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Understanding Illinois: Here’s Your Chance to Reshape Illinois Politics 

News Progress Posted on by

•March 28, 2018•

By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist

You and I have an opportunity, right now, to help reshape Illinois politics. The issue is redistricting of state legislative and congressional districts in Illinois.

First, some background.

Our 50 states are responsible, respectively, for redistricting. In 1812, Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry approved boundaries for a state senate district that outlined a salamander. Voters in the tortuous, non-compact district did elect a solon favorable to Gerry’s party.

Thus, “gerrymander,” a term that lives in political infamy.

Drawing districts has always been about benefiting those who draw the maps. Read More

ALAH Track Teams Compete at Top Times

News Progress Posted on by

•March 28, 2018•

Athletes from the Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond girls’ and boys’ track and field team competed in the Illinois Top Times meet at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington Saturday.

Athletes from 312 schools were represented. Read More

Local Players Make All Conference Honors

News Progress Posted on by

Local Players Make All
Conference Honors
The Little Okaw Valley Conference and Central Illinois Conference announced its all-conference teams this past week.
In the Little Okaw Valley Northwest Division, three Okaw Valley and three Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond players earned honors.
For Okaw Valley, Jared Bunfill was voted unanimously to the first team, and Garrett Fritz and Austin Hill earned second-team honors.
For the Knights, Will Cohan and Colton Romine earned first-team honors, and Kobe Wells was named to the honorable mention team.
In the CIC, Sullivan junior Caden Ellis was named to the honorable mention team.

Alpha Phi Offers Scholarship

News Progress Posted on by

•March 28, 2018•

The Alpha Phi Chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa, an international honoree organization of women educators, is offering a $500 scholarship.

An applicant must be a junior or senior in college or a graduate student in the field of education.

Applications may be picked up at Stone and Stone Law Office in Sullivan.

The deadline for the application is April 25, 2018.

OV Softball Team Splits Pair of Games

News Progress Posted on by

Photo by RR Best
Grace Bunfill pitched 8 innings.

•March 28, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports

The Okaw Valley softball team split a pair of games last week to set its overall record at 2-3 on the year.

The Timberwolves defeated Morrisonville last Thursday but lost to Central A&M last Wednesday.

Against Morrisonville, junior Bella Benning singled in the winning run on a 2-2 count in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 6-5 final.

OV took the lead in the first inning when Grace Bunfill knocked in a run.

Morrisonville took the a 4-1 lead in the sixth inning, but OV answered with two runs in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to 4-3.

Morrisonville extended the lead to 5-3 with a run in the seventh inning, but OV again answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at five. Read More

ALAH Board Releases Schuring from Coaching

News Progress Posted on by

•March 28, 2018•

By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

The release of longtime football and basketball head coach Dale Schuring from coaching brought an expressive crowd to the Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond District School Board meeting.

Close to 100 attended the meeting with former and current high school students, parents and teachers in the crowd. They all came together to speak on behalf of Coach Dale Schuring.

Coach Schuring began coaching basketball and football at Arthur High School in 2003. He had 11 winning seasons. Schuring also went on to win five Little Okaw Valley Conference regular season titles, LOVC Northwest Division titles and four LOVC tournament titles. He also led the ALAH Knights to four class 1A regional championships and two Sweet Sixteen appearances in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. Read More

Okaw Valley’s Paige Robinson Named Player of the Year

News Progress Posted on by

•March 28, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports

Okaw Valley senior guard Paige Robinson was named the 36th annual JG-TC Girls Basketball Player of the Year this past week.

She set several records this season and has collected even more accolades along the way.

Robinson was named to the 15-member Illinois Girls’ Basketball Coaches’ All-State Class 1A/2A first team.

The 5 feet 10 inch guard was one of five players named to the second team Associated Press All-State girls’ basketball team.

“I said Paige is the best player in the area and best player around to anyone that would listen in the last two years,” said OV coach Brad Ackers. “Paige just continued to prove it.” Read More

Findlay Easter Egg Hunt

News Progress Posted on by

•March 28, 2018•

 

The First Christian Church in Findlay will host their second annual Community Easter Egg Hunt at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, March 31 behind the Okaw Valley Middle School for Pre K thru fifth grade.

In case of inclement weather the hunt will be held in the OVMS gym.

Sullivan Girls’ and Boys’ Track Host Meet

News Progress Posted on by

•March 28, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports

Athletes from the Sullivan girls’ and boys’ track and field teams competed in meets this past week.

The Redskins hosted four other teams to open its outdoor seasons last Tuesday.

The girls’ team tied Villa Grove for first with 88.5 points, and the boys’ team won the meet with 102 points.

For the girls’ team, Zoe Ray won the long jump at 16 feet 1inch, and Zoe Walton won the 40-meter dash in 1:34.34. Read More