Ray Shafer
Raymond L. Shafer, 71, of Sullivan, passed away at 1:18 p.m. Sunday, March 24, 2019 in his residence.
Celebration of Life services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday in Reed Funeral Home in Sullivan. Visitation will be one hour before the service. Ray’s request was for casual attire. Read More
Janice Tusing
Janice A. Tusing, 83, of Decatur, formerly of Lovington, passed away Thursday, March 21, 2019, in McKinley Court in Decatur.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 26 in McMullin-Young Funeral Home in Lovington. Burial will be at a later date in Hewitt Cemetery in Lovington. Read More
Photo by R.R. Best
Construction Before Dawn
Construction at the new Dollar General location on Jackson St. in Sullivan got an early start as concrete finishing crews were floating floors at 6:30 a.m. last Tuesday. This Tuesday the steel frame is going up.
Overland Corp of Missouri is developing the $1.4 million property for Dollar General Stores. The property is the former location of Jackson Chevrolet which had been abandoned for a decade.
According to Dollar General completion of the 106 N. Main St. store is expected in the fall of 2019.
The store is the Dollar General Plus format. The Plus format is the traditional store with an additional 2000 sq. ft. additional sales space to include expanded cooler and freezer space.
Dollar General has not sought TIF financial relief.
Sulllivan has upgraded electrical service, and developers have paid for gas line relocation.
•March 27, 2019•
The Champaign News Gazette announced its all-area swim and dive teams this past week.
Brodie Goss was selected First Team All-Area in boys swimming.
Goss broke the Sullivan High School 100-meter breaststroke record with a time of 59.61 and placed 24th in the IHSA State Swimming Meet at New Trier High School in Winnetka.
During the season he also broke the 100-yard butterfly school record with a time of 53.13.
Photo by Señora King
Karoake came alive at Mason Point when SHS Spanish students visited recently.
•March 27, 2019•
On February 20 some of the Spanish III students of Sullivan High School visited Mason Point nursing home in Sullivan for a game of bingo, trivia, karaoke, and music. Famous celebrities of the 1950s and 60s with whom the residents were familiar were the topic of the evening.
After the game of bingo, juniors Aaron Garvey, Gary Herschberger, and Seth Mayberry, (who were dressed up as Johnny Cash, Paul McCartney, and Buddy Holly respectively) read facts about the person they were representing for a game of trivia.
Juniors Adalee Nichols and Kaitlyn White helped with the planning of prizes and trivia questions about Elvis Presley as well.
Following the trivia games, the floor was open for anybody wanting to sing their favorite song from the 1950s and 60s. A few residents sang songs like Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.” Read More
•March 27, 2019•
The Okaw Valley softball team dropped its third straight game to Morrisonville Thursday.
Morrisonville scored three in the third inning and tacked on another run in the fourth to answer OV’s lone run.
Each team recorded five hits. Read More
Pictured above is the men’s Sunday school class at the 1st Methodist Church in Lovington in March 1910. Please submit photos to the News Progress for future consideration. Originals will be saved for return or forwarded to Moultrie County Historical Society. If you have any other information, please contact the Moultrie County Historical Society at 217-728- 4085.
•March 27, 2019•
By Peter Hancock
Capitol News Illinois
The Illinois Senate is poised to take up a bill that would make it easier for some seniors to access a state program that limits property tax increases on their homes.
Under current law, people age 65 and older with incomes up to $65,000 can claim the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption, which effectively freezes the taxable valuation of their homes so that their tax bills cannot go up simply because the market value of their home rises.
Senate Bill 1346, which cleared the Senate Revenue Committee on Wednesday, would expand that slightly, starting in the 2019 tax year, by allowing seniors to deduct from their income whatever money they spend on Medicare premiums. That would allow some people with incomes just above the $65,000 cap to claim the exemption. Read More
25 Years Ago This Week
The new ramp has been completed outside the Moultrie County Courthouse to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Lori Shasteen, a seven-year employee of Horn Insurance Agency, passed the Illinois state exams for life and health as well as property and casualty insurance to become a licensed insurance agent for all lines of insurance.
The fourth annual Young Authors Program, sponsored by the Sullivan PTO, was held at Sullivan High School and Middle School. Those students reading their manuscripts are Kindergarten, Monica Giberson and Stephanie Lane; First grade, Stephanie Austin, Sarah Donoho, Caleb Hawbaker and Wyatt Jenkins. Third grade: Elizabeth Kellog, Deana Sides, Matthew Vail, and Ashlee Walton. Fourth Grade: Chris Crawford, Drew Miller. Becky Moore, and Cindi Reed. Fifth Grade: Emily Feeler, Lisa Lilly, Amanda Russell, and Mary VanDuersen. Sixth Grade: Chase Arnold, Christal Norton, Angela Perry and Lena Singer. Seventh Grade: Derek Elder, Nikki Hingson, Keath Murray, Melissa Steward. Eighth Grade: Missy Gillon, Jim Highland, Casey Matthews and Abbie Rodgers
Jalee Fifer is the Moultrie County Spelling Bee Champion. Read More
•March 27, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor
A week after helping the Okaw Valley girls’ basketball team place fourth in the IHSA Class 1A State Tournament last year, Paige Robinson signed to play basketball for coach Molly Miller and the Drury Panthers, a Division II University in Springfield, Missouri.
This season for the Panthers, Robinson has been the Panthers’ best player off the bench.
Last week, Robinson earned GLVC Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Conference honors.
“It’s truly an honor to receive freshman of the year,” said Robinson. “There is some good competition in the GLVC, and so I’m even more blessed to get first team as a freshman.
Robinson is the only freshman named to the first team and becomes the fourth Panther in Drury history to earn the award.
“Roll Acceptance is huge,” Miller tweeted. “Paige Robinson earned freshman of the year and first team all conference…coming off the bench, not because that’s where she belongs but because that’s where she was needed. She bought in and is now being rewarded.”
When Robinson signed to play for Miller, her goal was not to be a starter.
Her goal was to win a national championship, and the team is well on its way. Read More