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Tentative Tax Levy Approved by ALAH School Board

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Truth and Taxation Hearing in December

•December 2, 2020•
By Ariana Cherry
NP Writer

I am pretty fired up about where we go from here,” noted Superintendent Shannon Cheek at the ALAH School Board meeting held November 18. Cheek was referring to a positive story shared by ALAH Principal Stephanie Seegmiller when she reported on recent accomplishments regarding SAT’s.
“For ten weeks - at five days a week, we were working with juniors last school year. They were three and a half weeks away from taking the SAT’s, and then our schools shut down because of COVID. Then in August, they had to take the test in order to graduate. When we reopened, we put together a review class and had some seniors who joined them after school and after hours to take it. We were five points from making the state average. It is our students and their commitments, but it is these guys (teachers and staff) who made it happen,” reported Seegmiller. “They are flexible, dedicated, smart, and they know their business,” she added. On November 19, they celebrated their seniors and all of their hard work which they hoped would inspire the juniors. Seegmiller named several members of the staff and teachers who were responsible for helping with the SAT’s. Included are Darcy Singer, Trisha Sluder, Guy Bates, Sarah Bailey, April Hart, Mark Smith, Kayla Huckleby and Kendall Huffman. Read More

Obituaries 12-2-2020: Harry Varallo Jr.

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Harry Varallo Jr.

Harry H. Varallo, Jr., 55, of Sullivan, passed away at 8:44 a.m. Sunday, November 29, 2020 in his residence.
Private family services will be held. Arrangements are by Reed Funeral Home in Sullivan. Online condolences may be sent to the family at reedfuneralhome.net. Read More

Pumpkin Town Results

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•December 2, 2020•

The Sullivan Rotary sponsored Pumpkin Town in October as a fundraiser because they were unable to having their golf outing this spring. They raised $2,000 for their projects which are Polio Plus and Sullivan Rotary’s One Book One Sullivan. The high school art department helped paint the pumpkins for the businesses that participated.
The Rotary donated a small amount to the Art Department for their help. This was the organization’s first pumpkin fundraiser but they plan to bring it back next year. They could not have done this without the help of rotarian Mike Walters and his family for cutting all the pumpkins. Linda Carlton Huber and daughter Danielle were integral to the successful fundraiser working with the social media events page which helped to make it a success
Pumpkin winners
Businesses:
Moultrie Counseling: 17 likes on Facebook
Marvin Keller trucking: 18 likes on Facebook
First Community: 29 likes on Facebook
Sloans: 16 likes on Facebook
Metro: 21 likes on Facebook
CFH: 52 likes on Facebook
For small pumpkins:
Erin Kate Bly had 24 likes on Facebook

Covid-19 Update

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•December 2, 2020•

The Moultrie County COVID-19 update for November 30, 2020 is 12 additional cases of COVID-19 with ages ranging from 11-90s. The total residents tested positive to date is 892. Total COVID-19 related deaths to date is 10.

‘Vintage’ is in the eye of the beholder

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•December 2, 2020•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer

You’ve polished off all of the vintage wine in the house.
With nowhere to go and no one to see, your vintage fire engine red 1965 Mustang sits idle (not idling, mind you) in your garage.
You sit on your vintage, low-slung, tweed chesterfield and spin some vintage vinyl on your vintage Thorens turntable, pop some vintage Jujubes — risking those vintage fillings in your molars — and wonder where your vintage lifestyle is leading you.
“Vintage,” through overuse and overreach, has lost most of its meaning.
You’ll pardon me if this column is disjointed and lacks cohesion. It was written largely during a dream, which is where a drawerful of floppy disks and thumb drives of scuttled novels end up because, well, dreams always seem to get interrupted before they can end.

Etymology Read More

Moultrie Moment of the Week

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Buster Brown day was Wednesday, August 24, 1910, in Bethany. It was sponsored by the Redman and Dupree store. Buster and his dog Tige were the rage back then. They performed at 4:00. 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.

Remember When? 11-25-2020

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25 Years Ago This Week

State Rep Julie Curry was to accompany Lincolnland Home Care staff on a home visit in celebration of National Home Care Month. Following the home care visit a reception was to be held at the Lincolnland Home Care office.
Sullivan second graders in Sandy Stone’s class prepared and enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast with all the trimmings prior to the school holiday.
Moultrie County’s number of businesses remained stable between 1992 and 1993, according to a report from the U.S. Commerce Dept’s Census Bureau. In its County Business Patterns report, the Census Bureau reported that businesses in the county employed 3,895 people in 1993, up from 3,665 in 1992. Annual payroll was $65,631,000 in 1993, up from $61,147,000 in 1992. The Census Bureau listed the number of business establishments in the county as 292 in 1993 and 291 in 1992. By contrast, the Illinois Dept. of Revenue’s annual report counted 672 businesses in Moultrie County in 1994. The federal census figures exclude the self-employed, railroad employees, most government employees, domestic service workers and agricultural production workers. Read More

Lynch Named An LCC Interim Vice President

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•November 25, 2020•
Submitted by LLC

The Lake Land College Board of Trustees appointed Valerie Lynch, Pana, as the interim vice president for student services at the October board of trustees meeting.
Lynch will be leading the comprehensive student services program including admissions and records, financial aid and veteran services, counseling services, student conduct and judicial affairs, career services, health services, international student services, student life, intercollegiate athletics, intramural, TRIO programs, tutoring and testing and marketing and public relations. Read More