Recent Obituaries: Ryan Hess

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Ryan Hess Ryan Shane Hess, 35, of Sullivan, passed away, 5:39 p.m. Thursday, March 11, 2021, at his home in Sullivan. Memorial services will be held 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 16, 2021, at McMullin-Young Funeral Home, Sullivan. Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Face masks are suggested and please practice social distancing for the services. Memorials may be made to Moultrie County Illinois PAWS: 10 Leisure Acres, Sullivan, IL 61951 Ryan was born July 29, 1985, in Decatur, the son of James Steven Hess and Rhonda (Coy) Creek. He loved going … Read More

Recent Obituaries: Harold Phelps

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Harold Phelps Harold E. Phelps, 82, of Lovington, IL, passed away at his residence at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 11, 2021. A celebration of Harold’s life will be held at the First Church of God Family Life Center at 101 N. Washington in Lovington at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 14, 2021. Visitation will be from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. prior to the service. Burial will follow at the Keller Cemetery with military rites by the Lovington American Legion Post 429. Assisting with the arrangements is Graceland Fairlawn Funeral Home. Pastor Larry Traxler will be officiating. Harold was born November 11, 1938, in … Read More

LLC to Host Preview Open Houses

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•March 10, 2021• Lake Land College will host in-person Preview Open Houses in March and April. Potential students who are interested in touring campus and learning more about Lake Land College are encouraged to attend. The event also includes a Q&A session and the option to talk to representatives from college departments of interest. Registration is now open at lakelandcollege.edu/visit/. Attendance is limited to 20 prospective students and one guest each. Due to the safety protocols surrounding COVID-19, advanced registration is required. Walk-in registrations cannot be accommodated at this time. The Preview Open Houses are scheduled for: … Read More

Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development Presents Awards

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•March 10, 2021• by Crystal Reed NP Writer The Sullivan Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development has awarded its 2020 Citizen of the Year award to Margi Gaither and the Sullivan Stitchers. Gaither saw a need for mask distribution after watching a news program about the pandemic and had an idea. Though she does not sew herself, she knew she could organize, and that’s what she did. She organized a group of 20 individuals in the community to create cloth masks, which were approved by Decatur Memorial Hospital, for those who needed them during the pandemic. She found sewing machines … Read More

Illinois Sheriffs’ Association Scholarships

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•March 10, 2021• The Illinois Sheriffs’ Association announces that it will be awarding over $58,000 in college scholarships throughout the State of Illinois to students wishing to pursue higher education during the 2021-2022 academic year. The scholarships are to be applied to tuition, books and fees only. The student must be enrolled full-time at a certified institution of higher learning within the State of Illinois, full-time online learning is acceptable. Sheriff Chris Sims, Moultrie County, will be awarding one scholarship in the amount of $500. There will be no restriction on any applicant by reason of race, age, creed, color, … Read More

Please Forgive My Flagitious Language

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•March 10, 2021• By Jim Baumann NP Guest Writer I might have mentioned that I am not a Bible scholar, though I did read it, along with the awful allegory “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” and some political science tomes that were on the family bookshelf of my youth because I would read anything at eye level. From time to time, though, I find myself running through a passage in the Bible in search of a word. “I found a great word in 2 Maccabees in the Bible,” reader Cynthia Cwynar wrote to me. “‘Flagitious,’ meaning ‘criminal, villainous.’ Try saying it, though.” … Read More

Sullivan Boys’ Basketball Finishes the Week 1-2

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•March 10, 2021• by Jason Brown NP Sports The Redskins knocked off Villa Grove/Heritage Saturday but lost to Tuscola in overtime last Tuesday and Cerro-Gordo-Bement last Monday. In a nonconference matchup against Villa Grove/Heritage Saturday, Sullivan outscored the Blue Devils by five points in the first quarter and five points in the second quarter for a 30-20 halftime lead. Sullivan extended the lead ten more points in the third quarter on its way to a 59-37 win. Senior Ian Plank scored a team-leading 21 points, seven steals and four assists to go with three rebounds. Leyton Ellis followed with 20 … Read More

Sullivan girls’ basketball captures CIC championship

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•March 10, 2021• by Jason Brown NP Sports The Sullivan girls’ basketball team picked up a nonconference win against rival Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond and two conference wins to capture the Central Illinois Conference championship. In a season without IHSA playoffs, Sullivan zeroed in on the CIC championship, and after defeating Meridian 64-30 Wednesday, March 3 they accomplished that goal. “The girls clinched the CIC title tonight and I am so proud of them,” said Sullivan coach Sheri McCain. “With no post season, this was our only goal, and they accomplished that. This senior class now owns two CIC titles and one co-championship.” … Read More

State School Board Asks for Funding Increase

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•March 10, 2021• Illinois State Board of Education officials on Monday made their case for an added $362.1 million to the state’s evidence-based funding formula and $50 million in early childhood education grants, pushing back on the governor’s proposal to keep state K-12 education funding flat next fiscal year. In total, the board recommended a $406 million, or 4.6 percent, increase in fiscal year 2022 in state general revenue funding, increasing the state’s share of education funding to $9.3 billion for the budget year that begins July 1. … Read More

Agri-Fab Purchases Superior Tech

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•March 10, 2021• Agri-Fab announced Monday the acquisition of Superior Tech. Agri-Fab acquires the Superior Tech assets, customer contracts, and Superior Tech brands. Superior Tech, founded in 1987, established itself as a Licensed John Deere Supplier. As a family-owned business located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, it takes pride in designing and manufacturing high-quality lawn and garden attachments. … Read More