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OV Council Attends Convention
Student Council members from Okaw Valley High School attended the state convention in Lombard this past weekend. The students were able to experience a variety of activities including breakout sessions, speakers, and team building activities. Two OV students lead discussion groups, and the group was awarded a plaque for their honor book. Mrs. Bonnie Scott and Mrs. Jeni Yantis are the Okaw Valley Student Council sponsors.
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Sullivan Rotary Honored
The Sullivan Rotary Club recently received two awards at the District Conference in Champaign including the Youth Service Award for the sponsorship of the One Book One Sullivan Program and the Star Club Award for giving at least $100 per member for the Rotary Programs throughout the world such as clean water and medical equipment programs. David Cole is shown accepting these awards for the club.
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Top Land Use
At the FFA Section 16 Annual Banquet, Okaw Valley senior Laine Crawford was recognized for her top individual finish in Land Use (Soils), and Okaw Valley’s soil judging team also received a first place plaque.
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Bicycle Safety at OVES
Okaw Valley FCCLA students presented bicycle safety to OVES May 4. FCCLA(Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) is a nonprofit national career and technical student organization for young men and women in family and consumer sciences education. Everyone is part of a family, and FCCLA is the only national career and technical student organization with the family as its central focus. Since 1945, FCCLA members have been making a difference in their families, careers, and communities by addressing important personal, work, and societal issues through family and consumer sciences education. Bonnie Scott is the Okaw Valley FCCLA sponsor.
Photo by Mike Brothers
At Sullivan High School Awards night Bryce King sits with family and friends. Vocal music director Jeff Thomas announced that King and Tatum Ellis were Vocal Music Award winners.
•May 10, 2017•
Sullivan High School Honors and Awards night was May 3 in the high school commons with more that $40,000 in scholarships awarded, along with a variety of honors for attending students.
Lake Land Community College Foundation scholars: Jonathan Gavin, Devin Warren, Shelby Freeman, Cassandra Freese, Bretton Crouse, Blake Pistorius.
LLC Presidential scholars: Anne Hogan, Shelby Freeman, Colleen Miller, Alexis Elder, Grace Mauck, William Nolen, Cassandra Weber.
Eastern Illinois University Commitment to Excellence award winners: Ashlynd Risley and Parker Whitaker.
Business student of the year: Bretton Crouse. Band student of the year: William Nolen.
Vocal music students of the year: Bryce King and Tatum Ellis.
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Pictured is Sullivan’s Broom Corn Palace in 1907. It was located in the northwest corner of the square next to the Titus Opera House.
•May 10, 2017•
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress
Nearly 50 years before Arcola claimed the distinction, Sullivan’s own Broom Corn Palace welcomed visitors in 1907. Sullivan was staking its claim as the broom raising center of the country.
The “Palace” was a festival feature, which included a street carnival and other attractions. The structure was built from broom corn grown around Sullivan. It was located in the northwest corner of the square next to the Titus Opera House which was located above the Burton Enslow Clothing store at street level.
The Bristow and Ellis broom corn barn was located at the corner of N. Market and W. Jackson and was in business in the early 1900s. Most broom corn is now grown around Arcola, but before WWI it was big business in Sullivan. Read More
Photo by Kelsi Stutzman.
ALAH National Honor Society
The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond National Honor Society inducted 15 new members during the April ceremony. The 2017 ALAH induction class is (back left to right) Taylor Powell, Logan Hall, Liz Shipman, Marcus Vanausdoll, Kara Yoder, Emma Harris, Riley Cochran, Nisa Asghar; (front) Katie Gingrich, Meredith Schrock, Makenna Green, Hannah Wallen, Marissa Herschberger, Cassandra Adams, and Andrea Witbeck.
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Agri-Fab Founders
Original founders of Agri-Fab left to right: Milton Harshman, Stanley Van Hook, Kent Harris, Evan Dickens, Ron Harshman and Harold King.
•May 10, 2017•
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress
In February of this year Ron Harshman received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sullivan’s Chamber and Economic Development luncheon. He recently granted me an interview for this history of Agri-Fab.
The history of Agri-Fab is one based on faith - from the original faith-based Community Industries to the faith of the founders in the miracle industry they could create. Faith in the value of successful partnerships and, most importantly, faith in their employees to constantly rise to the challenges put before them in an ever-changing manufacturing industry. It is a story of doors closing and new windows of opportunity opening.
Agri-Fab’s first window of opportunity opened with the closing of Yard-Man in 1975. With 250 employees it was the largest employer in Sullivan and many families depended on Yard-Man and Brown Shoe both of which closed in 1975 - traumatic events for a small community like Sullivan. Read More
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Masonic Lodge Donates to Scouts
Scouts left to right: Assistant scoutmaster Mike Young with scouts Ryan Bailey, Clayton Young, Christian Hopper accept donation from Sullivan Masonic Lodge members Mike Rollins and Mike Black. Scouts worked with the Masonic Lodge serving a St. Patrick’s Day corned beef and cabbage dinner. The $650 donation from the lodge to the scouts was in appreciation for their efforts and part of the Masonic Lodge’s community service mission.
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Top FFA Finish
At the FFA Section 16 annual banquet Okaw Valley sophomore Sadie Zimmerman was recognized for her top finish in Dairy Evaluation.