News Progress

•April 8, 2026•

Op Ed by DM Williamee

With the advent of dial-up in the everyday household, youth and adults alike were quickly obsessed with what this new ‘magic box’ was capable of. The cosmic excitement before this was when the graphics, player options, and newer stylized game controllers for video games like Halo and Grand Theft Auto became more pixelated. I, however, was the mean mom. Having used the internet in the workplace, I quickly became aware that now you could literally strike a few keys and click a mouse and have the world at your feet, whether via instant messaging (with people you had to trust were who they said they were), Ask Jeeves, or email. And that was the problem. 

My economics professor told my class that if something was either 100% free or too easy to obtain, we were likely either the bait or the end product. How true, so many years later in this AI age, that his words of advice have proven to be true. As the mean mom, I had a 30-30-30 rule in my home. 30 minutes reading, 30 minutes gameplay or television (pick one), and 30 minutes on the computer, placed in the dining room so I could keep an eye on who was doing what, and when. Reading was not optional. No reading, no magic box time. My teen and ‘tween daughters let me know how cruel and unfair I was frequently, loudly, and even argued that I was stunting their tech growth and education. I reminded them that an hour of interfacing with something non-human each day was my hard line. Take it or leave it, my house, my rules. They, of course, took it.

•April 1, 2026•

by DM Williamee

On Saturday, March 28th, at the Sullivan American Legion, the community showed its support for local Avery Willoughby, who is currently battling metastatic carcinoma. Metastatic carcinoma is a cancer that originated in epithelial tissues (carcinoma) and has migrated, most commonly to the bones, liver, or lungs. Despite the grueling treatments and long road ahead, Avery keeps his spirits high, always with a ready smile for anyone.

Wearing custom T-shirts with #AveryStrong, locals supported Avery and his family through T-shirt sales, a silent auction, and a 50/50 raffle, while enjoying a pulled pork and spaghetti dinner. All proceeds will go directly toward Avery’s medical expenses, travel for treatments, and recovery care. As Tracy shared, “Family Strong backed by surrounding communities; we will win this Fight.”

by Sharon Barricklow

If there is one thing Sullivan Economic Development Director Laurrie Minor knows, it is that the best projects sometimes take the longest to fruition. So Minor was happy to be at the Sullivan City Council on Monday, March 23, to share an update to an eight year long housing development designed to bring affordable housing to the community. 

“This process started eight years ago in 2018,” Minor told the council. “We began identifying uninhabitable houses in the community.”

Minor told the council she and others had entered abandoned homes, researched records and ultimately identified 30 properties in the city limits targeted for demolition and new construction. The properties were purchased in partnership with a developer and the lots cleared for new construction. The project then stalled out after a grant application was denied in 2020.