•May 5, 2021•
Every year, 1,000 people die, and 30,000 people are injured in electrical accidents. While electricity typically transmits without incident, there are times when the electrical path becomes disrupted. When this happens, the current can flow through anything or anyone in its path, causing electrical shock, internal and externals burns, and other serious injuries, including electrocution.
“Electricity is referred to as the silent killer since it is often undetectable, that is, it typically cannot be seen, heard or smelled,” says Erin Hollinshead, executive director of Safe Electricity. “While you might notice some electrical hazards — electrical outlets that are discolored and warm to the touch for example — many others are invisible and imperceptible.”
May is Electrical Safety Month. Hollinshead says to err on the side of caution and always respect electricity and the potential danger that comes with it.
While there are precautions people can take inside and outside their homes, many people are less familiar with potential electrical hazards in the great outdoors. Read More
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Lake Land College Agriculture Students Honored
•May 5, 2021•
The Lake Land College Agriculture division hosted the Virtual 50th Annual Student Recognition Ceremony in April to recognize several students with awards and honors.
A milestone like 50 certainly brings a sense of nostalgia and appreciation for our history and tradition of excellence, Division Chair Agriculture/Agriculture Instructor Ryan Orrick said. I am appreciative of all the past faculty members and students who have helped craft the Lake Land Agriculture Division into what it is today, and I would like to thank all of our current staff and Agriculture students for representing this great tradition. Read More
Obituaries 5-5-2021: David T. Selock
David T. Selock
David T. Selock passed away, April 16 in Cape Coral, Fla. A family service will be set at a later date.
Federal REAL ID Deadline Extended to May 3, 2023
•May 5, 2021•
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is reminding the public that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended the federal REAL ID deadline to May 3, 2023. With the extended federal deadline of REAL ID, current Illinois driver’s licenses and ID cards will continue to be accepted at airports until May 3, 2023. Read More
Obituaries 5-5-2021: SuzAnne Parrott
SuzAnne Parrott
SuzAnne Parrott, 70, of Lovington, passed away Saturday, November 14, 2020, in her home.
SuzAnne was born September 22, 1950, in Hillsboro, Illinois, daughter of James Robert and Roxie LaVerne (Cheatham) Davis. Read More
Moultrie County Man Sentenced To 8 Years In Prison
•May 5, 2021•
Charles Willis, Jr., 26, has been sentenced to 8 years of imprisonment in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
At a hearing on April 26, 2021, Judge Jeremy Richey accepted a plea in which Willis pled guilty to the offense of Arson, a Class 2 Felony, Moultrie County case 2020-CF-17. Read More
Remember When? 5-5-2021
25 Years Ago This Week
Lovington High School graduate Martha Smith-Taylor was honored by the state of Utah as Volunteer Administrator of the Year. Smith-Taylor, a 1969 LHS graduate who began as a volunteer at the Children’s Center in Salt Lake City two decades ago, now oversees 12 to 16 volunteers working daily in the center’s facilities in Salt Lake and Kearns.
The News Progress won three awards in the 1996 Southern Illinois Editorial Assn. Better Newspaper Contest. Managing Editor Dan Hagen won the first place award in the Charlie Feirich Original Column Competition with his column entitled “Oh sure, she can fly, but can she cook?” Sports Editor Ed Nelson won an honorable mention in the large weeklies category for his opinion piece “When voting is vexing.” Read More
Five-Letter Words That Start With F
•May 5, 2021•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer
Shame on those of you who thought with a headline like that I was going to break the Numero Uno rule at this newspaper and use the dreaded four-letter F-word.
Which, of course, is “fail.”
Nope, today we examine some five-letter F-words that seem to cause us grief.
Up first: “feted” and “fetid.”
I saw in a story description recently that a couple of people were going to be “fetted” for their service. That is, they were to be celebrated with a shindig. Read More
Moultrie Moment of the Week

Pictured above is Sullivan Boy Scouts in 1939. Bottom: Billy Fisher, Robert Babb, Bill Bone, Tom Isaacs, Kenneth Lorenson, Roger Stubblefield, Donald Butler, Paul Bryant, Francis Whitchurch, Charles Atchison. Middle: James Walker, Elmer Leeds Jr., David Purvis, Richard Mills, Joe David, Archie McCorvie, John George, Charles Vaughn, Warren Jenkins. Top Row: Byron Brandenburger, scout master; Ray Stubblefield, Glen Kilby, R.W. Helm, Paul Bryant, J.L. Ogle, Scout Master.. 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.
ALAH Drama Club
•May 5, 2021•
The ALAH drama club will be performing ‘Check Please’ on Thursday, May 6 at 6 p.m., Friday, May 7 at 6 p.m. and Saturday, May 8 at 1 p.m. Cost of admission is $3 for adults and $2 for students. Pods will be sold in sets of two and reserved on a first come first serve basis. Masks are required for all attendees. The general public can reserve their tickets by calling 543-2146.
