Author Archives:

Okaw Valley Math Class Applies Book Knowledge to Real World

News Progress Posted on by

Photo by Crystal Reed
Macie Fleshner uses a compass to measure on her corn hole board project during Sheri Bruyn’s calculus class at Okaw Valley High School. Bruyn was one of two teachers in the area to receive a grant from the Illinois Retired Teachers Foundation.

•April 14, 2021•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer

Sheri Bruyn’s students are taking what they have learned in her math classroom and using it to build cornhole boards and bags in the shop at the high school. The creation of the bean bag toss game utilizes several math concepts.
Pythagorean’s theorem is used to make the board a perfect rectangle, surface area is used to calculate the amount of paint needed and volume is used for the cornhole bags which are filled with corn. Another math concept, a quadratic function, will be used to record the path of the bags when they are thrown. Students will measure the height and distance the bags travel, transfer it to a graph and then find the quadratic equation relating to the bag’s path. Read More

ALAH Volleyball Wins Two, Drops One

News Progress Posted on by

•April 14, 2021•
by Jason Brown
NP Sports

The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond volleyball team competed in three matches this past week. The Knights won two matches and lost one. ALAH defeated Cerro Gordo/Bement Thursday, April 8, and Villa Grove Monday, April 5, but lost to Shelbyville Saturday. Against the Rams Saturday, the Knights lost in straight sets, 25-12, 25-22, in the nonconference matchup. For the Knights, Charley Condill recorded eight kills, and Cheyenne Chupp added six kills. Alisha Frederick dished out nine assists, and Michaela Powell finished with seven digs. In a Lincoln Prairie Conference match Thursday, ALAH swept Cerro Gordo/Bement in straight sets. The Knights took the first set 25-15 and the second set 25-13 for the win. For ALAH, Cheyenne Chupp and Charley Condill each contributed five kills. Condill also served five aces. Mackenzi Bowles contributed four kills, and Sarah Rafferty dished out eight assists. Michaela Powell finished with eight digs. Read More

Miller Amish German Schoolhouse Moved to Illinois Amish Heritage Center

News Progress Posted on by

Photo by R.R. Best
The Miller Amish German Schoolhouse being moved by a team of horses to the Illinois Amish Heritage Center last Friday morning. The schoolhouse was moved using a tractor for part of the route and then was switched over to being pulled by a team of Belgian horses.

•April 14, 2021•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer

Route 133 between Lovington and Arthur was buzzing with activity last Friday morning as the historical Miller Amish German schoolhouse was moved to the Illinois Amish Heritage Center. The schoolhouse was moved using a tractor for part of the route and at one point was switched over to being pulled by a team of Belgian horses. The 100-year-old schoolhouse was built around 1920 and was located two miles west of Arthur on Illinois Route 133. The school was moved in 2011 to the Miller farm two miles further west where it was preserved in its original historical condition by Karen Miller whose father and grandfather taught in the school. The Miller school served as a German school where Amish youth, after graduating from the eighth grade, went during the winter months to learn the German language. Read More

Lest We Forget, There is a Nuance to Using ‘Recall’

News Progress Posted on by

•April 14, 2021•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer

“I don’t remember. I don’t recall. I’ve got no memory of anything at all.”
When in doubt, employ a Peter Gabriel lyric, I always say.
Remembering. Recalling. Synonyms, right? Well, for the most part.
Reader Michael Haupt shared a comment concerning a story we’d written about a beloved former Buffalo Grove village trustee.
“One headline that particularly grabbed my attention was: ‘Former Buffalo Grove trustee recalled for commitment to family, community.’ Why would voters remove someone from office for a commitment to family? How were they able to do it days before the election?”
OK, smarty-pants. Read More

Letters to the Editor 4-14-2021

News Progress Posted on by

Dear Editor,
Rather sad: Election held Tuesday April 6. Paper printed Wednesday, April 7. No voter results in print. According to phone call to office April 8, Thursday, person advised a decision was made to make a photo and information placed on the “Web”. May I remind you not all your readers have access to the “Web.” May I have my dollar back.

Thank you,
Luella Hughes

•••

Dear Editor, Read More

Remember When? 4-14-2021

News Progress Posted on by

25 Years Ago This Week

A Bethany family has gone into the business of fun on the Sullivan square. Daniel Rice and his mother, Judy have opened the Sweet Occasions shop at 110 E. Harrison, a former Merle Norman site. Fine candy, balloons and gifts were the fare.
Carey Netherton, son of Larry and Laura Netherton of Sullivan, was recently awarded the Chairman’s Award and Best of Show award in Eastern Illinois University’s 1996 All-Student Show.
Patricia Larkin of Sullivan won first place in the category II amateur division and an honorable mention in the 17th annual Lake Land College Foundation Photography Show. Linda Scheer of Sullivan and Cecile Agullo of Lovington also won honorable mentions for photographs entered in the show. Read More

Moultrie Moment of the Week

News Progress Posted on by

Pictured above is the 1950 Sullivan Grade School state champions. They had a perfect season with 33 wins and 0 losses. Pictured include: front: mgr. George Webb, Bob Poland, Reggie Smith, Larry Beavers, Ken Neal, Bob Clark, Larry Taylor, Richard Carnes. Middle: Asst. Coach J.C. Moore, Don Dennis, Glen Reider, Stan Barnes, Gerald Reedy, Eugene Smith, Jerry Winchester, Coach Russell Ashbrook. Back row: David Purvis, Lloyd Smith, Roger Lane, Jerry Jean, Randall Barnes, Milton Wirth, & Glen Barrett.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.

OVHS Presents Spring Musical (2021)

News Progress Posted on by

Photo submitted
OVHS Presents Spring Musical
The Tony Award winning musical comedy, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” will be presented by the Okaw Valley Drama Club on April 15, 16, 17 at 7 p.m. and April 18 at 2 p.m in the OVHS gym.
Set in a middle school gym, SPELLING BEE takes a hilarious and heartwarming look at the pressures of growing up through the eyes of quirky yet lovable characters competing for the title of spelling bee champ. Throughout the Bee, each learns that winning isn’t everything and that losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser. At each performance, three audience volunteers will be selected and invited on stage to participate in the Bee, making each performance unique.
The cast features Hannah Durbin as Rona Lisa Perretti; Kayla Fleshner as Vice Principal Daphine Panch; Delaney Miller as Michelle Mahoney; Lincoln Dickens as Chip Tolentino; Peytyn Durbin as Logainne Schwartz and Grubenierre; Madeline Ray as Leaf Coneybear; Mikhayla Ward as Marcy Park; Savannah Hagerman as William Barfee; and Amelia Landreth as Olive Ostrovsky.
“It feels so good to have the students back on stage doing what they love, Director Jeni Yantis said. “This particular cast has been amazing and I cannot wait for audiences to see what they have been working on for the past two months.”
Due to limited seating, only a small number of tickets will be on sale at the door. Call the OVHS office at 665-3631 for more information and advance sales.

Illinois Capital Development Board Releases Nearly $1.7 Million in Funding to LLC

News Progress Posted on by

Funding to Repair Aging Facilities Made Possible by Governor Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan

•April 14, 2021•
The Illinois Capital Development Board has announced $1.7 million has been released for the improvements to the parking lot at Lake Land College from the state, with local matching funds supporting a total investment of $2.3 million. The funding will help address deferred maintenance projects on the Lake Land College campus that have been stalled due to a lack of investment by previous administrations. Made possible by Governor Pritzker’s bipartisan capital plan, the first in nearly a decade, the renovation work will create good jobs and economic opportunities for residents in the surrounding community. CDB will oversee the project’s renovation under the protocol for state-appropriated capital projects. Read More

Findlay Farmer Wins Top Placement

News Progress Posted on by

•April 14, 2021•

Findlay farmer Troy Uphoff earned a first-place state award in the 2020 National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) National Corn Yield Contest. He is among the highest corn yield producers in the nation. Uphoff placed with DEKALB DKC63-57RIB brand corn yielding an outstanding 323 bushels per acre in the Conventional Non-Irrigated category.
“It’s amazing to see the hard work, time and innovation these farmers put into their operations to grow high-yielding corn,” said Kathleen McKittrick, DEKALB Brand Manager. “The DEKALB brand is proud to help farmers increase performance potential and reach their yield goals with exclusive genetics.”
The 56th NCGA contest continues to challenge farmers to achieve record-setting yields with improved management practices that can help farmers everywhere. It’s NCGA’s most popular program with this year’s event producing 7,869 entries.
In the 2020 NCGA yield contest, DEKALB farmers captured 10 of the 27 national awards and 156 first through third place awards at the state level, 55 of which yielded 300 bushels per acre or higher.
To learn more about maximizing yield performance potential and see a full list of DEKALB winners, visit www.asgrowdekalb.com or contact your local DEKALB Asgrow dealer.