•January 19, 2022•
Straight A Honor Roll
8th grade: Anyssa Coffer, Joshua Cremeens, Emily Crosier, Mae Dawkins, Cora Emel, Logan Fleener, Mikaela Guest, Mitchell Hooten, Zaden Hussong, Johnathan Iacobazzi, Kharli Kelly, Eiley Poe, Harmony Ray, Devon Richardson, Marshall Robison, Madilyn Shonkwiler, Carson Swinford, Aeralyn Thrasher,Jnai Webb,Brycen Wildman, Kolton Wiley, Nevaeh Wilson.
7th grade: Avram Bates, Mary Crist, Adalyn Cruitt, Angelina Hiller, Austin Kelley, Khyli Kelly, Ellie Lehman, Jennifer Lofland, Grant Martin, Julia Moody, Emerson Risley, Dimitri Schrock, Kaylee Smith, Brady Stollard, Gavin Wade. Read More
Category Archives: News Briefs
Memory Moment: Thinking about a Long-Term Care Home
•January 19, 2022•
By Shannon Nosbisch
CDP, DCS
One of the most difficult decisions that a spouse, son or daughter, or caregiver has to make is when to move their loved one to a long-term care home. After caring for their loved one in their home as long as possible with help from friends, family and in-home services, there may come a time that a long-term care home move should be made. This article gives you some thoughts that may help in determining if and/or when a move should be made.
Spouses, children and other family members sometime make a promise to “never” place their loved one in a “nursing home”. Unfortunately, sometimes it needs to happen. Not just for the caregiver’s sake, but also for the well-being of the person needing care. Read More
Teacher Shortage at Crisis Level
•January 19, 2022•
By Taylor Vidmar
Lee Enterprises
For Capitol News Illinois
Editor’s Note: Taylor Vidmar is a student in the Public Affairs Reporting program at University of Illinois Springfield. She is a reporting intern at the Capitol for Lee Enterprises.
There was once a time when Kristen Holly might see more than 200 applicants for a single elementary teaching position.
It was overwhelming just to figure out how to screen applicants, the assistant superintendent for student services in the Charleston School District, said.
That time is long gone.
Just a decade later, that same elementary position might now yield only six to 10 applications, on a good day. Job openings for more specialized positions — like counseling, special education, or secondary foreign language — Holly said, sometimes draw no applicants at all.
“Now, we’re going to see your application no matter what,” she said. Read More
Facts for Families: Helping Youth Develop an Attitude of Gratitude
•January 19, 2022•
By Cheri Burcham,
Family Life Educator
The season for giving has come to a close, but if your kids are more focused on all that they can get this time of year, how about trying a gratitude practice? This article written by Extension Educator Leilah Siegel focuses helping our youth to foster gratitude and the importance it has in their lives. Leilah says: Studies have shown that people who regularly practiced gratitude were found to have lower rates of depression, more impulse control, and stronger immune systems. By encouraging children to develop these habits at an early age, you can help to set them up for happier, healthier, and more successful lives.
Here are three ways to cultivate a gratitude practice with the young people in your lives: Read More
MCHD Announces Changes in Contact Tracing
•January 19, 2022•
Beginning Thursday, January 13, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) became responsible for contacting ALL newly diagnosed Covid-19 cases in Illinois.
If you have recently tested for Covid-19 at a testing site and you receive a text message from IDPH, please review the message and follow the guidance. These text messages are sent to individuals who have tested POSITIVE for Covid-19.
It is important that you follow the guidance provided in the message. In order to increase your ability to receive this message, please turn off any spam blockers you may have on your cell phone. Read More
Letters to the Editor: 1-19-2022
Dear Editor,
The notion that Sullivan electric utilities are comparable to surrounding communities has been dispelled. Beginning in March of 2021, Sullivan City Council (the Council) has been presented with indisputable evidence that Sullivan residents and businesses pay twice the rate of Lovington, Arthur, and Findlay. It is estimated that electric rates in Sullivan and Bethany are the highest in five (5) surrounding counties.
Although Ameren has received permission to increase rates beginning in January 2022, the Citizen’s Utility Board (CUB) has estimated that the rate increase will be less than $2.75 to Ameren customers’ monthly bill. Which means that even with Ameren’s rate increase, Sullivan is “still” not competitive. Read More
Does Entomology Bug You, Too?
•January 19, 2022•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer
How is it that two nearly identical words can describe something I love so much that I write about it almost every week and something that makes me recoil in terror?
No, I’m not talking about “dessert” and “desert,” but there probably is something to that.
I’m talking, of course, about “entomology” and “etymology.”
“Etymology” is the study of the origin of words and how they’ve changed throughout history.
“Entomology” is the study of insects. Cut to the scene in “The Silence of the Lambs” in which Agent Starling consults the two concupiscent bug freaks who identify the death’s head moth, complete with scalpel and oozing pupa juice. Yech. Read More
Remember When? 1-19-2022
25 Years Ago This Week
The downtown location was the same but that was all at Bethany’s new and one-and-only restaurant the Brass Lantern. Owner Mike Moody, a veteran restauranteur had gutted the old Korner Korrall, which had closed earlier in the fall, to create a shiny-new dining establishment. The Brass Lantern offered an extensive, reasonably priced menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a daily salad bar, daily specials, a banquet room and catering.
Rick Hector, formerly of Sullivan, was promoted to the rank of sergeant. He served in the Illinois State Police Division of Operations.
The Lovington Panthers visited LOVC rival Arcola and won 55-36 over the Purple Riders. Read More
Changes in Extension Wits Fitness Class Schedules
•January 12, 2022•
By Cheri Burcham
Family Life Educator
Due to ongoing changes with the pandemic, there have been a few changes made to the Wits Fitness: Brain Exercise Classes schedule and locations. At this time, classes will be (changes are underlined):
· Every first Monday of the month at the U of I Extension office in Mattoon at 10:00 AM (except for January – there will be no class held.)
· Every first Monday of the month at the Shelby County Senior Center at 1:00 PM (except January 3 will be January 10 due to holiday.) Read More
Interesting Facts about Winter
•January 12, 2022•
The winter solstice marks the first day of winter. For people residing in the Northern Hemisphere, Tuesday, December 21, 2021, heralds the official arrival of winter (the Southern Hemisphere’s winter solstice is on Sunday, June 20).
Though it’s common to think of the winter solstice as an event that spans an entire day, it actually occurs for just a moment - specifically when a hemisphere is tilted as far away from the sun as it can be.
Winter is widely known as the coldest time of the year in most locales, but that’s not the only thing that makes the season unique. Explore these other cold, hard facts about wintertime. Read More