•November 25, 2020•
Sparrows Unlimited is a non-profit organization that was started to help families in Lovington who were in need of a hand up during Christmas. Each year the organization holds an auction, however this year instead of being an event to attend in person it will be held online.
According to Pam Anklam, president of Sparrows Unlimited they gather items from businesses and people in the community to sell during the auction. This year’s online auction will be held as an event on Facebook where people make bids by commenting a price under the photos of each item. The highest bid will win the item. Read More
Category Archives: News Briefs
Flowers For Long Term Care Residents
•November 25, 2020•
The holidays will look a little different this year, especially for those in long term care, assisted living, and memory care facilities. The Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development would like to provide each resident at all of the facilities in Sullivan: Mason Point, Sullivan Rehabilitation & Healthcare, Eastview Terrace, Green Gardens, Courtyard Estates, and Aspen Creek with a special live plant this holiday season from Buxton’s Garden Farm to show them they are on our minds. There are a total of 305 residents and they are looking for sponsors to send these arrangements to them. The cost is $15 each which includes tax and delivery. If you would like to sponsor, email information@sullivanchamber.com, call 217-728-4223, or mail your sponsorship to P.O. Box 234, Sullivan, IL 61951. They can accept credit cards.
IDPH Offers Holiday Food Safety Tips
•November 25, 2020•
While Thanksgiving and other holidays will look different for many of us as we forgo getting together with friends and extended family, and instead opt to connect virtually to help prevent spread of COVID-19, cooking and baking likely will continue to be staples of the holidays.
“While we are focused on doing what we need to do to prevent COVID-19 – washing our hands, watching our distance, and wearing our mask – it is important not to forget food safety,” said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “This holiday season, I recommend following several food safety steps to help prevent foodborne illness.” Read More
IDPH Preps for Expected Initial 400,000 Doses of Vaccine
First batch of vaccines will go to hospital workers, first responders
•November 25, 2020•
By Sarah Mansur
Capitol News Illinois
smansur@capitolnewsillinois.com
After Pfizer submitted its application for a COVID-19 vaccine to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week, Illinois public health officials have continued preparing locations to store and distribute the vaccine that could be released to frontline hospital workers in a matter of weeks.
Pfizer announced Friday that it planned to submit its COVID-19 vaccine application for emergency approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — a process that could take between two and four weeks, Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said during Friday’s daily news conference.
On Friday, Ezike said she expects the state will receive about 400,000 doses of the vaccine in the first round of distribution.
“That is the number that we’re working with to identify how we will partition that out for the first phase,” she said.
“And we already know that we heard directly from General (Gustave) Perna that, as soon as FDA approval is granted, the next day they would start shipping out vaccines,” she added. Read More
Food Availability Not in Question
•November 25, 2020•
By Illinois Farm Bureau
With concerns resurfacing over possible food shortages, a study from a national farm group found the supply chain is as resilient as ever – and it’s showing up in the form of lower prices for many traditional Thanksgiving dinner ingredients.
This year, the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual Thanksgiving dinner survey calculated the average cost of a traditional Thanksgiving meal for 10 people at $46.90. That’s less than $5 per person and down 4 percent from last year.
“The average cost of this year’s Thanksgiving dinner is the lowest since 2010,” said AFBF Chief Economist John Newton, Ph.D. “Turkeys – and other staples of the traditional Thanksgiving meal – are currently in ample supply at grocery stores in most areas of the country.”
Menu 11-25-2020
Senior Peace Meal
For additional information or for reservations, please call 1-800-543-1770
Nov. 30 - Sausage in Gravy, Mini Potato Bakers, Fruit Juice, Biscuit, Warm Cinnamon Buttered Apples
Dec. 1 - Cheese tortellini Alfredo, Peas, Kidney Bean Salad, Peanut Butter Cup, Whole Grain Wheat (1), Warm Fruit Cobbler
Dec. 2 - Saucy Cabbage Rolls, Corn, Broccoli, Whole Grain Wheat (1), Mandarin Oranges
Dec. 3 - Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes w/Gravy, Italian Green Beans, Texas Toast, Cranapple Salad
Dec. 4 - Goulash with Beans, Seasoned Greens, Graham Crackers, Dinner Roll, Fresh Fruit
Superintendent-y Stuff: A Walk with Mr. Walk
•November 18, 2020•
By Ted Walk
Students in Sullivan Schools showed their desire to remain competitive regardless of challenges faced this year. Many students in both the middle school and high school participated in fall sports. The middle school boys’ baseball team completed their first season under a new coaching staff and made fundamental improvement throughout the season laying the foundation for future successful seasons. Read More
Letter to the Editor 11-18-2020
Dear Editor,
Having served as an election judge at the Moultrie County courthouse during this past election, I would like to publicly thank County Clerk Georgia England and her staff for their outstanding work during an especially difficult election period.
Georgia, Jamie, Pam and Mary spend countless hours preparing for early voting, absentee voting, in-person voting, and curbside voting, making sure that every eligible voter could exercise his/her Constitutional right to vote. All of this preparation was done with the pandemic adding to their workload. Read More
West & Company , LLC Announces Promotions
•November 18, 2020•
West & Company, LLC is pleased to announce some changes in our firm. Jim Russell has been promoted to Tax Manager with firm-wide review and preparation responsibilities. Jim started with the firm in the Mattoon office in January 1989 and transferred to the Sullivan office in 1998, where he has been the Office Manager since 2017. Jim has always enjoyed advising, educating, and assisting clients to help them achieve their financial goals, and he looks forward to continuing to do so in this position. Jim lives in Mattoon with his wife and daughter. Read More
Closure of Driver Services Facilities Due to Worsening Pandemic
Driver’s licenses and ID card expirations will be extended
•November 18, 2020•
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is reminding the public that Driver Services facilities statewide will be closed for in-person transactions effective Tuesday, Nov. 17, and will reopen on Monday, Dec. 7, 2020, due to the worsening COVID-19 pandemic. White is encouraging the public to take advantage of online services.
In an effort to reduce facility visits for in-person service, White has expanded online renewals for driver’s licenses and ID cards. Not everyone qualifies, particularly those who are required to pass a written or road test. For qualifying drivers, if the driver’s license or ID card expired between Feb. 1, 2020 and Jan. 31, 2021, then the individual will receive a letter with a unique PIN needed to renew online. This letter will be sent in December 2020 or January 2021. If the driver’s license or ID card expires after Feb. 1, 2021, the individual will receive the PIN letter approximately 90 days before the expiration date. For more information on determining whether an individual qualifies for online renewal, visit www.cyberdriveillinois.com and click on “Read more on how to renew your driver’s license or ID card online” near the top of the main page. Read More