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Remember When? 8-8-2018

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25 Years Ago This Week

The sound of a steam engine echoed through Shelby, Moultrie and Douglas counties Thursday as the Challenger, one of the Union Pacific’s remaining steam engines, ran from Villa Grove to Findlay pulling an excursion train.
Sullivan FHA Parliamentary Procedure Team members took 6th in the nation following competition in Anaheim, Calif. Team members are Stephanie Moran, Wendy Gilmore, Angie Reed, Melissa Wheeler, Jodi England and Tina Thomas. Bethany’s Leah Matheson earned a first place three-star gold medal in the Senior Occupational Job Interview competition.
Janet Roney of rural Lovington will be among more than 500 artists from 30 states, Poland and Canada who will be exhibiting their artworks in the 36th annual Gold Coast Art Fair in Chicago’s River North. Read More

Okaw Farmers Cooperative Annual Meeting

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•August 8, 2018•

The 13th annual meeting of the member and shareholders of the Okaw Farmers Grain Cooperative, Inc. will be held on Thursday, August 16 at Yoder’s Kitchen Restaurant in Arthur.
Dinner will be served between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. preceding the 7 p.m. business meeting.
Tony Brown, president of the Board of Directors of Okaw Farmers Cooperative will outline goals for the company’s future. Dave Kieffer, general manager, will discuss the operations of the company.

Sheriff Updates Committee On Correctional Facility

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•August 8, 2018•

The Public Health and Safety Committee received a progress report on the Moultrie County Correctional facility during its regular meeting Aug. 1.
Sheriff Chris Sims updated committee chair Arlene Aschermann, Dave McCabe, Neil Bryan and Kevin McReynolds on the current population situation.
Housing federal inmates at the Moultrie County facility has already produced more than the $220,000 in revenue budgeted this year, with Sheriff Sims noting the relationship with federal marshals was good, and Moultrie County has been housing from 16-19 federal inmates per month on average. Read More

Metro Communications Expands

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Photo by R.R. Best
Metro Communications Expands
Metro Communications of Sullivan is expanding its downtown location to include room for 40 employees on the second floor.
Most of the building shown in the photo is what remains of the 1930s one story building previously occupied by Gypsy Soul Revival. All but the façade, lobby and hallway have been demolished—this structure will be removed as the new construction progresses. 
Jim Standerfer is to the left, Joe Sanner to the right.
Zak Horn explained that Metro Communications is building a 10k sq. ft. two story addition to accommodate growing engineering, accounting, network and administration positions being added at Metro Communications Company. Current space of 1,600 sq. ft. is full at 16 employees. The new building provides space for up to 40 people on the second floor in addition to storage, expanded telco facilities in the basement and 5k sq. ft. on the first floor to be occupied by Moultrie County Habitat for Humanity, Illinois FCCLA Executive Director Marta Lockwood, Audibel Hearing Aids and future tenants. 
Jim Standerfer Construction is the general contractor for the project with anticipated completion in the summer of 2019.

Letter to the Editor2: 8-8-2018

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I Believe in Separation of Church and State

Dear Editor,

As I was driving north on Hamilton Street in Sullivan and saw these words on the marquee of the First Apostolic Church: “Heaven’s wall-strict immigration policies. Hell has open borders,” I was appalled.
First to think that a Christian pastor would judge what group of people would enter heaven or hell.
Second, to allow offensive and unkind words expressed on the property of his or her church. On both accounts I was sickened.
These words by no means exemplify the values and teachings of Jesus. Read More

As Time Goes On, Fashions 4 U Hangs On in Dunn

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Photo by Mike Brothers
Maurine and Don Sanders at Don’s produce stand located in front of Fashions 4-U in downtown Dunn on Highway 121.

•August 8, 2018•

By Tommy Stillfigure
for the News Progress

Fashions 4 U has been a thriving business in Dunn for the past 42 years, but business is starting to pass by like the traffic zooming by the store every day on Hwy 121.
Maurine Sanders was recently widowed from Henry Munch when she returned to Sullivan to raise her children and try to make a living more than four decades ago. After spending five years working at the courthouse, Maurine knew it would take more to feed and keep clothes on the backs of her kids and began looking into starting a business.
She took over an empty antique store in Dunn which is located between Bethany and Sullivan along highway 121.
“I took my little car to those outlets in the Carolinas, and I returned with it filled with clothes,” Maurine said of her first shopping trip for the Dunn store. “I had about $5000 worth of clothes in that car, came back and sold every stitch by the end of the weekend.”
That is when Maurine knew she was on to something.
Over the years she ran small display advertisements in all the area newspapers, and soon people were driving from all around to shop for her specialty sweatshirts and Alfred Dunner clothing for women which became one of her most popular lines. Read More

SOV Football Team Official Practices Begin

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•August 8, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports

The Sullivan-Okaw Valley football team kicked off the 2018 season with its first official practice at the high school Monday.
But for SOV head coach Jeff Myers the first day was just a continuation of the two-straight camps the Redskins had before last week’s IHSA dead week.
Overall, the first day was a good one.
Myers was also pleased to see athletes whom he had not seen during the summer because of summer jobs and other responsibilities.
“We slowed the pace slightly just to get some kids brought up to speed somewhat,” said Myers. “Tuesday, which is another day in just helmets, will be more of the same.” Read More

Girls Now Joining Lincoln Trails Council Cub Scouts

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•August 8, 2018•

An exciting era is beginning at Lincoln Trails Council Scouting as girls may now join Cub Scouts.
Boys and girls entering kindergarten through fifth grade can now enjoy the fun and learning opportunities scouting offers. All scouts can earn any of the awards, ranks, and honors offered in Cub Scouts. Cub Scouts is about having fun while learning new things such as first aid, teamwork, leadership skills, and appreciating the outdoors. Each level of Cub Scouts is age specific and designed to provide experiences to help youth grow both mentally and physically. Read More

Parking Space Art

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Photo by R.R. Best
Parking Space Art
With Sullivan students attending the first day of school Wednesday, August 15 high school seniors got a head start on the school year. Starting at 7:30 a.m. Friday, August 3 SHS seniors were allowed to personalize their parking spots. Above blue handprints mark the spot for Hannah Schlieker and Kyleigh Read.

Sullivan City Council Prepares for Future Projects with Appropriations Increase

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•August 8, 2018•

By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

The Sullivan City Council approved the 2018-19 appropriation ordinance up 38% from the previous year at $39,628,950.
Public questioning of the increase was encountered at the public hearing with commissioners and visitors exchanging viewpoints.
City Administrator, Dan Flannell, provided some information in a separate interview to explain the ordinance.
“Laws require every governmental body to adopt an appropriation ordinance. It is a “blue print” for potential expenditures for the city – but it is not a budget,” Flannell began. “It is rare that the full amount of an appropriation is spent. Everything spent is authorized through an appropriation ordinance,” he emphasized.
The city’s salaries and expenditures are all authorized through the appropriation ordinance which provides legal authority for expenditures of the money that the city generally spends.
While the appropriation might have been set higher this year, it doesn’t mean that the projects’ costs will be higher. The increase will not change the amount of taxes or utility costs that the citizens pay, the city administrator explained. Read More