Photo by Crystal Reed
Okaw Valley High School Illinois State Scholars
This year’s scholars are Evelyn Ashley, Savannah Hagerman and Mikhayla Ward.
Photo furnished
ALAH Illinois State Scholars
This year’s scholars are Jace Green, Sarah Rafferty, Reggie Edmonds, Max Allen, Delaney Gillis, and Jacob Duzan.
Photo furnished
Sullivan High School Illinois State Scholars
This year’s scholars are Skyla Palmer, Clayton Schmohe, Aaron Stutzman and Alyssa Thompson.
•December 8, 2021•
Lake Land College recently announced it will reopen the Presidential Scholarship opportunity to qualifying 2021 high school graduates who did not enroll at Lake Land in Fall 2021.
The Presidential Scholarship is available to eligible in-district high school seniors who have demonstrated outstanding academic performance. The scholarship covers the full cost of tuition for up to two consecutive academic years and is available to graduates who enroll in Lake Land College in the fall following high school graduation.
With this initiative, Class of 2021 Presidential Scholars who did not enroll in college or attended another college this fall now have a second opportunity to take advantage of the scholarship to continue their education at Lake Land beginning in January. This is a one-time opportunity and will only be available for the Spring 2022 semester. Read More
•December 8, 2021•
Millikin University will honor over 100 graduates from the Class of 2021 with an in-person winter commencement ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021, beginning at 2 p.m. at Kirkland Fine Arts Center.
The winter commencement celebration will recognize traditional undergraduates and those receiving their Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees. Graduating students will be allowed up to six guests at the ceremony. All attendees will be required to wear a mask while inside Kirkland Fine Arts Center and adhere to social distancing guidelines.
Additionally, Millikin community members will be able to watch the ceremony through a public livestream on Millikin’s graduation website at millikin.edu/commencement and on the University’s flagship Facebook page. Read More
Photo by Crystal Reed
Breakfast in Bethlehem
Sullivan First United Methodist Church hosted Breakfast in Bethlehem on Saturday, December 4. The event included breakfast, packing community blessing bags and an interactive retelling of the First Christmas story.
Photo by Crystal Reed
Blessing Bags
During the Breakfast in Bethlehem event at Sullivan First United Methodist attendees were invited to create blessing bags for a local organization. Pictured putting a bag together is Aubrey Fultz.
•December 8, 2021•
Beginning January 1, 2022, the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) will be responsible for maintaining a database that allows the public to search certified payrolls submitted by construction contractors on public works projects subject to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act. This is the result of Public Act 102-0332 that was passed by the General Assembly and signed by Governor Pritzker. Read More
•December 8, 2021•
By Cheri Burcham
Family Life Educator
The holiday season is fast approaching and given the loss, turmoil, and uncertainty that we have recently experienced, I wanted to share this article by Extension Educator Karla Belzer.
While the holiday season brings about joy and celebration, it can also be a time of great sadness and pain as traditions and family memories can intensify grief. The season is truly bittersweet – sweet memories of a loved one combined with the reality of loss. Grieving the loss of a loved one is a difficult experience at any time of the year, however, during the holiday season, we’re often reminded of our loss through family traditions and celebrations as well as the ever-present push to get into the “holiday spirit.” We associate holidays with good times and special memories, making us all the more likely to miss our loved one even more at this time of year. Read More
•December 8, 2021•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer
The Top 10 list, a popular news media vehicle for recapping the year and providing us with lifesaving copy when the news world tends to hibernate, can sometimes be upended when news actually happens.
It always seems to bite us in the rear end when we revisit luminaries we lost during the year.
For the purposes of this column, however, I turn to Merriam-Webster’s announcement of its word of the year and its Top 10 lookups.
But what happens if such terms as “Invasion from Xenon 362,” “flesh-eating middle-schoolers” or “No-mo-California” enter the zeitgeist before Jan. 1? I guess the lexicographers at Merriam-Webster will have egg on their faces, won’t they?
That being said, and I’ll no longer delay the point of this offering: M-W’s word of the year is “vaccine.”
Surprised? I wasn’t, either. Read More
25 Years Ago This Week
Little Theatre coloring contest winners were Courtney Radford, Dylan Short, Ashlyn Gregory, Megan Risley, Zayne Troxel and Zachary Righter. They received free tickets as their prize.
The Lovington Panthers defeated the Bethany Mustangs 68-40.
Lovington boys’ basketball won two in a row with a 53-40 win over Kansas. Read More
Photo by Crystal Reed
Sullivan Singers Jr
Sullivan Singer Jrs sang Christmas carols at the pavilion on the square prior to the parade.
Photo by Crystal Reed
Christmas Lights
Sullivan Dance Studio dancers walk the parade route with lighted necklaces.
Photo by Crystal Reed
Roasting Marshmallows with the Mayor
Easton, Kylie and Miles Wickline roasted marshmallow with help from Sullivan mayor Richard Glazebrook prior to the lighted parade on Friday, December 3.
Photo by Crystal Reed
The Grinch
The Grinch and other characters on a float during Sullivan’s Christmas parade.
Photo by Crystal Reed
Sullivan royalty
Miss Sullivan Alexis Swaim rides along the parade route.
Photo by Crystal Reed
Buddy the Elf
Buddy the Elf rides on the back on a vehicle during the parade.
Photo furnished
Santa Arrives
Santa arrived on a Lovington Fire Truck to Christmas in the Park. Other activities during the event included crafts, silent bids on fully decorated trees and carolers.
Photo by Crystal Reed
Christmas Crafts
Jaxson and Chase Utley decorate ornaments during Christmas in the Park last Saturday. There are plans to make it an annual event.
Photo furnished
Decorating the tree
On the morning of Christmas in the Park, businesses, individuals and organizations gathered to decorate trees for the silent auction. There were 20 fully decorated trees on display during the event that people could bid on.
Photo by Crystal Reed
Visiting Santa
Hometown LOVE organized Old Fashioned Christmas in the Park on Saturday, November 28 in Lovington. Pictured is Joseph Spradling talking to Santa.