Author Archives:

Moultrie Moment of the Week

News Progress Posted on by

Pictured above is Sullivan High School’s 1932 basketball team. Back row: Coach Dennis, Everett Keys statistician, Mark Kenny mgr, Sam Harshman, Harmon Baggett, H. Poland. Middle: George Poland, Richard Poland, Bill Richardson, Russell Ashbrook, Hugh Grote. Front: Bill Dwyer, Elmer Dunscomb, Earl Freeman, Capt. Pete McDavid, Mush Shirey. 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.

Mobile Food Pantry in Windsor

News Progress Posted on by

•January 12, 2022•

The University of Illinois Extension, in cooperating partnership with Decatur Catholic Charities and Windsor School District, will have a mobile food pantry on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 from 4 to 5 pm at Windsor Grade School. Line up not allowed before 3:30 pm. A mobile food pantry delivers a 2 week supply of food per family in rural communities. Any individual or family that does not have a steady food supply qualifies to receive food. No financial information is required. This distribution is open to all, not only residents of Windsor. Sign up by February 9 between the hours of 8 am-Noon and 1 pm to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday by calling 217-774-9546. Once your form is completed by phone, you will be given a number to bring with you on the day of distribution. If you lose your number, you need to bring identification. The food will be distributed according to your household size on February 16 from 4 pm to 5 pm at the Windsor Grade School Cafeteria.

Pin the Apostrophe on the T-shirt

News Progress Posted on by

•January 12, 2022•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer

The willy-nilly placement of apostrophes in writing is a common problem and one we should resolve to correct in 2022.
Come on. It can’t be as difficult as shutting out the siren call of simple carbs that emanates from the cupboard and the fridge, which is the width of a wall away from me in my home office.
With any luck, you haven’t gotten back any of your holiday cards stamped “Return to Sender: Inappropriate Use of Apostrophe in Plural Surname.”
My not sending cards in 2021 ensured I made no such blunders. But that seems an aggressively anti-social way to approach the holidays.
With callous disregard for an appropriate segue, I point to reader Michele Moore’s apostrophic concern in what I assume is a piece of her business formal wear. Read More

Remember When? 1-12-2022

News Progress Posted on by

25 Years Ago This Week

After a relatively mild early winter, the season showed it could pack a double punch. A massive snowfall followed by high winds, zero visibility and bone chilling cold closed schools. Then there was a repeat performance when freezing rain and sleet made travel hazardous and closed several area schools.
The Lovington boys’ basketball team won over Villa Grove 58-42. Read More

Sullivan Township Precincts redrawn

News Progress Posted on by

•January 12, 2022•
New Voter Identification cards will be mailed to all registered voters in Sullivan Township in mid-January. The Voters Precinct and Polling Location will be in red on these cards. It is very important that Sullivan Township voters review the new Voter ID card to make sure they go to the correct Precinct and Poll Location on Election Day. Reminder: The date for the General Primary Election is June 28, 2022.
The Moultrie County Board passed a Resolution to Re-establish Voting Precinct Lines in Sullivan Township at their July 15, 2021 Board meeting. As a result of that meeting, Sullivan Township precinct sizes now range from 459 to 609 registered voters. Read More

City Council Split on Establishment of Chief of Staff Position

News Progress Posted on by

•January 12, 2022•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer

The Sullivan City Council had a split vote on whether to establish the position of chief of staff for the city of Sullivan. The vote taken was 2-2. Commissioner Doug Booker was absent. “I’ve changed my position on it,” Commissioner Mike Fowler said. “It’s too much like the city administrator.”
Commissioner Abbey Sherwood announced that the city would be taking bids for a UTV utility vehicle. Bids will be received until 5 p.m., February 14, and should be submitted by mail. Commissioner Chuck Woodworth said the crew is working on installing bigger Nextgrid meters. Read More

ALAH Cheerleader performs at VRBO Citrus Bowl

News Progress Posted on by

Photo Submitted
Layna Kapp is pictured.

•January 12, 2022•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer

Layna Kapp, an ALAH High School senior from Lovington, performed at the VRBO Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida on January 1. The game between Iowa and Kentucky was played at Camping World Stadium.
Kapp said that her cheer coach set up a home camp through the Universal Cheer Association. During the camp, tryouts were held and three girls qualified to perform at the bowl game. Kapp was the only one able to travel to Orlando to perform. Read More

Local Agencies report Call Counts for 2021

News Progress Posted on by

File Photo
Call counts have come in from fire, police and ambulance departments in our local area. Some towns have seen an increase in calls while others have not.

•January 12, 2022•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer

Our local fire departments, ambulance services and police departments work hard to keep citizens safe, and in case of emergency, extinguish fires, respond to car accidents and other life happenings. They work long hours, and at times, their plans for the day will change at a moment’s notice. Agencies in Windsor, Findlay, Arthur, Bethany, Sullivan and Lovington were contacted for their call counts in 2020 and 2021.
The Sullivan Police Department received 2,030 calls in 2020 and 1,930 in 2021. Sullivan Fire Department separates their call counts by ambulance transport and fire and rescue calls which include things such as fires, motor vehicle accidents and lift assists. They calculate by fiscal year which ends on June 30. Read More

Tax Filing Delay for Taxpayers

News Progress Posted on by

•January 12, 2022•

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Revenue announced that victims of severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes beginning December 10, 2021 now have until May 16, 2022, to file various individual and business tax returns and make income tax payments.
“As Illinois communities build back from December’s severe storms, my administration is committed to supporting the recovery process every step of the way,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Residents who live or have a business in the impacted area won’t have to worry about incurring penalties and interest on their state or federal tax deadlines until May, giving them additional time to gather essential paperwork and get their affairs in order on the road to rebuild.”
Following a disaster proclamation issued by Governor Pritzker, tax filing relief is now available to taxpayers who live or have a business in Bond, Cass, Coles, Effingham, Fayette, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Pike and Shelby counties.
The tax relief postpones various tax filing deadlines and relieves certain late payment penalties starting on December 10. As a result, affected individuals and businesses will have until May 16 to file returns and pay any income taxes that were originally due during this period. This includes 2021 individual income tax returns due on April 18, as well as various 2021 business returns normally due on March 15 and April 18.
Impacted taxpayers also have until the May 16 deadline to make quarterly estimated income tax payments due on January 18 and April 18 without incurring penalties. Among other things, this means that individual taxpayers can defer making the fourth quarter estimated tax payment, normally due January 18, 2022, and instead include it with the 2021 return they file, on or before May 16.
Furthermore, no penalties will be assessed on the quarterly withholding income tax returns normally due on January 31 and May 2, 2022 provided they are filed by the May 16 deadline, nor on late payments of withholding income tax due between December 10 and December 26, as long as the required payments were made by December 27, 2021.
If filing a return via postal mail, taxpayers should write “Tornado-December 2021” on the top of their returns in red. If filing electronically, taxpayers must notify the department that their return will be delayed by emailing REV.DisasterRelief@Illinois.gov. They should provide their full name, account number (if using a social security number, only include the last four digits), mailing address and an estimate of when they believe they can file or pay their taxes.