Category Archives: News

ALAH School Board Approves BLDD Architect Services For Facilities Planning

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•September 22, 2021•
By Ariana Cherry
NP Writer

New personnel introduced themselves to members to begin the recent ALAH school board meeting including Kate Agney, Ron White, Ilene Martinez, Sailor Bower and Kylie Russel.
Superintendent Shannon Cheek informed the board that the high school received some damage during one of the recent storms including door strikes, damaged computers and some switch controls to cameras. He noted that most of it was technology-related.
Arthur Grade School also had some severe damage. The district will be filing an insurance claim soon. Cheek also reported that the boiler work is almost complete and the work to the roof has been finished.
An estimate of $7,700 was received in donations to the district. “Three Guys Concrete,” donated microscopes estimated in the amount of $1,400 to the high school. Teri Malin donated some benches in the amount of $1,500 and Mr. and Mrs. Wyhart donated a picnic table to the high school. The Athletic Boosters donated warm ups and uniforms and Master Brand donated $4,000 worth of school supplies to all of the school buildings in the district. Read More

The Great Pumpkin Patch Now Open For The Season

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Photo furnished
A pumpkin tree at The Great Pumpkin Patch in Arthur. They open for the season on Wednesday, September 22.

•September 22, 2021•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer

Fall is here and that means the opening of pumpkin patches like the Great Pumpkin Patch in Arthur. Opening day for the patch is Wednesday, September 22. “We’re excited to get people back at the farm to enjoy harvest,” General Manager Mac Condill said.
The pumpkin patch is heading into its 32nd season and for the first time last year had the farm side of the business closed due to the pandemic. “It’s funny how much we missed having farm visitors last year,” he said “We put a lot of work in the last 18 months and we are looking forward to greeting people at the farm again.” Read More

Flannell No Longer City Administrator Of City of Sullivan

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•September 16, 2021•

The City of Sullivan's City Council released a statement late Wednesday afternoon that City Administrator Dan Flannell will no longer be employed by city. The release said "As of September 15th the City of Sullivan has decided to move the city in a new direction and will no longer require the services of our city administrator, Dan Flannell. The council thanks him for his service to the community and wishes him the best in his future endeavors."

City Council Approves Bruder Tank TARP Project

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•September 15, 2021•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer

The Sullivan City Council approved the Bruder Tank TARP Project during Monday’s meeting. Mayor Richard Glazebrook said that the dedication of the road needed to take place before the project could proceed. Commissioner Abbey Sherwood said she would prefer to have the road dedicated first. She has concerns about where the money would come from and whether they are doing this for Bruder’s.
Glazebrook said that it is a job created for the city of Sullivan. “Once that becomes our property, it becomes a city street,” Commissioner Doug Booker said. “That means I can drive on it, you can drive on it and kids can ride their bikes on it.”
City Administrator Dan Flannell paraphrased an email from Josh Bernius. In the letter Bernius said that it would be nice to have the road, but it was not a necessity. The property is currently owned by Phyllis Harshman. Read More

County Board Approves FY 2022 Salary Assumptions

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•September 15, 2021•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer

The Moultrie County Board met last Thursday and approved FY 2022 salary assumptions by a vote of 5-3 with board members John Fayhee, Billy Voyles and Todd Maxedon voting no. The motion established that each department head and elected official will establish salaries for their full-time, non-union employees whose salaries are not determined by a predetermined system. Each department head or elected official would decide the starting salary, merit pay and or appreciation of performance bonuses for their department. Read More

First Pumpkin Patch Grows at Mason Point in Sullivan

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Photo by Ellen Ferrara
The Mason Point pumpkin patch that was a project of Grant Roehrs, a grounds maintenance staff member at Mason Point.

•September 8, 2021•
by Ellen Ferrara
NP Writer

Mason Point has its first pumpkin patch thanks to Grant Roehrs who is one of the grounds maintenance staff. The pumpkin patch is just one of many projects Grant has undertaken to make the grounds more attractive. Watching the drama unfold in the pumpkin patch has been a welcome diversion for the residents who have been mostly confined for over a year due to Covid. Read More

Harvest to Home is Set for Oct. 8 and 9 at the Illinois Amish Heritage Center

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•September 8, 2021•
Harvest to Home returns to the Illinois Amish Heritage Center on October 8 and 9. Hours for the event are from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, October 8 and from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 9. Harvest to Home returns to expanded activities and demonstrations, including glass blowing, at the Center.
The purpose of the show is to teach attendees how crops were grown and harvested during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Amish continue using many of these methods in their farming operations today. The show continues to expand, and the 2021 show promises to be the biggest show yet. Read More

Windsor Native Releases First Book

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Photo by Crystal Reed
Jeremy David Williams had a book signing at Windsor Storm Memorial Public Library recently. His first book “The Price of Survival” is available on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble. Williams is pictured with his high school english teacher Nancy Fontaine.

•September 1, 2021•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer

Jeremy David Williams, a Windsor native and 2004 Windsor High School graduate, recently released his first book. He wrote the book his senior year of high school, he picked it up again in college to edit it and then a few years ago picked it up again to have it professionally edited.
The book is a sci-fi adventure titled “The Price of Survival” and is book four in the Trials of Triangulum series. Williams said that in the book its a battle between good vs. good and the evil deeds that good people sometimes have to do. The story also has gripping characters. Read More

Senator Chapin Rose Speaks at ALAH District School Board Meeting

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•September 1, 2021•
by Ariana Cherry
NP Writer

Senator Chapin Rose made an appearance at the most recent ALAH School Board meeting and spoke about his plan for pursuing a class action lawsuit regarding Governor Pritzker’s latest mask mandates for all schools in Illinois.
“The mask isn’t an issue, Rose said, “I am a lawyer, but I am not allowed to give legal advice,” he noted. Rose related that he has buckets of schools who have decided not to comply with the recent mask mandate, have been threatened that their funding will be taken away and will not be able to be a recognized school, etc. “They have been coerced into a position of compliance,” he said.  “What is fundamentally an unAmerican action is threatening restraint for a vote that is never going to happen anyway. I don’t care what anyone’s view is about masks or not masks - you can’t threaten an official’s license to force them to take action or refrain from taking action,” Rose added. He went on to share his idea for taking action against the mandate.
“It makes no sense for a school district to go at it alone. The idea is that everybody gets in a room and puts money in a pot to go forward in the name of local control - this is not about masks or no masks. School boards have the right to say what they want. No, JB,” he said. Rose explained that there would be a meeting for school districts who are interested in moving forward against the governor. They would share the cost of the lawsuit by pooling their money. Read More

City Council Tables Bruder Tank TARP Project

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•August 25 2021•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer

The City Council tabled the Bruder Tank TARP Project during Monday night’s meeting. The business is planning to expand their Sullivan operations by adding an additional facility at 1201 S. Hamilton Street. The project was to be paid for using a $225,000 state legislative grant and $12,045.82 from TIF fund.
City Administrator Dan Flannell reminded the council there had been a strategic planning meeting designating the grant for the city building; however, Mayor Richard Glazebrook noted that they wanted the money to go into infrastructures such as roads. He said he talked with Chapin Rose’s office, and he indicated it could be put on this road.
Flannell said, “Are they aware that it’s not infrastructure? It’s not infrastructure if it’s built on private property.” He went on to say that Bernius does not own that tract and that Phyllis Harshman owns that ground. “All Mr. Bernius has is an easement across that,” Flannell said. He continued to say that it would be going on private property, and all Mr. Bernius has is an easement to access that. The land is private property, not a public street.
Glazebrook tabled this item to the next meeting. Read More