•October 19, 2022•
October is College Changes Everything® (CCE) Month in Illinois, when the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) teams up with high schools and community partners to support students in completing their college and financial aid applications. During CCE Month and the Fall CCE Campaign from Labor Day through Thanksgiving, ISAC and its partners provide an intensive schedule of free college and financial aid application completion workshops available statewide. That’s especially important this year, as students will see changes in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) that will begin to simplify the application, and there will be expanded financial aid eligibility for some students. The 2023-24 FAFSA and the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid became available Oct. 1, 2022. Read More
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Obituaries 10-19-2022: Jan Munch
Jan Munch
Pastor Jan Munch, originally from Sullivan, went to be with the Lord on October 11, 2022, at age 81. He was the pastor of Athens Lutheran Church in Athens, Tenn. from 1983 to 2007. Prior to this, he served as Assistant Pastor at Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Decatur and as a vacancy pastor at Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church in Mt. Zion. Before entering ministry, he was a DJ and radio announcer, and lead vocalist of a popular local Decatur band in the 1970s. Read More
Obituaries 10-19-2022: Randy Lawler
Randy Lawler
Randy L. Lawler, 47, of Sullivan, formerly of Assumption, passed away at 1:53 p.m., Friday, October 14, 2022, at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center in Mattoon. Read More
Obituaries 10-19-2022: Helen Hunt
Helen Hunt
Helen Louise Hunt, 84, of rural Sullivan, passed away at 11:03 p.m., Thursday, October 13, 2022, at Odd Fellow-Rebekah Home in Mattoon. Read More
Obituaries 10-19-2022: David Chappel
David Chappel
David R. “Slugger” Chappel, 48, of Sullivan, passed away at 9:37 a.m., Wednesday, October 12, 2022, in his residence surrounded by his family. Read More
Moultrie Moment of the Week
Pictured above is Chip’s Station around the turn of the century. 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.
Three Different Columns In One, and None Of Them Very Good
•October 19, 2022•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer
Sports columnist/word wizard Jim O’Donnell passed along to me a Washington Post column by Random House copy chief Benjamin Dreyer on what I’ll call poofy words. I found it most interesting.
In it Dreyer writes about his relentless search-and-destroy mission for the word “very,” which is often very unnecessary — just as my use of it in this sentence was.
He also might criticize my use of “most” to describe his column as interesting. It wasn’t the most interesting column I’ve ever read, but “interesting” by itself felt like I’d shortchanged it. Read More
Remember When? 10-19-2022
25 Years Ago This Week
The Moultrie County Sheriff’s Dept. received a $10,362 grant from the Illinois Dept. of Transportation. Sheriff Rieck Kendall said that with the help of the grant the county would be able to hire deputies for additional patrols on what would have been off-duty hours. The grant paid for 40 additional eight hour shifts without increasing the county budget.
Bethany High School celebrated Homecoming with a variety of activities including a powder puff game, parade and the Homecoming Court. That year’s King was Keith Fair and Queen was Natalie Cohan. Read More
Moultrie Co. Board Awards Final Round of American Rescue Plan Grants
•October 19, 2022•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer
The Moultrie County Board awarded American Rescue Plan (ARPA) grants to eight recipients during their Thursday, October 13, meeting. The total amount awarded in this round was $1,095,525. Board members John Fayhee and Marsha Kirby attended the meeting via phone, and John Vander Burgh was absent.
Grants were awarded to the Life Center in the amount of $41,000 for roof and HVAC upgrades, Moultrie County Dive Team in the amount of $100,000 for mobile command unit and upgrades to rescue boats, Kaskaskia Valley Animal Hospital in the amount of $15,000 for generator as county’s animal hospital and boarding provider, Village of Arthur for $200,000 for water sewer project, Sullivan Bakery for $89,000 for lost revenue during COVID, County Detention Center for $167,525 for upgrades to electronics and door, Bethany Diner for $60,000 for roof and HVAC updates and Andrew’s Group for $423,000 for consultation, deployment and investment of childcare crisis plan. Read More
Sullivan Fire Protection District Receives Donation for Grain Bin Rescue Equipment
Photo by Crystal Reed
The Sullivan Fire Protection District was presented with a check for $1,000 from South Central FS and Total Grain Marketing for grain bin rescue equipment on Wednesday, October 12. Pictured from left to right are Captain Tyler Wright, South Central FS, Inc. CEO and TGM General Manager Joe Meinhart, Fire Chief Larry Edwards and Assistant Fire Chief Chris Wright.
•October 19, 2022•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer
The Sullivan Fire Protection District has a new tool to help them out when responding to grain bin rescues. South Central FS and Total Grain Marketing presented the fire district with a check for $1,000 which was applied to the purchase of a rescue grain auger. The auger may be used when a person becomes trapped in a grain bin.
The person trapped is placed inside the tube, and it removes the grain or other product surrounding them. According to Captain Tyler Wright, prior to this, if the department should have a rescue, crews would use old coffee cans to remove the product from around the victim. Wright noted that the Arthur Fire Department also has a rescue grain auger available to them as well. Read More