•March 20, 2024•
Sullivan Dance Studio’s Competition Team has attended two competitions so far this year. Specialty routines and the one Teen level dance attended “Believe Dance Competition” at Gateway Convention Center in Collinsville, IL February 2-4. All thirty team members attended the Energy Dance Competition the weekend of February 16-18 at Kirkwood High School in Kirkwood, Missouri. Read More
•March 13, 2024•
One Book, One Sullivan met Monday, March 4 at First United Methodist Church in Sullivan to discuss this years book choice “City Spies” by James Ponti. Sullivan Middle School students led all of the discussion tables on the night that saw over 100 people attend.
According to the author’s website, www.jamesponti.com, Sarah Martinez is a hacker facing years in juvenile detention, until she meets Mother, a spy who gets her out of jail and into MI6, British Secret Intelligence. Operating out of a castle in Scotland, the City Spies are five kids from around the world who’ve fallen through the cracks only to form a family like no other. When they’re not at the local boarding school, they’re mastering spy skills such as sleight of hand, breaking and entering, covert observation, and explosives. In order that they can go places in the world of espionage where adults can’t. Read More
Photo submitted
Annual FFA Auction Held
The Annual Sullivan FFA and Alumni Auction was held at the high school on Saturday, March 2nd. They auctioned off over 100 items that had been donated from the community and surrounding areas. Students took what they learned in their agriculture classes and took to the community to work with companies to collect donations. Porky, the pig, traveled around the town to collect donations to be auctioned off that night. They would like to thank those who donated and to everyone who attended the auction and supported us this year.
photo furnished
A concept drawing of what the splash pad project will look like after it is built.
•February 28, 2024•
by Crystal Reed
The City of Sullivan was recently notified that they received another Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant from the State of Illinois. According to a press release from the State of Illinois, nearly $55 million in state grants are being awarded for 111 local park projects throughout Illinois to help communities acquire land and develop recreational opportunities. The grants also want the recipients to make sure that the facilities they develop are accessible.
The first OSLAD project total is $763,000. It is considered a matching grant and the city contributes 50% of that amount through mileage and man hours. “I am aware that the park is not an income generating department,” City Commissioner Abbey Sherwood said “that’s why it’s important to find other resources like grants.” Read More
•February 21, 2024•
by Crystal Reed
The Moultrie County Assistant States Attorney Elizabeth Dobson spoke during the regular meeting of the County Board on February 15 about a lawsuit that has been brought up against the Moultrie County Office of Assessments. Dobson said that the case is a public case and open file that anyone can look at. The case number in Piatt County is 2021-MR-37. She said it is a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act that started in August of 2021. “The Zillow company retained a law firm from Springfield, that specializes in FOIA lawsuits,” she said “Make no mistake that Moultrie County is being targeted here.”
Dobson said that if anyone has questions about this lawsuit or the Assessment Office, Lori Barringer cannot answer questions at this time because the lawsuit is still pending. She said that she has seen many things on social media in regards to the case and questions regarding it. Dobson said the attorney’s filed the lawsuit against Moultrie County and the Assessment Office. Read More
photo by R.R. Best
Bethany firefighters/first responders, John Smith and Dakota Briggs give medical attention to one of the two dogs that was found and rescued from the structure fire on Friday, February 9.
•February 14, 2024•
The Bethany Fire Department was dispatched for a structure fire at 11:53 am on Friday, February 9. They arrived within a few minutes to find fire coming out of one window. Crews did an initial attack from the yard while the scene was being sized up determining a room and contents on fire. Read More
photo by Crystal Reed
Karen Edwards of Sullivan talks about quilting at Arthur Public Library on Saturday, February 3. She spoke about the quilting techniques she uses to make art quilts and showed some of her original creations and well as quilts made from others designs. She is pictured with an original quilt called My Mother’s Window of a stained glass window from her childhood home.
•February 7, 2024•
by Crystal Reed
Karen Edwards of Sullivan presented a program Saturday, February 3 at Arthur Public Library on the techniques she uses to create art quilts and some of the supplies used in the process. She was the Grand Prize winner at the 2023 Amish Country Spring Quilt Show in Arthur with a quilt titled “My Childhood Home.” Edwards learned to sew at the age of nine because she wanted to make a dress.
She first got into quilting when she became engaged, and she sorted through fabrics and made a scrap quilt. After she retired, she decided to return to making quilts. In the beginning of the pandemic, she made masks and noted that she stopped counting after she made 500. Read More
•January 31, 2024•
by Crystal Reed
The Sullivan City Council met Friday, January 26, in the afternoon, after canceling their meeting last Monday due to weather conditions. Commissioner Chuck Woodworth was absent. The council approved a project authorization for a field survey and preliminary drawings for the Worth Street Extension and the use of TIF IV funds for the completion of a field study both to be done with Milano and Grunloh.
Commissioner Doug Shook explained that the project authorization for a field survey and preliminary drawings for the Worth Street Extension. He stated this is for an extension from Hawthorne and Worth down to 1200N. Shook said that without a road through there, it’s hard to sell lots and get interest in the heart of the TIF IV district. The field survey and preliminary drawings are estimated at a cost of $16,800. Read More
•January 24, 2024•
On Friday, January 12th, Jamie Franklin, Sales & Marketing Manager for Shawnee Communications, presented the Lovington Grade School Backpack Program with a jump start to the new year in the form of a $9,780 donation. The donation was collected through Shawnee employee contributions, which were matched individually by Shawnee’s four shareholders and that new amount was matched by the company. On hand to receive the donation was Lovington Grade School Principal, Marla Graham.
The Lovington Grade School Backpack Program became a vision for Principal Graham shortly after her arrival at Lovington Grade School. With nearly 70% of her students categorized as “low income” and qualifying for free or reduced lunches, her mission became to help ensure that the basic needs of the students were met so that they could be more focused on receiving an education. Read More
photo by Crystal Reed
Maggie Patient and Eden Hagerman during the Electric Guitar class at OVMS. These explore courses let students learn about everything from foreign language to art and podcasts.
•January 17, 2024•
by Crystal Reed
Okaw Valley Middle School students have the opportunity to learn guitar, design their own comics, learn how to sew and basic concepts of digital photography during their regular school day. The Explore program is in it’s third year at the school. According to OVMS Principal Ross Forlines when the school started to offer the classes there were not as many offerings available to students.
Prior to the Explore courses there were only three electives - Spanish, Ag and Band and that was only for eighth grade students. Currently there are thirteen offerings for grades 6-8 and two offerings that are eighth grade only. Read More