Politics and Policy in Illinois: The Black Hole in the Illinois Legislative Process

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•August 31, 2016• By Jim Nowlan NP Guest Columnist This is the third in a series of columns on “politics and policy in Illinois.” Ever since the Athenian assembly of 500 condemned Socrates to death in 399 BCE on trumped up charges, legislating has been a messy affair. The Illinois General Assembly is another legislative body with a checkered past. In the late 1800s and into the 1900s, there was an end-of-session “jackpot” from which the powerful interests awarded payments to lawmakers on the basis of how well they had supported the interests during the session just ended. In 1909, … Read More

Obituaries 8-24-2016: Ruby Elzy

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Ruby Elzy Ruby Irene West Elzy, 90, formerly of Bruce and Sullivan died August 19, 2016, in Austin, Texas. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, August 27 in McMullin-Young Funeral Home in Sullivan. Visitation will be held 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Friday, August 26 in the funeral home in Sullivan. Burial will be in Greenhill Cemetery in Sullivan.       … Read More

Thinking About Health: Drug Prices Keep Rising With No End in Sight

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•August 24, 2016• By Trudy Lieberman Rural Health News Service Recently a tweet from Lauren Sausser, a fine health reporter I know in South Carolina, caught my eye. “Crazy drug prices became personal. My dad will start Keytruda regimen on Friday, $15,000 per infusion, once every three weeks indefinitely.” The high cost of pharmaceuticals had hit home! Her 61-year-old father, Jim McCallister, who lives in Spartanburg, S.C., had been diagnosed with a melanoma discovered during a routine skin exam a few weeks earlier. It had spread to his lungs. Doctors recommended the drug which uses the body’s immune system to attack … Read More

Sullivan Golf Scores Win

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•August 24, 2016• Sullivan varsity men’s golf team scored 176 topping Windsor’s 226 in a Thursday August 18 match in Windsor. Caden Ellis led the Sullivan varsity effort shooting a 37; Tom Schibur, 41; Leighton Burcham, 44; Tim Lawyer, 54; Luke Delong, 58; and Bretton Crouse, 55. … Read More

Remember When? 8-24-2016

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Compiled by Bekki Ferguson-Stevens 25 Years Ago This Week Just flipping through I found this little bit. Workers from Union Pacific Railroad are repairing switches and ties and doing general maintenance work this week at the Jackson Street crossing in Sullivan. During the project traffic has been detoured to the south. Anyone around Sullivan last week will enjoy this little bit as I’m sure we all did the detour at least once. Donald Ferguson, central office switching technician for GTE (General Telephone Electronics) in Sullivan, will retire Sept. 30 after 30 years of service. John Woerner has joined Dave Vance at … Read More

Secretary of State Mobile

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•August 24, 2016• Secretary of State Jesse White, in cooperation with Sullivan Library, is offering drivers a chance to renew their driver’s license or vehicle registration renewal sticker, obtain a duplicate or corrected license, or obtain an Illinois identification card. White’s mobile unit will be available at the Sullivan Library, located at 2 West Water in Sullivan, on 10 a.m.-2 p.m. September 22. An applicant renewing a current Illinois driver’s license or identification card need only present a current valid driver’s license or identification card. If the applicant is applying for either a duplicate or corrected driver’s license or identification … Read More

OV Golf Team Tops Villa Grove

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•August 24, 2016• Okaw Valley High School golf team’s 181  was enough to best Villa Grove’s 187 at Eagle Creek August 18. Medalists were Okaw Valley’s  Austin Harshman with a 43  and Jackson Vandeventer’s 43  for Villa Grove. … Read More

Blend of Old and Young for St. Isidore

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•August 24, 2016• by Mike Brothers St. Isidore Catholic Church, one of the oldest parishes in the area, has one of the youngest priests in the Springfield diocese. The rural Bethany parish established in 1864 welcomed Father Steve Arisman to his first assignment as a priest from the bishop of the Springfield diocese recently. Father Arisman at 35, serves St. Isidore, Holy Family in Mt. Zion, is chaplain at St. Teresa High School and for all scouting programs within the 28 counties of the Springfield diocese. Arisman is also one of four assistants assigned to travel with the bishop while … Read More