Category Archives: Top Stories

St. Jude’s Mattoon to Peoria Run a success for Moultrie County runners

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Seven area runners make commitment

Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

At the start, runners were greeted with crowds, balloons, and a spirited sendoff before heading west out of Mattoon the morning of August 2 en route to the Peoria St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

At the start, runners were greeted with crowds, balloons, and a spirited sendoff before heading west out of Mattoon the morning of August 2 en route to the Peoria St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has aided children and families for 50 years by trying to solve the traumatic and catastrophic diseases that particularly affect children. And for seven area runners, they made an effort to help St. Jude do just that, by committing a weekend full of running, not to mention fundraising done throughout the past year.

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Tuesday Night Rally Full of Vigor as Seniors Question Upcoming Frozen Meals

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Full VFW room echoes with questions of "why?" as Oct. 1 deadline looms

by Katie A. Davis
Sullivan Reporter

Photo by Keith Stewart Katherine Butt of Sullivan listens as area seniors took to the VFW in Sullivan Tuesday night, filling its banquet hall in order to ask questions as well as vent about their frustration over the expected shift to frozen meals come October 1. After Eastern Illinois University announced earlier this year that it would cease sponsoring the Senior Peace Meal Program, a bidding process began that eventually awarded CRIS Healthy Aging Center of Vermilion County.

Photo by Keith Stewart
Katherine Butt of Sullivan listens as area seniors took to the VFW in Sullivan Tuesday night, filling its banquet hall in order to ask questions as well as vent about their frustration over the expected shift to frozen meals come October 1. After Eastern Illinois University announced earlier this year that it would cease sponsoring the Senior Peace Meal Program, a bidding process began that eventually awarded CRIS Healthy Aging Center of Vermilion County.

Local seniors want to keep their hot meals.

That was the sentiment expressed by local senior advocates at a Tuesday rally to save Peace Meal, a senior nutrition program that provides hot meals to local seniors in need four days a week.

Peace Meal will serve its last meals Sept. 30. Starting Oct. 1, the CRIS Healthy Aging Center, based in Vermilion County, will provide frozen dinners for distribution to local seniors, to be delivered twice a week.

Eastern Illinois University announced earlier this year it would no longer continue sponsorship of the Peace Meal program, sparking a bidding process that included a new sponsor for Peace Meal, Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center.

Only two bids -- CRIS Meals and Peace Meal -- were submitted to the East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging, which funds the senior nutrition program, and according to Mike O’Donnell, the agency’s executive director, the CRIS bid exceeded marks for many categories such as the number of meals it projects to serve.

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Durbin honored with Illinoisan of the Day

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August 16 to be named John W. Durbin Day by Gov. Quinn

by Florence Hallford
Lovington Reporter

“I never realized I did that much.”sz-Durbin
Those humble words belong to Lovington resident John Durbin, who says he was surprised when he received a phone call informing him that he had been named Illinoisan of the Day, an honor created in 2009 by the Illinois State Fair Museum Foundation that seeks to applaud 10 outstanding Illinois residents each year; the decision is largely based on volunteer service.
“It is the key ingredient,” says Doug Kamholz, a member of the foundation.
And Durbin has a whole pantry full of just those ingredients.
When he lived in Sullivan, Durbin performed Read More

No business like show business: LTOTS unveils summer 2013 schedule

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Photo by Keith Stewart Little Theatre on the Square executive director John Stephens sorts through headshots and resumes for the 2013 season cast. Each year's cast is decided upon in March, while the lineup of shows is decided a full year in advance.

Photo by Keith Stewart
Little Theatre on the Square executive director John Stephens sorts through headshots and resumes for the 2013 season cast. Each year's cast is decided upon in March, while the lineup of shows is decided a full year in advance.

By Mallory Murphy

Sullivan Reporter

Each upcoming season actually starts before the current season begins. In April of this year, as patrons gear up for the 2013 summer season, Stephens and his team will actually be picking the 2014 season line up. They use data from surveys, along with comments collected from patrons to choose which Read More