•January 12, 2022•
By Cheri Burcham
Family Life Educator

Natural disasters, such as the recent tornados, wildfires, and floods along with other traumatic events like mass shootings and even the pandemic can be devastating for everyone. For children, just watching the news and listening to parents talk can make life’s events seem like they are out of control. This would be magnified for children who experienced direct loss and may need help understanding what happened to their world. Most children look to adults for guidance and understanding on how to react and deal with life’s events.
Common reactions of children experiencing stress may include new fears, clinginess, refusal to go to school or other places where they would be separated from familiar adults, regression or withdrawal into depression, or acting out behaviors. How can children be helped through disaster experiences? The National Association of School Psychologists reminds all parents and teachers to:
· Limit your child’s viewing of these events. If they must watch, watch with them for a brief time; then turn off the screen. Don’t sit mesmerized re-watching the same events over and over again. Read More

•January 12, 2022•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer

The willy-nilly placement of apostrophes in writing is a common problem and one we should resolve to correct in 2022.
Come on. It can’t be as difficult as shutting out the siren call of simple carbs that emanates from the cupboard and the fridge, which is the width of a wall away from me in my home office.
With any luck, you haven’t gotten back any of your holiday cards stamped “Return to Sender: Inappropriate Use of Apostrophe in Plural Surname.”
My not sending cards in 2021 ensured I made no such blunders. But that seems an aggressively anti-social way to approach the holidays.
With callous disregard for an appropriate segue, I point to reader Michele Moore’s apostrophic concern in what I assume is a piece of her business formal wear. Read More

Photo furnished
Second place winner of the Voice of Democracy essay contest Alexis Bartimus.

•January 5, 2022•

Photo furnished
Paul Bates, first place winner in the Voice of Democracy essay contest (left) and Avram Bates, first place winner in the Patriots Pen essay contest (right) with local author Jennifer Hobbs (center).

Each year the Veterans of Foreign Wars hosts an essay contest for middle schoolers and high schoolers. The Patriots Pen contest for 6th-8th graders offers the opportunity to win up to $5000 in scholarships. This year’s VFW Post 6410’s first place winner is Avram Bates, a 7th grader from Sullivan Middle School.
The Voice of Democracy essay contest for 9th to 12th graders can win up to $30,000 in scholarships this year’s VFW Post 6410 second place winner is Alexis Bartimus, an 11th grader from Okaw Valley High School. The first place winner is Paul Bates, an 11th grader from Sullivan High School.
Avram and Paul’s essays will now go on to compete at the district level. Winners will be announced in January.

25 Years Ago This Week

The lame duck Republican state legislature, in a last minute move, reshuffled the judicial deck and moved Moultrie County courts into a new district. The Appellate Court for Moultrie County was seated in Mount Vernon rather than Springfield.
Five potential buyers were interested in purchasing the Eagle Creek Resort on Lake Shelbyville.

Dora Township, outside Dalton City, was the fastest growing area in Moultrie County in recent years. Also jobs had grown in Moultrie County at a rate more than three times faster than the rate of growth in Illinois or the nation. Read More