Sullivan County unemployment rate continues improvement to 5.6% in September

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By: Dennis Clark

Sullivan County’s unemployment rate soared to 15.7% in April as aresult of the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on the economy. But sincethen it's steadily dropped back to 11% in May, to 10.3% in June, to7.1% in July, to 6% in August, now to 5.6% in September according tothe Indiana Department of Workforce Development in their recentmonthly news release.While the unemployment rate has seen improvement the past five months,the county's rank statewide has slipped from a tie for 56th...

Tombstone Tales took a look historic people in Center Ridge Cemetery

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By: B.J. Hargis

Four days before Halloween, there were no ghost stories being toldbetween the headstones in a local burial ground in Sullivan onWednesday evening, just facts about famous people that are entombed atCenter Ridge Cemetery, a 63-acre facility that dates back to the 1920swith land originally purchased in 1908.Donna Adams and Tony Stringfellow hosted a 90-minute tour of CenterRidge Cemetery in Sullivan, called Tombstone Tales, on Wednesdayevening.Adams is the head of the genealogy department at th...

Learn about the burden of tobacco and vaping in our community

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By: Times staff

Sullivan Tobacco Prevention and Cessation and Tobacco-Free VigoCoalitions will be hosting a free virtual "Community Conversationabout The Burden of Tobacco and Vaping in our Community."The virtual event is on Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. The event will bring to lighthow big tobacco markets to those most vulnerable, our children.Panelists include counselors, principals, board members, schoolresource officers and teens from Vigo and Southwest SchoolCorporations.Big Tobacco is spending nearly $300 million a...

Health Dept. reports COVID-19 cases on upswing in October

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By: Dennis Clark

The Sullivan County Health Department reported seeing an uptick inCOVID-19 positive cases from September to October at their Go ToMeeting monthly meeting last Thursday.According to the department, September finished with approximately 40cases, but there were already over 80 cases in October."We are seeing a trend in family gathering transmission," the SCHD'smeeting minutes stated. "We are continuing to see a trend of positivecases not sharing their close contacts, stating they will contac...

State Rep. Borders: Don't delay, apply for paid Statehouse internship by Saturday

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By: Times staff

State Rep. Bruce Borders, R-Jasonville, said time is running out forlocal students to apply for a paid internship with the Indiana Houseof Representatives in Indianapolis.The deadline to apply is Saturday and interviews are already takingplace. Borders said interested college students, recent graduates,graduate students and law school students should not wait to submittheir applications as positions are filling quickly."Observing the legislative process while working with electedofficials and...

76th Halloween parade set for Saturday night

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By: Times staff

The 76th annual Halloween parade for kids will be Saturday night.The parade will start at Sullivan City Hall at 7:30 p.m. Kids willmarch around the courthouse square to the Mark Leo Reed Youth Center,where they will be judged and those lucky enough will receive either a$2 bill or Eisenhower $1 bill.In case of rain, participants are to go directly to the buildinglocated at 26 W. Washington St., on the north side of the Sullivancourthouse square.Candy will be given to all. Masks are to be worn...

'To PERF or not to PERF, that is the question'; commissioners offer alternate retirement plan

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By: Dennis Clark

Lively discussion — from both the large crowd assembled and quiteoften within Sullivan County Council members — was evident at a packedand masked house inside the Superior Court Room on Monday night.The meeting topic was the longstanding efforts of both the council andcounty commissioners to institute either a Public Employee RetirementFund, or PERF, or another employee retirement plan.If you recall, the council rejected a resolution at their closedmeeting — due to COVID-19...