A Southern Charm Vocabulary Lesson

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•June 16, 2021•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer

A hearty hello to all y’all after my two-week vacation in Tennessee and North Carolina.
I hope you missed me.
I’m one of those people who love to visit unfamiliar places with unfamiliar customs, unfamiliar dialects and unfamiliar foods.
I strive to make them all familiar to me lickety-split so I feel more a part of the place than a fish out of water.
I didn’t bone up on French, Italian or German in preparation for this trip, but I did burn into my cerebrum that the mountain range is pronounced App-uh-LATCH-in, not App-uh-LAY-shun.
You blow that one, and locals point at you, their mouths agape, and scream like Donald Sutherland did at the end of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” Read More

Secretary of State Jesse White Launching Electronic Automobile Insurance Verification

News Progress Posted on by

•June 9, 2021•
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced that automobile insurance verification will be conducted electronically. This upgrade to the state’s mandatory insurance verification program will begin enforcement on July 1, 2021. The program requires insurance companies to work in conjunction with the Secretary of State’s office to confirm electronically that motorists have automobile insurance. This program follows national standards established by the Insurance Industry Committee on Motor Vehicle Administration and is expected to reduce the number of Illinois motorists driving while uninsured. Read More

Millikin University Online Summer Immersion Courses Open For Enrollment

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•June 9, 2021•
Millikin University 2021 Online Summer Immersion courses are still open for enrollment with discounted tuition offerings. Registration for students may be completed in person at the Registrar’s Office (Gorin Hall, Room 16), by fax at 217.420.6789, online or by phone at 217.424.6217. Students can also register by using the immersion registration form available at millikin.edu/immersion.
Immersion courses at Millikin University are a very convenient way for current students, high school students, or community members to take courses that can result in new skills, knowledge, or a way to build up college credit in a short amount of time.
This summer, Millikin is offering several online courses to make it easy for students not in the central Illinois area to have access to a top-quality Millikin education. Read More

Gov. Pritzker Issues Guidelines for Illinois Reopening on Friday, June 11

News Progress Posted on by

•June 9, 2021•
Following weeks of steady decreases in new positive COVID-19 cases and with over 67% of residents age 18 and older receiving their first vaccine dose, Governor JB Pritzker is releasing guidelines for Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois plan, which will go into effect on June 11th and marks a full reopening of all businesses and activities. This guidance will mean businesses, large-scale events, conventions, amusement parks, and seated-spectator venues, among others, will be able to operate at full capacity for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The State is also lifting the outdoor mask requirement in schools in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
This guidance comes as Illinois has recently reached a test positivity rate of less than 2 percent, more than half of the population has been fully vaccinated, and key hospitalization metrics have been declining since early May. Read More

Millikin University Announces New Multimedia Communication Degree Program

News Progress Posted on by

•June 9, 2021•
In today’s multimedia age, it is essential for professional communicators to engage in all sides of the publishing process, crafting messages from the written word to web design, video and audio media to be an effective storyteller.
To help prepare creative multimedia professionals, Millikin University’s College of Fine Arts is pleased to announce a new Multimedia Communication major, offered through the Arts Technology & Administration Department, that will allow students to use a multitude of platforms and technologies to creatively communicate to audiences. The new major will be offered starting in fall 2021.
Central to the Multimedia Communication major is the art of storytelling, digital publishing and media production. The major is grounded in theory and practice with multimedia production opportunities throughout. Read More

Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development Golf Outing

News Progress Posted on by

Photo submitted by Timmy Valentine
Golf Outing
The Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development winning team was Agri-Fab. From left to right: Bob Schlechte, Dan Frerichs, Kerri Frerichs, Chad Frerichs.

Photo submitted by Timmy Valentine
Sullivan Chamber and Economic
Development Golf Outing
The Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development held their annual golf outing last Friday. Pictured from left to right are Stacey Uphoff, Laurie Minor, Director of the Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development, Sullivan mayor Richard Glazebrook and Matt Forcum, owner of Shelby Realty.

Revered Illinois Alumna’s $45M ‘Visionary Gift’ Lifts Connection to a New Level

News Progress Posted on by

•June 9, 2021•
Strengthening families and communities through gathering and connection have been important themes throughout Doris Kelley Christopher’s life and career. Now, a $45 million gift from the University of Illinois alumna will support the creation of an engagement-rich center located in the Arboretum on the Urbana-Champaign campus. Read More

Prairie’s Edge Master Naturalists to Host Pollinator Week Walks

News Progress Posted on by

•June 9, 2021•
To celebrate our native pollinators during National Pollinator Week, the local Master Naturalist group will host a variety of walks and presentations. Learn about native pollinators, and flowering and host plants with Master Naturalist Kathryn Bulver during a series of guided pollinator walks at several local natural sites. We’ll start each walk with a short presentation on pollination and pollinators, then head out to see what we can find!
Interested in learning about our native bee species and how they live; including how you can buy or make a bee bath or bee houses? Join Master Naturalist Jane Zerkel on Wednesday, June 23, 6:30 PM at Whiteside Gardens for an informative presentation. Read More

Lawmakers Pass Follow-Up Criminal Justice Bill

News Progress Posted on by

•June 9, 2021•
By Raymon Troncoso
Capitol News Illinois

The General Assembly this week passed legislation addressing lingering concerns from law enforcement about a massive criminal justice reform omnibus passed earlier this year.
Introduced by Chicago Democratic Sen. Elgie Sims, an amendment to House Bill 3443 would act as trailer legislation for the SAFE-T Act, a major criminal justice reform backed by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus that was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker in February. That measure mandated body cameras and changed use-of-force guidelines for law enforcement, created a new police certification system, expanded detainee rights and ends the use of cash bail in Illinois.
Unlike the SAFE-T Act, Sims’ new legislation has the support of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and the Illinois State Police and amends some controversial portions of the act that were opposed by law enforcement. Read More