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OV Veterans Day Event

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•October 26, 2022•

Okaw Valley Community Unit School District invites all Veterans and their family members to a Veterans Day program at Okaw Valley High School in Bethany on Friday, November 11th. A breakfast will be provided to all who attend beginning at 8:15 am in the cafeteria and a short assembly will follow at 9:15 am. The assembly will feature the Okaw Valley School District band and chorus students, and keynote speaker. The students and staff at Okaw Valley thank all Veterans for their acts of courage and devotion to the ideals that have served to guide our nation. We would be honored if you could join us to pay tribute to all the brave men and women who have admirably served our country. If you will be able to attend, please call 665-3232 for a reservation.

Courthouse Safe Trick or Treat

News Progress Posted on by

•October 26, 2022•

The Moultrie County Court House is going to participate in Safe Trick or Treat on Oct. 31, 2022 from 4-6pm on the square. They will be serving hot dogs, chips and hot chocolate on the West Side of the building, sponsored by MMV Farms.

Trick or Treat Hours and Activities

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•October 26, 2022•

Arthur: Arthur Park District Trunk or Treat Saturday, October 29 from 3 pm to 5 pm
Safe trick or treat Saturday, October 29 from 5 pm to 8 pm
Safe trick or treat Monday, October 31 from 5 pm to 8 pm

Bethany: BASO Safe Trick or Treat Saturday, October 29 from 4 pm to 6 pm on Main Street, Okaw Valley PTO will be sponsoring a costume contest with a parade, judges and awards. In case of inclement weather event will be moved to Okaw Valley Elementary School.
Traditional Trick or Treat Saturday, October 29 from 6 pm to 9 pm

Findlay: Trick or Treat Monday, October 31 from 6 pm to 8 pm
Findlay First Christian Church Trunk or Treat on Saturday, October 29 5 pm to 7 pm in the FCC Parking Lot at 202 W. Division Street
Findlay American Legion Auxiliary Halloween Supper, Friday, October 28 serving 5 pm to 7 pm. Serving barbecue, chicken and noodles, chili, peanut butter and cheese salad sandwiches, cole slaw, deviled eggs, desserts and drinks. Costume judging will begin at 7 pm.

Gays: Traditional Trick or Treat Monday, October 31 from 5 pm to 8 pm
Trunk or Treat at Smyser Christian Church, Saturday, October 29 from 5 pm to 7 pm
Lovington: Safe Trick or Treating, Business District Hours October 28 4 pm to 6 pm; Residential 6 pm to 8 pm.
Lovington Park Board Trunk or Treat and Costume Contest Saturday, October 29 from 1 pm to 4 pm; Costume contest at 2 pm; Trunk or Treat 3 pm to 4 pm.

Sullivan: Safe Trick or Treat, Monday, October 31 from 4 pm to 6 pm
Traditional Trick or Treat Monday, October 31 from 6 pm to 9 pm
AMBUCS Halloween Parade at 6:30 pm around the square

Windsor: WHAT and Windsor Storm Memorial Library host Trunk or Treat at Windsor City Park on Friday, October 28 from 5:30 pm to 7 pm followed by a movie.
Saturday, October 29, Windsor American Legion Soup Supper and Halloween Parade. Serving begins at 5 pm with line-up for parade at library at 6:45 pm. Parade will travel down Maine Street to American Legion. Judging will start at 7 pm. Categories for judging are Children 3 and under, Princesses/Disney/Fairytales, Witches/Ghosts/Zombies, TV/Movies/Super Hero Characters, Occupational/Original/Animals and Family/Groups. Prizes for first, second and third for each category, Grand Prize winner selected from all first place. Free merchant drawings throughout the evening.
Monday, October 31 City wide trick or treat from 6 pm to 8 pm
Monday, October 31 from 6 pm to 8 pm Trunk or Treat at Windsor Christian Church, 1101 Broadway Ave.

Recent Obituaries: Alex Rothrock

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Alex Rothrock

Alex Timothy Rothrock, 29, of Bethany, IL, received his coronation at 8:07 a.m. Wednesday, October 19, 2022 in Manchester, TN.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, October 26, 2022 in Jonathan Creek Christian Church, Sullivan, IL with Pastors Tim Henderson and Josh Mclain officiating. Visitation will be from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 25, 2022 in Howe and Yockey Funeral Home, 415 N. Broadway, Shelbyville, IL 62565. Burial will be at a later date in Findlay Cemetery, Findlay, IL. Memorials may be given to Teen Challenge.
Alex was born on April 21, 1993 in Decatur, IL, the son of Timothy Jay and Brenda Annette Yantis Rothrock. He graduated from Okaw Valley High School in 2011 and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Theological Studies from the University of Valley Forge, Phoenixville, PA in 2019. He graduated summa cum laude with honors. Alex LOVED baseball. His knowledge and recall of MLB history, statistics and players was astonishing. He was a lifelong die-hard Chicago Cubs fan. Alex rarely attended a game where he did not receive a game ball. Whether it was catching a foul ball, a batting practice ball, or just getting a player to toss him a ball – he just seemed to have a knack for one of those to end up in his own glove, which he always took with him.
 Alex completed Teen Challenge in March of 2015 and upon completion, worked with this faith based recovery ministry in various roles. Later on he worked with Be the Bush recovery ministry in Manchester, Tennessee.  Most recently, Alex worked as a scout for Prep Baseball Reports.
He was a member of Jonathan Creek Christian Church, Sullivan, IL.
Alex is survived by his parents, Tim and Brenda; sister, Ariel Annette Short (Dylan) of Mattoon, IL; nieces, Kinley and Keller Short; grandparents, Ron Rothrock of Findlay, IL, and Jim and Julie Yantis of Decatur, IL; uncles, Jim Yantis (Kendra) of Cumming, GA, and Jeff Rothrock (Karen) of Utica, IL; cousins, Bella, Connor, Collin and Brody Yantis of Cumming, GA., and Kyle and Janelle Rothrock of Utica, IL.
Alex was absolutely wild in love with his sweet nieces Kinley and Keller.  They shared an amazing relationship and the girls just adore him. He was really looking forward to meeting his new niece Charley who is due to arrive any day.
The special people in Alex’s life are too numerous to list. If you knew him - you loved him and the feeling was mutual. Alex was a friend to many and felt with deep empathy for the hurts and trials of others. Whether to share a laugh or a cry – you could count on him to be there with his full support. He just loved people.  No judgement – Unconditional love.  He could always be counted on with his quick wit to make you laugh or smile no matter what you were dealing with.
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” John 8:36
By accepting Jesus as his Lord and savior, Alex is now no longer bound by the chains of addiction but has been set free.
He was preceded in death by his paternal grandmother, Sue Rothrock.

Send condolences to www.howeandyockey.com

Menu 10-19-2022

News Progress Posted on by

Senior Peace Meal

For additional information or for reservations, please call 1-800-543-1770

Oct. 24 - Sloppy Joes, Sweet Potato Cubes, Green Beans, Chunky Applesauce, Whole Grain Bun
Oct. 25 - Chicken Pot Pie, Tomato & Zucchini, Warm Fruit Compote, Biscuit
Oct. 26 - Ham and Beans, Copper Carrots, Fruit Cocktail, Cornbread, Dessert
Oct. 27 - Pizza Mac Casserole, Peas, Corn , Romaine Salad w/Dressing Packet
Oct. 28 - Liver and onions, Potatoes Au Gratin, Mixed Vegetables, Apricots, Whole Grain Roll

Sullivan Fire Protection Dist. Fire Prevention Education event 2022

News Progress Posted on by

Photo by Crystal Reed
Photo Opportunity
Raylan and Kayson Roe smile for a photo during the Sullivan Fire Protection District’s Fire Prevention Education event held on Saturday, October 15.

Photo by Crystal Reed
Freddie The Fire Truck
Children interact with Freddie The Fire Truck during the Fire Prevention Education Day at the corner of Jackson and Hamilton.

Photo by Crystal Reed
Frank The Firefighter
Zola Krieger with Frank The Firefighter during the Fire Prevention Education event held by the Sullivan Fire Department.

Photo by Crystal Reed
Checking Out A Fire Truck
Paislee and Tinsleigh Schiefelbein and Leiah Mexicotte enjoyed taking a look around a firetruck on Saturday, October 15.

Social Security 8.7 Percent Benefit Increase for 2023

News Progress Posted on by

•October 19, 2022•
Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for approximately 70 million Americans will increase 8.7 percent in 2023, the Social Security Administration announced Thursday, October 13. On average, Social Security benefits will increase by more than $140 per month starting in January.
The 8.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to more than 65 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2023. Increased payments to more than 7 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 30, 2022. (Note: some people receive both Social Security and SSI benefits). The Social Security Act ties the annual COLA to the increase in the Consumer Price Index as determined by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Read More

Attorney General Candidates Clash Over SAFE-T Act, Public Health Measures

News Progress Posted on by

•October 19, 2022•
By Peter Hancock
Capitol News Illinois
phancock @ capitolnewsillinois.com

Attorney General Kwame Raoul accused his Republican challenger Thomas DeVore of making “dangerous” remarks, while DeVore accused the Democratic incumbent of failing the state’s school students by not challenging Gov. JB Pritzker’s COVID-19 mitigations.
The charges and countercharges came during a nearly hourlong debate organized by the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors and Capitol News Illinois that was conducted Monday via Zoom.
Raoul, a former state senator from Chicago, is seeking his second term in the AG’s office while DeVore, a southern Illinois attorney in private practice, is trying to unseat him. Read More

Crop Yields Remain Volatile This Year

News Progress Posted on by

•October 19, 2022•
Harvest seasons vary depending on the crop that was planted, but late summer and fall are busy times of year for farmers. And since the pandemic began, farmers have been working overtime to ensure that their goods make it to market on time.
The agricultural sector is affected by a number of variables, including the weather and pests. The pandemic is yet another of those variables, and consumers may want to know how the many factors that affect the agricultural sector could affect what is and isn’t in the grocery store in the months to come.
Wheat products: A variety of factors have affected the availability of wheat-based products. Earlier this year, exceptional drought levels in the midwest — areas with high production of wheat products — coupled with concern about spring rainfall amounts being enough for summer crops to thrive may continue to adversely affect the availability of breads, pastas and other items made from wheat. Read More

How to Prepare Your Car for Winter

News Progress Posted on by

•October 19, 2022•
Summer and fall can stake their claim as road trip season, and even devoted drivers may admit that winter is generally a less desirable time to take to the open road. The elements factor heavily into that reputation, as fewer hours of daylight, snow and ice are just some of the variables that can make it less enjoyable, and potentially more dangerous, to drive in winter.
In anticipation of adverse driving conditions, vehicle owners can take various steps to prepare their cars and trucks for winter.
• Upgrade your wiper blades. Perhaps nothing is compromised more than visibility when driving in winter compared to other times of year. Snow makes it hard to see when driving, but fewer hours of daylight also can affect visibility. In fact, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that approximately half of all fatal crashes occur between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., even though the number of drivers on the road during those hours is considerably lower than it is during the daytime. The difficulty of driving at night is even more significant when wiper blades are not up to the task of keeping rain and snow off drivers’ windshields. Prior to winter, inspect wiper blades and upgrade them, if necessary. Streaks left on a windshield are a telltale sign that blades need to be replaced. Read More