Brad Wright Brad Earl Wright, 60, of Decatur died Tuesday, March 1, 2016 in Imboden Creek Living Center. A memorial service was held at 11 a.m. March 12 in South Shores Christian Church with Brintlinger and Earl Funeral Home in Decatur assisting with arrangements. … Read More
•March 16, 2016• By Jim Nowlan NP Guest Columnist Ever since I moved back to my rural hometown in central Illinois a few years ago, I have fretted about rural white poverty. I think I see it at the local convenience store where disturbing numbers of scruffy, bearded young men pick up their beer and roar away in beat-up pickups. But that could just be generational distaste for new styles. I do know that 44 percent of the children born this past year in Stark County, where I live, were born to unmarried women, which I find is about the … Read More
•March 16, 2016• By Jerry L. Ginther NP Columnist Visiting a famous battlefield such as Gettysburg and standing on the very ground where so many brave men had fought and died takes one back in time. It becomes more than just a place which one has read about in American History. Several years ago, when our children were in school, we made the journey to Pennsylvania and legendary Gettysburg. We moved about the battlefield to the different locations of interest and discussed what had occurred at each. From each site we had the view of the terrain as the soldiers … Read More
Compiled by Bekki Ferguson-Stevens 25 Years Ago This Week Two students from Moultrie County earned straight A’s during the first semester at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and are among five area students named to the fall semester academic dean’s list. Earning straight A’s were Paul E. Kaiser of Bethany and Paula J. Dolan of Sullivan. The other three on the dean’s list are Trent E. Doty of Lovington, Michael A. Hermann of Sullivan and Kimberly D. McHenry of Findlay. Two Decatur Area Vocational Center students from Bethany have been selected students of the month for February. They are Ronnie Butt … Read More
Nancy Hamilton Nancy L. Hamilton, 77, of Sullivan, passed away at 9:51 a.m. Thursday, March 10, 2016 in St John’s Hospital in Springfield. Celebration of Life services were held at 10 a.m. today (Wednesday) in Reed Funeral Home in Sullivan with Pastor Charliam Renner officiating. Burial was in Greenhill Cemetery in Sullivan. … Read More
•March 16, 2016• Governor Bruce Rauner told 200 Moultrie County Republicans he was committed to improve funding for the state’s schools, but provided little hope to recently laid off Eastern Illinois University employees on Saturday, March 12. The governor spoke to a full house of party faithful at the 2016 Lincoln Day Dinner held at the Terry Warren farm south of Sullivan. “Illinois schools receive the lowest state support for education in the nation,” Gov. Rauner said, pointing out he proposes increased state funding, and he would push to put schools in downstate first. For those who lost jobs at … Read More
•March 16, 2016• By Mike Brothers A man walked into the Sullivan schools’ office March 9 asking to deliver flowers to his wife, a teacher. That set off an active shooter exercise involving 18 first responders and 118 teachers and administrators on a cloudy Wednesday afternoon. Jan Haegen, Moultrie County Emergency Services and Disaster Agency director, explained the active shooter exercise was held in cooperation with Sullivan schools to get an idea how emergency plans might play out if a shooter tried to enter the local school. “All departments work together,” Haegen said of the combined training operation for the … Read More
•March 9, 2016• Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) Secretary Bryan A. Schneider was recently appointed to the Non-Depository Supervisory Committee of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS). The newly created committee will provide oversight of and support for multi-state, non-depository supervisory matters and provide advice on non-depository policy development. Non-depository financial institutions serve as an intermediary between savers and borrowers, but do not accept time deposits. In Illinois, IDFPR Division of Banking oversees the regulation and licensure of non-depository financial institutions, such as mortgage banks, payday loans, pawnbrokers and title loan companies. “With his extensive regulatory … Read More
•March 9, 2016• The 2016 Miss, Jr. Miss and little Miss Lovington Pageant will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 19 in the Lovington Grade School gym. This year’s pageant has three Miss, four Jr. Miss and five Little Miss contestants. The competition includes a four minute interview that will take place in the afternoon; on stage introductions, pop question, a speech and formal wear. This year there will be a People’s Choice Award, where anyone may vote for their favorite contestant at the pageant. A 50/50 raffle is this year’s fundraiser which will be sold at the pageant … Read More
•March 9, 2016• The Secretary of State mobile unit is coming to Sullivan library Thursday, March 17. Secretary Jesse White announced the event held in cooperation with the Elizabeth Titus Library in Sullivan 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. The mobile unit will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the library located at 2 W. Water St. in Sullivan. … Read More