Photo furnished
Making Honey in Okaw Valley
Okaw Valley High School graduate JT Bland poses with one of three OV bee colonies set up around the area. OV students will monitor the colonies during the summer months and into the fall.
Photo furnished
Sullivan Summer Park Kids Create
Several members of the Sullivan Area Arts (SAarts) group arrived with 221 wooden blocks for the Sullivan Park Recreation Summer program kids to paint June 22. This was a goal for past several years and things worked out with SAarts this year to get everything together and make it happen. The blocks were marked with the different colors, and the children painted the blocks without knowing what the final picture would be. While they were away to lunch SAarts members assembled and nailed the blocks together to form a finished mosaic. The finished piece of public art will be displayed in Wyman Park.
Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Healthcom 5K Run Benefits Senior Center
Mayra Grijalva(r) from Healthcom in Sullivan presents a check for $2,000 to Kathi Shackels, executive director of Mid-Illinois Senior Services. All proceeds from the recent Healthcom 5K run were donated to Senior Services.
File photo
Junefest Fireworks for Lovington
The village of Lovington combined the annual Fish Fry at Tom Conn Park with the annual fireworks display from Central States Fireworks of Athens Friday, June 16 and the crowds came out. The annual Lovington Junefest started at 4:30 p.m. selling out of fish before the fireworks went on display at the old football field.
Photo by Alex Menke
John Stephens, executive producer of the Little Theatre on the Square, singing the national anthem.
Photo by Alex Menke
Photo by Alex Menke
Performers greeted visitors to Sullivan Friday: (From L to R) Boone Collins, Barrett Thatcher, and Kaycee Thatcher pose with Belle and and the Prince from The Little Theatre on the Square’s Beauty and the Beast.
Photo furnished
OVHS FFA Attends Convention
Pictured are members of the Okaw Valley High School FFA chapter who attended the 89th annual state convention in Springfield.
Photo furnished
OVHS FFA Enters Fun Zone
Members of the Okaw Valley High School FFA chapter attended the 89th annual state convention in Springfield. During a break from the action members enjoyed some down time at Sky Zone. Front row - April Decesaro, Sadie Zimmerman - Back Row - Sidney Zimmerman, Ethan Macklin, Sophie Zimmerman, Kailynn Bobbett, and Connor Sheehan.
Photo by Mike Brothers
Cool Beverage on a Warm Day
These enterprising young people served lemonade to thirsty shoppers traveling from location to location during Sullivan’s Townwide Rummage Sale June 9-10. Above from left: Dillon Richards, Nevaeh Wilson, Gracelyn DoVel and Myah Richards served ice cold lemonade to visitors to their parents’ Water St. sale.
Photo furnished
Music Teacher Conducts Crappie Catch
While casually fishing Saturday, Sullivan schools’ music teacher Jeff Thomas caught a monster sized crappie in Wyman Lake. It was only a pound under the Illinois state record. The crappie was 17.5 inches long and weighed 3.5 lbs. Not a lot of people think of the local show choir director as an avid fisherman, but Thomas actually grew up in a lake community very similar to Sullivan and has fished his whole life. “It’s a great way to relax between the crazy schedule of show choir,” Thomas explained. “Who knew such big fish were here in Wyman Lake?”