Includes cutting one full-time P.E. teacher
by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com
The Sullivan school board approved three types of measures Monday evening in a special meeting concerning reduction in force.
Faced with potentially steeper cuts in state aid payments for the next school year, the board approved nine resolutions totaling approximately $65,000 in cuts, including the honorable dismissal of Brent Weakly, a physical education teacher at Sullivan Middle School. Read More
Decision to ban firearms on all school property up in the air
by Ariana Cherry
& Keith Stewart
Reporting in Arthur
Thoughtful silence filled the room for a few moments during a discussion regarding Policy 8:30 during last Wednesday’s Arthur-Lovington school board meeting.
According to the present handbook, Policy 8:30 states “Arthur-Lovington District 305 has established a policy that prohibits guns, ammunition, knives and any other weapons from school property.” Although, with the Concealed Carry Law, that could change.
The Concealed Carry Law reads, “The new law generally allows license holders to carry concealed firearms in areas of the state not designated as prohibited areas. Those prohibited areas include buildings or portions of buildings under the control of local governments such as schools, public libraries, court buildings, parks, playgrounds, buses, trains and other forms of public transportation, etc...” Read More
Advanced Disposal cancels attendance at city council meeting
by Joash Tiarks
Reporting in Sullivan
After passing an ordinance last month limiting garbage contracts to no more than one year, the Sullivan city council was told that a representative from Advanced Disposal–an area garbage collection service provider–would attend last week’s meeting.
But a local residential representative with Advanced Disposal, instead, called the city prior to last week’s meeting inquiring about the ordinance.
According to the council, Ed Worker, the representative, was read the ordinance over the phone by city clerk Monte Johnson, after which Worker explained that there would no longer be a need for someone to attend on behalf of AD. Worker assured Johnson that the call meant nothing more than their desire “to be legal.” Read More
Fireworks fundraiser underway
by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com
When Mike Keown and his family moved to Sullivan in 1958, the only thing more memorable than Richard Nixon’s visit to Wyman Park was the fireworks display that the local American Legion had routinely sponsored.
“They were spectacular,” said Keown. “The night sky was just lit up. Even though we lived right by the park, we all took a blanket and went to Wyman Lake.”
But now, the certainty as to whether Sullivan will continue to have its annual display is up in the air, or perhaps, not quite yet.
“The Legion has always paid the cost of the fireworks as long as I can remember,” said Keown. “But right now, we can’t do that. We don’t have the money to pay it.” Read More
The average statewide temperature for the three core winter months of December, January, and February was 20.8 degrees. It was 8.2 degrees below avg. and the fourth coldest December-February period on record, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois. Read More
Special meeting sees both support and opposition to longer hours
by Joash Tiarks
Bethany Reporter
The Bethany village board formally approved the wording to one of last month’s proposed amendments to the liquor ordinance Monday in a special board meeting.
Last month a motion was passed, in the absence of trustee Steve Ozee, to amend the village liquor ordinance to allow for longer serving hours and to remove the prohibition of gambling devices within the village. At that time there were several members of the community present to voice their support of any actions the board could take to benefit local businesses, in particular Hired Hand Winery and Saloon. That motion, however, was to go before the village’s attorney to be proofread and refined for language before being formally accepted. Read More
by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com
A new school name has been chosen for next year’s annexation of Arthur-Lovington and Atwood-Hammond school districts, and the victor isn’t much of a stretch.
According to Arthur-Lovington superintendent Travis Wilson, students voted last week on four possible school names, including Grand Prairie High School, Heartland High School, John A. Timm High School, and, the eventual winner, Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond. Read More
by Joash Tiarks
Bethany Reporter
The Okaw Valley school board voted to accept the resignations of two staff members, effective at the end of this 2013-14 school year; that of cheer coach Jennifer Crowder and that of long time school librarian Sharon Lowry as she retires. Read More
Submitted
Pictured is the Sullivan WYSE team: Row 1, from left: Ross Metzger, Jacob Cameron, Shawn Cody, Alex Davison, Tori Floyd and Rachel Stutzman. Row 2, from left: Ryan Baker, Alex Harvey, Emily Stutzman, Travis Hanson, Chandler Weber, Adam Davis and Brent Mauck. Row 3, from left: Keegan Kruckeberg, Charlie Emel, Zane Uphoff, Sean Johnson, Nicholas Kelsey, Patrick Hogan and Reagan Miller.
Arthur-Lovington takes fourth
Submitted by Jennifer Forneris
What happens when you take some of the most brilliant minds from area high schools and put them under one roof? Nothing other than an academic face off, where teams are pitted against each other in eight subject areas in order to take home the regional Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering (WYSE) championship title.
The regional WYSE Academic Challenge was recently held at Lake Land College and 24 schools, registering 401 students came together to battle in biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering graphics, English, mathematics and physics. Read More
by Joash Tiarks
Reporting in Sullivan
The topic of sandwich boards was resurrected earlier this month when local business owners came before the Sullivan city council to ask for help in promoting their businesses.
Cathrine Craig, owner of Cathrine’s Custom Framing, was one such entrepreneur to appeal to the council for “some type of cooperation to make our businesses more appealing.” Read More