Category Archives: News Section

Lovington Grade School Students Receive Free Shoes

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Photo by R.R. Best
Lovington Grade School fifth grade teacher Mrs. Seal gives a new pair of shoes to student Gabriel Devenbaugh last week. All 160 students at the school received a brand new pair of shoes through the efforts of several faith based organizations and the Sons of the American Legion Squadron 68 in Sullivan.

•December 2, 2020•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer

Last Tuesday, students at Lovington Grade School received an early Thanksgiving surprise, a brand new pair of shoes. All 160 students at the school received a new pair of shoes.
The Sons of the American Legion Squadron 68 of Sullivan purchased shoes for preschool students and several faith based charitable organization purchased the rest of the shoes for the students. According to Lovington Grade School secretary Jennifer Voegel, this is not the first time students have been gifted. She said that last year a major corporation donated socks and school supplies to every student at the school.
“This is a blessing that I’ve been asking for a long time,” Voegel said. Read More

Local Business Owners Create Thanksgiving Food Baskets

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Photo by Crystal Reed
Lisa Ozier, Michelle Young, Rob Young and Phil Ozier hold a few of the Thanksgiving baskets that they put together for 11 local families.

•December 2, 2020•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer

For the last few years there has been a group of Sullivan business owners who have created Thanksgiving baskets for families that may not be able to afford the traditional holiday feast. On a recent weekend Phil and Lisa Ozier and Rob and Michelle Young gathered in a garage to fill the baskets with all the fixings for a Thanksgiving meal. Read More

Tentative Tax Levy Approved by ALAH School Board

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Truth and Taxation Hearing in December

•December 2, 2020•
By Ariana Cherry
NP Writer

I am pretty fired up about where we go from here,” noted Superintendent Shannon Cheek at the ALAH School Board meeting held November 18. Cheek was referring to a positive story shared by ALAH Principal Stephanie Seegmiller when she reported on recent accomplishments regarding SAT’s.
“For ten weeks - at five days a week, we were working with juniors last school year. They were three and a half weeks away from taking the SAT’s, and then our schools shut down because of COVID. Then in August, they had to take the test in order to graduate. When we reopened, we put together a review class and had some seniors who joined them after school and after hours to take it. We were five points from making the state average. It is our students and their commitments, but it is these guys (teachers and staff) who made it happen,” reported Seegmiller. “They are flexible, dedicated, smart, and they know their business,” she added. On November 19, they celebrated their seniors and all of their hard work which they hoped would inspire the juniors. Seegmiller named several members of the staff and teachers who were responsible for helping with the SAT’s. Included are Darcy Singer, Trisha Sluder, Guy Bates, Sarah Bailey, April Hart, Mark Smith, Kayla Huckleby and Kendall Huffman. Read More

Anglers Tribute To Veterans On Lake Shelbyville

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Boaters and veterans that participated in the Anglers Tribute to Vets on Lake Shelbyville on November 21. Twelve boaters and veterans went crappie fishing on Lake Shelbyville during the event. There was also a memorial service and fish fry for the veterans and their families.

•December 2, 2020•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer

On November 21, 12 people and their boat drivers launched out onto Lake Shelbyville for a day of fishing. These weren’t just any 12 people these were veterans who have served our country in a variety of wars and conflicts.
The Anglers Tribute to Veterans on Lake Shelbyville was an event that organizer Travis Hughes created to show appreciation to veterans for their service. Over 100 veterans were nominated to receive this all day fishing trip and those veterans are from Chicago to Arkansas and Kentucky. Read More

One Book, One Sullivan Presents The Only Road

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•November 25, 2020•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer

One Book, One Sullivan revealed this year’s book in a slightly different way last Friday morning. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic they were not able to have an all school assembly to announce the book. Instead the One Book, One Sullivan group gathered in the gym and through technology broadcasted the announcement to classrooms in the building.
The list of books that was chosen from for this year was narrowed down slowly until the group settled on three titles. Prior to the announcement of the chosen book students presented the other two books that were also being considered. Runners up included ‘Nowhere Boy’ by Katherine Marsh and ‘Resistance’ by Jennifer Nielsen.
During the presentation the One Book, One Sullivan group showed a trailer of the winning book, which featured students reading selections from the book and explaining some of the plot points. Students from One Book, One Sullivan were also sent out to each classroom to deliver a copy of the book to them. Read More

City Council Hears About Chamber’s of Commerce’s Christmas Plans

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•November 25, 2020•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer

During Monday evening’s Sullivan City Council meeting the council heard about the plan that the Sullivan Chamber of Commerce has for the holiday season. Director of Sullivan Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Laurrie Minor told the council that the chamber has an effort to try and provide every long term care resident in Sullivan a plant. They are $15 and the chamber only needs 86 more donations to make this effort possible.
Another event that they are doing is a reverse lighted parade. Instead of people lining up along the parade route people will drive through. At the end of the parade there will be the option to see Santa and give him a letter. Santa will be there to give children a candy cane as well with social distancing in effect.
There is also the Light It Up, Sullivan holiday decorating contest. The chamber asks that you send them a short video or picture of your house or business. Entries can be submitted to the chamber by Facebook messenger or e-mail information@sullivanchamber.com by December 10. Winners will receive utility bill credits. Read More

Businesses To Participate In Small Business Saturday

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Photo by Crystal Reed.
Allie Bridges works on a floral arrangement at The Flower Pot Florals and Boutique. The business will be offering specials during its Black Friday event which will carry over into Small Business Saturday.

•November 25, 2020•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer

Small Business Saturday is a shopping holiday held during the Saturday after Thanksgiving. American Express created the event during the recession in 2010 to encourage people to shop small and bring more holiday shopping to small businesses.
One local business that is participating is Buxton’s Garden and Flower Shop located on 121 between Bethany and Sullivan. They started as a small roadside stand selling sweetcorn out of the back of a pick-up truck and have grown into a year round garden center.
Buxton’s will have their Christmas décor out in the shop and also will have two small businesses vendors setting up there on Saturday. Those businesses are Small Town Chic Boutique and Felt and Born. Read More

Ice Bucket Challenge

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Photo by Crystal Reed
Ice Bucket Challenge
Lovington Grade School held a food drive recently to benefit Christ’s Pantry. They raised over 7,000 pounds from food and monetary donations. The fifth and sixth grade team won the class competition so their teachers Mrs. Seal, fifth grade teacher and Mr. Davis, sixth grade teacher participated in the ice bucket challenge last Thursday afternoon. Both teachers dressed for the occasion wearing items such as pool floaties, water wings and even a life vest. A Lovington fire department truck sprayed them with cold water while their students watched.

Illini Prairie CEO Selling Face Masks For Class Project

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Photos furnished These are examples of the winter themed masks that the Illini Prairie CEO class is selling. For more photos of the masks visit their social media.

•November 25, 2020•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer

The Illini Prairie CEO class is selling face masks with proceeds to benefit their next project in the spring, their individual businesses. There are 14 students in the class and in order to have enough money for all of the students to start up a small business of their own, they need to have a way to obtain seed money for each of them.
According to Illini Prairie CEO student Alexa Hauser, the group will be selling six face masks, four of those will be catering to the four representing communities that are involved with the class: Arcola, ALAH, Tuscola and Sullivan and will feature the individual school’s logo and colors. The other two are winter themed masks. Read More

North Lake Community Development Receives $84,000 Grant

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•November 18, 2020•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer

Laurrie Minor, director of the Sullivan Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development announced to the Sullivan City Council that the North Lake Community Development, a non-profit under the Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development had been awarded a $84,000 grant from the Lumpkin Foundation to improve the end of Tabor Trail to the road past the sewer plant. For a project to qualify for the grant it has to have a direct effect on climate change in an area. Read More