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World War II Caused Dramatic Changes To Illinois’ Way Of Life And Economy

News Progress Posted on by

•May 23, 2018•

By Andy Kravetz
Of the Journal Star

Washington, Illinois, resident Mary Kerr said the war caused everyone to sacrifice.

“When we went into Iraq in 2001, there was no difference in my life because we went to war. But then, everyone was affected; from Victory Gardens to rationing of items to the draft, everyone was in,” she said.

Mothers saved tin cans and foil. Life went on, she said, but it was different.

“We went on with the churches and the schools, but it wasn’t the same. The Boy Scouts went on but they had paper drives,” Kerr said. “Nothing was the same as it was before Dec. 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor.”

Thousands enlisted from Illinois Read More

Shelbyville Rams Take Softball Regionals

News Progress Posted on by

•May 23, 2018•

The Sullivan softball team’s season came to an end in a gut-wrenching back-and-forth game against Shelbyville in extra innings in the Class 2A Tuscola Regional last Tuesday.

Sullivan scored three runs in the top of the first inning, but the Rams answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning.

Sullivan plated four runs in the second inning to take a 7-2 lead.

Shelbyville scored three runs in the third, and each team scored a run in the fourth inning for an 8-6 Sullivan lead.

The Rams scored two runs in the fifth inning to tie the game. Read More

Sullivan Schools Hire Coach and Music Teacher

News Progress Posted on by

•May 23, 2018•

By Mike Brothers

Sullivan Community District #300 school board met May 14 hiring a head football coach and an elementary music teacher.

Following interviews by Sullivan and Okaw Valley athletic directors Ryan Aikman and Brooks Inman, high school principal Erik Young recommended employing Jeff Myers as head football coach. Myers replaced Andy Kerley who lost his job due to teaching staff cuts after one year.

Myers has previously coached at Central A&M and St. Teresa High School in Decatur. He resides in Shelbyville. Board members present approved including Steve Poland, Tyson Grooms, Erik Stollard, Zak Horn and president Jeff White. Read More

Signs Back Up Please

News Progress Posted on by

•May 23, 2018•

Signs for the upcoming Spinning Event June 2 at the Illinois Amish Heritage Center are important to direct traffic and visitors to the area.

To those mowing the roadsides we request you put the signs back up after mowing is complete. If a sign is missing please call 543-2232. Thank you for helping make this a successful event that brings visitors to our area.

A Sullivan Journey for a Czechoslovakian Student

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Kari and Troy Rogers family Drew and Dalton with exchange student Zdenek Roza (center).

Becomes a Family Experience

•May 23, 2018•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

A few years ago Kari and Troy Rogers decided having an exchange student would be an enriching experience for their two sons, Drew and Dalton. The boys were old enough and involved in a lot of school activities they could share. Troy teaches science at Sullivan Middle School and Kari is a social worker in Champaign. And so, the search began.

They researched several accredited agencies online where they could review pictures and profiles of potential candidates. Zdenek Roza ( “Z”) of the Czech Republic was their choice.  “He had the same reddish brown hair as our sons as well as a love of sports,” Kari said.

Applications and profiles were exchanged and last fall Z arrived in Sullivan.

Z, as he prefers to be called, grew up in Trutnov, a town of about 35,000 near the Czech/Polish border. His parents are divorced and remarried so he is part of a blended family of five sisters and three brothers or, as he says, “five brothers if you include my two new Sullivan brothers.”  Read More

Understanding Illinois: What the Devil does Blockchain Technology have to do with Voting?

News Progress Posted on by

•May 23, 2018•

By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist

This column is more musing than analysis: We don’t know where we are going, and we are going there faster and faster.

That is, we need to focus more effort on understanding the consequences of the dizzying cavalcade of new technologies that are disrupting our lives. The following brought the topic to mind.

“What the devil is blockchain technology?” editor Jonathan Whitney thundered in a recent email. For 50 years, Jon has edited, published and taken out the trash at the Carroll County Review in Thomson, Illinois. A former president of the Illinois Press Association, Jon is the consummate community journalist.

Jon had just received a press release about a new state report on the topic of his question. It sounded to him like a cockamamie, probably taxpayer-costly boondoggle. Always eager to please a paying editor, I said I’d look into it.

Blockchain is a distributed ledger (think spreadsheet) technology that provides identical information to every block on a chain. Seemingly infinite computer power and storage make it possible. Read More

Hatchets Face Back to Back Games During Post Season Play

News Progress Posted on by

Photos by Bridgette Cole
WSS Softball celebrating second straight Regional championship.

•May 23, 2018•

by Jason Brown
NP Sports

The Windsor-Stewardson-Strasburg softball team won its second-straight Class 1A Regional championship by shutting out host Nokomis 9-0 Monday evening.

The game was originally scheduled for Saturday but postponed because of rain which means the Hatchets will have to play back-to-back days.

WSS, who is ranked No. 7 in the state, took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning and took control of the championship game by scoring seven runs in the third inning.

Each team recorded six hits, but WSS also induced nine walks.

“Great team win, everyone contributed.” Coach Craig Moffett said.  Read More

ALAH FFA Alumni Awards $5,000 in Scholarships

News Progress Posted on by

•May 23, 2018•

Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond (ALAH) FFA Alumni has selected six students to receive scholarships.

The chapter, chartered in 2014, has more than 100 members with the purpose “to provide leadership, mentoring, and financial assistance to the agricultural education program at Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond High School.”

The scholarship fund receives donations, fundraising, and proceeds from the variety test plot hosted by Jeff Davis of Hammond. Students fill out an application and are interviewed by alumni prior to selection.  Read More

State Troopers Out in Force for Memorial Day Weekend

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•May 23, 2018•

Illinois State Police (ISP) District 10 Commander, Captain Louis Kink, is reminding motorists to take the necessary safety precautions to prevent senseless tragedies during the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend. Memorial Day weekend is one of the busiest periods for travelers, and millions of motorists are expected to hit the roadways and interstates across the country.

The ISP will be doing our part in keeping the roadways safe for those traveling through the state. The ISP will be strictly enforcing the most common traffic violations that result in fatal crashes: Speeding, DUI, seat belts, and distracted driving.

There are many safe driving initiatives the ISP is participating in over the holiday weekend. Read More

Early Deadlines

News Progress Posted on by

•May 23, 2018•

Monday, May 28 is Memorial Day. The Moultrie County News Progress business office will close May 28 for the holiday. That moves the deadline up for news and advertising to noon Friday, May 25. Be safe and enjoy the official kick off to summer.