Dear Editor,
I read in the NewsProgress that on June 17th Mr. Mitchell Esslinger came to Sullivan announcing he is running for the House, District 102, mentioning whose political campaigns he has worked for. Read More
COVID-19 Positivity Rate Continues to Climb
Key metric is highest it’s been since June 11
By Jerry Nowicki
Capitol News Illinois
Illinois’ seven-day rolling positivity rate for COVID-19 tests continued to rise through the weekend, reaching 3.8 percent — more than a full percentage point higher than it was at the beginning of the month.
The positivity rate for tests completed has increased for seven of the past eight days, ticking upward from 2.9 percent on July 19. It’s the highest the rolling positivity rate has been since it was 4.2 percent on June 11.
That comes after one-day positivity rates of 3.7, 3.8 and 4 percent on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, respectively. Over that three-day span, the state averaged about 1,399 new cases daily among an average of 36,537 tests completed over the same period.
Speaking Monday in Adams County, which is in the state’s warning territory for COVID-19 trends, Pritzker continued to urge Illinoisans to wear masks and avoid crowds. Those measures will likely be necessary though at least the end of 2020, he said. Read More
Moultrie County Adds a Positive COVID-19 Case
•July 23, 2020•
The Moultrie County Health Department (MCHD) has confirmed one more case of the novel coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) in Moultrie County. The individual is in her 70s and is recovering at home in isolation. Public health officials have notifying all close contacts.
To date, 1,610 Moultrie County residents have been tested for COVID-19. Of those tests, 37 have been confirmed positive for COVID-19 and 27 are no longer in isolation.
It is important for all individuals to self-monitor for possible COVID-19 symptoms which may include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
It is also possible to be infected with the virus and have no symptoms. For this reason, the CDC recommends physical distancing and masks to help reduce the risk of transmission.
To minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission, the health department is asking everyone use the three basic Ws:
• Watch physical distance and keep six feet from others.
• Wear a mask when in public places.
•Wash hands routinely.
Along with physical distancing, the CDC strongly recommends wearing a mask to cut the risk of disease transmission. Those for whom a mask is not recommended include: children under the age of two, individuals who are oxygen dependent and those individuals who are incapacitated or unable to remove their mask without assistance.
If an individual is ill with symptoms associated with coronavirus and needs medical or emergency care, they should notify their physician or emergency medical service providers of their symptoms prior to arrival.
Information on area testing sites can be found at https://dph.illinois.gov/testing.
For more information on the Moultrie County Health Department’s news, events and services, please visit www.moultriehealth.org and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/moultriecountyhealth.
Illinois Eviction Rule Change to Benefit Tenants, Landlords
•July 22, 2020•
By Rebecca Anzel
Capitol News Illinois
ranzel@capitolnewsillinois.com
The Illinois Supreme Court announced last week that it approved a change to rules governing eviction proceedings that will simplify the process for both landlords and tenants.
The rule change mandates that property owners must file all related documents simultaneously when they file a complaint. That includes pertinent portions of a lease, a copy of the eviction issued by a landlord and proof the tenant received that document.
Property owners must now also prove their right to remove residents from the beginning of the proceeding, giving tenants the exact reason for an eviction, according to the rule.
“This new rule will help self-represented parties on both sides of eviction cases and also the judges hearing these cases by requiring key information at the outset,” Chief Justice Anne Burke said in a statement.
The Supreme Court also approved a standardized form for property owners to use in place of a notice, which explains the basis for an eviction. Read More
Remember When? 7-22-2020
25 Years Ago This Week
Jacob Trowler of Lovington is a member of the Banner Blue 4-H club and received a blue ribbon for his Suffok Spring Ewe at the Moultrie-Douglas Fair in Arthur.
Kevin V. Bowser of Bethany is attending MacMurray College in Jacksonville. He plans to major in biology. He is the son of Donald and Shirlene Bower and a 1995 graduate of Bethany High School.
Lake City resident Nova Marie Bailey, daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Terry L. Bailey and granddaughter of Mary Broutin of Lovington, received a bachelor of science in nursing from Pensacola Christian College. She is working toward her master’s degree at Alabama University.
Six Moultrie County residents received bachelor’s degrees from Illinois State University.
Kristen Kay Scott of Bethany, bachelor of science; Heidi Johna Vanderburgh of Bethany, bachelor of science in education; Aaron B. Jesse of Sullivan, bachelor of science; Monte Alan Johnson of Sullivan, bachelor of science in education; Michele Lee Keown of Sullivan, bachelor of science; Anthony Blake Ozier of Sullivan, bachelor of science. Read More
Governor Hits the Road to Make Census Push
•July 22, 2020•
By Jerry Nowicki
Capitol News Illinois
jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com
Gov. JB Pritzker encouraged Illinoisans to complete the 2020 U.S. Census and touted a state investment in youth employment programs Thursday during two public appearances in Rockford.
The state has a 66.9 percent census self-response rate currently. That’s nearly 5 percentage points better than the 62.1 percent national rate, but well below the state’s 2010 final self-reporting tally of 70.5 percent. In 2000, the self-response rate in Illinois was 69 percent.
Pritzker’s message at the Rockford City Market was that filling out the census is “an act of civic engagement” that has a direct effect on the amount of federal funding the state receives. In turn, an undercount often disproportionately impacts the neediest communities in the state, which typically have lower response rates.
“The same ZIP codes that are impacted the worst by COVID-19 — those that have been hurting for generations — are on track to be the most undercounted at a time when frankly we need full funding,” he said. Read More
Menu 7-22-2020
Senior Peace Meal
For additional information or for reservations, please call 1-800-543-1770
July 27 - Stuffed Chicken Breast w/Brown Rice, Stir Fry Vegetables, Lyonnise Carrots, Whole Grain Wheat (1), Pears Tuesday, July 28 - Brat, Potato Salad, Italian Green Beans, Bun, Scalloped Pineapple
July 29 - Country Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Mixed Vegetables, Texas Toast, Fresh Grapes
July 30 - Cheese, Ham, Chicken, or Tuna Salad, Creamy Vegetables Soup, Gelatin w/Fruit, Assorted Crackers, Peaches
July 31 - Taco Salad w/Meat, Beans and Cheese, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Sour Cream & Taco Sauce, Mandarin Oranges, Taco Chips, Pudding
Easing the Back-to-School Stress
•July 22, 2020•
August is approaching, which is typically when parents and children begin venturing out to purchase school supplies and prepare for returning to the classroom. Because of COVID-19, this upcoming 2020-2021 school year will look vastly different.
In March schools across the country, including those in Illinois and Michigan, were ordered to close for the remainder of the school year. Now as they prepare for the 2020-2021 school year, in some cases there is much that is still unknown. Will learning be in-person? What about remote learning? A hybrid model? Will children be safe?
It’s a whole new world that goes well beyond the first-day-of-school stress for many parents and kids.
Kyle Boerke, a licensed clinical psychologist at OSF HealthCare, says there are conversations families should be having now to get ready.
“Whether it’s the peer interactions, or it’s masking, or it’s addressing any concerns that kids have because while there is going to be excitement from the happy side, there is also going to be some excitement from the nervous side as well and I think that’s important to understand. We need to have those conversations now as well,” said Boerke. Read More
Illinois Has Not Been Well Managed; Would a Crash-and-Burn Help?
•July 22, 2020•
By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist
As I walked a country road near my rural town this past week, a local slowed his pickup alongside me. “We’re moving to Florida, Jim.” He paused, then: “Illinois is not well managed, you know.” Three weeks ago, a hugely successful commodities trader friend, who lives in splendor on a big swath of Lake Michigan in Lake Forest, called: “Jim, we’re moving to Florida. It’s the taxes and the weather. And I can work from there.”
Illinois’ population has grown only slightly since 1970 – from 11.1 million then to 12.67 million today. The U.S. population, meanwhile, has increased from 205.1 million to 328.2 million during that same time. The population growth in Illinois has been augmented largely by Latinos and Asian-Americans. Illinois’ white population has dropped from 8.9 million in 1970 to 7.5 million today.
People move for many reasons. Weather is obviously part of it, though Minnesota has harsher winters and higher taxes, yet has been gaining population. Minnesota is better managed than Illinois, and citizens there apparently sense it. Read More
Letters to the Editor 7-22-2020
Thank you Sullivan
To the editor:
Just a quick note to thank the City of Sullivan for your 4th of July celebration.
Although we weren’t able to make it to the parade I know some Arthur residents participated.
However, my sister and I did drive down to Eagle Pond Road to watch the fireworks with more than a few hundred other people. Read More