•September 20, 2023•

The City of Sullivan will have City Wide Clean Up Days October 25-27 and will be done in three segments. All items should be on the curb by 6 am. Wednesday, October 25, all residents south of Jackson Street and west of Hamilton will have pick-up services. This will include all of Hamilton Street. Customers on Jackson Street will have pick-up services on the 26th. On Thursday, October 26, all residents north of Jackson Street will have pick-up services. This will include all of Jackson Street. On Friday, October 27, all residents south of Jackson Street and east of Hamilton Street will have pick-up services. Customers that live on Hamilton Street will have pickup services on October 25 and customers on Jackson Street will have pick up services on October 26. If you do not live within city limits, you are not eligible to participate and your items will not be picked up. Items accepted for city wide cleanup include: furniture, box springs and mattresses, toys and bikes, rolled up carpets (five feet in length), miscellaneous household garbage in bags or bundles (50 pound weight restriction). In order to be picked up materials are limited to 6 cubic yards of volume per household, materials must be bundled or bagged and weigh less than 50 pounds, materials must be cut to less than 5 feet in length, nails must be pounded down safely into construction debris. Any items left at a residence that failed to follow these guidelines will be the responsibility of the homeowner to remove. Items not accepted include but are not limited to: tires of any kind or size, car parts or components of any kind, solvents such as paint, oils, fuels and thinners, yard waste such as clippings, trimmings, leaves, limbs and branches, batteries, fluorescent light tubes, concrete, bricks and rocks, burnt material/ashes of any kind, appliances (stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, water heaters, dryers, freezers and air conditioning units), E-waste electronic equipment such as computers, monitors or televisions, asbestos material/hazardous waste, petroleum contaminated soil, industrial waste, chemicals, herbicides and pesticides, radioactive materials, flammable liquids, propane or equipment, motor oil, transmission oil, lubricants/hydraulic oil/oil filters/contaminated oils (mixes with solvents and/or gasoline, hazardous materials (oils, gas, solvents), antifreeze, lead paint chips, railroad ties, medical waste, animals, liquids, sharp protruding objects or broken glass.

•September 13, 2023•

The 2023 Sparrows Unlimited Toy Run will be held on Saturday, September 23. Sign up is 11-Noon that day at Lovington Legion. Fee is a new unwrapped toy. All vehicles are welcome and there is a new route this year. This year’s theme is ‘80s.

•September 13, 2023•

The Decatur Audubon Society invites Audubon members and other interested persons to its monthly General Meeting at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 17, at Rock Springs Conservation Center located on the southwest side of Decatur. Allison Bryant, a Field Scientist with the Illinois Natural History Survey through a partnership between the University of Illinois and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, will share her experience working with Prairie Chicken to restore their habitat and monitor the health of these endangered birds.

•September 6, 2023•

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) today issued a call for nominations for the 2024 Those Who Excel & Teacher of the Year Awards, the program that recognizes outstanding teachers, administrators, school personnel, and volunteers. These awards honor individuals who have made significant contributions to Illinois’ public and nonpublic preK-12 schools.  

Any person or organization may submit nominations for outstanding school personnel in their lives. Nominees complete an application after they have been nominated. Candidates also can apply directly for an award without being nominated. Applications opened today and are due by Oct. 15 to be eligible for award. 

ISBE will honor the 2024 Those Who Excel & Teacher of the Year award winners at the 50th annual banquet in May 2024.  

“Everyone has a teacher or other school staff who has made an impact in their own or their child’s life. Nominating someone for a Those Who Excel or Teacher of the Year Award tells that person how much you care and what a difference they have made,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders. “When you nominate an outstanding educator, or encourage them to apply for the awards directly, you are starting off this upcoming school year with gratitude. We encourage everyone to help us honor the vital and impactful work of their colleagues, supervisors, and community members by submitting a nomination for the 2024 Those Who Excel & Teacher of the Year Awards.”  

A team of reviewers will consider the applications submitted statewide and select the 2024 Teacher of the Year from the group of finalists, consisting of at least 10 Regional Teachers of the Year and the Bilingual, Special Education, and Early Childhood Teachers of the Year. ISBE will also recognize an Outstanding Early Career Educator with less than five years of teaching experience.  

“It is the honor of a lifetime. I have been fortunate to travel far and wide as Illinois Teacher of the Year and see, hear, and marvel at the magic done for and with students in every community across our great state,” said 2023 Teacher of the Year Briana Morales. “When I was first nominated for recognition, I was deeply honored and humbled to have my work and impact acknowledged by my colleagues. The life-changing educators I have gotten to meet across the state deserve that same feeling.” 

ISBE’s Those Who Excel & Teacher of the Year Awards honor excellence in several professional categories:   

Teacher (five or more years of teaching experience, including the current school year) 

Early Career Educator (teachers with less than five years of teaching experience, including the current school year)  

Administrator (superintendent, principal, assistant principal, etc.) 

Community Volunteer (individuals not employed by the school/district, who positively contribute time and energy to their school/district)  

Student Support Personnel (school nurse, psychologist, social worker, school counselor, or speech/language therapist) 

Educational Service Personnel (aides/paraprofessionals, cafeteria workers, custodians, administrative assistants, bus drivers, resource officers)  

Team (a group of individuals from any of the above categories that positively contributes time and energy to their school/district)  

Please see this application overview to review all eligibility criteria.  

ISBE accepts nominations year-round, but nominations should be submitted by Sept. 15 to give interested nominees enough time to complete the subsequent, required application.  

Learn more about both the Those Who Excel and Teacher of the Year program requirements and submit a nomination on the ISBE program webpage. Nominators, external relations staff, and potential applicants are all encouraged to attend ISBE’s TWE & TOY Awards informational webinar on Wednesday, Sept. 6, to learn more about the agency’s awards process and discover how their school communities can participate in ISBE’s awards program.  

•September 6, 2023•

James and Laura Rainey will be in concert on Saturday, September 9 at 6 pm at Allenville Christian Church, 201 Allen Street in Allenville. Following the concert there will be finger food fellowship. A love offering will be collected.

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Echoes of Grace will be performing at Bethany Cumberland Presbyterian Church on Sept 10th at 6:00 p.m. This concert is open to the public and a love offering will be taken.