•September 20, 2023•
Local Master Naturalists want to inspire you to appreciate Illinois’ trees and learn some interesting facts along the way. Our OAKtober Celebration will take place on Saturday, October 7, 9-11 a.m. at Douglas-Hart Nature Center. Read More
photo by Jeni Yantis
OVHS Crowns Homecoming Queen and King
Laila Christensen and Ryan Forlines were crowned as Queen and King at the OVHS Homecoming Dance on Saturday, September 16, 2023.
photo furnished
Patriot Day Thank Yous
The members of the East Central Illinois Red Cross Club sent thank you notes and treats to the Sullivan Police Department, Sullivan Fire Department, and the Moultrie County Sheriff’s Office on 9/11, also known as Patriot Day. They thanked them for their service to our community and recognized the heroic actions and sacrifices made by first responders on 9/11/2001. Pictured are (left to right) Fire Chief Larry Edwards and volunteer firefighters and SHS seniors Konnor Randol and Landry Still.
•September 20, 2023•
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has endorsed the recommendation by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for the newly FDA-approved COVID-19 shots for everyone over the age of 6 months. The federal agencies have given the green light for updated mRNA vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer that target the currently circulating strains of the COVID-19 virus.
Heading into the fall, IDPH is closely monitoring data on COVID-19 as well as other respiratory viruses including flu and RSV. The federal guidance comes as data indicates an uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations in Illinois and the nation, with a seven percent increase statewide in the week ending September 2, the most recent period for which data is available. There are currently 12 Illinois counties at a medium level for COVID-19 hospitalizations according to the CDC national dashboard, meaning they exceed ten new cases per 100,000 population in the last week. Read More
•September 20, 2023•
Okaw Valley schools were placed on lockdown the morning of Friday, September 15, due to a potential threat made toward OVHS. The Bethany Police Department was contacted by Okaw Valley High School at 9 a.m. that day in reference to the potential threat which specifically mentioned OVHS, Homecoming and Friday’s date. The threat was first reported by a student in Pennsylvania to their local police department who in turn contacted the schools. Read More
•September 20, 2023•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer
There are those who say “mother-in-laws” and “attorney generals” and those of us who know the “in law” and “general” are modifiers.
You wouldn’t pluralize a modifier, would you? So it should be mothers-in-law and attorneys general.
Reader Bob Anderson pointed out to me the term “femme fatales” in a recent obituary. My first thought: That must have been a spicier-than-usual obit.
Bob’s point, however, is the plural should have been ”femmes fatale,” because “femme” is the noun modified by the adjective “fatale.” Think “Your mothers-in-law are femmes fatale.”
Man, I should be writing romance novels. Read More
25 Years Ago This Week
The Sun Porch had a new owner and a grand opening celebration planned to coincide with Sullivan’s Homecoming. The business was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Elder of Kansas City,Mo. The Elders continued to offer tanning packages but also added handcrafted gifts, homemade sweet treats and other items to their offerings. Read More
Photo by Jeni Yantis
OVHS Homecoming King and Queen Candidates
The OVHS Homecoming Dance will be held on Saturday, September 16, from 7-9:30pm in the OVHS Gym. Coronation will be held prior to the dance at 6:45. Front row: Madison Whitney, Rissa Montgomery, Laila Christianson and Megan Roley. Back row: Gabe Benning, Ryan Forlines, Gibson Dickens and Jacob Morrison.
Photo by Jeni Yantis
OVHS Homecoming Attendants
Front row: Junior Lindsey Ozier, Sophomore Lily Merritt and Freshman Katie Coventry. Back row: Grady Sparks, Keegan Gibbons and Parker O’Dell
photo furnished
FCCLA Summer Leadership Camp Attendees
From left to right: Addison Brush, Sarina Voegel and Perla Juarez-Cuevas were FCCLA members from Sullivan High School & Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond High School who attended IL FCCLA Summer Leadership Camp in July. They joined over 40 other students from around the state to attend this 3-day event to learn more about FCCLA.
•September 13, 2023•
The famous story of the January 1945 liberation of Bataan Death March survivors held in the Notorious Cabanatuan POW camp in the Philippines will be told at the Sept. 21 meeting of the Moultrie County Historical Society. Dalace Scroggins, a Moultrie County man, was among the 100 Army Rangers and Scouts involved in the liberation. The prisoners stories of mistreatment, suffering and starvation while in the hands of the Japanese combined with the awful tales from the liberated German prison camps intensified efforts to defeat these evil regimes and end World War II. Vic Arendell, son-in-law of Scroggins, will present the story along with that of two Moultrie men Morrison A. Wood and Edward C. Conlin who survived the death march only to die in the Philippine prison camps. The public is invited to attend the presentation on Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. at the History Center at 1303 S. Hamilton in Sullivan.