•February 10, 2016•

Additional flood damage on Moultrie County roads and bridges increased to $180,000 county engineer Jeff Birch told the Road and Bridge committee February 8.

That amount is added to the total county damage claim filed earlier with the Illinois Emergency Services and Disaster Agency.

“Once the water went down we discovered six bridges with erosion damage.” Birch explained that the county could  submit labor costs related to debris removal which assured the county’s qualification for disaster relief.

Committee chair Kevin McReynolds led discussion on eliminating vehicle rental from employees following the purchase of a truck for the Road and Bridge Dept.

Birch explained the department had accumulated enough funds to allow the purchase, and he had looked into the state contract bid site for vehicles. Read More

Photo by Mike Brothers
Lt Col Mary Storm was selected for the Lifetime Achievement Award

New Chamber Initiative

•February 3, 2016•

By Mike Brothers

One Town, One Million Dreams initiative for Sullivan was presented to 120 Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development luncheon guests, January 29.

Executive Director Stepheny McMahon addressed the crowd in the First United Methodist Church banquet hall, explaining SCED’s new initiative. “We hope to inspire each of you to brainstorm what dreams you have…”McMahon challenged the group. “By sharing our dreams, we hope to nurture many to fruition in 2016.”

Featured speaker Tiffany Macke, U of I Extension Education in Community and Economic Development, began to demonstrate the value of dreaming.

“When I attended my first Living the Dream conference, I was challenged to come up with 100 dreams,” Macke began, noting it took her three years to complete the list.

Habitat for Humanity

“I had forgotten how to dream,” she continued, showing that the ability to dream can eventually lead to attainable goals.

Macke presented the chamber audience with a simple question: “What is the happiest you have been?”

Happy is different for everyone, but the capacity for happiness is universal, she pointed out.

The Living Dream List has two distinct challenges for silly or fun ideas and  for spectacular or serious ideas.

“The reason for both is that we need to be balanced in the dreams we hope to achieve,” Macke said. Read More

Photo by Mike Brothers
Adam White and River Edwards were joined by the Sullivan Redskins basketball team wearing pink and teal socks with ribbons to honor those fighting breast and cervical cancer.

•February 3, 2016•

No One Fights Alone
We wear these ribbons to show our support for our two team mothers who are battling cancer.
Please show your support for them, and all cancer patients, by wearing one of these ribbons.
Thank You
Sullivan Redskins Basketball Team.

On January 19 basketball fans in Sullivan were greeted with this message at the gymnasium entrance. Inside the Sullivan High School gymnasium the whole Redskin team came to the floor wearing one pink and one teal sock each for the first time.

Over Thanksgiving two players, Adam White and River Edwards, found out their mothers Lis White had breast cancer and Sarah Edwards cervical cancer.

“Adam first decided wearing the pink and River started wearing teal to honor their mothers’ battles with cancer,” Adam’s grandmother Sue Durbin explained.

Sue discussed the pink and teal sock idea with friends Doug and Sherry Farris while sitting in the stands during the first game of the year. Their grandson Bryce had indicated the team wanted to do something to show their support.

The Durbins and the Farrises put their energies together, deciding to provide the boys’ basketball team with pink and teal socks with appropriate ribbons to represent breast and cervical cancer.

“It took four trips to Decatur and three trips to Mattoon, but we finally found the right shades of pink and teal,” Doug said of the effort. Read More