Midwest, Illinois needs to get their act together

•July 24, 2019•
By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist

Many rural Midwest towns have become like my stereotype of Appalachia – main streets of mostly empty storefronts; lots of unskilled folks left behind, yearning for jobs “on the line” that are gone forever; too many single mothers struggling to make it on low-wage work, or welfare, lacking the time or know-how to nurture high educational expectations in their children.
Small town decline began at least a century ago, when farm families exchanged horse and wagon for the Model T. They could thus bypass the nearby village and its tiny general store, and head for farm-market towns of 1,000 to 3,000 or so folks, with their greater offerings.
Old duffers like me remember growing up in these towns post-WWII, when parking was hard to find on Saturday evenings. Farm wives bustled in and out of the long row of main street shops, buying, and maybe even bartering fresh eggs for some credit. The municipal band tootled in the park. It was a great time and place to grow up.
My town, and hundreds like it, have now been bypassed for small cities like Princeton, with 7,000 or more folks. These places tend to have a hospital, a good grocery, a couple of big box stores, and maybe better schools than the rural towns. Read More

•July 24, 2019•
Congressman John Shimkus will visit Lake Shelbyville on Tuesday, August 27th hosted by Sullivan Marina & North End Pub & Grill.
Congressman Shimkus has been made aware of the need to dredging on the north end of the lake, the lake is silting in a far more rapid rate than originally predicted. Read More

•July 24, 2019•
By Ileana Saveley
Social Security District Manager in Decatur

It’s summer and millions of families are enjoying our nation’s beaches, forests, and mountains before the school season begins. If you’re on vacation this summer, know that you can access Social Security’s online services anywhere you have an internet connection.
Our online services at www.socialsecurity.gov/onlineservices help you plan for the future. We’re constantly expanding our online services to give you freedom and control in how you wish to conduct business with us. You can go online to:
• Use our benefits planners to help you better understand your Social Security protections
• Find out if you qualify for benefits Read More

•July 24, 2019•
Soils in mid-July are continuing to warm across the state, surpassing average temperatures from last year, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.
Soil temperatures at 4 inches under bare soil rose four degrees in the first half of July to a statewide average of 86 degrees. Temperatures were 8 degrees above the historical normal and three degrees warmer than last year on July 14. Daily highs are in the 90s for most areas with several locations measuring temperatures 100 degrees and higher. Read More

Cat City –

Editor,

I would like to address an ongoing, never ending serious problem that we’re having with the cat population in the city of Sullivan.
There are a tremendous number of cats roaming the streets, and i believe the majority of them virtually live on Grant Street. This has been going on for years and is getting worse.
People in the neighborhood feel sorry for them and feed them but don’t actually take care of them as pets. Therefore, they roam everywhere! They aren’t fixed and continue this population explosion.
Standing in my yard last week, I looked down the road and could see five to six cats going up and down the street near my home all at the same time. Read More