Category Archives: News Section

Sullivan Jazzercise has New Owners and New Location

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photo by Crystal Reed
New Sullivan Jazzercise owners CJ Yoder and Jena Atchison hang a banner at their new location at 2 W. Harrison in Sullivan. They purchased the business from Jenny Moore.

•October 4, 2023•

by Crystal Reed

On Saturday, September 30, Sullivan Jazzercise participants celebrated the new ownership of the franchise and a new location in Sullivan. After class finished that morning participants, the new owners and others walked to the new location holding a Jazzercise banner which the new owners hung on the wall at the new location when they arrived there. The new owners are Jena Atchison and CJ Yoder, they purchased it from Jenny Moore.  Read More

ALAH School District Technology Department Presents Three-year Plan to Help Stretch “Technology Dollars”

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•October 4, 2023•

by Ariana R. Cherry

Grants have been an important way of acquiring specific technology items needed in the Arthur #305 School District. Technology Director Amanda Romine provided a three-year Technology Plan for the district. In 2027, there are many Chromebooks that will need to be replaced with their “end of life dates” (Chromebooks have specified dates where the system will no longer make security or other necessary app updates) approaching. Since that time isn’t too far away, the technology department has a plan to help stretch their dollars.

With Google extending the “end of life dates,” on some of the current devices, they will be able to last longer. Some of those dates have been extended through 2029. Each Chromebook also carries Accidental Insurance (in case they are dropped, etc). If each one is taken care of adequately, the Chromebooks should last up to nine years.  

The ESEF Grant helped purchase 140 Chromebooks, and last year, all new Promethean Boards were purchased for all the buildings using ESSOR Funds. Also, this school year, every desktop computer was able to be replaced in the district. Desktop computers can last five to seven years at a time. Read More

Sullivan Alumna and Daughter Hold Book Signing at Library

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photo by Crystal Reed
Shoni Anderson and her mother Becky Clayton-Anderson with their book Warrior Princess at the Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library on Wednesday, September 27. There was a book signing for their book that afternoon at the library.

•October 4, 2023•

by Crystal Reed

Shoni Anderson is a warrior princess, a nickname that she got from family members during her fight with leukemia. She was diagnosed with leukemia February 1, 2021, and on June 7 of this year she rang the bell symbolizing that she was in remission. Shoni had two parties in honor of being in remission, one at the hospital and one at home on July 3 where those in attendance brought toys donated to the children at the hospital. Read More

Senior Expo Held In Person for First Time Since 2019

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photo by Crystal Reed
Senior Expo Held In Person for First Time Since 2019
Mid-Illinois Senior Services, Inc. held their Senior Expo on Friday, September 22 at the Sullivan American Legion. This year’s expo was the first in-person expo since 2019. In recent years it had been a drive thru event due to COVID. The event was attended by 130 people this year. The Senior Expo had 23 tables representing different service organizations and businesses, a bake sale, bingo and prize drawings. Griffin’s Barbecue served brunch to attendees. Agri-Fab and HydroGear donated money towards the cost of the meal. Sullivan High School Student Council served food, delivered plates and drinks to participants, cleaned up and ran bingo cards and prizes.

photo by Crystal Reed
Bingo!
Jonathan Boyd, branch manager at First Mid Bank and Trust, calls out bingo at the Senior Expo on Friday, September 22 at the Sullivan American Legion.

Agri-Fab Employees Volunteer at Habitat Build

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photo by Crystal Reed
Agri-Fab Employees Volunteer at Habitat Build
Agri-Fab employees have been volunteering their time at the newest Habitat for Humanity build in Sullivan. They have done a variety of tasks at the site as the Moultrie County Habitat for Humanity gets closer to finishing the home. Other outreach that Agri-Fab does in the community include food drives and monthly blood drives. Pictured are a few employees at the build site: Brianna Buttrey, Stephanie Collins, Chris Schaefer and Nicholas Brown.

Storyteller Visits Arthur Library

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photo by Crystal Reed
Storyteller Visits Arthur Library
Storyteller Kathleen Brinkman of Champaign visited Arthur Library on Saturday, September 23. She has been telling multicultural stories for 20 years. Prior to retirement, Brinkman worked at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana as the Director of Career Services for the biotechnology center. She likes to incorporate interesting stories for children into her programs while mixing in jokes that adults would like as well. Brinkman said that she has always told stories and that she is part of a storytelling guild. She noted that being a member of a storytelling guild has helped nurture her storytelling skills. Brinkman is pictured using a limber jack to tell one of the stories during the program.

Council Awards Bids

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•September 27, 2023•

by Crystal Reed

The Sullivan City Council awarded the bid for the Wyman Park Splash Pad and Sports Courts during Monday night’s regular meeting. The bid was awarded to Building Systems for $479,407. Commissioner Abbey Sherwood said that the total project cost is $763,612.00 and half of that is coming from a matching grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. They received $20,668.85 in donations from Becky Ogle and the SPARK initiative. 

In public comment, Nancy Barker addressed Commissioner Doug Shook, who was attending the meeting via phone, in regards to his mileage report that he submitted to the city. She noted that the report was very thorough but she would like to know the places he has traveled in the city for that type of mileage. Barker noted that on the Fourth of July he recorded 15 miles. 

Shook said that he drove around prior to the parade to check on projects. She said there was another for 21 miles and said that she would like to know where he went in the city. Shook said he was looking at projects to advise his crew and the council.  Read More

Sullivan-Okaw Valley Football Team Helps With Move

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photo furnished
Pamela Browning had a moving team to help her move out of her three story home in Sullivan on Sunday. She noted that she had nobody to help her initially but that members of the SOV football team volunteered to help her out. Browning said that her group of helpers were an answer to prayers for help.

•September 27, 2023•

by Crystal Reed

Pamela Browning moved out of her house in Sullivan on Sunday, September 24 so that she can live closer to her daughter who lives in Southern Illinois. Something that weighed on her mind though was how was she going to get everything moved out of her three story house all on her own. Browning said that she prayed for someone to help and she not only had help she had a whole team, a football team that is.

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Sullivan Fire Chief Retires After Over 26 Years Of Service

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photo by Crystal Reed
A walk out ceremony was held for Sullivan Fire Chief Larry Edwards on Friday, September 22 at the Sullivan Fire Department. He had over 26 years of service to his community through the Sullivan Fire Department. He is looking forward to spending more time with his wife and family.

•September 27, 2023•

by Crystal Reed

Sullivan Fire Chief Larry Edwards noted in a speech he gave last Friday that it had always been a dream of his to retire on his 50th birthday. Last Friday that dream came true for Edwards as the department held a walk out ceremony for a fire chief who had dedicated more than 26 years of service to the Sullivan community.

Edwards said he is retiring from a career he fell in love with. At the age of 22 or 23 he recalled driving by a wreck and thought that being a firefighter might be something interesting to do. He stopped by the Sullivan Fire Department to get an application. Edwards noted that about a year later he got a call asking whether he was still interested in being a volunteer. He started his career volunteering for the department but was hired on full time on July 18, 1998. Over the years he moved up through the ranks and was promoted to Fire Chief in 2022 after the retirement of Mike Piper. Read More

Sullivan Elementary School New Addition Includes 16 Additional Rooms

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•September 20, 2023•

by Crystal Reed

Sullivan Elementary School hosted a grandparents’ event, book sale and open house to showcase the new addition to the community Thursday, September 14, . According to Sullivan Elementary School Principal Leslie Guyot, until the new high school is built, the school will be housing students from Pre-K to sixth grade. When the new high school is completed, the sixth-grade students will be moved to the middle school, and the elementary school will permanently become PreK through fifth grade. Read More