•October 24, 2018•
SAIL, Soyland Access to Independent Living, will host a free workshop concerning Scams, Fraud and ID Theft 1:30-3 p.m. Tuesday, October 30 at First United Methodist Church, 216 W. Jefferson in Sullivan. The speaker is Shari Rowe, Postal Inspector with United States Postal Inspection Service.
The workshop is free; reservations are not required. For more information call Betty Watkins, Rural Outreach Coordinator, at 774-4322.
Photo by Ellen Ferrera
From left to right: Father Matt, daughter Whitney, son Hayden, and mother Nikki in the kitchen of their new home.
•October 24, 2018•
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress
There were many thankful tears flowing at the house blessing for the Nohren family as friends and clergy gathered to bless their new home at 919 W. Strain St. in Sullivan.
A huge platter of chocolate chip cookies baked in the new home greeted the guests along with fresh lemonade. Kristen Conlin and Amy Rickelman of Fireside Investments served as hostesses and welcomed the guests to the renovated three-bedroom home.
Pastor Francis Farney of the First Apostolic Church offered the opening greeting and prayer. The Apostolic Church provided the Nohren family with temporary housing until their new home could be completed. Scripture readings from Deuteronomy and Matthew followed, and then everyone joined in the prayer blessing of the house. Read More
•October 24, 2018•
Philip and Nina Martin will host a piano recital in their home at 2 p.m. November 3 to benefit the Moultrie County Beacon and the Moultrie County Counseling Center.
Admission to the event is free and open to the public, but a free will offering to benefit these nonprofit agencies will be collected. Read More
•October 24, 2018•
The Sullivan/Okaw Valley football team finished its second straight year without a win.
SOV lost its last game of the season 48-0 to Central A&M in Moweaqua Friday night.
The Raiders scored 28 points in the first on four running touchdowns, including three runs of at least 30 yards.
Central A&M scored 20 points in the second quarter and held on from there.
SOV finished the season 0-9 overall and 0-7 in the Central Illinois Conference.
Pictured above is the Lake City Elevator around 1970. 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.
•October 24, 2018•
By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist
Much of Downstate Illinois (the vast 94-county region outside the 8 metro-Chicago counties) appears to be dying.
Recently at mid-day, I went out onto the three-block main street of my county-seat town—and there wasn’t a solitary auto on the streets of my once-lively little burg!
Mid-size cities like Peoria and Decatur have also been hurt, by the flight of flagship corporate offices to Chicagoland. Several downstate public universities have seen enrollments implode, their host communities twisting in the wind.
The population loss that Illinois suffered in recent years is almost wholly from Downstate.
Our state is one of interdependent regions. The suburbs wouldn’t exist were it not for Chicago. And Chicago wouldn’t exist absent the 19th Century synergies with Downstate (and the Midwest), which sent its corn and hogs to Chicago, and then to the East.
Today, however, metropolitan Chicago has to prop up Downstate schools, universities, parks and social services. Chicagoland sends much more in taxes to Springfield than it gets back in services. Downstate takes the rest.
We’re better than that, Downstate. We don’t want to be a drag on Illinois.
But where and how to start, if we want over time to rebuild our region? Read More
•October 24, 2018•
Okaw Valley Community Unit School District invites all veterans and their family members to a Veterans Day program at Okaw Valley High School in Bethany Friday, November 9. Read More
•October 24, 2018•
In Sullivan Wednesday, October 31 starts off with Safe Trick or Treating at marked locations from 4-6 p.m.
The Sullivan AmBucs costume judging parade kicks off at 6:15 p.m. from the Sullivan square. Costumed participants will be judged during the march around the square with prizes awarded in various categories.
Trick or Treating townwide is from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, October 31 in Sullivan.
Bethany town wide trick or treating is from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Weds., Oct. 31.
Lovington Park Board Halloween judging contest is Oct. 27 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. with trick or treating set for Oct. 31.
•October 24, 2018•
Another Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development Oktoberfest is in the books with a good crowd attending the annual event on the square in Sullivan last weekend.
The Chili Cook-off Results— Judges Choice went to Ace Hardware in Sullivan. Read More
Photo furnished
OVHS FFA Harvests
Okaw Valley FFA recently harvested their ag plot behind the school. The plot had corn this year, and the yields were very good. Monsanto helped with the test plot looking at the numbers of the different varieties of corn before taking it to the elevator. Brody Bland, plot manager, ran one of the combines and allowed OV to use some of his equipment. The Park family allowed the students to use a wagon and truck with which Devin Park hauled the corn to the elevator throughout the day. The FFA will harvest their beans on the Corps of Engineer property in a couple of weeks.