News Progress

•May 20, 2026•

Neoga senior Ayden White has yet to earn his high school diploma, but he’s already built the foundation of a high-demand career. Thanks to a unique partnership with Lake Land College, Ayden is turning his last semester of high school into a pathway toward earning a Class A commercial driver’s license (CDL). 

Ayden is one of several local students enrolled this semester in Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Theory, a dual credit course designed to equip high schoolers with the career-ready skills to operate tractor-trailers, flatbeds, livestock carriers, and other heavy-duty vehicles. Held in the Lake Land College Effingham Technology Center, the course is available to high schoolers through a partnership with Creating Opportunities for Regional Employment (CORE), which provides free career exploration classes for students across 16 local high schools. “My grandpa owns a trucking business in Decatur, and I want to work for him when I graduate, so I was pretty excited to learn about this class,” Ayden explained. “You learn a lot about the road rules, and you realize just how much different it all is from driving a car.”

2016

National Nursing Home Week brought a variety of activities to area facilities. The sounds of laughter arrived when Mason Point residents in Sullivan met Deborah Joy Hart. Hart, a laughter therapist, was part of the World Laughter Tour and stopped by Mason Point for you guessed it, a few laughs.

After experiencing rising costs in services with Aramark, ALAH questioned the possibility of finding alternatives. The new 2016-17 contract with a 2.6% increase due to cost of living was brought to the table at the last ALAH Board meeting. “With new regulations and menus that came in over the last few years, it would have been a huge undertaking to find other companies”, commented Superintendent Kenny Schwengel.

Therapy student Kadence Sutter received a $1,000 scholarship from the Sullivan AMBUCS chapter. The scholarship was presented by committee chairman Dave Hudspath. The presentation took place at one of the two annual AMBUCS cookouts in the Kirby Foods parking lot on Saturday, May 9th. Kadence will be attending EIU next year after graduating from Lakeland College this year. She received one of three annual scholarships available from Sullivan AMBUCS for 3rd year through graduate students in the Therapy fields of study. 

•May 13, 2026•

A stroke can change a life in an instant. In the minutes after symptoms begin, quick action can help protect the brain, reduce long-term disability, and save a life, according to the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association. In rural communities, where EMS responses can be delayed and minutes matter, it’s important to be aware of the signs and symptoms and seek treatment quickly.

On average, nearly 2 million brain cells die every minute a stroke goes untreated, making early recognition and treatment critical. During May, American Stroke Month, the Stroke Association is highlighting the importance of recognizing stroke warning signs and understanding how early treatment and prevention can make a meaningful difference when it matters most. Stroke is the fourth-leading cause of death, according to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistical Update[1], and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States. Each year, approximately 800,000 people in the U.S. experience a stroke. A stroke can happen to anyone, at any age.

Three things you can do to take action against stroke:

•May 13, 2026•

On Tuesday, May 5th, the Sullivan American Legion Post No. 68 in Sullivan held a Memorial Blood Drive in memory of Ellen Feeler, a special education and early childhood development teacher in Sullivan for 25 years, who made a tremendous impact on the students and community in her many years of service. Her husband, Tony, was there and was obviously appreciative of the kindness and generosity of those who came to donate blood in memory of his wife. Tony shared the same sentiment as previously- that Ellen truly loved what she did and would never do anything different than the life-impacting career she chose to do in Sullivan for so many years.