Six active Scouts remain in Boy Scout Troop 39 in Sullivan, while the community’s Cub Scout Pack 39 is currently unable to hold meetings after it was unable to renew its charter with Scouting America because of insufficient adult leadership.
The two situations are connected. Cub Scout Pack 39 has traditionally provided a path for younger Scouts to advance through the Cub Scout ranks before moving into Boy Scout Troop 39. Without an active pack, the troop loses that source of future members.
Eric Bettinger, who has been involved with Scouting for 14 years, said his own son has been out of Scouts for four years. Bettinger continued his involvement and had been serving as Cubmaster in an effort to keep Sullivan’s Cub Scout program going.
A frustrated Sullivan City Council tabled approving a $452,000 invoice for well work Monday, August 24, because the vendor has failed to finish the job. Commissioner Chuck Woodworth said Cahoy Pump Service had not returned to finish completing pumping tests on the new well. “They said they’d be there next week and that was three weeks ago,” Woodworth said. “I recommend we not pay the invoice until the work is completed.” The council approved construction of the new well earlier this year after a drop in the aquifer that supplies the city’s water led to summer water usage restrictions.
A fishing derby created in memory of a Sullivan man who spent years sharing his love of fishing and serving his community will welcome more children this year.
Sullivan AMBUCS will hold the fourth annual Big Jim’s Kids Fishing Derby from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 26, at the west entrance of Woods Lake on County Road 1000 E. in Sullivan. The free event is open to children ages 12 and younger, regardless of where they live.
The derby honors the late Jim “Big Jim” Bales, who died in February 2022. His grandson, Brock Bales, who is helping organize the event, said fishing was one of his grandfather’s favorite pastimes.
When Ed Herschberger first considered holding a bluegrass festival at his family’s Sullivan property, he thought a couple hundred people would make the first event a success.
About 800 showed up.
Eight festivals later, the Backyard Bluegrass Festival has grown into a two-day event that Herschberger estimates draws 1,200 to 1,500 people each day, with visitors traveling from neighboring states and across the country.
The festival will return Friday and Saturday, Sept. 11-12, at 790 Souther Road in Sullivan. Admission is free, although donations are accepted. This year’s event will be the final festival with free admission before organizers move to a ticketed format in 2027.
The idea began with the Herschberger family’s own experiences attending bluegrass festivals.
Six years after the first golf outing was held in memory of Thomas M. “Tommy” Houser, his family continues using the annual event to help others in ways they believe would have mattered to him.
The sixth annual Tommy Houser Memorial Golf Outing will be held Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Sullivan Country Club in Sullivan. The outing has reached capacity and is full for golfers, but community members are welcome to stop by during the day to visit, donate and support the event.
For Houser’s wife, Elizabeth, the purpose extends well beyond the golf course.
“I wanted to give back in ways he would want me to,” she said. “We do so much good in his name.”
Houser died Feb. 27, 2020, at age 52. His law enforcement career spanned more than 31 years, beginning with the Sullivan Police Department and continuing with the Moultrie County Sheriff’s Department and Illinois State Police.
Photo by Ian Kinkley Young performers take the stage during The Little Theatre On The Square’s April 2026 production of Disney’s Finding Nemo Jr. The production was part of the theater’s Future Stars Program and featured local youth performers in grades four through 12.
by Jamie Crosier
Young performers from Sullivan and surrounding communities will have an opportunity later this month to audition for two productions at The Little Theatre On The Square in Sullivan, with each offering a different kind of theatrical experience.
Auditions for Matilda Jr. and A Christmas Story: The Musical will be held Sunday, Aug. 30, and Monday, Aug. 31, at The Little Theatre On The Square’s Dance Studio, 9 E. Jefferson St. Auditions are open to students in fourth through 12th grades. Participants must schedule an individual audition and attend a dance call at 5 p.m. on one of the audition days.
While young performers are being sought for both shows, the productions are different. Matilda Jr. is a student production, while A Christmas Story is a Little Theatre mainstage production that will include approximately 12 roles for children.
John Stephens, executive producer of The Little Theatre On The Square, is entering his 21st season with the Sullivan theater. He said choosing productions begins in part with considering the performers already involved in the theater’s programs and the skills they have developed.
That was particularly important with A Christmas Story, which requires children who can sing and act while handling significant dance requirements. Most of the children’s roles require tap dancing.
“We had to wait until we had kids at the level we needed them to be able to dance at in order to do that show,” Stephens said.
Sullivan Community Unit School District 300 is entering the new school year nearly fully staffed while completing a series of facility, technology and maintenance projects across the district.
During the Sullivan school board’s Aug. 10 meeting, Superintendent Dr. Ted Walk reported that the district was fortunate to fill teaching vacancies quickly and with strong candidates. Approximately seven or eight teachers participated in new teacher orientation.
Walk noted that the openings were largely created by employees retiring, accepting promotions or leaving for other personal or professional opportunities, rather than teachers departing for neighboring districts.
Lake Land College recently announced part-time students earning academic honors for the 2026 Spring semester.
To qualify for the president’s list, a student must have completed at least 12 credit hours in courses numbered 040 or higher per semester, excluding summer term, with a GPA of 3.8-4.0.
To qualify for the dean’s list, a student must have completed at least 12 credit hours in courses numbered 040 or higher per semester, excluding summer term, with a GPA of 3.65- 3.79.
To qualify for the honor’s list, a student must have completed at least 12 hours in courses numbered 040 or higher per semester, excluding summer term, with a GPA of 3.5-3.64.
