Sullivan School Board and SEA Agree

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•December 13, 2017• The Sullivan Education Association (SEA) and the Sullivan Board of Education came to a tentative contract agreement Wednesday, November 8. The contract was ratified by the SEA November 16 and approved by the Board of Education in a special meeting held December 4. The contract is a three-year agreement on salary which keeps the starting salary at $34,029 for 2018-2019 and increasing to $34,268 and $34,468 during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years.  … Read More

Understanding Illinois: Why Can’t We Make it Fun to Be From Illinois?

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•December 13, 2017• By Jim Nowlan NP Guest Columnist I attended a spiffy wedding (cruel and unusual punishment) in Dallas this past Saturday, at a park on the Texas State Fairgrounds. After the reception, at a dinner table for eight with Dallas executives, both male and female, we played the “Where are you from; what do you do?” game. I said, “From Illinois, was in politics and government much of my life.” I could swear I saw at least a couple of grimaces, and one noted the corruption in Illinois’ government. I could sense around the table all had their … Read More

Boundary Maneuver Kept Northern Illinois from Becoming Part of Wisconsin

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•December 13, 2017• By Mick Zawislak Of the Daily Herald Were it not for the action of an enterprising lawyer 200 years ago, the northern portion of Illinois would have the badger as the state animal and Green Bay Packers as the home football team. Indeed, the shrewd move in 1818 by Nathaniel Pope, the Illinois territory’s delegate in Congress, to relocate the original proposed boundary from the southern tip of Lake Michigan is regarded as a decisive event in Illinois history. The shift meant Chicago, then an unincorporated backwater, became part of the nascent state with a port on … Read More

Recent Obituaries: Mary Ann Shadow

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Mary Ann Shadow Mary Ann Shadow, 59, of Mattoon died at 8:48 a.m. Monday, December 12, 2017 in Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana. Memorial services will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17 in Swengel-O’Dell Funeral Home in Neoga. She was born October 4, 1958 in Mattoon, a daughter of Paul C. and Marlene L. Baugh Vincent. She was an in-home health aide and a former manager of Sullivan Marathon. Surviving are daughters Kristen Harvey of Taneytown, Md. and Angie Liberto of Glen Burnie, Md.; sons Scott Frye of Mattoon and Wayne Frye of Toledo, Ill.; brothers Frank Vincent … Read More

Recent Obituaries: Constance Reedy

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Constance Reedy Constance A. “Connie” Reedy, 64, of Sullivan passed away 12:45 a.m. Thursday, December 7, 2017 at St. Mary’s Hospital, Decatur. Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Monday, December 11, 2017 at McMullin-Young Funeral Home, Sullivan. Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Sunday, December 10, 2017 at McMullin-Young Funeral Home, Sullivan. Burial will be in Keller Cemetery, Lovington. Memorials may be made to the donor’s choice. Connie was born October 9, 1953 in Tuscola, the daughter of Dennis D. and Vivian Elaine (Curby) McElvain. She married Maynard E. Reedy May 8, 1976 in Tuscola. Connie … Read More

ALAH FFA Canned Food Drive

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•December 6, 2017• To gain entry to the ALAH basketball games on December 14th and 15th canned food is the ticket. The ALAH FFA is sponsoring the annual canned food drive during the week of December 11th-15th to benefit all the communities of the Arthur #305 school district. Students are encouraged to bring in canned food items before school by 8:00 am and after school until 3:45 pm. The food drive is also being extended to the local communities as well. This year’s goal is for students to bring in at least 1500 cans during the week with an overall … Read More