•February 17, 2021•
On February 3, Sullivan competed in this year’s virtual rendition of the Academic Challenge (formerly WYSE) competition sponsored by EIU. As a team Sullivan placed first in their division, which consists of other area schools with enrollments ranging from 300-700 students. Below is a list of the 14 students that represented the school as well as those who finished with one of the top three scores amongst all competitors in a given subject area for our division.
Logan Anderson - 3rd in English
Noah Bates - 2nd in Biology, 3rd in Engineering Graphics
Paul Bates - 3rd in Biology Read More
National Children’s Dental Health Month
•February 17, 2021•
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month and the C.E.F.S. Head Start 0-5 Program health services are based on the premise that a child must be healthy to be ready to learn and good oral health is essential to a child’s behavioral, speech, language, and overall growth and development. Head Start works to ensure that children receive oral health assessments, follow-up and any needed dental treatment by helping families establish a dental home, as an ongoing source of preventive and primary care. Head Start program activities promote good dental hygiene in the classroom and at home visits. If interested in the C.E.F.S. Head Start 0-5 program, please call/text 217-663-7822.
Lake Land College Now Accepting Forms
•February 17, 2021•
Lake Land College is pleased to guarantee a Presidential Scholarship to all eligible in-district high school graduates who have demonstrated outstanding academic performance. The scholarship covers the full cost of tuition for up to two consecutive academic years.
Students who are in the top 15 percent of students in their senior class or have an ACT composite score of 26 or higher/SAT total score of 1230 or higher are eligible for the Presidential Scholarship.
Qualifying students must also: Read More
Remember When? 2-17-2021
25 Years Ago This Week
The Sullivan school district announced an open house and dedication ceremony for the new elementary school. The public was encouraged to tour the new school upon the completion of the ceremony.
A much-debated science course finally got a tentative green light from the Bethany school board. Late last year, board members sent a proposal for an introductory science course back to the district’s curriculum committee for consideration. The science course proposal was voted down. The opponent complained that the course was “watered down” and that the science curriculum should be more challenging for students. The introductory physical science/chemical science class—geared more towards application than theory—was back before the board after having been approved again by the district’s curriculum committee. A motion was made that the course be adopted for a year while being evaluated, and that it count as a science credit. Read More
Explore 4-H January – First Aid Project Kit
•February 10, 20201•
Submitted by:
Yolanda Nation
Shelby County 4-H Program Coordinator
The 4-H programs in Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Moultrie, and Shelby Counties are bringing youth a new way to “Explore 4-H”. Each month there will be a different exploratory kit offered for ALL youth - not just 4-H members. Each of these kits will be associated with a 4-H project area that youth can enroll in for a project. Read More
Metzger Named to Deans List
•February 10, 20201•
Ross A Metzger of Gays was named to The University of Alabama Deans List for fall 2020.
A total of 13,128 students enrolled during the fall 2020 term at The University of Alabama made the Dean’s List with academic records of 3.5 or above (on a 4.0 scale), or the President’s List with academic records of 4.0 (all A’s). Read More
A tip from a pro: When in doubt, write around it
•February 10, 20201•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer
The headline is a window into a story.
It’s also one of newspapering’s most interesting (and fun) challenges. How do you convey the nuance of a story in just a few words? How do you alert people that an Anthropologie store is moving into Metropolis, all in a one-column hed (which is newspaper jargon for “head,” which is short for “headline”)?
We have a bunch of award-winning headline writers on staff who constantly amaze me. But sometimes even they get stumped.
Neil Holdway, who heads up our night copy desk operation, wrote me an overnight note about a particular challenge: “So we struggled with my panel headline on the Illinois vaccination rate, where I said ‘1 in 12 Illinoisans have their first dose.’ Looks OK at first, but really, should it be “1 in 12 has ...’? And then you have ‘their’ to deal with.” Read More
Remember When? 2-10-2021
25 Years Ago This Week
A prom problem drew a capacity crowd of students and parents to the school board meeting. Because their fundraising efforts fell short this year, juniors asked the school administration to permit them to eliminate the dinner portion of the prom in order to cut costs. Students would go to dinner on their own and attend the dance later under the plan. But Sullivan High School Principal Stuart Hott and Superintendent Rich Voltz vetoed the idea, on the grounds that students driving to dinner on their own in area towns would court increased danger and the fact that they would not be supervised during dinner. Read More
Senate Committee to Discuss State Vaccine Rollout
•February 10, 20201•
Capitol News Illinois
The state administered 64,469 COVID-19 vaccinations statewide over the weekend following a single-day record for vaccinations on Friday. As of Monday, Feb. 8, the state has issued over 1.3 million doses, with 2.3 percent of the population having been fully vaccinated.
Illinois has ranked near the bottom of all 50 states in vaccines administered thus far, according to a New York Times database, leading some state lawmakers to call for increased transparency and a more effective process for allowing eligible residents to receive vaccines.
On Monday, Senator Julie Morrison, D-Lake Forest, announced that the Senate Health Committee will hold a special hearing on Thursday regarding the state’s COVID-19 vaccination plan.
“The COVID-19 vaccine is the greatest line of defense we have against the pandemic,” Morrison said in a Monday news release. “Unfortunately, many people across the state who are eligible for the vaccine haven’t been able to get their dose – and that’s disheartening.”
The release said that the hearing has been scheduled amid “hundreds of questions and concerns from constituents” regarding the rollout of the vaccine, citing a “confusing” scheduling process.
“I hope this hearing will lead us toward a path of greater efficiency,” Morrison said in the release.
The virtual hearing, scheduled for noon on Thursday, will feature Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike, as well as representatives from the Chicago and Sangamon County Health Departments. Read More
Winter: A Time for Storytelling
•February 10, 20201•
Cheri Burcham
Extension Educator, U of I Extension
I think winter is officially here! I actually enjoy the snow and watching the birds at my feeders. I feel that this is usually the time to slow down a little, reflect and regroup, and especially this year more than ever. I found a great article by Extension Program Coordinator Wendy Ferguson on the Extension blog “Naturalist News” about storytelling and some recommended reads in the areas of nature, environment and stewardship. I thought this would be a good time to share it with all of you. Wendy writes:
Welcome to winter. During this cold and snowy time, many American Indian cultures use the time for traditional storytelling. Storytelling serves two main purposes, entertainment and education. And the really good stories do both. Hearing a story or reading a book is like receiving a gift from the storyteller or author. In Native American cultures, a gift of tobacco is offered to the storyteller before the story begins as a sign of respect. The storyteller will often take the tobacco outside and place it on the earth as an offering to the spirits of the story. So in these months dedicated to storytelling here are a few authors worth reading, no tobacco needed. Read More