•May 2, 2018•
The Lovington Grade School fourth grade through eighth grade students will present their spring concert at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 10 in the Lovington Grade School gymnasium.
Songs will include Hound Dog, Bruno Mars hit Count On Me, See You Again, Journey to the Stars, and many more.
The concert is free and open to the public.
•May 2, 2018•
By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist
I appear to have struck a positive chord among many readers with a recent column that worried Downstate Illinois is becoming irrelevant to the power brokers of Illinois, nearly all of whom reside in metropolitan Chicago.
More emails than typical have been coming my way saying, in effect, “You’re right on, Jim!” One well-known statewide figure, whom most of you would recognize, called to declare that I was “spot on” in my column, adding:
“Jim, I talk to audiences all over Illinois, including in Chicago, and you are absolutely right: Downstate doesn’t matter to powerful Chicagoans, while my Downstate audiences are distressed that we seem forgotten out here.”
Based on a decade of writing this column for 20 newspapers all across Downstate, I know from emails that my readers are knowledgeable and thoughtful.
So, please help me with feedback on the following musings: Read More
Photo furnished. Pencil Pals Ellen Ferrera, Landon and Charlie (l to r) get acquainted.
•May 2, 2018•
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress
The Sullivan Elementary School gym was filled with first and second graders on April 25 as they met with their volunteer Pencil Pals for the first time.
My little scribes, Charlie and Landon, were sitting in one of the 20 circles and began chatting away about their pets, siblings and other things we have shared in our monthly missive exchanges. Landon is moving to Florida, and Charlie has dogs and cats that he loves. The gym was abuzz with the sounds of laughter and conversation from the over 120 attendees.
Pencil Pals was started 25 years ago by Mary Lou Kidwell mainly to connect first and second graders with senior volunteers but also to help children improve their writing skills. Read More
•May 2, 2018•
Wid Hale was born March 6, 1927 the daughter of Les and Neva Murphy. She was born, raised and resided in Lovington until moving to The Arthur Home. Hale has four sisters and two brothers.
In 1943 she married Cliff Hale, raising two sons Jack and Gary, and she has four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Wid enjoyed being a housewife and stay-at home mother when the boys were young while also helping Cliff farm.
As the boys got older, Wid worked as a rural mail carrier retiring after 20 years. Read More
Pictured above are employees of Sullivan State Bank dated 1976. 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.
•May 2, 2018•
The Sullivan boys’ track and field team placed third in a triangular at Pana Monday and competed in the St. Joseph-Ogden Boys’ Spartan Classic Friday.
In the Pana triangular, the Redskins scored 26.5 points.
Leighton Burcham took first place in the long jump and triple jump, and Jadon Nuzzo won the pole vault competition. Read More
•May 2, 2018•
Chad Matheson, 43, of Sullivan was sentenced April 17 to 10 years in the Dept. of Corrections for burglary.
Matheson, who is an inmate at Sheridan Correctional, appeared with attorney Walter B. Lookofsky at Macon County along with Moultrie County State’s Attorney Jeremy Richey and Judge Hugh Finson.
Matheson withdrew his guilty plea from the original forgery charge and was sentenced for burglary, a Class 2 felony. Read More
•May 2, 2018•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports
Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg softball team, which is ranked No. 7 in Class 1A, earned a top seed in the National Trail Conference Tournament and blew out three teams by at least 10 runs this past week.
The Hatchets shellacked Dieterich Monday, St. Elmo/Brownstown last Friday and Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City Thursday, April 26.
WSS outscored its opponents 42-2 those three games.
In the first round of the National Trail Conference Tournament on the West Diamond at Evergreen Park in Neoga, WSS took out Dieterich 15-0.
The Hatchets scored seven runs in the first inning and seven runs in the second inning to take a quick 14-0 lead.
WSS tacked on one more run in the third to end the game in three innings.
Madision Everett was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and five RBIs, and Hannah Hayes was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Read More
•May 2, 2018•
• General Homestead Exemption (Owner Occupied) (35 ILCS 200/15-175) — This exemption is for those who own and occupy residences or have a leasehold residence. This is a $6,000 reduction in EAV. If there is a leasehold residence, Lessee or Lessor must obtain an application from the Supervisor of Assessment Office.
• Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption (Elderly) (35 ILCS 200/15-170) — This exemption is for those who own and occupy residence or have a leasehold on residence and are 65 years of age or older. This is a $5,000 reduction in EAV.
• Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption (35 ILCS 200/15-172) —This exemption is for those who own and occupy residence or have a leasehold on residence and are 65 years of age or older and have resided in the residence for two Januarys and total household income is $65,000 or less. To maintain this exemption, one must complete the application annually by the county’s due date. Read More
Photo by R.R. Best
Bella Benning runs past first base.
•May 2, 2018•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports
After losing three straight games, the Okaw Valley softball team battled back to win two straight games this week.
OV defeated Cerro Gordo/Bement Monday and Sullivan on Saturday but lost to Charleston and Argenta-Oreana in a doubleheader earlier in the week.
Against CGB at Crowder Park, OV plated two runs in the first inning, which left the score 2-0 until the fifth and sixth innings when the Timberwolves scored three more runs each.
CGB scored its two runs in the top of the seventh. The final score was 5-2.
Grace Harlin and Natalie Jeffers each recorded three hits, including a double and triple each.
Harlin also scored twice, and Natalie Jeffers scored three times and had one RBI. Read More