25 Years Ago This Week
The Sullivan school board meeting had more than 100 spectators and some 25 activists from the University of Illinois and Eastern Illinois University, flanked by community members who were mostly SHS students, who brought posters to protest the district using the term Redskins for sports.
The Sullivan City Council moved to pursue a third TIF district. The newly proposed district encompassed 25 3/4 acres and included a new 36 housing unit subdivision. Read More
•March 9, 2022•
Every spring, fire safety experts along with the nonprofit Illinois Fire Safety Alliance (IFSA) reminds residents about the life-saving habit of checking their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms when setting their clocks forward for daylight saving time.
The National Fire Protection Association reports that 81% of battery-operated smoke alarms which failed to operate in home fires had missing, disconnected, or dead batteries. To combat these alarming statistics, the IFSA worked with the Illinois General Assembly to update a law to address this horrific problem, by requiring residents to replace their old smoke alarms with the type that has a long-term, 10-year sealed battery by the end of this year. This would apply to residents that are still using alarms with removable batteries or alarms that are not hardwired. Read More
•March 9, 2022•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer
It’s not often that this column changes the course of politics in Illinois, but I’m going to enjoy the faint possibility that in this small way it has.
State Rep. Tom Weber, a Lake Villa Republican, has put forth legislation that would change “accidents” to “crashes” in state laws and state publications to describe vehicular, um, mishaps.
Huzzah!
“Most, if not all, motor vehicle collisions are avoidable. Many are the result of reckless driving, drinking and driving or distracted driving,” Weber said in a news release. “Accidents don’t happen as the result of a person’s willful or negligent actions, crashes do. To continue to refer to these incidents in state law as ‘accidents’ is offensive to the many families who have lost loved ones throughout the state.” Read More
Photo furnished
Congressman Rodney Davis Visits Sullivan
Congressman Rodney Davis held a meet-and-greet on Friday, March 4, in Sullivan at the Red Apple Family Restaurant. Rodney introduced himself to area residents, answered questions, and gave an update about what’s going on in Congress. Former Moultrie County GOP Chairman Dave McCabe organized the event.
•March 9, 2022•
Have questions about vital senior citizens programs, discounts or applications? Case Coordination Unit LLC will be at Windsor Library on Friday, March 18 from 9 am to Noon. They help with RTA/license plate discounts, Medicare A/B, C, D, Senior Tax Freeze and Homestead Exemptions and much more. Their trained staff will be there to answer questions and help fill out applications on a first-come, first-serve basis. This is funded through CCSI-Case Coordination Unit LLC, ECIAAA, and the Illinois Department on Aging. Donations are accepted for services but no one is denied assistance based on inability to pay.
•March 9, 2022•
Truck drivers are critical for transporting farm commodities, inputs and food throughout Illinois and the nation. The Driving Agriculture Forward Scholarship helps offset the cost of needed commercial truck driver training and ensures more well-trained, safe drivers are available.
“We are pleased to diversify the types of scholarships available through our program,” said Jennifer Smith, Development Manager, IAA Foundation. “We are encouraged by the insightfulness of donors who choose to support all facets of agriculture.” Read More
•March 2, 2022•
The candidate filing period for the upcoming General Primary Election is March 7 through March 14 at the County Clerk’s office from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. except for March 14 when the office will remain open until 5:00 p.m. Candidate’s filing at 8:30 a.m. on March 7 and those filing between 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. of March 14, will be placed in the respective date/time lottery to determine candidate position on the ballot. Read More
•March 2, 2022•
Moultrie County Clerk Georgia England would like to remind voters the General Primary Election date was changed from March 15, 2022 to June 28, 2022 by passage of Senate Bill 825 in June 2021. The change was due to lawmakers awaiting release of population and demographic data from the 2020 Census, which was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, in order to redraw district maps. Read More
•March 2, 2022•
Operation Enduring Support is now accepting donations for Easter Care Packages for our deployed Military that will be mailed on March 28th. This is our 19th year of sending care packages to our deployed military Our young men and women in foreign countries do not have access to Post Exchanges and can really use the items they receive, along with a reminder that people back home have not forgotten them. Suggested donations include Girl Scout cookies, Beanie Babies, protein bars, cheese and cracker packs, Beef Slim Jims/ Jerky, individual instant coffee, powdered drink packages, puzzle books and playing cards, personal care items, deodorant, toothbrushes/paste, eye drops, lip balm, 5 blade razors. Other items needed are letters from school and Sunday school children, individually wrapped hard candy, gum, Gorilla Tape, hanging car deodorizers, cotton swabs, and wet wipes, 2022 calendars and new Birthday cards. We also want to send packages to your loved ones so please submit your APO/FPO addresses to Ann Irwin at ann4dar@att.net or by calling (217) 428-5936. You may also contact Grace United Methodist Church at(217) 429-5374. Donations may be delivered to Grace UMC at 901 N Main St, Decatur, IL 62521 between 9:00 and 4:00 pm Monday thru Thursday until March 17th.
Monetary donations are always welcome as our postage is now $20.00 per package. These packages are a morale boost for our Military, and they appreciate your support.
•March 2, 2022•
As a new COVID-19 treatment rolls out across the country, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) continues to distribute these life-saving therapeutics equitably across the state. On February 11, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization for a new monoclonal antibody, bebtelovimab, for the treatment of COVID-19. Bebtelovimab will now join another monoclonal antibody treatment, sotrovimab, two oral antivirals, Paxlovid and molnupiravir, and a preventive drug, Evusheld, in the list of COVID-19 treatments available across Illinois. Read More