usps.com/passport/ or travel.state.gov. U.S. citizens may also obtain passport information by phone, in English and Spanish, by calling the National Passport Information Center toll-free at 1-877-487-2778.

•September 27, 2017•

Moultrie County Clerk Georgia England urges county residents to take advantage of a new, free service offered by her office to help protect people against property fraud. People may sign up though the county’s website at www.moultriecountyil.com to receive Property Fraud Alerts, an automated database that monitors activity involving land records filed in the Moultrie County Clerk and Recorder’s office.

“The best protection we can offer against property fraud is proactive protection,” England said. “Having the Property Fraud Alert service will make Moultrie County less attractive to criminals and is in the best interest of the community.”

The service does not prevent activity from happening; however, it does immediately notify individuals when transactions involving their property have been recorded in the County Clerk and Recorder’s office. It is then up to the individual to contact the Moultrie County Clerk and Recorder’s office to determine whether the activity is fraudulent.

Time is of the essence when fraudulent activity has occurred, saving an individual from undue stress and monetary loss to recover their property and/or identity.

This service is easy to sign up for, and it is free. It offers a little extra peace of mind with just a few clicks of the computer. Those having no internet access may contact the Clerk and Recorder’s office at 217-728-4389. Staff will then enter the caller’s information into the system.

The free service and database are managed and maintained by Fidlar Technologies, the county’s software provider for land records.

•September 27, 2017•

The Decatur Area Arts Council is accepting applications for artists to sell original art and fine crafts at their holiday shop, Xmas ARTicles 2017.  The holiday shop will be open from December 1–29 in the Madden Arts Center, 125 N. Water St. in downtown Decatur. Artists are encouraged to submit a wide variety of affordable “gifty” types of items such as jewelry and other wearable art, ornaments, ceramics, woodworking, textiles, painting, photography, decorations, floral wreaths, etc.

Application forms are available on the website at www.decaturarts.org.  Applications are due by November 3.

•September 27, 2017•

Harvest Field Market is coming to Buxton Farm Garden Saturday, Sept. 30 as part of the businesses 20 year anniversary.

There are 32 vendors joining the celebration at the Rte 121 garden from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

•September 20, 2017•

Secretary of State Jesse White, in cooperation with Sullivan Library, is offering drivers a chance to renew their driver’s license or vehicle registration renewal sticker, obtain a duplicate or corrected license, or obtain an Illinois identification card. White’s mobile unit will be available at Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library,  in Sullivan 10 a.m.-2 p.m. October 19.

An applicant renewing a current Illinois driver’s license or identification card need only present a current valid driver’s license or identification card. If the applicant is applying for either a duplicate or corrected driver’s license or identification card, the applicant must present two forms of identification. To find out what documents are considered acceptable identification, call 217-782-7044 or visit the Illinois Secretary of States website at: http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/dsd_x173.pdf.