





Same Road, different view
•July 23, 2025•
by Janet Roney
I have a 180-year-old couch sitting in my basement. My great-great-grandparents brought it from Kentucky to Moultrie County in a covered wagon over the Charleston Road. It was in the parlor of their “Kentucky T” house, southeast of Sullivan, forty years, where they seated guests visiting their two sons who were home on leave from the Civil War, participants in their frequent neighborhood “sings”, and mourners at the wakes of four of their children.
It spent the next sixty years in the parlor of the great-grandparents’ big red brick house in Sullivan; then, it was sent to the garage where Grandpa used it for his afternoon naps. In the 60s, it was back at the old farm in my brother’s garage where the dog slept on it, and a decade of kittens were born in its springs. In the 1970s, my brother heard me say, “You can’t burn that!” …and it was mine.
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•July 23, 2025•
Lake Land will be hosting a Fast Track to Fall registration event on Wednesday, August 6th, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the College’s new Effingham Technology Center.
The event will serve as a one-stop shop for students to enroll at the college, register for classes, and apply for scholarships. Lake Land College staff members from Admissions, Counseling, Perkins, TRIO, and Financial Aid will be present to answer questions and guide students through the onboarding process.
“If you’re planning on joining us this fall, or even just considering taking a class or two, we definitely recommend you come by for this event,” Pam Hartke, Associate Dean of Recruitment & Enrollment Management, said. “This is the perfect opportunity to make sure you’re all set for the new semester, and you’ll also get a chance to check out the brand-new Effingham Technology Center.”
The Lake Land College Effingham Technology Center is located in Effingham at 1201 Althoff Drive. To learn more about the Lake Land College Fast Track to Fall event, contact Hartke at 217-238-2705 or phartke@lakelandcollege.edu.
2015
Windsor’s yard of the month winner was Noel and Gloria Helton. Making good use of perennials and annuals in their flower beds made this a favorite drive by spot of many in Windsor, and the new log siding on their home has been a long awaited goal. The WHAT group, Windsor’s Happenings Around Town, is a mapping group that was working on beautification of Windsor.
Children who participated in the park recreation lemonade stand raised $1,000 and donated it to the Sanders’ family following the tragic passing of Sullivan first grade teacher Christina Sanders.
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•July 16, 2025•
From urban parks to the Shawnee Forest, University of Illinois Extension Master Naturalist volunteers serve as environmental stewards in their communities.
Protect and support Illinois’ natural areas and resources by signing up for Master Naturalist training starting August 12. Illinois Extension is now accepting applications for the fall volunteer training at Douglas-Hart Nature Center.
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•July 16, 2025•
by Angie Hogan
Moultrie County Health Department
Dementia Friendly Moultrie County invites the community to participate in its Dementia Friendly Summer Series. This free three-part series is designed for caregivers, healthcare providers, family members, concerned neighbors, or anyone interested in learning more about this topic. Participants will hear from experienced professionals and can ask questions in a welcoming and accessible environment. Each session will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library, located at 2 West Water Street in Sullivan.
Read MoreFinding Old Trails
•July 16, 2025•
by Janet Roney
My hobby within my hobby of local history is finding old pioneer trails. I have told you about three ancient trails that passed through our county…the French Kaskaskia-Detroit fur trail, the Shelbyville-Vandalia Road, and the Charleston Road. There are more. Their routes are not neatly drawn out on a map or atlas, so it has taken research to locate them.
Here’s how I identify old trails. Most country roads in central Illinois follow the grid of square mile sections that Thomas Jefferson set up over 250 years ago, going due north/south or east/west. Therefore, an angling or winding road causes notice. It’s one of the first clues you might be travel-ing on an old trail.
Read MoreNo claim needed; simply cash the check
•July 16, 2025•
This summer will bring $45 million in cash to a record-breaking 600,000 people who will receive money they didn’t even know they had from the state’s missing money program, and the only thing they must do is cash the check. The checks are part of the latest round of the Enhanced Money Match program, which takes the “claim” out of unclaimed property. Treasurer Frerichs’ office helps get the check in the mail by leveraging technology to return money to individuals through I-CASH, the state’s unclaimed property initiative.
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•July 16, 2025•
I am a resident of Ashar Estates - the 13 duplexes (26 units) of senior housing at the north end of Mason Point.
Several weeks ago, a platoon of Metro employees descended on us and began peppering the grounds with their colorful little flags which, supposedly, were to identify underground lines, cables, etc.
The flags notwithstanding, we suddenly had 2 days of no water followed by a 12-hour boil order. Imagine you are a senior citizen with incontinent issues and you can’t use your bathroom for 2 days.
Read More2015
Andrew Fultz, Joe Fultz, sponsor Jack Scott, Ben Broadbeck, and JC Fultz participated in the 21st annual Okaw Valley Academic Foundation golf outing, which was held July 10.
Additional graduates who received their degrees and certificates after the completion of the spring semester 2015 at Lake Land College included Brandon Cook, Sullivan, AAS Automotive Technology; and Jessica Clotfelter, Windsor, AA, Liberal Arts.
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