Compiled by Bekki Ferguson-Stevens

25 Years Ago This Week

Seven Moultrie County 4-H’ers received superior awards for their entries Monday at the 1990 Illinois State Fair. Superior award winners from Sullivan were Amy R. Bishop, Ross A. Haverstock and Krystal L. Horsman, Sarah E. Shasteen and Carrie L. Wildman. Lovington superior award winners were Wesley J. Bolsen and Ryan D. Nettles.

The Illinois State Fair open show Grand Champion Barrow became a family project for the DeOrnellases of Sullivan, who brought home the winning ribbon, silver bowl and a prize check for approximately $800. Ron Deornellas of Sullivan showed his sister’s Grand Champion Barrow, Nicki, in the Illinois State Fair open show. The 241-pound crossbred is owned by Pam Deornellas.

With her brown and shiny 29-inch pony tail, Lacosta Meadows of Sullivan, daughter of Kenneth and Deborah Meadows, won first place last week in the Illinois State Fair’s pony tail contest for five and six year olds. Lacosta won over approximately 25 other contestants in her age group for having the longest hair.

Ruby Christy of Sullivan and Gloria Foley of Lovington represented the Moultrie County Homemakers Extension Assn. at the Illinois Homemakers Extension Federation District 4 and 5 meeting held recently in Decatur.

Approximately 2,000 submarine sandwiches were prepared for customers during Sullivan Subway’s grand opening Friday and Saturday. Cathy Janes and Hillary Barnes were among the many employees who prepared the made-to-order sandwiches. Read More

Photo Submitted

•September 2, 2015•

Students debut human and computer interaction projects in Lake Land College’s new Innovation Lab and Maker Space

From home automation to robots and banana pianos, Lake Land College Information Technology (IT) students are thinking outside the box and creating groundbreaking projects in the college’s new Innovation Lab and Maker Space.

Housed in Webb Hall, the space will be home to new innovation courses that instructor Scott Rhine is developing.

“We now have the space and equipment to take what was formerly known as my Human Computer Interaction class and turn it into something more in-depth and creative for students in the IT field and beyond,” said Rhine. “The new classes will be designed for non-IT majors as well. Everyone can benefit from increased creativity and better problem solving skills and this new lab will be an incubator for future makers and creators. We’ve been working on significantly automating the lab, which will have, what I have dubbed, a Wall of Awesome an interactive wall that visitors and especially children can use to activate different pieces of the automated lab.”

While Rhine is transitioning his curriculum for the new courses, this summer, students used the Innovation Lab to work on more than 20 unique projects. During the class, students start by learning the basic equipment in the lab and then start exploring the different project possibilities.  Read More

•September 2, 2015•

By Ariana Cherry
Reporting from Arthur

The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond school board discussed a tentative 2016 budget at their last regular meeting. “There is about a $150,000 difference in the education fund,” stated Superintendent Kenneth Schwengel. “We had to move $150,000 to the transportation fund so that it would be in the black,” he said. “We also have yet to receive a million dollars in reorganization funds.”

The estimated beginning fund balance for the ALAH district as of July 1, 2015 is $1,347,192. The budget calculates the total disbursements/expenditures to be $8,556,208. If the district receives all of their appropriate funding, the anticipated ending balance for June 2016 has been calculated to be $1,615,666. The board noted that the budget will be on display for the next 30 days and then a hearing will be held at 6 p.m. September 21 to approve it.

Other matters that were discussed or voted upon:

-Students returned to class Wednesday, August 19. Read More

•September 2, 2015•

By Ariana Cherry
Reporting from Sullivan

Not only is the Moultrie County courthouse receiving some repairs and restoration, but the square around it will be getting repaved, as discussed by the Sullivan city council at their last meeting.

According to commissioner Ken Johnson, the courthouse square was paved 30 years ago with asphalt. The current estimate to repave the square is $350,000 which doesn’t include the surface prep work. After the square has been repaved, it can last between seven to 10 years. With the cost and work of the job, it will need to be broken down into three years. “We would like to put down as much asphalt as possible and see how much we can get done,” said Johnson.

“We should do the square first and then see what will be left,” he added. Read More