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Senior honored
Okaw Valley High School celebrated senior track night on April 30. Garrett Ferguson was the only senior track member. Garrett is pictured here with his parents Mick and Julie Ferguson.
OV Senior honored 2024
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OV Baseball Seniors recognized 2024
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Seniors recognized
Okaw Valley High School Baseball held Senior Night last week to recognize seven seniors. Pictured are Ryan Forlines, Exchange Student Christian Reddavide, Aiden Williams, Dylan Miller, Gabe Benning, Gibson Dickens and Kaleb Burns.
Second Annual Spring Community Art Fair to be held during the Arthur Strawberry Festival Support local art & community outreach
•May 8, 2024•
The Second Annual Spring Community Art Fair will be held in the Fellowship Hall at the Arthur United Methodist Church during the Arthur Strawberry Festival on Saturday, May 18 from 11 am to 5 pm. Read More
Sullivan softball split a pair; Webb perfect against Hawks
•May 8, 2024•
by E. Scott England
Sullivan softball had a light week last week with just two games. They started on the road against Monticello before hosting Heritage on Thursday.
Fall to Sages on the Road
The bats were alive for Sullivan against Monticello. They just couldn’t get the runners around the bases. Tabitha Webb and Taylar Mercer led the team in hitting with each going two for three. Nevaeh Dovell and Kylee Freese each added another hit. Webb would also score the team’s only run. Read More
Sullivan boys track easily capture Conference Championship
•May 8, 2024•
by E. Scott England
Sullivan boys track were heavily favored to win the Lincoln Prairie Conference track meet, and at the end of the night last Friday, it was easy to see why the odds were in their favor. They finished with 170 points. The second place finisher, Villa Grove, had just 76 points.
On top of many personal records set throughout the night, several conference records were broken as well. Mason Booker, who has been dominant all year in the 110m hurdles, did what he has done all year which is leave all the competitors behind him. His 16.90 is not his fastest this year, but it was enough to become the new LPC record. Brett Bushue also set the LPC record in pole vault with 3.80m. Read More
The value of temporary food permits
How does this permit process benefit Moultrie County residents, local events, organizations, and vendors?
•May 8, 2024•
by Angela Hogan
How do temporary food permits benefit Moultrie County residents?
Completing a Temporary Food Permit (TFP) might seem like a tedious procedure, but it serves an essential purpose. The TFP application process allows public health officials to ensure everyone’s best interests and safety are protected. Let’s consider how the TFP application process benefits everyone who organizes, serves, and participates in Moultrie County food events.
The TFP process assists the Moultrie County Health Department (MCHD) in protecting the public’s health by ensuring that all food vendors in Moultrie County can: Read More
Arthur’s Strawberry Jam Festival/Social
•May 8, 2024•
Mother Nature doesn’t always cooperate with local festivals. For the first time in several years, the Strawberry Jam Festival in Arthur will be held Friday & Saturday, May 17 & 18, two weeks earlier than normal. You have to have strawberries to have a great festival and the strawberries should be ready by then.
While the festival will be early, the committee is ready to roll out the “strawberry” red carpet to welcome festival goers to a weekend of fun and sweet eating. What better way to celebrate late spring and early summer than with America’s favorite fruit. Adding excitement to the occasion with be pony rides (Saturday only), a variety of vendors and great food mixed together to create Arthur Amish Country’s Strawberry Jam Festival. Stores will have a wide variety of merchandise you won’t want to miss, along with crafts and of course food. You won’t go away empty handed or hungry. Read More
Grammar Moses: So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night
•May 8, 2024•
Stick a fork in me, dear readers. I’m done.
Parting is such sweet sorrow, but after a decade of writing this column and four times as long (not four times longer) employed by this newspaper company, I have decided to hand in my press pass, hang up my spurs and, well, retire.
This is my final column.
Retirement is bittersweet for me. I will miss the amazing people I work with, and I’ll also miss all of you who faithfully read these weekly scribblings.
I’ve decided that once I hand the keys to the newsroom to my capable successor, I will focus on a different kind of writing ― namely fiction ― something that doesn’t mix well with newspapers. After a few aborted attempts at writing the Great American Novel over the past 20 years, I’m itchin’ to find out whether I finally can complete one. Read More
Remembering Who We Are… 8
Considering the Mosquitos
•May 8, 2024•
by Janet Roney
When God created the prairie grass and flowers that covered Moultrie County, “the lilies of the field”, he also created the creatures of the prairie. It was alive with living creatures…and they were not quiet. Meadowlarks warbled their happy songs as Redwing blackbirds scolded everything that moved from atop compass plant flower stalks; spring peepers chirped and bull frogs croaked among the cattails in prairie pools; fish splashing in Eagle Pond attracted the notice of bald eagles screaming overhead. Read More
Girls track have strong showing, captures second place conference win
•May 8, 2024•
by E. Scott England
Eleven teams gathered in Argenta last Friday for the Lincoln Prairie Conference track meet. The ladies scored in all but five of the events, earning 77 points and placing them in second place. ALAH won the meet with 123 points.
Freshman Julia Moody made her presence known in both the 1600m and 3200m, winning both and setting the conference record in the 3200m. The 4x200m Devon Richardson, Mya Dyer, Kelsie Hodge, and Kharli Kelly also broke the conference record for that relay by 5 seconds. Read More