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Phone Calls Soliciting Voter Registration are Fake

News Progress Posted on by

•October 3, 2018•

Moultrie County Clerk Georgia England stated that it has been brought to her attention that in a couple of neighboring counties individuals have recently received phone calls from persons impersonating an organization that provides voter registration assistance mentioning the Clerk’s office and the Clerk’s name. The callers asked the recipients if they wanted to register to vote or request an absentee ballot over the phone. The Moultrie County Clerk’s office does not generate these phone calls nor will the office ever call asking people to register to vote over the phone. Read More

The Fish Wrap Celebrates First Anniversary

News Progress Posted on by

•October 3, 2018•

By Rock Bass
for the News Progress

What the heck is The Fish Wrap?
One year ago this week Best Newspapers Inc., publishers of The Moultrie County News Progress, started printing The Fish Wrap which is mailed free of charge to 8500 households.
Why Fish Wrap?
For several months during the 1990s Bethany schools had been in negotiations with the Sullivan School District about possibly consolidating.
Hollis Dick, owner of HO Dick Transfer, had a history of involvement with the Bethany School District. His father had been a standout Mustang athlete and went on to serve as president of the school board in addition to starting a trucking business in 1957.
During that time Sullivan Supt. of Schools Richard Voltz was a weekly columnist in the News Progress and had written several articles promoting the consolidation of Bethany and Sullivan schools. Read More

Gold Star Mission – Always Remember, Never Forget!

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Photo by Mike Brothers
Bicyclists supporting the 500 mile Gold Star ride stopped at the Sullivan American Legion for lunch then rode on to support the annual scholarship ride honoring Illinois National Guard members who lost their lives serving overseas.

Cyclists Visit Sullivan American Legion

•October 3, 2018•

By Mike Brothers

Always remember! Never Forget!” was the shout out given by 34 Gold Star bicyclists as they left Sullivan Sept. 26 heading for Paris.
Following lunch served by Sullivan American Legion Post 68, the group gathered for the second 57 mile leg of the four day 500 mile endurance ride.
Gold Star ride coordinator Dave Helfrich announced that Sgt. Garrett Smith of Sullivan had given his life while serving in the lllinois National Guard. Smith is among 34 members of the Guard who lost their lives overseas and honored during the four day ride.
The Gold Star Mission ride raised $34,000 for scholarships which were presented to 34 students in the state last year. Read More

Understanding Illinois: Transportation Infrastructure: Our Neglected Crown Jewel

News Progress Posted on by

•October 3, 2018•

By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist

Transportation infrastructure is our crown jewel, sparkling atop the lid on Illinois’ economic development toolkit. Neglect the jewel, and it might just slip off. And we are neglecting it.
Illinois has more miles—2,200—of interstate highways than all states but Texas and California. Just look at a highway map. The density of interstates crisscrossing Illinois stands out, in stark contrast to the road systems of our neighbors.
The interstates and 12,000 miles of federal and state two-lane highways in our state make it efficient for you and me to get around. More important, the ribbons of concrete move the goods we produce to a big swath of the nation, in just a day.
Add the following: The nation’s seven major railroads all flow into and out of metro-Chicago, and several go into the metro-St. Louis region; East and West Coast railroads come together in these cities. The president of the Union Pacific Railroad recently observed that 25 percent of all rail cargo in the nation originates, terminates and passes through Chicago.
A recent study by MIT found O’Hare Airport to have the best domestic as well as international connections of any airport in the nation! Read More

ALAH Knights Homecoming Game Goes to Decatur Lutheran

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Photo by RR Best
Ridge Ryan (#54) and Logan Waller (#74) warm up with drills before the game Friday night in Arthur.

•October 3, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports

On Homecoming night Friday, the Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond football team suffered a tough 40-11 loss against Decatur Lutheran in Arthur.
Against Decatur Lutheran, ALAH kept the game close in the first half.
The Knights fell behind 6-0 in the first quarter and went into halftime behind 8-3.
Decatur Lutheran pulled away in the second half, scoring 18 points in the third quarter and 14 in the fourth for the final score.
“The game was another one that just got away from us. It was an 11-14 ball game at one point, after we scored our touchdown,” head coach Ryan Jefferson said. “The next play they scored on a long touchdown pass and instantly we forgot that we were still in the game.” Read More

Remember When? 10-3-2018

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25 Years Ago This Week

Philip Martin and Wilma Hollonbeck were entered into the SHS Hall of Fame during the annual alumni banquet. Martin is a corporate lawyer in Chicago and a community leader. He was a 1959 graduate of SHS. Martin married Nina Tabor in 1971, and they reside in Evanston. Sullivan resident Wilma Hollonbeck is a musician, a retired teacher and an active volunteer. After her graduation in 1940, Wilma attended University of Illinois where she received her degree with a major in English and a minor in Latin. She married Lefty Hollonbeck in 1942.
The Bethany High School marching band joined the Sullivan High School marching band for the pre-game celebration at Friday’s homecoming game. Each band performed individually at halftime. The bands were led by drum majors Jennifer Rogers of Sullivan and Teri Zimmer and Angie Duncan, both of Bethany. Read More

Cross Country Runners Step it Up at Conference Meet

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•October 3, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports

R. R. Best photo
Okaw Valley cross country runners Parker Perine (first) and Preston Ozier (second) start the Little Okaw Valley Conference meet Saturday in Bethany.

Area cross country runners placed well in the Little Okaw Valley Conference meet in Bethany Saturday, including Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond boys’ medalist Layton Hall.
Hall ran a meet best time of 16:15.40.
Other Knights’ times include Austin Romine’s 18:16.80, Quentin Morgan’s 18:48.30, Justin Miller’s 19:21.80, Jace Green’s 19:26.10 and Jack Rollyson’s 22:07.20.

Submitted Photo OV Freshman Karlie Stauder finished second with a time of 21:10 to earn all-Little Okaw Valley Conference honors.

For the Okaw Valley girls’ cross country team, freshman Karlie Stauder’s personal-best run of 21:10 earned her all-Little Okaw Valley Conference honors for her second place finish.
Other OV girls’ runners include Kylie Stauder and Mia Harris, who ran personal best times of 22:30 and 22:38, respectively.

All four OV girl runners and all three OV boy runners finished with personal best times.

Submitted Photo
Layton Hall earned medalist in the Little Okaw Valley boys’ cross country meet Saturday in Bethany.

For the boys’ team, Parker Perrine beat his best by seven seconds with a time of 18:43.
Preston Ozier ran a personal-best time of 18:45.60, beating his old time of 19:02, and Canaan Christenson ran a best 19:41.
Damien Coney ran 28 seconds faster than his best time at 21:42.
Cumberland won the meet with a low score of 30, and ALAH placed second with 51 points.
The OV and ALAH cross country teams are scheduled to enter the Cumberland Invitational at Lake Land College at 9 a.m. Saturday.[/s2If]

A Walk with Mr. Walk: Superintendent-Y Stuff

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•October 3, 2018•

By Ted Walk,
Supt. Sullivan CUSD #300

The Sullivan Board of Education adopted a budget for the 2018-2019 Fiscal Year this past Friday. School finance has a number of intricate details, but the simplest way to describe the budget in generally-used terms would be “balanced”.
The 2018-2019 Fiscal Year will represent the fourth consecutive year that the Sullivan School District finishes the year with its total operating funds of Education, Operation and Maintenance, Transportation, and Working Cash in the black.  Read More

Haunted Tram at Mason Point

News Progress Posted on by

•October 3, 2018•

Mason Point is hosting the annual haunted tram rides at 8-9 p.m.October 12 and 13.
Tram rides start from the front of the One Masonic Way building in Sullivan. Visitors should stay left when pulling into Mason Point, following the route to the administration building where staff will be available.
Tram rides are for all ages with proceeds going to benefit the activity department at Mason Point. Hot chocolate and hot cider will be available for everyone.
For more information contact Leeanna Stickels at 217-871-5637.

Poem Dedicated to SHS Class of 1968

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•October 3, 2018•

Jon Jividen, Executive Chef from the Sullivan High School Class Of 1968, is returning for Homecoming and wrote this poem he would like to dedicate to the community and to the classmates of 1968.
A Place, A Heart
There is a place where I can go
that whispers to me what I used to know
There is a place that I came from
where memories bloom under the Midwest sun Read More