Seeing the Beauty

•April 24, 2024•

by Janet Roney

What do you think is the most beautiful spot in Moultrie County?  

I have several favorites. There’s nothing quite like the sight, smell, and sound of a field of freshly tasseled corn on a summer evening in July, especially on the high ground north of Bethany near St. Isadore’s Church. It’s the highest spot in the county and you can see lights from five towns in the county plus Decatur from there. The fresh, clean smell of corn pollen fills the air, and, I swear, you can hear the popping sound of corn growing! For farmers, that sight, smell and sound brings great joy.     Read More

•April 24, 2024•

I remember as if it were yesterday the last email I received from Ted “Dictionary Man” Utchen in the spring of 2021 shortly before he died. It was all about how people’s brains misfire when they think about whether to use “who” or “whom.”

“Dear Mr. Grammarian: Today I write to you about the problem with ‘who’ and ‘whom.’ (It) is simply that people pay insufficient attention to how they are writing when they write. Or perhaps they flunked fifth-grade English, who knows?” he wrote. “Now, in today’s Daily Herald you can read, ‘The major lenders have undergone an evaluation of … WHO they’ll approve.’ Now the error is that the verb ‘approve’ is taking an object, and it should have read ‘WHOM they’ll approve.’

Reader George Dorner reminded me of this constant struggle more recently. Read More

•April 24, 2024•

How the food recall process protects U.S. consumers’ safety and well-being.

By Angela Hogan

Maintaining high quality and safety standards for food products distributed throughout the United States is crucial to safeguarding public health. 

However, despite rigorous quality control measures, occasionally, a product may pose a risk to consumers. Risks associated with food products may be due to product contamination, mislabeling, or other issues. In such cases, a product recall is necessary to protect consumers. Read More

2014

The Sullivan City Council effectively postponed plans to repave the square and nearby side streets amid concerns over the project’s bid specs.

The Findlay American Legion Auxiliary, with the help of the Okaw Valley Middle School, hosted an  American Red Cross Blood drive a week ago Monday. Students at the Okaw Valley Middle School were encouraged to recruit others to donate blood. Three OVMS students who recruited a donor will receive a Red Cross back pack. They were Kyra Jackson, Devin Park, and Cam Roley. Although the goal was not met, 16 people reported and 12 productive pints were collected. Steve Wildman met a milestone of six gallons. Read More

•April 24, 2024•

By Cheri Burcham

Extension Educator, 

University of Illinois Extension  

Here is a great article I would like to share written by Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist Saima Hasnin. Saima says: Ever wonder why colorful vegetables are so important? Not only are they bursting with flavor, but they are also the most beneficial ones for keeping our bodies healthy and strong. They are rich in carotenoids and antioxidants, important for preventing different types of cancer. But let’s face it, getting young children to eat vegetables can be challenging. We are here to guide early childcare educators and parents of young children with some tried-and-true tips that are as fun as they are effective.   Read More