•April 22, 2026•
Sheep to Yarn to Quilts will return to the Illinois Amish Heritage Center on Saturday, May 2nd, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event will feature sheep and alpaca shearing demonstrations, processing the wool, and making clothing and quilts from the shared materials. There will also be numerous activities for children, including pony cart rides and a petting zoo with a variety of farm animals, as well as household pets.
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•April 22, 2026•
The Prairieland Frontiersman’s 50th Annual Spring Rendezvous will be held on April 24th, 25th, and 26th at the Prairieland Frontiersman Club Grounds, 1426 County Road 800 North in Sullivan. This year is a special celebration, commemorating the 250th birthday of the United States of America. For those who have never attended this event, this family-friendly event is a step back into history by a group of dedicated, friendly, and knowledgeable craftspeople and historians, including live demonstrations. This year’s special events include an Honor Guard, the raising of Old Glory, with a live performance of the singing of the National Anthem, with attendees encouraged to join in. Trade blankets and vendors are both welcomed and encouraged to attend, as well as local area residents desiring to step back into the past.
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•April 15, 2026•
It’s that time of year again- clean-up day. As many Sullivan locals are already well into their spring-cleaning rituals, welcoming and taking pride in the additional space in their homes and garages, the next step is to dispose of those items permanently and responsibly.
Beginning April 20th through to the 24th, Sullivan will hold its annual Clean Up Day, (see map), delineating which days items will be retrieved from their area. Those who reside on Jackson and Hamilton streets will have their items picked up on Monday, April 20th. As a reminder, all items must be placed on the curb by 6:00 a.m. Only those residents within the city limits are eligible to participate. The townwide clean-up is only available to residential (not commercial) customers.
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•April 15, 2026•
by DM Williamee
The DEA’s National ‘Prescription Drug Take Back Day,’ held twice yearly (April and October), offers a safe, anonymous way to dispose of unwanted, unused, or expired medications. This spring, Saturday, April 25th, is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
The DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day began in September of 2010 to combat the growing opioid crisis and reduce prescription drug misuse. The initiative was launched to provide a safe, convenient, and anonymous way to dispose of unwanted, unused, or expired medications, preventing them from being stolen, abused, or harming individuals and the environment. It was created as a critical component of the White House’s strategy to address the nation’s rising prescription drug abuse crisis and accidental poisoning rates.
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•April 15, 2026•
by DM Williamee
On Tuesday, April 7th, Mid Illinois Senior Services of Sullivan’s monthly ‘Dine with a Doc’ presented an information-rich session titled, “Discover the Power of Nutrition” to those in attendance for the well-attended educational luncheon. Led by Sarah Bush Lincoln’s Denise Bloemer, a graduate of the Sarah Bush Lincoln Leadership Academy and member of the SBL Workforce Engagement team, the presentation provided current dietary guidelines and suggestions for eating healthily and living better through the power of nutrition.
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On Wednesday, April 1st, the Sullivan High School student blood drive committee was at the Sullivan American Legion, working to sign in and help with their twice yearly scholarship blood drive fundraiser. All monies raised at this blood drive go to The American Red Cross scholarship. Their target was 30 people donating blood, and they were well on their way to realizing their goal.
Marsha Kirby, student council advisor, oversaw the students through this fundraising effort, conducting sign-ups and acting as the point of contact for the American Red Cross for this scholarship drive. Snacks and T-shirts were provided to donors for their generosity.
•April 8, 2026•
by DM Williamee
On March 31st at the Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library, attorneys Marlena Johnson and Cristina Kinsella from Soyland Access to independent Living (SAIL) held a free civil rights workshop for the community titled, “Equip for Equality.” This workshop provided an introduction and overview to Equip for Equality and their civil rights team, special education clinic information, a very information-rich presentation on Americans with Disabilities (ADA) rights, and ended with a questions and discussion period.
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•April 8, 2026•
by DM Williamee
In 2024, the FBI estimated that over two thousand cyberattacks were reported daily in the U.S., roughly one attack every 40 seconds, costing over $16 billion dollars in reported losses. The vast majority of these were automated, such as phishing and malware, rather than targeted breaches. As AI advances, so does the speed of the bad actors using tech for nefarious purposes.
Malware, phishing, ransomware, MITM, DDoS, and social engineering are the most common types of cyber attacks. Many people have heard these terms, less are vaguely aware of how these threats work, and most people do not know or consistently use best practices (hygiene) to keep their data safe. For bad actors, a big payday can be like shooting fish in a barrel. It’s not just individual consumers who are at risk; large corporations have been found to have holes in their security as well. To view some of the cyber attacks in 2026 thus far, visit https://tech.co/news/data-breaches-updated-list. Cyber threats and criminals are becoming increasingly more sophisticated, on a larger scale, and far more quickly than threats can be identified and neutralized.
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•April 8, 2026•
Op Ed by DM Williamee
With the advent of dial-up in the everyday household, youth and adults alike were quickly obsessed with what this new ‘magic box’ was capable of. The cosmic excitement before this was when the graphics, player options, and newer stylized game controllers for video games like Halo and Grand Theft Auto became more pixelated. I, however, was the mean mom. Having used the internet in the workplace, I quickly became aware that now you could literally strike a few keys and click a mouse and have the world at your feet, whether via instant messaging (with people you had to trust were who they said they were), Ask Jeeves, or email. And that was the problem.
My economics professor told my class that if something was either 100% free or too easy to obtain, we were likely either the bait or the end product. How true, so many years later in this AI age, that his words of advice have proven to be true. As the mean mom, I had a 30-30-30 rule in my home. 30 minutes reading, 30 minutes gameplay or television (pick one), and 30 minutes on the computer, placed in the dining room so I could keep an eye on who was doing what, and when. Reading was not optional. No reading, no magic box time. My teen and ‘tween daughters let me know how cruel and unfair I was frequently, loudly, and even argued that I was stunting their tech growth and education. I reminded them that an hour of interfacing with something non-human each day was my hard line. Take it or leave it, my house, my rules. They, of course, took it.
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•April 8, 2026•
by DM Willaimee
Spring is a time of year when change is in the air. Trees are budding, plants are flowering, and homes laden with dark or heavy fabrics and clutter could use some lightening up. Winter was long, with spring comes mud, and many people find their moods lifted in clean and uncluttered spaces.
Spring is an excellent time to take inventory of your living space. By decluttering, cleaning, and organizing, you can create better home comfort as well as efficiency. Some people find the prospect of getting organized overwhelming, but it can be a cathartic effort that is rewarding. Here are some ideas that can help make your spring cleaning efforts less difficult and daunting.
Have a plan of attack with some bright-line objectives. Focus on areas that are not regularly cleaned-they likely require more attention, and more attention equates to more time.
Assemble your cleaning supplies. Spring cleaning can be slowed down if you don’t have everything you need at hand. Basic items to have are an all-purpose cleaner, a concentrated cleaner, microfiber cloths, old newspaper, paper towels, rags, a mop, a vacuum, dusters, and a squeegee. Also, having degreasers, melamine foam ‘erasers’, scrub brushes, buckets, polishes, and other items on hand helps prevent a trip to the store before you move on to another task.
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