•September 25, 2019•
By Ted Walk,
Supt. Sullivan CUSD #300

Students at Sullivan High School have the opportunity to take a Child and Day Care Services course starting this fall. This course is designed for students to gain work experience in the field of early childhood education.
As part of this course, students are organizing a playgroup called Little Redskins Activity Program. While details are still being finalized, this playgroup will be open to students ages three to five and will provide an opportunity for our students to gain real-world experience while providing children with the chance to socialize with other children in a safe and fun environment. Read More

•September 18, 2019•
By Jim Nowlan
Capital News Service

The only way for Illinois to avoid a fiscal apocalypse is to create a powerful, independent board that would administer bitter budget medicine. Lawmakers would be required to take a single vote — up or down, with no amendments ­­— on the prescriptions. Why so draconian, Nowlan?
First, the Legislature has never once in the past 20 years adopted an honest balanced budget. Obviously, the Legislature lacks the will to solve our problem. The result is the equivalent of $60,000 of debt and unfunded future obligations for each household in Illinois (at three people per), according to Truth in Accounting, a CPA-led research group.
Second, if the 2020 election vote on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed new tax on high-income earners fails, fiscal chaos is likely to follow. Unpaid bills would balloon beyond the present $7 billion. Bond houses would declare our debt junk. Businesses would shun the state because of uncertainty about their future taxes. Read More

•September 11, 2019•
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has recently reported the first confirmed case of human West Nile Virus (WNV) in Illinois for 2019. The individual, a resident of Chicago, IL, is 70 years old.
While many people anticipate mosquito activity to decline in autumn months, this time of year is actually the most intense for the spread of West Nile Virus (WNV) through mosquito bites. According to the IDPH, there are currently 31 counties in Illinois with confirmed WNV cases. In 2018, IDPH reported 176 human cases of West Nile Virus in Illinois, including 17 deaths.
For most people, symptoms of WNV usually occur three to 14 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. The illness often appears as a mild case of influenza with fever, nausea and muscle aches. In some people, the symptoms of the infection won’t show at all. However, people over the age of 60 or those with a compromised immune system may be at risk for severe illness, including meningitis, encephalitis, coma or even death. All individuals who have been bitten by a mosquito and are ill should seek the attention of a medical provider. Read More

•September 11, 2019•
The Social Security Administration today announced the first potential group of selected participants for its new electronic Consent Based Social Security Number (SSN) Verification (eCBSV) service. The agency will roll out the service to these users in June 2020, and plans on expanding the number of users within approximately six months of the initial rollout.
“Our new electronic SSN verification service will help to reduce synthetic identity fraud by comparing data provided electronically by approved participants with the agency’s records,” said Andrew Saul, Commissioner of Social Security. “This will provide fast, secure, and more efficient SSN verifications for the financial services industry and customers using their services.” Read More

•September 11, 2019•

McMullin-Young Funeral Home has graciously invested back into the community in order to promote the saving of lives.
This is a unique opportunity to assist local first responders through an ingenious marketing initiative that could help save lives.
The funeral home asks that residents download the Vital ICE (In Case of Emergency) app, from either the Apple App Store or Google Play, for their smart phones and enter in their code: #4309. Read More