Jim Huffman
James Edward Huffman, 62, of Urbana, formerly of Arcola and Arthur, died December 16, 2016 from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in his residence.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, December 20 in Shrader Funeral Home in Arcola. Burial followed in Arcola Cemetery.
Jim was born September 27, 1954 in Mattoon, the son of Lorn and Eunice Meyers Huffman. Read More
•December 21, 2016•
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources will place discarded Christmas trees into Lake Shelbyville to enhance the fisheries for years to come. Donated Christmas trees are bundled together in small groups and submerged in the lake at select locations. These structures provide fish with breeding areas and escape cover, proving invaluable to not only the fisheries but to anglers as well. New trees are added to sites each year to maintain suitable cover. Read More
•December 21, 2016•
By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist
The state of Illinois has at long last started thinking about a bicentennial celebration for Illinois, admitted as a state December 3, 1818. [Next door, the State of Indiana devoted seven years to planning for its 200th birthday, which Hoosiers have been celebrating this year.]
Gov. Bruce Rauner has appointed sports marketing whiz Stuart Layne (Mariners, Celtics, others) to staff the 40+ worthies the guv recently named to a bicentennial commission.
Given the short time available, Layne needs our help, and we across the 1,200 or so communities of Illinois can sure use his.
The state has less than no money, so Layne hopes to attract corporate sponsorships that will pay for such as major touring historical exhibits, in return for the opportunity to link companies to the people of Illinois.
I am a little uncomfortable allowing, say, Anheuser-Busch to take credit for our state’s greatness. But, hey, this is a brave new world where governments, especially ones that are broke, are often being shorn of what some see as, at best, collateral responsibilities.
I guess we should take help where we can get, and be thankful. Read More
•December 21, 2016•
The Sullivan Civic Women’s club met December 12, and rather than a gift exchange, each member made a monetary donation to the Food Pantry and Moultrie County Interagency to be divided equally. Funds donated to the Moultrie County Interagency will be used to assist with hotel stays, prescriptions, car repairs, utility bills, rent and groceries. Read More
•December 21, 2016•
By Sam L. Clemons
for the News Progress
Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library ushers in more than a new year on January 1, 2017. That’s when Director Clemens Uptmor retires and Michelle Nolen takes on those duties.
The city library has long been one of Sullivan’s best kept secrets. Although serving a small community, Elizabeth Titus gives it patrons services many larger libraries lack.
For example no other library in the area offers a 3D printer. Elizabeth Titus Library purchased one in September 2014 for public use which has been utilized for many student projects and is open for public use.
“Many of the services offered by the library were in place before I was director,” Uptmor said, explaining program expansions and creations were brought about by staff getting together responding to requests from the patrons. Read More
Lois Ratcliffe
Lois “June” Maher Ratcliffe, 83, of Sullivan died at 4:03 p.m. Dec. 2, 2016.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, December 27 in Mason Point Chapel in Sullivan. Inurnment will be in Davis Memorial Cemetery in Pesotum at a later date. Calvert-Belangee-Bruce Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Read More
Pictured above is Freeland Grove in Sullivan. Before there was a Wyman Park, area folks used Freeland Grove. It was locaed where the Civic Center and Sullivan American Legion now are. The date that this photo was taken is unknown. 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.
•December 21, 2016•
By Kirk Whitaker
NP Sports
Thanks to 10 points in the early going from Megan Schlecte, Windsor/Stew-Stras was down only 18-16 with 6:28 to go in the half.
From that point on, Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hamond went on an 18-5 half-ending run. That included eight points from senior Megan Fifer, taking a 36-21 lead at intermission. Read More
•December 21, 2016•
It’s been 119 years since Virginia O’Hanlon sought the truth about Santa from the New York Sun.
In over a century, the lives of children — and their parents— have increased in complexity by a factor of ten.
Man landed on the moon, communism rose and fell, countries changed names and borders, Elvis begat Jagger, who in turn led to “gangsta rap”. The kidnap and murder of children, which made world headlines for the Lindbergh family, now touches the lives of hundreds of families annually. Children begin learning at ages two and three about “stranger danger,” AIDS and sexual abuse.
The age of innocence is gone. Read More
Photo by Mike Brothers
Okaw Valley Honors Teacher
During an awards ceremony at Okaw Valley Elementary School a special honor was given retiring teacher Debbie Weinstock. Members of Weinstock’s third grade class presented her with a quilt they made for her in class without her knowledge. Principal Doug McCausland pointed out the students had Mrs. Weistock pick material for the quilt they secretly made for her.