Category Archives: News Briefs

Superintendent-Y Stuff: A Walk with Mr. Walk

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•January 15, 2020•
By Ted Walk,
Supt.Sullivan CUSD #300

I don’t know if anyone else noticed, but we had a bit of rain in the Sullivan area over this past week.
I have heard a few stories from people who were dealing with water issues in their homes, and the school was not immune to the impact of several inches of rain in a short time period.
The southwest corner of our high school took on some water Saturday morning. The response from our staff was amazing. We had five custodians, Gary Crowe, Kathy Crowe, Lyle Isaacs, Tim Lappin, Charles Redford, along with Maintenance Director, Kevin Landrus, diverting water, scrubbing, and disinfecting. Read More

Menu 1-15-2020

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Senior Peace Meal
For additional information or for reservations, please call 1-800-543-1770

Monday, January 20 - Beef and noodles, mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, whole grain wheat (1), apricots
Tuesday, January 21 - Pork chop sandwich, buttered baby baker potatoes, Mexi corn & lima beans, bun, fruit juice
Wednesday, January 22 - Swissed beef patties w/tomato, onion, celery, green pepper, creamy coleslaw, dinner roll, warm fruit crisp
Thursday, January 23 - Breakfast casserole, warm rosy applesauce, fruit juice, cinnamon roll, cranberries
Friday, January 24 - Chicken parmesan, venetian blend vegetables, potato casserole, dinner roll, mandarin oranges

Remember When? 1-15-2020

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25 Years Ago This Week

The Sullivan City Council adopted a resolution awarding $20,000 in TIF funds to the Sullivan schools for use in updating computer labs.
Baseball and Don Bell headlined the Lovington School Board meeting. High school principal Judy Uphoff reported Lovington and Arthur will cooperate on a baseball team next season. Team colors will be purple and white.
Retired teacher Don Bell was honored for his continued support of the school district. Bell had retired after 31 years of teaching, but returned to teach again when the current business teacher quit three days before the term began.
Sullivan High School graduate Nathan Hutchings, a student at Eureka College was selected as a member of Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Hutchings of Sullivan. Read More

We Are All Lobbyists, but What Can Be Done About Them?

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•January 15, 2020•
By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist

Remember as a teen when you devised a strategy to convince your old man to let you have the family car to go on a date Saturday night? You we’re lobbying, trying to get what you wanted. We’re all lobbyists.
In big cities, state capitols, and D.C., groups you and I belong to pay money to specialists (lobbyists) to push for what they want. Society looks down on lobbyists, as likely corrupt somehow. It isn’t the lobbying that is corrupt; it’s the money that is a commodity used by groups and their lobbyists that can be corrupting. The temptation of money can induce people to trade something, possibly even a vote, for money. Money is power and, as Lord Acton famously suggested, power ultimately corrupts.
At present in Illinois, the federal government is investigating a number of Illinois politicians for possibly making unearned personal gain at public expense. The focus is on public electric utility ComEd. House Speaker Mike Madigan held the giant electric utility in a political vice grip at a period the company was desperate to save its nuclear plants and increase consumer rates. Read More

Village of Lovington Gets Lead on Grocery Store

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•January 15, 2020•
The Lovington Village Board met in special session Jan, 6, 2020 as well during the regular meeting Dec. 9, 2019.
Under special projects trustee Brenda Wood noted a family from the Amish community is interested in starting a grocery store in Lovington. She explained if the village has a building available they would be interested in discussing the prospects. Read More

SHS Announces Fall 2019 Honor Roll

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•January 15, 2020•
Freshmen:
Straight A Honor Roll (4.0): Paul Bates, Madalyn Booker, Lara Herschberger, Jonathan Kipp, Sofia Nuzzo, Tristan Ruppert, Cassidy Short, Raegan Sims, Aubrey Tate
High Honor Roll (3.5-3.99): Carter Addison, Will Dawkins, Chase Eller, Beau Fleming, Dawson Foster, Landry Hall, Brent Helmuth, Wyatt Miller, Hali Mirocha, Kaylee Ogle, Elizabeth Owens, Ethan Schmohe, Eric Schrock, Chloe Smith, Ethan Smith, Victoria Turnbaugh, Jack Woolen, Larry Yoder
Honor Roll (3.0-3.49): Cody Browne, Anabella Brownlee, Molly Dendy, Jordyn Emerson, Will Haegen, Callie Hernandez, Vanessa Hoffman, Zachary Kursell, Alaina Moore, Makenzie Pedigo, Gabrielle Penberthy, Drake Poe, Madaline Probus, Kylee Ragsdale, Lane Richardson, Rylee Roehrs, Cohen Winings Read More

SMS Announces Fall 2019 Honor Roll

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•January 8, 2020•
Sullivan Middle School is proud to announce Academic Honors for the Fall 2019 Semester.
5th Grade
Straight A Honor Roll - 4.0 GPA: Avram Bates, Mary Crist, Adalyn Cruitt, Willow Davenport, Caleigh Dyer, Avelyn Ethell, Angelina Hiller, Olivia Hullum. Gracelyn Johnson, Austin Kelley, Khyli Kelly, Claire Kursell, Emma Lawrence, Ellie Lehman, Braden Lucas, Grant Martin, Julia Moody, Keegan Newberry, Landon Nuzzo, Infiniti Phillips, Jacob Poynor, Emerson Risley, Colin Roehrs, Cadence Schmohe, Aaron Schrock, Dimitri Schrock, Tanner Seelow, Kaylee Smith, Carter Standerfer, Brady Stollard, Timothy Stutzman, Aiden Villalobos, Gavin Wade, Aden Wallace
High Honors - 3.5-3.99 GPA: Christian Bennett, Keagan Betts, Sawyer Booker, Noah Bryant, Carigan Cole, Christian Craig, Synthea Doss, Mya Dyer, Ava Eckert, Delanie Eisele, Dominik Ekiss, Clark Freese, Addison Hullum, Ava Johnson, Chance Kalmer, Kinley Lane-Johnson, Jennifer Lofland, Taylonna Marlow, Rowan Mast, Jozelyn Meador, Alyssa Ryherd, Emily Stutzman, Drayden Watkins, Madelyn Whitmore, Colton Wilson, Miracle Wilson Read More

Being Average is No Longer Good Enough for Illinois, U.S. Schools

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•January 8, 2020•
By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist

In a recent column, I noted that most, not all, downstate school districts perform below statewide averages on 11th-grade English and math tests. I didn’t blame anyone, instead noting that performance is directly correlated to the household incomes within each district; the lower the average incomes, the lower the test scores. Thus it has been since I began looking at these kinds of data decades ago. As downstate school districts tend to be lower in overall household income than their suburban counterparts, scores also tend to be lower.
Another purpose was to startle downstaters — parents, community leaders, and school folks — into working harder to become at least average. Nobody likes to think of his community as “below average.” And most folks have been unaware of their situation.
But space limitations prohibited me from going further, to write about how Americans across the country appear to be sleepwalking through our own decline when it comes to education. Unfortunately, our grandchildren will pay a steep price for our provincial ignorance. Read More

Remember When? 1-8-2020

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25 Years Ago This Week

The Sullivan High School National Honor Society turned fund raising into fun raising. A total of $866.60 was raised with a school assembly witnessing Ben Guyot, whose class raised the most money for Christmas presents, receive a pie in the face from high bidding student Leif Walling. Principal Stu Hott received a pie with Andy Wagner and Joe Freese’s groups combining for a $289.15 donation for shared throwing honors. Mayor Leon Lane was the auctioneer.
Kevin Gaither, son of Jim and Margaret Gaither of Sullivan was named to dean’s list at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
David R. Elder will be installed as an Eagle Scout on Sunday. The 18 year old Millikin student’s community service project charted the city’s fire hydrants for location, water flow and capacity. He is the son of Bob Elder of Arthur and Laura Elder of rural Sullivan.
Roscoe Hudson of Sullivan topped his prize winning 8 pound 14 ounce turnip from three years ago. Hudson grew a 10 lb. 12 oz. turnip this season and believes he can raise a 15 pounder.

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