Harvest to Home Event Held at IAHC

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photo by Crystal Reed
Horse power is used to press sorghum at the Illinois Amish Heritage Center this past Saturday.

•October 11, 2023•

by Crystal Reed

The Illinois Amish Heritage Center hosted their Harvest to Home event this past weekend. The purpose of the show is to teach attendees how crops were grown and harvested during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

One of the highlights of Friday’s activities according to Levi Yoder was that corn was harvested and shelled then ground into cornmeal. The cornmeal was then made into cornbread. That same day they stripped sorghum and pressed it and cooked it. By the middle of the afternoon those visiting the event could eat hot sorghum on cornbread. Read More

Bethany High School Alumni Banquet Held

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photo by Crystal Reed
Bethany High School alumni surround Chris Davis, a Bethany High School alum, Class of 1983, during the 92nd Alumni Banquet held Saturday, September 30. Davis was the guest speaker at the banquet held in the Okaw Valley High School gymnasium.

•October 4, 2023•

by Crystal Reed

Bethany High School Alumni gathered on Saturday, September 30, for the 92nd Alumni Banquet at Okaw Valley High School. Six classes were recognized, classes of 1953, 1963, 1973, 1983, 1993 and 1998. Prior to the dinner there was a social hour in the gymnasium and interested alumni could also take a tour of the high school.

Dinner music was provided by David Hagerman, class of 1984. Terry Muzzy, class of 1966 addressed the alumni in regard to the military recognition and encouraged those who know of alumni who have served to submit photos and information so they can be on the wall in the high school. There was also a roll call of classes where alumni introduced themselves and the year they graduated. Read More

SHS Homecoming Candidates 2023

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photo furnished Sullivan Homecoming Attendants From left to right: Freshman Julia Moody and Avram Bates, Sophomores Mikaela Guest and Josh Cremeens, and Juniors Katilyn Kirby and Rhett Lehman.

photo furnished
Sullivan Homecoming Queen and King Candidates
Senior Queen Candidates (front row, left to right): Paige Conners, Ruby Haegen, Triniti Preyer, and Tessa Seeley. Senior King Candidates (back row, left to right): Kyle Corkill, Davis Diepholz, Hayden Moody, Raymond Yang.

Sullivan Jazzercise has New Owners and New Location

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photo by Crystal Reed
New Sullivan Jazzercise owners CJ Yoder and Jena Atchison hang a banner at their new location at 2 W. Harrison in Sullivan. They purchased the business from Jenny Moore.

•October 4, 2023•

by Crystal Reed

On Saturday, September 30, Sullivan Jazzercise participants celebrated the new ownership of the franchise and a new location in Sullivan. After class finished that morning participants, the new owners and others walked to the new location holding a Jazzercise banner which the new owners hung on the wall at the new location when they arrived there. The new owners are Jena Atchison and CJ Yoder, they purchased it from Jenny Moore.  Read More

ALAH School District Technology Department Presents Three-year Plan to Help Stretch “Technology Dollars”

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•October 4, 2023•

by Ariana R. Cherry

Grants have been an important way of acquiring specific technology items needed in the Arthur #305 School District. Technology Director Amanda Romine provided a three-year Technology Plan for the district. In 2027, there are many Chromebooks that will need to be replaced with their “end of life dates” (Chromebooks have specified dates where the system will no longer make security or other necessary app updates) approaching. Since that time isn’t too far away, the technology department has a plan to help stretch their dollars.

With Google extending the “end of life dates,” on some of the current devices, they will be able to last longer. Some of those dates have been extended through 2029. Each Chromebook also carries Accidental Insurance (in case they are dropped, etc). If each one is taken care of adequately, the Chromebooks should last up to nine years.  

The ESEF Grant helped purchase 140 Chromebooks, and last year, all new Promethean Boards were purchased for all the buildings using ESSOR Funds. Also, this school year, every desktop computer was able to be replaced in the district. Desktop computers can last five to seven years at a time. Read More

Sullivan Alumna and Daughter Hold Book Signing at Library

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photo by Crystal Reed
Shoni Anderson and her mother Becky Clayton-Anderson with their book Warrior Princess at the Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library on Wednesday, September 27. There was a book signing for their book that afternoon at the library.

•October 4, 2023•

by Crystal Reed

Shoni Anderson is a warrior princess, a nickname that she got from family members during her fight with leukemia. She was diagnosed with leukemia February 1, 2021, and on June 7 of this year she rang the bell symbolizing that she was in remission. Shoni had two parties in honor of being in remission, one at the hospital and one at home on July 3 where those in attendance brought toys donated to the children at the hospital. Read More

Senior Expo Held In Person for First Time Since 2019

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photo by Crystal Reed
Senior Expo Held In Person for First Time Since 2019
Mid-Illinois Senior Services, Inc. held their Senior Expo on Friday, September 22 at the Sullivan American Legion. This year’s expo was the first in-person expo since 2019. In recent years it had been a drive thru event due to COVID. The event was attended by 130 people this year. The Senior Expo had 23 tables representing different service organizations and businesses, a bake sale, bingo and prize drawings. Griffin’s Barbecue served brunch to attendees. Agri-Fab and HydroGear donated money towards the cost of the meal. Sullivan High School Student Council served food, delivered plates and drinks to participants, cleaned up and ran bingo cards and prizes.

photo by Crystal Reed
Bingo!
Jonathan Boyd, branch manager at First Mid Bank and Trust, calls out bingo at the Senior Expo on Friday, September 22 at the Sullivan American Legion.

Agri-Fab Employees Volunteer at Habitat Build

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photo by Crystal Reed
Agri-Fab Employees Volunteer at Habitat Build
Agri-Fab employees have been volunteering their time at the newest Habitat for Humanity build in Sullivan. They have done a variety of tasks at the site as the Moultrie County Habitat for Humanity gets closer to finishing the home. Other outreach that Agri-Fab does in the community include food drives and monthly blood drives. Pictured are a few employees at the build site: Brianna Buttrey, Stephanie Collins, Chris Schaefer and Nicholas Brown.

Storyteller Visits Arthur Library

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photo by Crystal Reed
Storyteller Visits Arthur Library
Storyteller Kathleen Brinkman of Champaign visited Arthur Library on Saturday, September 23. She has been telling multicultural stories for 20 years. Prior to retirement, Brinkman worked at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana as the Director of Career Services for the biotechnology center. She likes to incorporate interesting stories for children into her programs while mixing in jokes that adults would like as well. Brinkman said that she has always told stories and that she is part of a storytelling guild. She noted that being a member of a storytelling guild has helped nurture her storytelling skills. Brinkman is pictured using a limber jack to tell one of the stories during the program.

Council Awards Bids

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•September 27, 2023•

by Crystal Reed

The Sullivan City Council awarded the bid for the Wyman Park Splash Pad and Sports Courts during Monday night’s regular meeting. The bid was awarded to Building Systems for $479,407. Commissioner Abbey Sherwood said that the total project cost is $763,612.00 and half of that is coming from a matching grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. They received $20,668.85 in donations from Becky Ogle and the SPARK initiative. 

In public comment, Nancy Barker addressed Commissioner Doug Shook, who was attending the meeting via phone, in regards to his mileage report that he submitted to the city. She noted that the report was very thorough but she would like to know the places he has traveled in the city for that type of mileage. Barker noted that on the Fourth of July he recorded 15 miles. 

Shook said that he drove around prior to the parade to check on projects. She said there was another for 21 miles and said that she would like to know where he went in the city. Shook said he was looking at projects to advise his crew and the council.  Read More