Category Archives: News Briefs

Remember When? 8-21-2019

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25 Years Ago This Week

Seven Sullivan sisters have written a book, and it is selling like hotcakes or any one of the nearly 700 recipes found within it. The culinary sisters are Dorothy Craig, Ruth Lash, Emogene Burrows, Audrey Morris, Helen Eccles, Joan Hughes and Margaret Koehnke. Over the past half-century, the sisters from Cornbread Bottom Farm have continued to collect, sample and swap hundreds of recipes. Burrows decided it was time to gather them together and share the family culinary wealth.
Joyce Shellabarger has had the best of both worlds. “I got to play mommy, I got to have a career, and I got to retire early” said Shellabarger who retired spring 1994 after teaching sixth, seventh, and eighth grade social studies in Sullivan for 14 years. During her teaching career, she coached middle school girls’ basketball, JV high school girls’ basketball, and middle school girls’ track while raising six children, Sherry, Sondie, Samantha, Stan, Susan and Seth. Her plans are to now spend time with her family and give “some extra TLC” to her husband.
Joe and Cindy Tabor of rural Sullivan are the parents of a daughter born August 14 in Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center. She has been named Kami Danielle and joins a brother, Hank,4. Read More

Area Facilities Receive Rural Energy Grants

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•August 21, 2019•
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Illinois State Director, Douglas Wilson today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarding grants for projects in all states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to reduce energy costs for farmers, ag producers and rural-based businesses and institutions.
“From renewable energy systems such as geothermal and solar arrays, to energy efficiency improvements including lighting upgrades and grain dryers, businesses and farms are saving energy and money through USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program”, Wilson said. “These investments in rural businesses help improve the rural economy, and when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”
Under today’s announcement, USDA is investing $9.3 million through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects across the nation. Congress appropriated $50 million for REAP grants and loan guarantees in fiscal year 2019. USDA will make additional funding announcements in the REAP program in coming weeks. Read More

Mobile Mammography Available Locally

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•August 21, 2019•
The Sarah Bush LIncoln Mobile Mammography Services van will be at SBL Sullivan Clinic September 4 and Hydro Gear in Sullivan on September 16.
The Mobile Mammography van helps provide mammograms to women who may not otherwise have access to, or be able to afford these life-saving preventive screens. Women who qualify will receive their mammogram free. Read More

Is Pritzker Tax Plan a Good Way to Change the Wealth Equation?

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•August 21, 2019•
By Jim Nowlan
Capital News Service

Gov. J. B. Pritzker has proposed a graduated income tax for Illinois (higher rates for higher incomes), which prompts these fundamental questions: How should society allocate wealth? How should government redistribute it? And, of course, should we vote for or against the graduated tax at the 2020 election? (Whew, talk about big topics for 800 words!)
Life is, at the core, about the struggle for wealth and power. I tell my students that political science is the study of who gets what, why, and how?
Kings and rulers used to allocate wealth by taking as much of it as they could for themselves without fomenting peasant revolts. Uprisings in the medieval centuries by charismatic peasant leaders like Wat Tyler in England usually ended with guys like Wat and his followers dangling from gibbets. Those with the wealth (known otherwise as power) generally prevailed.
Plagues in the same period wiped big chunks of the peasantry off the countryside, which increased demand for the remaining workers — and thus wages. So, the market plays a role, though imperfectly.
Enlightenment thinkers of the 17th Century proposed that people other than royalty should have a say in budgeting and taxation; the idea took hold in England and here. Read More

Township Consolidation Law First Of Many Government Reduction Efforts

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•August 21, 2019•
By Rebecca Anzel
Capitol News Illinois

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a law giving voters in one Illinois county an option to more easily dissolve township governments. It is an initiative of two state lawmakers to ease residents’ property taxes by reducing levels of government.
Barrington Hills Representative David McSweeney said it is the first step to providing that choice to voters throughout the state. Consolidation must first work well in McHenry County, the sixth most populous county in Illinois, before the experiment can expand.
“We need to show that it works, but in the future I plan to use this as a way to promote other types of consolidation — we need to look at school districts, park districts, municipalities,” McSweeney, the law’s House sponsor, said. “I am going to continue to focus on this.”
There are more than 8,500 local government units in Illinois, according to the comptroller’s website — 1,428 of those are townships. These are essentially the closest level of government to residents, required to provide general assistance to the poor, administer property assessments and maintain roads. Read More

Moultrie County Retired Teachers Award Grants

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Photo furnished
Sullivan teachers Lauren Fultz and Cami Badman are pictured.

•August 14, 2019•
Submitted by Marlene Wirth

The Moultrie County Retired Teachers Association met August 7 at Bethany First Christian Church.
President Sue Yarnell introduced Paul Strid, District Manager for Association Member Benefits Advisors. He spoke to members of the association about valuable IRTA benefits available to members.
Guests included Lauren Fultz, a first grade teacher at Sullivan Elementary School, and Cami Badman, an English instructor at Sullivan High School, who each received a $100 grant from the MCRTA for classroom use.
Erin Van Deursen, a kindergarten teacher at Sullivan Elementary School, also received a $100 grant but could not attend the meeting.
President Yarnell, presided over the business meeting. Minutes and the treasurer’s report were approved.
Committee reports were given. Jane McKown, Ben Guyot, and Yarnell reported on the Area 5 Leadership Training meeting they attended on June 25 at Effingham High School.

Photo furnished
MCRTA President Sue Yarnell is pictured with Paul Strid.

Vickie Bowers and Judy Uphoff reported on details for the upcoming October meeting to be held at Allerton Park beginning at 11:30 a.m. with a luncheon. A tour of the mansion and gardens will follow.[/s2If]

Letter to the Editor 8-14-2019

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•August 14, 2019•

Setting the Record Straight on Titus Home for Ladies Closing
This is in response to the letter from “The New Instigater”. Although he strategically left out the subject matter, I have heard other comments like his in the community so feel pretty comfortable he is referring to the Titus Home.
“The New Instigater” has either made up his own facts or has been misinformed, so please allow me to put this observation to rest.
I served on the Titus Board of Managers for six years and worked as the office manager for ten years total. The disbursements we received from the farm ground income were made by the Sentel Trust/Farm Manager after all farming and management expenses had been paid. Read More

Circuit Clerk Announces Re-election Campaign

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•August 14, 2019•
“I am pleased to announce I am seeking reelection for Moultrie County Circuit Clerk.
Over the last nine months, I implemented the Criminal and Traffic Assessment Act within the Moultrie County Circuit Clerk’s Office. With July 1, 2019, being the effective date, I focused most of my time in office ensuring the transition went smoothly. This act essentially reconfigured the way Circuit Clerks across Illinois collect and distribute court ordered assessments. Read More

Lack of Love and Money Leads to Urban Violence, say ‘Experts’

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•August 14, 2019•
By Jim Nowlan
Capital News Service

I left the prison on a recent Wednesday with a better understanding of what foments urban violence, after talking with the real experts — inmates who grew up in major Illinois cities.
The Life Skills Re-entry Center at Kewanee, in central Illinois, is like a small college campus, albeit with razor-wire rather than ivied walls. The place is for longtime inmates of the 30-plus Illinois correctional facilities, who write essays as to why finishing their final years at this intensive career education and counseling facility would benefit them. The goal is to reduce recidivism by giving inmates a career such as restaurant management — they run the café and cafeteria — welding, and more, plus counseling on how to live productively on the outside. Read More

Menu 8-14-2019

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Senior Peace Meal

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

Monday, August 19 - Spaghetti w/meat sauce, herbed peas, applesauce, bread stick, brownie bites
Tuesday, August 20 - Roasted pork, zucchini bake, broccoli-cauliflower mix, whole grain wheat (1), Hawaiian salad
Wednesday, August 21 - Chicken fitter, vegetable rice pilaf, seasoned green beans, dinner roll, fresh fruit
Thursday, August 22 - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes w/gravy, corn and lima beans, whole grain wheat (1), dreamsicle gelatin
Friday, August 23 - Steak burger, lettuce and tomato slices, rotini vegetable salad, bun, cantaloupe