•February 4, 2026•
by Sharon Barricklow
Sullivan residents are restricted in some areas of water usage through February after the Sullivan City Council declared a Water Emergency at their January 26th meeting. A water emergency means non-essential water usage, specifically turf irrigation, filling swimming pools, and personal car washing during the emergency are punishable by a $750 fine.
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•February 4, 2026•
by DM Williamee
As if the recent snowfall, wind, and colder temperatures were not sufficient to get everyone’s attention as we rang in the New Year, it is being predicted that the frigid weather will continue despite a warmer forecast over the next week to ten days. According to the National Weather Service, NOAA, and as cited by Accuweather, February is expected to bring with it an intense polar vortex, chilling weather patterns. A polar vortex refers to a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding the Earth’s poles. When it weakens or shifts, it can push frigid air into lower latitudes. One is expected to impact the Midwest with another round of cold temperatures, brought down even colder with wind chills factored in
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•February 4, 2026•
by DM Williamee
Beginning on February 1st, SNAP benefits changes were put into motion by H.R. 1, or the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’, signed into law last July 4th. This legislation enacted major changes to federal taxes, Medicaid, and other programs, becoming Public Law 119-21. The primary impact on SNAP is the changes to the work requirements. Adults aged 18 to 64 without dependents under age 14 must work, participate in employment and training programs, or volunteer at least 80 hours each month to receive benefits.
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•February 4, 2026•
by DM Williamee
Beginning on January 1st through to June 2026, Sullivan’s First United Methodist Church has an interim pastor, Mike Smith, a busy man. Pastor Smith is a retired UMC pastor with over fifty years of pastoral experience in local churches, serving in numerous conference leadership roles through the years. After retiring in 2020, he was appointed by three different bishops to serve several churches that needed short-term, transformative leadership. He has also developed an innovative/experimental program for churches to turn their stories around, with five churches currently engaged. He is also a part-time professional (certified) tour guide for Chicago, writes a blog, speaks at conferences, and has published a book (with more writing in the works) titled “Teaching the Preacher to Curse.” His wife Jie is the pastor of the Mansfield United Methodist Church, and they have three daughters and four grandchildren.
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•January 28, 2026•
by DM Williamee
On December 24th, 2025, the United States Postal Service (USPS) officially implemented new procedures for dating mail—reflecting when it is processed at a Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC) rather than when it is dropped off at a local post office. Ballots also will no longer be automatically considered priority mail, increasing the amount of time it will take to deliver them. These changes are part of the “Delivering for America” (DFA) plan to consolidate processing into regional hubs, which began implementing service standard refinements on April 1st, 2025. The new rule, which updates Section 608.11 of the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), became effective December 24th, 2025. Sweeping changes to regionalized, automated postmarking is part of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s 10-year modernization plan.
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•January 21, 2026•
by DM Williamee
Below is a compilation of what I have heard people say and/or what I have read in the past year that I have found both funny and ironic. These gave me a chuckle, and I think we all could use one about right now.
When one door closes, and another opens, you are probably in prison.
60 may be the new 40, but 9:00 p.m. is the new midnight.
When I say, “The other day,” I might actually be referring to something that happened yesterday or 20 years ago. That whole millennium thing really throws me for a loop.
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•January 21, 2026•
by DM Williamee
There is a name for nearly everything. Who names what and how it is used (or abused) is often a mystery- sometimes it’s Latin in origin, or at times a word wholly created by an author that goes mainstream. Other words sound so offensive as to border on obscene, yet are innocuous in meaning. No matter how you stir your alphabet soup, words are rarely dull. Below are the names of a few of the whatchamacallit thingmajigs that you may or may not have ever wondered about (and may score you points in your next Scrabble game).
Agraffe: the wire cage that keeps the cork in place on a champagne bottle.
Anglet: the small plastic or metal tip on a shoelace.
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•January 21, 2026•
by Sharon Barricklow
Homeowners in Sullivan will have a chance for their homes to receive needed maintenance assistance after the city received a $650,000 Housing Redevelopment Grant through the Coles County Regional Planning Commission. Mayor Mike Mossman announced the grant at the city’s first meeting of 2026 on January 12. “This grant doesn’t have any limitations as far as parts of town,” Mossman said. “We’ll need to get a plan in place for applications.”
The housing grants can be used for weatherization, heating and cooling systems, and other improvements or repairs for needy homeowners. Other grant applications are being processed, including Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grants and Open Spaces Land Acquisition and Development grants that could provide parking and walking trails to the city park. “We hope we can make those happen,” said council member Abby Sherwood.
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•January 21, 2026•
Residents are invited to attend a public Candidates Forum on Wednesday, February 4th at 6:00 p.m. at The Little Theater on the Square to hear from local officials and candidates and receive important information about issues on the ballot. The agenda includes the following: information on the referendum to change the City of Sullivan’s form of government to a managerial form of government, remarks from Scot Wrighton, former City Manager of Decatur, and City Managers Association Advisor Volunteer, reintroductions from Moultrie County Board members running unopposed for their current seats, remarks from the Moultrie County Treasurer Stephanie L. Helmuth running unopposed, candidate presentations from Moultrie County Sheriff candidates - Gary D. Carroll and Jared Hayes, and candidate presentations from Moultrie County Clerk candidates - Linda S. Qualls and Kristie Russel.
This event will be live-streamed on the News Progress Facebook page, and the forum, hosted by Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development, is free and open to the public and will be moderated by Sullivan CUSD #300 Schools Superintendent, Dr. Ted Walk.
Submitted
Mirror Images is a prevention theatre group in its 36th year at Sullivan High School. SHS students write, direct, and perform a play focused on spreading positive messages to students about current issues teens are facing while educating them on the best way to deal with these situations. The show will be performed for the students of Sullivan High School, and then a free community show will be offered on January 30th at 6:00 p.m. at the Little Theatre on the Square.
This year’s show, titled “Anonymous”, is about a group of high school students who find themselves targeted by cruel posts and rumors from an anonymous online account. What begins as digital drama quickly fractures friendships and erodes trust as the group of friends tries to discover the identity of the anonymous poster. The show is directed this year by senior Cora Emel. “We felt like cyberbullying is a topic that all high school students can relate to,” shared Cora. The production is made possible by a grant from the Gary Emel Foundation.