•February 15, 2023•
Citizens who are not registered to vote and cannot leave their home or Nursing Home/Assisted Living Facility because of a permanent physical disability can arrange for voter registration and voting by contacting the Moultrie County Clerk’s office.
The last day to register to vote before the April 4, 2023, Consolidated Election is Tuesday, March 7, 2023, with the exception of grace period registrations and transfers between March 8, 2023, and Election Day. Read More
Roger Simpson
Roger A. Simpson, 62, of Altamont, passed away at 8:20 a.m., Saturday, February 11, 2023, at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield. Read More
Gregory Pope
Gregory B. Pope, 72, of Findlay, Ohio, passed away peacefully Wed, Feb 1, 2023, after months of valiantly fighting multiple health battles. Greg was preceded in death by his parents George and Betty Pope, and beloved stepmother, Cleda, his sister and brother-in-law, Judy and Gene Monroe, and sister-in-law Marilyn (Ted) Pope. Read More
John Heckler
John J. Heckler, 101, of Decatur, formerly of Atwood, passed away at 2:25 p.m., Monday, February 13, 2023, at Imboden Creek Senior Living Center in Decatur. Read More
Billy England
Billy T. England, 91 of Allenville, passed away Feb. 11, 2023, in his residence. Read More
Sharon Bennett
Sharon Arlene Bennett, 83, of Arcola, passed away peacefully surrounded by her daughters at 2:05 p.m., Wednesday, February 8, 2023, in the Harmony Center at the Odd Fellow-Rebekah Home in Mattoon.
Private graveside services will be held in the Arcola Cemetery. Edwards Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements. Read More
•February 15, 2023•
Calling all artists in Arthur and other surrounding communities!
A fundraiser to help support outreach endeavors in the Arthur Community will be holding its first ever Spring Community Creative Arts Fair.
The goal of the fundraiser is to raise money for the outreach programs that AUMC (Arthur United Methodist Church) uses as its ministry to help the community. Those programs include the AUMC Food Pantry, Wednesday Night Community Meals, God’s Closet, the youth programs and the Arthur Ministerial Association. Read More
•February 15, 2023•
February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, and Illinois community colleges across the state are celebrating their valuable role in preparing the workforce for in-demand jobs. CTE programs offered at community colleges provide students with hands-on training and real-world experience in a variety of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, and technology.
Lake Land College offers more than 100 career and technical majors in high demand fields. Students who graduate from these short-term and degree programs launch start their careers with little to no debt with life-sustaining wages.
In addition, Lake Land is proud to be working with many industry partners to grow highly skilled employees from within the community. The college has 12 registered apprenticeships this spring and in the past year the Center for Business and Industry served 1,840 students and 23 companies with customized training programs. Read More
Pictured above is the Allenville Christian Church being recognized in 1961.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.
•February 15, 2023•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer
Do you speak Illinoisan?
More to the point, do you speak Chicagoan?
Heck, I could just as easily ask whether you speak North Sidese or South Sidese.
Perhaps it’s the 59 years I’ve spent listening to and speaking to Illinoisans, but during a brief conversation I can safely guess whether you spent much of your life north or south of the Loop. I can even tell most Minnesotans from North Dakotans, which is a rare skill.
So I am of a mind that there is no such thing as an Illinois dialect. It’s too broad. I know people from northern, central and southern Illinois, and we barely sound like we’re from the same country.
I grew up in Arlington Heights, but this column’s editor, Michelle Holdway, hails from downstate Herrin. And she has kept her southern twang for decades since moving to the Chicago area. Read More