Category Archives: News Section

LLC Dental Hygiene Clinic Offers Low-Cost Cleanings

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Director of Lake Land Dental Hygeine Clinic Deborah Kirts Thomason.

•October 11, 2017•

By Elen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Deborah Kirts Thomason began her dental training at Lakeland College in 1975 and she is now the Director of the Dental Hygiene Clinic which trains students to be dental technicians.

An important part of the program is providing low-cost dental cleanings to adults and children in the area. The youngest client has been a one-year-old but, at that age, the focus is on educating the parents on the importance of starting a dental hygiene program early in a child’s life and getting regular check-ups.

Anyone can contact the Clinic for a dental cleaning. The cost is $15 for adults and $10 for students. The first appointment will probably take about four hours in order to do a full oral exam, chart all the teeth, probe the gums and prepare a Treatment Plan. Having gone through the program I have to say that it is the most thorough dental cleaning I have ever had. The students are well-prepared and supervised. Read More

Sullivan Approves Land Purchase

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•October 11, 2017•

By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

Over the last few years Sullivan has issued bonds for various street improvement projects.

At a recent meeting the council decided not to issue bonds since there were no pressing projects.

The last time was when the city issued $100,000 in bonds for the square resurfacing project. Other bond issues were for as little as $50,000 at a 0.45% interest rate. Future street projects will raise revenue by borrowing from other departments such as the gas or electric.  Read More

Woodworking is Lifelong Hobby for Local Pharmacist

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Pharmacist/Woodworker Toby Jones of Sullivan displays cutting board, one of many masterpieces.

A lot of the wood is grown locally 

•October 11, 2017•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

One expects to find rows of pills and medicines in a pharmacy, but what is not expected is a neat stack of beautiful wooden trivets and carving boards—all designed and hand-crafted by the proprietor Tony Jones.

Jones grew up in Princeton, Illinois and wanted a career in the health field so he entered the St. Louis College of Pharmacy where he met his wife.

In 1999 they purchased what is now the Sullivan Pharmacy.

Woodworking has been a lifelong hobby for Jones.  Read More

Lovington Village Board September Meeting

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•October 11, 2017•

The Lovington Village Board met in September with the water and sewer trustee seat still vacant. President Roger Walker reported he has yet to find a replacement for Jim McMahan who resigned during the August meeting.

Walker reported the property on E. S. Railroad Street owned by an investment firm from Champaign could be condemned for future removal. The village president also reported Gary Ozier had sent a letter regarding property the village owns on Williams Street but that was tabled for further review. Read More

Family Magic Brings Tears of Laughter to Sullivan Crowd

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Photo by Mike Brothers
Good sport Sullivan Elementary School Principal Daniel Allen allowed SHS graduate and Magician Daniel Lusk to have a little fun as he strapped on this goofy mask which also gave him a helium like voice. The crowd of parents and students were kept in stitches throughout the evening performance.

•October 4, 2017•

By Harry Houdini
for the News Progress

If laughter can help build a better world, Sullivan schools was on the way to utopia with magician Daniel Lusk last week.

Lusk and his rabbit in the hat, Twinkie, entertained a seat-filled high school gymnasium Sept. 19 with magic and homespun witticisms from his life.

The Indianapolis based magician and funny man performed his Family Night Magic Show involving students and adults with humor laced magic along with an important message about how to treat one another.

Lusk, a 1997 Sullivan High School graduate, had elementary school children engaged in his Leggo My Magic show earlier in the day. Leggo building exercises with the students helped Lusk point out how respect, being a friend and achieving your personal best can help build a better world. Read More

Illinois AG Candidate Promotes Respect for Rule of Law

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Photo by Mike Brothers
Illinois Attorney General candidate Erika Harold and Roger Glazebrook of Sullivan attended the Moultrie County Republican petition signing party at TnT Pizzaria last week.

•October 4, 2017•

By Mike Brothers

Moultrie County Republicans held a petition signing party at TnT Pizzeria Sept. 25 and welcomed attorney general candidate Erika Harold.

“Lawmakers don’t have the same respect for the rule of law,” the 37-year-old Champaign native and Harvard school of law graduate began. “I have seen political interests chosen over workers, and lawmakers must be accountable.”

Harold explained her reasons for running emphasizing she would use the Illinois Attorney General’s office to fight political corruption and work for criminal justice reform.

Unchallenged in the March primary race Harold spoke to the importance of fund raising before the general election in November 2018. “Funding is key,” she noted, explaining that between July-Sept. they would raise enough money to air commercials in the Chicago area. Read More

SYATP Sullivan

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Photo by Mike Brothers
SYATP Sullivan
Sullivan District #300 students gathered around the flag pole in front of the middle school Sept. 27 to say a prayer. See You at the Pole (SYATP) is an annual gathering of thousands of Christian students at a flagpole in front of their local schools for prayer, scripture-reading and worship, during the early morning before school starts. It takes place on the fourth Wednesday in September. The events began in 1990 in the United States. It is now an international event; in 2005 more than two million students in the U.S. participated, as well as students in Canada, Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Ghana, Guam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, South Korea, Malaysia, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Scotland, and South Africa.

Lake Land was Perfect Springboard to Further Education

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Photo furnished
Karen Noffke and several family members have been able to take advantage of Lake Land Community College education to further their professional lives. Now she has time to enjoy grandchildren Ava and Audrey Warren who may go LLC.

•October 4, 2017•

By Erin Valentine
for the News Progress

Karen (Hendrix) Noffke has been going to school most of her life.

And from an early age, nursing was her chosen profession.

“I even have a little kindergarten story when they ask you want to be when you grow up. I wanted to be a nurse,” said Noffke. “And it came true.”

The 1981 Mattoon High School graduate left home in rural Mattoon to move to her own apartment in town soon after graduation. She chose Lake Land College’s nursing program, allowing her to support herself and continue her education.

“Lake Land was local and affordable,” she said. “I was putting myself through school so I worked every weekend at the Odd Fellow-Rebekah Home. That was a bummer back then, and I went to school Monday through Friday,” she said. She worked as a certified nurse assistant at the home (“back then, you didn’t have to be trained first”), and in two years, earned her LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) degree from Lake Land. In just two more years (1985), Noffke earned the ADN (Associate Degree in Nursing) at Lake Land, thanks to a partnership the school had with Illinois Eastern Community Colleges in Olney. Read More

“Rhymes Climbing Through Time” Presented to Mo Co Historical and Genealogical Society

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•October 4, 2017•

By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

“To rhyme or not to rhyme?  That is the question... “ I had the pleasure of presenting my program, “Rhymes Climbing Though Time,” to the Moultrie County Historical and Genealogical Society Thursday, September 21.

I have to admit I was a bit nervous when member Charlie Steck asked me. In the past, I’ve mostly performed poetry readings with members of my poetry club and had never thought about creating an actual presentation about poetry.

That Thursday evening I began my program by sharing some history of poetry and how people used it as a way to communicate. Poetry was used to share family stories, traditions and sing songs.  Read More

City Moves Forward with Emergency HVAC Repairs at Library

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Fields Wright Gets Reprieve

•October 4, 2017•

By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

Sullivan City Council members learned at the Sept. 11 meeting that the library cooling issue required system replacement.

City administrator, Dan Flannell reported that the air conditioner at Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library is beyond repair. “Bids were solicited,” Flannell began, “but nobody can handle a project of this magnitude.”

The present system is more than 40 years old. The total estimate of the project (for both the AC and furnace) is $83,890 with King Lar of Decatur doing the project. The furnace will be done first and then the air conditioning system.

Flannell met with the library board the Tuesday after Labor Day, and they decided to wave the bidding and move forward since this is an emergency. Library director Michelle Nolen said at least half of Sullivan’s population have library cards and that many of its patrons use the computer.  Read More