•January 27, 20201•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer

Welcome to my D.C. glossary that, come to think of it, would have been more helpful a week ago.
• “Capitol,” with a capital C, is the building in which the legislative branch conducts its business. That goes for the building where the federal legislative branch does its thing in Washington, D.C., as well as where the General Assembly does its thing in Springfield.
Collectively, statehouses are referred to as (lowercase) capitols.
The Capitol — in most cases domed — sits in capital (lowercase, and a instead of o) cities.
• You’ve all seen the photograph of the yahoo in the ski hat carrying Nancy Pelosi’s podium around the Capitol, right?
Aha! Gotcha. He was carrying Pelosi’s lectern. From my research, Facebookers tend not to know the distinction.
That guy did look semi-menacing, but probably not powerful enough to lift a podium. Read More

•January 27, 20201•
6th grade Straight A Honor Roll: Maxton Boddy, Morgan Casteel, Jaidyn Edwards, Samantha Fowler, Caleb Menna, Brynlee Moore, Joshua Taylor, John Williams.
6th grade Honor Roll: Tucker Casteel, Landen Franklin, Makailyn Martin.
7th grade Straight A Honor Roll: Daylon Doggett.
7th grade Honor Roll: Will Hilligoss, Alyssa Richards, Cambrie Smith.
8th grade Straight A Honor Roll: Kendall Carnahan, Lilian Edwards, Natalie Hutchcraft, Jacob Tighe.

•January 27, 20201•
Courtyard Estates of Sullivan, a supportive living community in the Sullivan area, is known for their annual Senior Valentine Luncheon and Poetry Contest. In years past, in collaboration with Mid-Illinois Senior Services, they’ve had nearly 100 seniors from the community participate. Each year seniors in the community look forward to a free homemade meal, conversation with friends, fun giveaways and a chance to read some creative material. Read More

•January 20, 20201•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guesdt Writer

I had a friend during the 1980s, whose identity I will not divulge, who was fond of the film “Henry V,” starring Kenneth Branagh as Henry, Prince of Wales.
I loved it, too.
Branagh, who cut his teeth on Shakespeare on stage, took on a big, sweeping production for his first Hollywood directorial effort.
My friend was so enthralled by the battle scenes and a young Branagh that she asked me whether we could rent the prequels.
(cough) Read More

Cheri Burcham
Extension Educator

Winter is upon us and those longer hours of darkness coupled with the colder temperatures can make many people experience those “winter blues.” Throw in a pandemic where we are isolating from others, and I’m afraid we are going to see more people experiencing those blues and maybe worse this season. I have become much more aware recently of the signs of mental health issues having just completed Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and Trauma-Informed Care trainings, and also co-facilitating a youth mental health awareness program called Your Thoughts Matter. I would highly recommend anyone to complete MHFA as the purpose is to help you recognize when someone is having difficulties and be able to respond in a helpful way. And it is very likely that you will need to be there for someone in that circumstance since according to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, one in four American adults is diagnosed with a mental disorder in their lifetime and half of those disorders begin by age 14 and three quarters by age 24.
There are many ways to try and prevent those winter blues from sneaking up on us and to maintain positive mental health. Here are just a few tips to get started: Read More