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A Time to Reset America’s Broken Politics

News Progress Posted on by

•May 13, 2020•
By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist

In a recent wide-ranging column, I had only space enough to touch on my thought that we need a reset of American politics. Several readers (well, actually, one reader) asked that I drill down on the topic. Here goes.
Politics is not bad. The FDR speechwriter turned conservative columnist Raymond Moley observed: “Politics is not something to avoid, abolish or destroy. It is a condition of life, like the air we breathe. It is ours to live with, as we must, to control if we can. Either we must master its ways, or most surely we will be mastered by those who do.” I used to recite that as part of my political speeches, when I was on that circuit.
I know that sounds high-minded, and our Founders were certainly not without their personal ambitions. Yet, their overriding concerns were to establish order, harmony and prosperity in our new nation. These three objectives are still paramount, with conservatives tending to put more emphasis on order, liberals more to harmony. Read More

Diploma Ceremony Moves Inside for SHS

News Progress Posted on by

•May 13, 2020•
Due to the high chance of inclement weather and to reduce confusion, graduates will now receive their diplomas in the school before the car parade. Attached is a document that has time slots on it for when each graduate should be at the school with their guests. Each graduate is allowed to bring up to 7 guests with them. You will park in the back parking lot and enter the school through the science wing at your scheduled time. From there, you will enter the gym. The guests will go onto the gym floor and the student will walk onto the stage. When their name is read, the graduate will walk up to receive their diploma and turn their tassel (we encourage guests to cheer). There will be a professional photographer present for the receiving of the diploma, and it will be videoed as well. The graduate will walk down the stairs on the other side of the stage, where they will meet their guests and exit the gym out the opposite side. From there, you will head to the commons. We will have a camera set up to take a picture of the graduate and the guests in front of the mural in the commons, then you will exit through the commons doors and go home.
Students will return at 2 to get lined up for the car parade in the back parking lot (their parking spot will remain the same as the packet, but you will no longer need the tickets or the information on staging areas). Guests no longer need to go to staging areas, but instead can go to a spot of their choosing along the parade route (but the back parking lot needs to be reserved for graduates only, so it will be blocked off).
Upon completion of the parade route, students will park back in their spots until Mr. Walk finishes reading the names on the radio, at which point they can get out and throw their caps in the air if they so choose (but we recommend being somewhat cautious in case we can still have a formal ceremony). Graduates will have the remainder of the day with family (and maybe some fireworks in the evening).
I will continue to send information as I redo documents and have questions arise. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding.
Thank you,
Mr. Daniel Allen
Principal
Sullivan High School

Recent Obituaries: Kathryn Nisley

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Kathryn Nisley

Kathryn V. Nisley, 89, of Glendale, Arizona, formerly of Arthur, died Monday, May 4, 2020 at Providence Place at Glencroft Senior Living.
There will be a family funeral service at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at the Arthur Mennonite Church with Rev. Glen Rhodes officiating. Burial will follow in the Arthur Cemetery. Shrader Funeral Home, Arthur, is assisting the family with arrangements.
Kathryn was born November 8, 1930 in Lovington, the daughter of Valentine and Anna Schrock Nisley.
She is survived by 2 sisters, Edna Gingerich of Arthur; Faye Yoder of Littleton, Colorado; brother, Paul Nisley of Arcola; 3 nieces, and 3 nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; and sister, Irene Butler.
Kathryn graduated from Hesston College in 1954 and from Goshen College in 1959; She did her Dietetic Internship at in University Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio, in 1960. All of Kathryn’s life was spent in dietetics and she was a clinical dietician for over 30 years.
She was a member of Sunnyslope Mennonite Church in Phoenix, Arizona and had attended the Arthur Mennonite Church.
Because of her interest in service to the church, 25 of those years were spent in church-related institutions. She was Chief Dietician for 15 years at Lebanon Community Hospital, Lebanon, Oregon and for 10 years at Glencroft Retirement Home, in Glendale, Arizona. Her last employment was at Plaza Del Rio Care Center, Peoria, Arizona.
Online condolences to the family may be sent to www.hilligossshraderfh.com

County Board Holds Virtual Meeting

News Progress Posted on by

•May 8, 2020•
The Moultrie County Board is holding a virtual meeting Thursday, May 14.
Please join our virtual meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/550084949

You can also dial in using your phone.
(For supported devices, tap a one-touch number below to join instantly.)

United States: +1 (408) 650-3123
- One-touch: tel:+14086503123,,550084949#

Access Code: 550-084-949
New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts: https://global.gotomeeting.com/install/550084949

Sullivan Schools Offer Special Ed Phone Conf.

News Progress Posted on by

•May 6, 2020•

Providing special education services to students with disabilities who attend private schools and home schools is the purpose of a 9:00 a.m. Monday, May 18 phone conference.
Conducted by the Sullivan School District interested parties should call 728-8341 to participate via phone conference at that time.
Parents of a home-schooled student who has been or may be identified with a disability and reside within Sullivan School District boundaries should attend.
Further questions pertaining to the meeting may be directed to Jessica Reeder at (217) 728-8341.

The Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918: What Have We Learned?

News Progress Posted on by

Questions Still Remain

•May 6, 2020•
By Ellen Ferrera
for The News Progress

In a recent conversation a friend related the story of her German grandfather and the flu pandemic of 1918. His family sacrificed everything they had to send their 19-year-old son to America so he wouldn’t be conscripted into the Kaiser’s WWI army.
Her grandfather came full of promise and hope but died three years later at the age of 22 – one of the estimated 20-50 million victims, including 675,000 Americans, in one of the deadliest epidemics in human history. It infected 500 million people. It killed l00 million people or 5% of the world’s population in just over a year.
Over 100 years later researchers and scientists are still seeking answers to many questions such as where did the virus originate, why were the healthiest young people ages 20-45 the largest number of fatalities and how was it spread so quickly?
First of all, “Spanish Flu” was a misnomer. During WWI Spain was a neutral country and its newspapers were free to report on the epidemic’s effects in Spain. Read More

Okaw Valley Baseball: Dealing With the Season that Didn’t Happen

News Progress Posted on by

Photo by Jason Brown
Andrew Hagerman screams words of encouragement to his players during the super-sectional game against Ottawa Marquette in Bloomington’s Jack Horenberger Field on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan in May 2018. Timberwolves were two outs away from advancing to the Final Four for the second time.

•May 6, 2020•
By Jason Brown
News Progress Sports

When Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker implemented a stay-at-home order on March 21, Andrew Hagerman did not have to make many career adjustments.
Hagerman, who is Regional Sales Manager at Hagerman & Company, sells software in the tech industry and typically works from home during the high school baseball season.
“In reality, our entire company can function remotely at 100%,” he said. “So we are blessed with that fact. Nothing has changed from a standpoint of how I can do my job, and how busy I’ve been.”
What has changed for Hagerman this spring has been baseball. Or the absence of baseball.
Hagerman, who is coach of the Okaw Valley baseball team, misses the competition and day-to-day preparations.
“I miss seeing all of the players each day, working through the season and always focusing on how to get better,” he said. Read More

State Agencies Launch Project

News Progress Posted on by

•May 6, 2020•
The Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI), Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM), and Mutual Aid Box Alarm System Illinois (MABAS) today announced the creation of the Illinois Preliminary Exposure Reduction Project. The project was developed to deliver critical firefighter health and life safety research, education, training and basic equipment to fire departments across the state. The intent of the project is to raise awareness of the increased cancer risks faced by firefighters, provide departments with free basic equipment that can be used for preliminary exposure reduction for personnel on incident response scenes, as well as training on how to properly use those tools.
“Reducing the occupational life safety risks of firefighters is at the heart of the IFSI mission. Educating firefighters about those risks and providing them with the knowledge and tools to mitigate it could not be more important to IFSI or the fire service,” said IFSI Director Royal P. Mortenson. Read More

Is Conceal and Carry Safe While Wearing a Mask?

News Progress Posted on by

•May 6, 2020•
The Illinois Criminal Code makes it a Class 4 Felony for any person to carry a weapon while “masked in such a manner as to conceal his or her identity.”
The question presented is whether an individual who has a valid concealed carry permit and is lawfully carrying a weapon while also wearing a mask to comply with health and safety measures will be criminally prosecuted for the offense of Unlawful Use of Weapons. Read More

CARES Act to Provide Relief

News Progress Posted on by

•May 6, 2020•
The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act has allocated funding to colleges and universities, including Lake Land College, to provide emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus.
Eligible expenses are those included under a student’s cost of attendance such as food, housing, course materials, technology, healthcare and child care. Read More