•December 30, 2020•
January 1
An area pilot has now given more than 1,500 young people a free demonstration airplane ride as part of the EAA “Young Eagles” program which is introducing a new generation to the world of flight. Among the more than 50,000 volunteers around the world that have donated their time and aircraft to the effort is John Durbin of Lovington, Illinois.
Twice over the past two months, the Sullivan High School Spanish Club has collected food to be given to five different families in the surrounding Sullivan area. Each member of the club was assigned a group and everyone signed up for one or more food items to be gathered and delivered.
Sullivan Spark had a vision for a new baseball complex. The Park and Recreation group of the community action group Spark is proposing a four diamond baseball/softball complex with a concession stand for Sullivan.
The Sullivan Girls Basketball team finished 3-1 in the Knights Classic Holiday Tournament and Emily White was named all tournament MVP.
The Sullivan Boys Basketball team placed fourth with a 2-2 record in the Dieterich Holiday Tournament.
The Okaw Valley girls’ basketball team finished runner-up to Warrensburg-Latham and Kate Jeffers and Mia Harris earned all-tournament team honors.
The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond girls’ basketball team placed third in its own Knights Classic Holiday Tournament in Arthur. The Knights finished 3-1 with wins over Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg, Chrisman and Shelbyville. ALAH’s one loss was to eventual tournament champion Mt. Zion. To earn third place, ALAH ran over the Rams 49-36. Read More
Category Archives: Top Stories
Five-Year-Old Boy Makes Christmas Cards for Nursing Home and Group Home Residents
Photo by Crystal Reed
Harrison Golden, 5, holds up Christmas cards that he made for nursing home and group home residents for Christmas. With a little help from others he was able to make and deliver 340 cards to nursing homes and group homes in Sullivan last week.
•December 23, 2020•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer
This Christmas will be different in many ways, but for those residing in nursing homes and group homes the holiday may be lonelier than usual. One little boy in Sullivan is making the holidays brighter for those residents.
Harrison Golden, 5, and his family were quarantined in November and to occupy their time they talked about Christmas cards and how those in nursing homes will be isolated this holiday. Harrison was struggling to understand why he couldn’t see his grandma, his friends or go to school. Read More
Sullivan Community Education Foundation Makes Pedal Desks Possible In Classroom
Photo submitted
Kaden Huber utilizes one of the pedal desks in Mrs. Kuhn’s resource room. Kuhn was a recipient of a Sullivan Community Education Foundation grant this year.
•December 16, 2020•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer
Students in Susan Kuhn’s special education classes at Sullivan Middle School have a unique option for seating that wouldn’t be possible if not for grants from the Sullivan Community Education Foundation.
The classroom has several pedal desks which allow students, who may have trouble sitting still, to work seated while pedaling.
Kuhn has now received a $540.00 grant to buy additional pedal desks for her classroom. Prior grants have purchased a dry erase table, fidget stools, fidget desks, balance boards and white pedal desks. This year’s grant was used for more adult size pedal desks.
Having fidget items in her classroom has had an unexpected affect. “When I first got the fidget items for my classroom, the noise level dropped,” she noted. “It gives students the opportunity to move without being disruptive.” Kuhn said that she has a goal to get more pedal desks if possible but plans to keep at least four traditional desks in her classroom. Read More
Food Pantry Receives New Storage Shed
•December 9, 2020•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer
The Moultrie County Food Pantry received a gift the day before Thanksgiving, a brand new 6x8 storage shed that is secure. The previous shed that the food pantry had was small and there was no place to put anything but they now have tripled their storage area. The shed was given to the organization by Zak Horn.
The donation couldn’t have come at a better time according to Michelle Hooks, CEFS Outreach Coordinator for the Moultrie County said. “We just added two new offices so we didn’t have as much room to store items for the food pantry,” she said. Read More
Lovington Grade School Students Receive Free Shoes
Photo by R.R. Best
Lovington Grade School fifth grade teacher Mrs. Seal gives a new pair of shoes to student Gabriel Devenbaugh last week. All 160 students at the school received a brand new pair of shoes through the efforts of several faith based organizations and the Sons of the American Legion Squadron 68 in Sullivan.
•December 2, 2020•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer
Last Tuesday, students at Lovington Grade School received an early Thanksgiving surprise, a brand new pair of shoes. All 160 students at the school received a new pair of shoes.
The Sons of the American Legion Squadron 68 of Sullivan purchased shoes for preschool students and several faith based charitable organization purchased the rest of the shoes for the students. According to Lovington Grade School secretary Jennifer Voegel, this is not the first time students have been gifted. She said that last year a major corporation donated socks and school supplies to every student at the school.
“This is a blessing that I’ve been asking for a long time,” Voegel said. Read More
One Book, One Sullivan Presents The Only Road
•November 25, 2020•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer
One Book, One Sullivan revealed this year’s book in a slightly different way last Friday morning. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic they were not able to have an all school assembly to announce the book. Instead the One Book, One Sullivan group gathered in the gym and through technology broadcasted the announcement to classrooms in the building.
The list of books that was chosen from for this year was narrowed down slowly until the group settled on three titles. Prior to the announcement of the chosen book students presented the other two books that were also being considered. Runners up included ‘Nowhere Boy’ by Katherine Marsh and ‘Resistance’ by Jennifer Nielsen.
During the presentation the One Book, One Sullivan group showed a trailer of the winning book, which featured students reading selections from the book and explaining some of the plot points. Students from One Book, One Sullivan were also sent out to each classroom to deliver a copy of the book to them. Read More
Schools Celebrate Veteran’s Day
Photo by Crystal Reed
Photo by R.R. Best
•November 18, 2020•
Sullivan High School’s Career English Class arranged an event called the “Road of Valor” in front of Sullivan High School and Sullivan Middle School on Veterans Day. The road was lined with 1,300 American flags representing all 1,151 students in the district and all full-time employees. Okaw Valley hosted a Veterans Day Parade through downtown Bethany. The parade was presented by the Okaw Valley Marching Band and High School Chorus. Students from the schools lined the streets holding flags, signs and banners that showed appreciation for our veterans.
Sullivan City Council Passes Ordinance That Modifies the Liquor Code
•November 11, 2020•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer
The Sullivan City Council passed an ordinance on Monday night, which allows workers between the ages of 18 and 21 to scan or sell liquor at conventional and package liquor stores. At a previous meeting IGA manager Pat Stinson had approached the board about making a change to the ordinance due to a shortage of workers 21 and over at his store.
“We appreciate the city council approving the ordinance change for us,” he said “this opens up a lot of flexibility for us.”
The council also approved the sale of surplus public real estate, a total of 17.3 acres of undeveloped farm ground owned by the city at a price of $242,000. There was also the first reading of an ordinance for levy and assessment of taxes for the fiscal year beginning May 1, 2020 and ending April 30, 2021. This will be passed at the next meeting. The total appropriation is $30,613,600. Read More
Mid-Illinois Senior Services Inc. Hosts Drive-Thru Senior Expo October 23
Photo by Crystal Reed
Mid-Illinois Senior Services, Inc. held their annual senior expo on Oct 23. This year’s event was a drive-thru expo and they served 160 people. From left to right: Kiley Rodrick, Kathi Garvey, director of Mid-Illinois Senior Services Inc., Tawnya Marshall and Kathy Hawbaker of Green Gardens.
•November 4, 2020•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer
The Mid-Illinois Senior Services Inc. held their annual senior expo on Oct 23 but it was a little different due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s event was a drive thru experience where those who had registered drove down the alley between the Senior Center and Thrifty Boutique. Read More
Food Pantry Candy Fundraiser Makes Changes
Photo by Crystal Reed
Devon Flesor Story and Ann Flesor Beck pictured with some of the baskets that can be purchased as part of the candy sale to benefit the Moultrie County Food Pantry.
•October 28, 2020•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer
Flesor’s Candy Kitchen will be accepting Christmas candy orders from Sullivan, Moultrie County, and surrounding county residents this year from now through November 16. Usually the fundraiser is held at Cathrine’s Gallery but due to COVID-19 they are taking mail orders instead of holding an in-person event. All Christmas candy orders will be delivered to Cathrine’s Gallery for pick up on December 16th. Read More