•August 3, 2016•

Secretary of State Jesse White announced that his office has reinstated the mailing of vehicle registration reminder notices to Illinois drivers. To offset the cost of the mailings, White is drafting legislation allowing his office to offer advertising space on the mailings. In addition, White is urging the public to sign-up for email notices to further reduce mailing costs.

The Secretary of State’s office discontinued mailing reminders in October 2015 due to the lack of funding as a direct result of the state budget impasse. The stop-gap budget recently passed by the legislature and signed into law by the Governor allows White’s office to reinstate the notices.

“The notices are an essential tool for the public to be sure their vehicles are in good standing and avoid paying late fees and fines resulting from tickets issued by law enforcement,” White said. “The driving public paid the price for the budget impasse, and it proved to be an unfair burden. With the funds from the stop-gap budget the notices will resume. In addition, we are reducing the number of mailings and seeking alternative funding sources for the postage costs.”

“Although we are now able to reinstate mailing the vehicle registration reminder notices, I continue to strongly urge motorists to sign up for email reminders,” said White. “Saving taxpayer dollars is always a priority of our administration.”

White noted that more than 2.3 million people have registered for the email notification, 800,000 of which signed up since October 2015.

Vehicle owners may sign up for email notifications by visiting the Secretary of State website, www.cyberdriveillinois.com. To register for the program, vehicle owners will need their assigned registration ID and PIN, which may be found on their current vehicle registration card. If that information is not available, they may call the Secretary of State public inquiry division at 800-252-8980 to obtain the Registration ID and PIN.

The one-time registration process will allow vehicle owners to receive a series of three email notices per vehicle each year highlighting the upcoming vehicle expiration date.

•August 3, 2016•

In the next few weeks, students from pre-kindergarten through college will be headed back to school. As parents prepare their students for the new academic year, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and local emergency management agencies across the state are encouraging parents to include emergency preparedness in their back-to-school plans.

“Emergencies can occur any time of the day or night, including when children are in school,” said IEMA Director James K. Joseph. “The start of a new school year is the perfect time to make sure you know your school’s plans for keeping students safe during an emergency and then talking to your child about those plans.”

Joseph offered several back-to-school planning tips for parents of school-aged children, including:

• Find out where children will be taken in the event of an evacuation during school hours.

• Ensure your current emergency contact information is on file at your child’s school.

• Pre-authorize a friend or relative to pick up your children in an emergency, and make sure the school knows who that designated person is.

• Teach children with cell phones about ‘Text First, Talk Later.’ Short, simple text messages, such as “R U OK?” and “I’m OK,” are more likely to get through than a phone call if phone service is disrupted following an emergency. As phone congestion eases, you can follow up with a phone call to relay more information.

Students headed off to college also need to be prepared for emergencies. Many college campuses offer email and text messages to alert students of potential dangers such as severe weather and other threats. Encourage your college student to sign-up for such alerts. Some colleges also provide alert messages for parents so they also are aware of potential dangers on campus. In addition, make sure your student knows the emergency plans for their dorm or apartment building.

•July 27, 2016•

The Sullivan Police Department received reports of several vehicle entries during the past week.

In most cases unlocked vehicles were entered with at least three vehicles reporting items missing.

Police urge residents to lock unattended vehicles and be on the alert for suspicious activity in their neighborhoods.

Senior Peace Meal
Monday, Aug. 1 - Beef tips in gravy, mashed potatoes, buttered baby carrots, pears, bran muffin.
Tuesday, Aug. 2 - Ham loaf w/glaze, German potato salad, green beans, applesauce, roll.
Wednesday, Aug. 3 - Goulash with beans, spinach salad w/Mandarin oranges and dressing packet, whole grain biscuit, warm fruit cobbler. Thursday, Aug. 4  - Turkey or cheese salad sandwich, vegetable soups w/legumes, cole slaw, diced peaches, bun and crackers.
Friday, Aug. 5 - Fried chicken, mashed potatoes w/gravy, peas, roll, fruit cream parfait.

Sullivan Pre-School Breakfast
Monday, Aug. 1 - Cereal, peach juice, milk.
Tuesday, Aug. 2 - Sausage & cheese biscuits, peach juice, milk.
Wednesday, Aug. 3 - Toast, peach juice, milk.
Thursday, Aug. 4  - Muffins, peach juice, milk.
Friday, Aug. 5 - Nutri-Grain bars, peach juice, milk.

Sullivan Pre-School Lunch
Monday, Aug. 1 - Chicken & noodles, mashed potatoes, pears, dinner rolls, milk.
Tuesday, Aug. 2 - BBQ Pork on bun, green beans, pineapple, milk. Wednesday, Aug. 3 - Macaroni & cheese, carrots, peaches, bread & butter, milk.
Thursday, Aug. 4  - Fish square on bun, mixed vegetables, Mandarin oranges, milk.
Friday, Aug. 5 - Taco, lettuce, mixed fruit, milk.

•July 20, 2016•

Registration for Sullivan School District will be noon- 7 p.m. August 4 in Sullivan Elementary School cafeteria.

Registration will once again be online, and the computer lab will be available for anyone who needs access. School supply lists, physical forms and free/reduced lunch applications will also be available online. Letters regarding registration will be mailed in late July.

Students who are new to Sullivan School District and kindergarten students who are not pre-registered must come to the districtwide registration. Any physicals, birth certificates, free/reduced lunch forms or other necessary paperwork may be turned in on that day.

The online registration process accepts credit card payments through the Illinois e-Pay program. Any fees that are not paid online must be paid at the districtwide registration August 4. Registration fees for high school students are $80, and fees for students in grades K-8 are $50. The technology fee for all fifth grade through 11th grade students receiving iPads has been reduced to $20. In addition, high school students will be required to purchase a P.E. uniform. Uniforms will cost $15.50-$20.50 depending on size. There will also be a $50 fee for any student enrolled in driver’s education.

A participation fee will be charged to high school students who wish to participate in athletics. Students participating in football will be charged a $40 fee. All other high school sports will be charged a $25 participation fee. There is a family cap of $100 for athletic participation fees. The athletic participation fee will be waived for those students qualifying for free or reduced priced meals.

Families who automatically qualify for free/reduced price meals based on information provided by the Department of Human Services will be notified by mail.  All other families may submit an application during the online registration process.   Those students who qualify for free meals will receive an automatic fee waiver.  Those who qualify for reduced-price meals will pay a reduced registration fee ($24 for high school students; $15 for middle and elementary school students).

The first day of school for Sullivan students will be August 22. Due to a state mandate, this will be a full day of school. Elementary school will begin at 8 a.m. and dismiss at 3 p.m. Middle and high schools will begin at 8:14 a.m. and dismiss at 3:15 p.m.

All students entering kindergarten, grades six and nine must have a complete physical and immunizations updated by the first day of school. Those students who do not have physicals completed will be excluded from school until those forms are completed and returned to their respective building offices.

Children entering kindergarten, sixth or ninth grade who have not yet started or completed necessary vaccinations are noncompliant and will be excluded from school on the first day. Contact the Moultrie County Health Department at 728-4114 for information regarding upcoming Immunization clinics.