•May 4, 2022•
Millikin University will welcome athletes and loyal supporters of women’s athletic teams back to campus May 13-15, for a celebration weekend to honor 50 years of women’s athletics at Millikin.
Millikin’s Women in Athletics celebration will be full of events that Millikin University 50 Years of Women Athleticsallow the university to recognize athletes as part of a Big Blue tradition of trailblazers.
Millikin University has a long history of nurturing lives of meaning and value in its students. It was important to the university that its female students be validated when they expressed their desire to receive more from their collegiate experience. In 1970, two full years before Title IX legislation was passed, Millikin put that value into action as Harriett Crannell pioneered the charge and assembled Millikin’s first women’s basketball team, marking the beginning of MU’s storied history of women’s athletics. Now, 50 years and 10 NCAA teams later, Millikin celebrates a proud tradition of women wearing the Big Blue. Read More
ALAH FFA Alumni Awards $2,000 in Scholarships
•May 4, 2022•
Arthur Lovington Atwood Hammond (ALAH) FFA Alumni has selected four students to receive scholarships for the 2022 – 23. The chapter’s purpose is “to provide leadership, mentoring, and financial assistance to the agricultural education program at Arthur Lovington Atwood Hammond High School.” The scholarship fund receives donations, fundraising, proceeds from the variety test plot hosted by Jeff Davis of Hammond, proceed from the Land Lab donated by Masterbrand Cabinets, and proceeds from the Amish Country Tractor Cruise. Students fill out a comprehensive application and are reviewed by the FFA Advisor and Alumni representative.
Receiving $500.00 scholarships are Quentin Day, Jace Green, Michaela Powell, and Peyton Rawlins. Read More
Operation Lifesaver Celebrates 50 Years of Rail Safety Education
•May 4, 2022•
In Illinois last year, approximately 103 people were killed or injured in grade crossing and trespassing incidents. Illinois Operation Lifesaver works to prevent these needless incidents from happening through public awareness campaigns, education programs and free rail safety presentations.
Operation Lifesaver, the non-profit rail safety education and awareness organization dedicated to reducing collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail crossings and preventing trespassing on or near railroad tracks, is observing its 50th anniversary in 2022. Over the past five decades, Operation Lifesaver and its safety partners have helped reduce railroad crossing incidents by 84 percent across the nation. But there is more work to do – every three hours a person or vehicle is hit by a train in the United States.
“The Illinois Commerce Commission has overseen Illinois’ rail safety efforts for more than 150 years. Keeping pedestrians, motorists, and train employees safe near and around railroad tracks and trains is a top priority for our agency. We are proud of our partnership with Operation Lifesaver, year after year the statistics reflect the effectiveness of our robust educational efforts and awareness campaigns,” said ICC Chairman Carrie Zalewski. Read More
Bethany and Sullivan being Awarded Safe Routes to School awards
•May 4, 2022•
Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Transportation recently announced $12.3 million in grants for local projects that will help boost the health and safety of children via safer walking and biking routes to school. The Safe Routes to School program is funding 57 projects selected from 102 applications received from municipalities and schools across the state.
The Village of Bethany’s project will impact the Okaw Valley Elementary School. The project description says it involves Illinois 121 sidewalk replacements and additions, including a new crosswalk with flashing beacons at Washington Street intersection, The existing sidewalk on the west side of Washington Street will also be improved and connected to Okaw Valley Elementary School. Funds awarded for the project are $188,520.00. Read More
Arson Awareness Week 2022
•May 4, 2022•
The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) is raising awareness about arson and the seriousness of this crime, while educating Illinois residents about the true cost of arson and it’s impacts on individuals and communities. The theme for Arson Awareness Week 2022 (May 1-7), Arson in Homeless Communities: Engagement – Education – Outreach. Read More
Letters to the Editor 5-4-2022
Dear Editor:
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. As a volunteer and advocate with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, this month I am asking everyone to join us and demand #MoreForMentalHealth.
As a survivor of a son’s suicide, I can personally attest to how critical it is to take every effort to educate everyone about the dramatic consequences of a suicide, to raise everyone’s awareness levels to find opportunity to intervene and save a life whenever possible. Read More
Lake Land College to Celebrate Annual Commencement Ceremony
•May 4, 2022•
Lake Land College will honor graduates at the annual Commencement Ceremony Friday, May 13 at 6 p.m. in the Field House.
More than 750 students will receive degrees and certificates this spring, with more than 280 graduates expected to participate in the ceremony.
Alumnus Achievement Award recipients Todd and Ali Rauch will be recognized at the event for their continued efforts to make a difference in their professions and community. This same enthusiasm, commitment and desire to make a difference led Todd Rauch and then Ali Vice to succeed as student leaders at Lake Land College have propelled them to success in their careers.
The Rauchs met at Lake Land in 2006 when they served on the Student Government Association and were instrumental in the building of the Lake Land College Fitness Center. Ali, a first-generation college student, was also a member of Phi Theta Kappa, and Todd served as the 2006-2007 Student Trustee. They are the only couple to have married on campus. Read More
On Homophones and the Duality of Woman
•May 4, 2022•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer
Take a look at this spirited description of the film “Dual” from The Washington Post:
“Set in the near future, this sci-fi drama is a horrific cautionary tale about the meaning of life. Karen Gillan stars as a young woman who contracts an incurable disease; has a clone made of herself; then goes into remission and must fight her clone in a televised duel to the death. Did we mention it’s a comedy?”
First, that is a movie I just have to see. But that’s not why it’s mentioned in this column.
Clearly, the title of this film plays off the notion that there are “dual” versions of the young woman — her original self and her clone. Because she and her clone must “duel” to the death, perhaps those of you who have trouble remembering which spelling pairs with which meaning could use this as a mnemonic. Read More
Remember When? 5-4-2022
25 Years Ago This Week
Lucia Roney of Bethany became a US citizen. She could have become a citizen automatically when she and her husband Paul Roney were married in 1975. However in 1996, she received a letter from the Brazilian consulate that she no longer had to give up her Brazilian citizenship to become a citizen of another country.
The previous summer Sullivan made regional headlines with its innovative downtown skating program for teens. Because of a $4,900 grant that year, the teen recreation program was expanded year round with activities such as a volleyball league, roller hockey, fresh air dances, movies in the park, teen nights, a card club and a chess club. Read More
2022 Windsor High School Prom Court
Photo furnished
2022 Windsor High School Prom Court
Windsor High School recently announced their 2022 Prom Court. Front Row: (left to right) Cameron Hughes, Karlie Bean, and Emma Nichols. Back Row (left to right): Brogan Bartimus, Jack Welsh, and Landen Miller. Prom will take place at Mason Point in Sullivan on Saturday, May 7th. Coronation will start at 7:30 pm with the dance following. This year’s theme is Black and Gold.