Photo by Crystal Reed
Festive School Bus
The Sullivan School District bus garage decorated a school bus with lights, eyes with eyelashes and a mask last week for the scheduled Reverse Parade. Due to the weather the parade was cancelled so they displayed the bus in the elementary school parking lot last Friday to spread some holiday cheer.
Photo by R.R. Best
Solid Rock Chapel Delivers Gifts and Meals
Solid Rock Chapel delivered meals, gifts and goody bags to residents at local CILA homes and Patterson House over the weekend. They took a wagon around town for 3 ½ hours to deliver the items. Normally the church holds a Christmas party for the CILA homes and Patterson House but were unable to do so due to the pandemic. They were able to raise over $4,000 to help make this possible.
Photo submitted
Kaden Huber utilizes one of the pedal desks in Mrs. Kuhn’s resource room. Kuhn was a recipient of a Sullivan Community Education Foundation grant this year.
•December 16, 2020•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer
Students in Susan Kuhn’s special education classes at Sullivan Middle School have a unique option for seating that wouldn’t be possible if not for grants from the Sullivan Community Education Foundation.
The classroom has several pedal desks which allow students, who may have trouble sitting still, to work seated while pedaling.
Kuhn has now received a $540.00 grant to buy additional pedal desks for her classroom. Prior grants have purchased a dry erase table, fidget stools, fidget desks, balance boards and white pedal desks. This year’s grant was used for more adult size pedal desks.
Having fidget items in her classroom has had an unexpected affect. “When I first got the fidget items for my classroom, the noise level dropped,” she noted. “It gives students the opportunity to move without being disruptive.” Kuhn said that she has a goal to get more pedal desks if possible but plans to keep at least four traditional desks in her classroom. Read More
•December 16, 2020•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer
The Sullivan City Council approved a motion to hire a firm to look into developing a plan for Eastview drainage problems during their meeting Monday night. According to Mayor Richard Glazebrook, they are seeking someone to advise the council with what avenue should be taken. He said that at this point it’s going to be March, April or May before anything can be done. Glazebrook noted that they are looking into field drainage.
The council approved an ordinance for levy and assessment of taxes for the fiscal year beginning May 1, 2020 and ending April 30, 2021. The amount of the levy is $774,422. Read More
•December 9, 2020•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer
2020 has been a rough year for the Little Theatre on the Square. The theatre shut down on March 16 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However they want to bring some holiday cheer to those in the community with a virtual show.
The Little Theatre on the Square Virtual Christmas Card is a virtual show that will be available for online purchase after Dec 9 and includes the talents of over 65 people from previous productions at the theatre and Future Stars program. Read More
•December 9, 2020•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer
The Moultrie County Food Pantry received a gift the day before Thanksgiving, a brand new 6x8 storage shed that is secure. The previous shed that the food pantry had was small and there was no place to put anything but they now have tripled their storage area. The shed was given to the organization by Zak Horn.
The donation couldn’t have come at a better time according to Michelle Hooks, CEFS Outreach Coordinator for the Moultrie County said. “We just added two new offices so we didn’t have as much room to store items for the food pantry,” she said. Read More
Photo by Crystal Reed
Santa Arrives
Santa travels to the Bethany Village Hall to greet and talk to local children in an antique fire truck.
Photo submitted
Oath of Office
On Tuesday, December 1, 2020, Circuit Judge Jeremy Richey administered the oath of office to Moultrie County officials elected in the November election. The ceremony was held in Courtroom B on the third floor of the courthouse. Christa Helmuth was sworn in as Circuit Clerk, Lynn Reed as Coroner, and Tracy Weaver as State’s Attorney. Larry Baker, John Fayhee, Elizabeth Houser and Neil Bryan were sworn in as county board members. County board members in Moultrie County are elected on a county-wide basis. Following the swearing-in ceremony, the new county board met for a reorganizational meeting. David McCabe was re-elected as chairman and Larry Baker was elected as vice-chair.
Photo furnished
Nevill Promoted
Ethan Neville of Sullivan was promoted to the rank of corporal Dec. 5 during a promotion ceremony at Combat Training Center-Yavoriv in Lviv, Ukraine.
Neville is an 89B Ammunitions Supply Specialist assigned to Task Force Illini, 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
Photo by Crystal Reed
Christmas Wishes
Santa talks to Kamryn Gill of Bethany about what she would like for Christmas.