Photo by RR Best
Rainy Races
Crowds gathered under umbrellas for the 2 p.m. Fourth of July turtle races at Wyman Park in Sullivan. In spite of threatening weather, events continued during the Independence Day celebration. Everything from the parade and games to a fantastic fireworks display sponsored by the Sullivan American Legion Post #68 went off as planned.
Photo by R.R. Best
Salute to Old Glory
Lilly Null from Sullivan joined the Fourth of July celebration in full patriotic attire on Independence Day. Sullivan residents and visitors enjoyed the weekend filled with activities at Wyman Park.
Photo by Mike Brothers
Moultrie Douglas Extension educator Cheri Burcham introduces Judy Brown to the first of the Memory Game story cards. Brown had a lion card, and she went to the zoo. Nina Glazebrook had to remember Brown’s story while adding her own story to the list as they traveled around the table at Mid-Illinois Senior Center in Sullivan last week.
•July 6, 2016•
By Emily Stutzman
For the New Progress
University of Illinois Extension is about helping people help themselves.” This is how Cheri Burcham, Family Life Educator with the University of Illinois Extension, describes her job in a nutshell.
Burcham has worked with Extension since 1998 and says that the chance to reach people of all ages, empowering them and assisting them in attaining a better quality of life, is what makes her career so worthwhile.
Burcham covers the five counties of Coles, Douglas, Moultrie, Cumberland, and Shelby and is one of the six Family Life Educators in the state of Illinois.
As a Family Life Educator, she is able to offer programs based on research from the world-renowned Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois. She remarks that, “My job as an educator is to take the research from the University of Illinois and bring it to the public in a way that they can use in their everyday lives.”
One aspect of her job is using that research to work with parents and childcare providers. For instance, Burcham teaches workshops and programs for groups of people concerning healthy communication within families, helping them build healthy relationships and become stronger together. Although working in group settings and with presentations is more typical, Burcham affirms that she also aids individuals who come to her with specific questions. Read More
Sullivan Honors McMahon
•July 6, 2016•
By Mike Brothers
Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development improved the city in the 13 years Stepheny McMahon served as director; times are changing though.
The first director’s last day is Friday, July 8 as she moves on to First Mid Illinois Bank, and Laurrie Minor is interim director during the search.
Members of the economic development committee gathered at Cathrine’s Gallery Gifts & More last week to reflect on economic development’s role since the committee started 13 years ago.
Before Ann Short was mayor she was among the founding members of the city’s Economic Development Committee.
“Realizing economic development would best be accomplished by an economic development director, we began accepting resumes,” Short said of the early efforts.
“Stepheny’s outgoing personality and commitment to the community made her a natural choice,” Short continued. Read More
•July 6, 2016•
by Mike Brothers
Nine Moultrie County partner agencies with United Way received $37,965 for programs helping people in Moultrie County last year.
Stan Parks, resource development associate for United Way of Decatur and Mid-Illinois, is Moutlrie County’s representative and emphasized all the money raised in Moultrie County stays in Moultrie County.
“The beauty of United Way partnerships is all the locally raised funds stay in the area,” Park began, explaining a Moultrie County volunteer board annually determines where United Way funds raised in the county are spent.
In 2015 that included nine partner agencies: American Red Cross, Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center (Peace Meal), C.E.F.S. Economic Community Corp., Camp New Hope, Girl Scouts of Central Illinois, Dove, Inc., U of I Extension 4H & Youth Development, Lincoln Trails Council Boy Scouts of America and Moultrie Counseling Center.
“Accountability is the key to supporting successful programs,” Parks said, emphasizing the partner programs are closely monitored to assure those dollars donated are put to best use.
ParksTuesday office hours are from space donated by Moultrie County Counseling Center.
A United Way partner with the Counseling Center’s jobs program illustrates how people’s lives can be assisted through agencies cooperating. Read More
Photo furnished
July Corn
Cailyn, 9, and sister Cara,6, checked out the height of corn near Sullivan recently and found out it was a lot more than knee high in July. Cailyn and Cara are daughters of Eric and Candace Elder (SHS class of 1990) Murphy. Grandparents are Elvin and Leatitia Elder of Sullivan.
•July 6, 2016•
By Mike Brothers
As the 60th anniversary of the Little Theatre on the Square in Sullivan approaches motion pictures will return.
“This theatre opened to silent movies in 1928 so adding movies to the live performance schedule brings us back to our heritage,” John Stephens, Little Theatre executive director began.
Adding blockbuster movies to the existing live show season will help the theatre operate 52 weeks a year.
“We are excited about the possibility of adding a new revenue stream to help sustain the theatre through the year,” Stephens said, noting the five month three week season limits Little Theatre’s operations ability.
“When the season is over, the expenses for the operation continue,” he said of the reasoning behind initiating the $1.2 million capital campaign for the movie project and to help get the Little Theatre’s house in order. Read More
Photo by Mike Brothers
Ready at Rosati’s — Under new management Rosati’s is ready to serve area customers hungry for deep dish Chicago styled pizza and a variety of other dishes. Above Lauren Lillico, manager Julie Fifer and Josh Pitts prepare for the day.
•June 29, 2016•
Rosati’s Restaurant is offering the taste of Chicago at the intersection of Route 32 and the Bruce Findlay Road, south of Sullivan.
Julie Fifer, the new manager of the full service family styled restaurant, located inside Howy’s at the Lake Shelbyville intersection emphasized the famous Rosati’s pizzas and Italian beef sandwiches are not only offered for the inside dining room but are available for delivery to Sullivan, Findlay, Windsor and the Lake Shelbyville campgrounds.
“I spent 18 years working in our family restaurant in Chicago so it’s great to be part of the Rosati family tradition that began in Chicago,” Julie said, noting the signature pizza is deep dish Chicago style. Read More
•June 29, 2016•
It is a tradition to take a look at the annual corn crop in the area and judge whether it is knee high in July.
Corn has grown especially well lately with the combination of rain and heat.
Some may say it is at the point where you can hear the stalks as they grow.
This year’s corn is far past knee high in July, as RR Best’s drone photograph of the Graven family illustrates. From the drone: Aubrey, Kennedy, Chelsea and Kenny stand in sky high corn.
“Driving between Tuscola and Sullivan and looking at various crops, the 2016 crop is off to a great start,” Moultrie Douglas Farm Bureau Manager Tyler Harvey said of the crop so far this June.
“It is amazing to see the growth and size of some of the cornfields for being in June,” he continued.
However, looking at the long range forecast, upper 80’s and 90’s is slated to stick around.
With this,some measurable rainfall is needed every few days to keep the crop growth at the level it is.
Harvey noted in a recent report that with the warm temperatures, wind, and sun, it does not take long for the moisture to be pulled out of the ground.
Photo by RR Best
Photo furnished
Giraffe feeding by Kiley Will with Dalton Rogers and Cullen Dyer looking on.
Hands on Experience for Sullivan Students
•June 29, 2016•
By Lori Kirk and Troy Rogers
For the News Progress
If you ever think the world is in trouble, take a trip with 28 young people and it will change your perspective.
Recently 28 Sullivan students took part in a scientific adventure to the Tampa Bay area where they were immersed in aquatic habitats to understand the interconnections between ourselves and the environment.
Students participated in hands-on learning experiences involving ocean water, brackish water, and fresh water springs.
They were able to snorkel with sea manatees well over 2000 pounds, snorkel in a spring fed river alive with all sorts of organisms, and dip net in gulf water grass beds where they found 33 different species to participate in data collection. They also picked up more than five pounds of trash off the beach while talking about the amount of plastic currently in our oceans.
Students participated in two different dissections of spiny dogfish shark obtained from bi-catch and also a squid dissection.
Connections between concepts discussed in class with the adaptations of the organisms such as buoyancy, flight, and energy transfer through food webs were made. Read More