Students Recognized for Graduation

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•January 25, 2023• Lakeview College of Nursing recognizes students who recently received their academic degrees. Area graduates include the following: Deanna Braden of Sullivan. Braden graduated and earned a bachelor of science in nursing degree through the college’s Charleston location. Braden is a 1990 graduate from Sullivan High School in Sullivan. She also previously earned two associate degrees from Lake Land College. She is the daughter of Clifford (Gene) and Mary Kirkwood of Bethany, and Charlie and Charolette Baxter of Mattoon. … Read More

City Council Approves Professional Services Agreement for Wyman Park Improvements

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•January 25, 2023• by Crystal Reed The Sullivan City Council held a regular meeting on Monday, January 23, with Commissioner Chuck Woodworth absent. They approved a professional service agreement with Chastain and Associates LLC for $83,850 for Wyman Park improvements, including a splash pad and tennis and basketball court improvements. This amount will be taken from the OSLAD grant the city was awarded. Sullivan Fire Chief Larry Edwards requested TIF funds for the purchase of some engines to replace their aging fleet. Currently, they have a 26-year-old engine and a 20-year-old engine. The average life span of an engine is … Read More

‘Redundancy’ Argument Worth Repeating

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•January 25, 2023• By Jim Baumann NP Guest Writer In last week’s column I fielded a letter from a reader who feels headlines are often unfair to trains or, presumably, the engineers who operate them. That’s understandable, given that trains cannot stop on a dime or swerve to avoid collisions. And that leaves people crossing tracks or their vehicles generally at fault when a train comes into contact with someone or something. Former state Rep. Paul Froehlich came up with a few options he thought would cast the train and engineer in a better light: • “Car stopped on tracks … Read More

ALAH School Board Approves to Seek Bids for High School Track Repair

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•January 25, 2023• by Ariana R. Cherry “The track is not in good shape. It is beyond repair and beyond “sticking band-aids on it,” Superintendent Shannon Cheek said at the most recent ALAH Board of Education meeting. Cheek informed the board that the district has two options in repairing the track. One option is to take down the track and do minor repair for the subsurface and then go back and resurface the track. That option would make the track last awhile. The most expensive option would be taking the subsection down and repouring the track which would cost double. … Read More

Local Fire Departments Report Call Counts for 2022

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•January 25, 2023• Our local fire departments, ambulance services and police departments work hard to keep citizens safe, and in case of emergency, extinguish fires, respond to car accidents and other life happenings. They work long hours, and at times, their plans for the day will change at a moment’s notice. Fire departments in Windsor, Findlay, Bethany, Sullivan and Lovington were contacted for their call counts for 2022. They were also asked about new equipment, personnel and other aspects of their towns service. … Read More

Shawnee Communications makes Donation to Habitat For Humanity

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•January 25, 2023• On Tuesday, January 17th, Jamie Franklin, Customer Service Manager for Shawnee Communications, presented Moultrie County Habitat for Humanity with a jump start to the new year in the form of a $5,750 donation. The donation was collected through Shawnee employee contributions, which were matched individually by Shawnee’s four shareholders and that new amount was matched by the company. On hand to receive the donation were Moultrie County Habitat for Humanity board members Roger Glazebrook, Gene Meuller, Caran DeVore, Howard Sanders, Sandy Sanders, Dee Ann Daily, Cheryl Thomas, Gary Smith, Denise Smith, Bob Vail, and Mike Aikman. … Read More

Community Blood Drive

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•January 25, 2023• Agri-Fab Inc. will host a community blood drive on Wednesday, February 8 from 9 am to 2 pm with ImpactLife, the provider of blood components for local hospitals. The blood drive will be held at 809 S. Hamilton St., inside meeting room. To donate, contact ImpactLife Urbana at (800) 747-5401 or visit www.bloodcenter.org and use code 71025 to locate the drive. Appointments are required. … Read More

Soup-er Bowl Luncheon

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•January 25, 2023• A Soup-er Bowl Luncheon will be held on Sunday, February 12 from 10:30 am to 1 pm at the Windsor Community Center. Lunch is paid for by donation. Menu is chili, oyster soup and potato soup, hamburgers and pork burgers and desserts and drinks. The meal will support the Windsor Harvest Picnic. … Read More

Chili Cookoff

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•January 25, 2023• The Bethany Celebration Chili Cookoff will be held on February 25 at the Bethany American Legion. Sign ins are 4:30 to 5 pm with the cookoff open to the public from 5 to 7 pm. Categories are spicy, traditional, bean, no bean and vegetarian. Entry fee is $10 per chili. Prize categories are hottest, most unique, best overall. There will be cash prizes, gift cards and more. To register e-mail bethanycelebration@gmail.com or find them on Facebook. All entry fees are due by February 20. They also invite the public to come out and sample the chili entries … Read More