Author Archives:

Remember When? 8-19-2020

News Progress Posted on by

25 Years Ago This Week

Charleston High School science teacher and coach Charles Castle was the new principal at Bethany Junior Senior High School. An Eastern Illinois University graduate with a master’s degree in physical education and an administrator’s certificate he has taught chemistry, math and science at Charleston High School since 1984. He replaces John Reif who recently resigned to take a principal’s position at Bunker Hill.
Many hours of work by several dedicated members are being credited for the improvements at the Lovington Masonic Lodge. Debbie Riley reported that the main items in the kitchen had been completed. On the outside, grading has been done and landscaping underway with new sidewalks having been poured with handicapped access.
Sondra Hoffman captured the Sullivan County Club Monday night ladies league nine hole handicap division tournamnet by beating Judy Sumner by two strokes. Hoffman shot a 36, while Sumner finished in second shooting a 38. Bev Copass had a chip-in on the ninth hole and tied Barb Graven for low putts with 16.Judy Patrick won the Monday night league Play of the Day with a score of 37. She also had the low gross with a score of 49. Patrick also had a 49 in the Tuesday morning league to win the low gross. Joyce Shasteen won the Play of the Day which was getting the ball closest to th pin on the ninth hole from acrsoss the creek. Sylvia Martin won the low net with 34. Mary Thimens had the low putts with 14 and Barb Graven had a chip-in. Read More

Lovington Library Hours

News Progress Posted on by

•August 19, 2020•

Lovington library will have new library hours starting Aug. 15. Hours will be Mondays 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday to Friday 9 a.m. to Noon and 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to Noon. They also offer Overdrive and Libby for eBooks and audiobooks if Covid restrictions have kept you home.

Two Car Accident

News Progress Posted on by

Photo by R.R. Best
Two Car Accident At Intersection Of Route 32 and County Road 800N
A two car accident occurred at the intersection of Route 32 and County Road 800N on August 11 at 3:47 pm. The driver of the Dodge Caravan was ticketed for failure to yield. The driver of the Dodge Caravan was uninjured but the driver of the other vehicle was transported to Sarah Bush Lincoln where they were treated and released.

Oakland City Wide Sales

News Progress Posted on by

•August 19, 2020•

The Oakland Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the 36th Annual Fall City Wide Yard Sale in Oakland on Saturday, Aug. 29 beginning at 8 a.m. In conjunction with this, the Hindsboro community, 6 miles west on Rt. 133 is also having a city wide yard sale. This is a real chance to shop til you drop. Maps will be available at McQueen Lumber in Oakland. For further information call217-346-2125.

County Board Rescinds Action Consolidating Precincts

News Progress Posted on by

•August 19, 2020•
By Crystal Reed
NP Reporter

The Moultrie County Board voted to rescind a motion and action from the June 9, 2020 county board meeting which consolidated Sullivan Precincts 1 and 6 into Sullivan 1 and Sullivan 2 and 5 into Sullivan 2, placing them back to their original precincts and polling locations during their meeting last Thursday.
State statutes limit the size of precincts to a maximum 800 voters but there are a number of precincts throughout the state of Illinois that exceed that. “Consolidation would have saved the county several thousands of dollars and its actually costing us some money to put it back as it was,” Dave McCabe said.
The board heard from Derek Righter about the Final FY2019 audit by West and Co. prior to approving the audit. The fund balance increased by about $200,000 said Ryder. “Dispersements and depreciation increased by $840,000 over the previous year because the county highway had a resurfacing project that had $180,000 more this year over the previous year,” he noted “the special bridge had two projects with Dora township and Jonathan Creek township and that increased expenses by $130,000. Also, the general fund was up by $260,000 which is mainly attributable to health insurance, there was an increase in claims. Read More

Check Presented To Sullivan School District For LED Lighting Project

News Progress Posted on by

Photo by Crystal Reed
Check Presented To Sullivan School District For LED Lighting Project
A check was presented to Sullivan School District #300 on Tuesday from the Illinois Municipal Electric Association in the amount of $17,993.74 as a rebate for their LED project at Sullivan Elementary School. The entire building was upgraded to LED lighting and the district should see $750 to $800 a month utility savings. The IMEA offers grant money for upgrades like this and for individuals as well. Pictured from left to right: Mike Fowler, Sullivan Mayor Richard Glazebrook, Kevin Landrus, Sullivan School Board President Jeff White and Sullivan Superintendent Ted Walk.

Recent Obituaries: Linda Taylor

News Progress Posted on by

Linda Taylor

Linda K. Taylor, 75, of Bethany, passed away at 6:46 a.m. Friday August 14, 2020 at Decatur Memorial Hospital, Decatur.
Graveside services will be 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in the Marrowbone Township Cemetery, Bethany with Pastor Ron Otto officiating. Visitation will be from 10 - 11 a.m. Wednesday in the Reed Funeral Home, Sullivan. Memorials are suggested to a charity of the donor’s choice. Online condolences may be sent to the family atreedfuneralhome.net. Please wear a face mask and observe social distancing at the visitation.
Linda was born February 28, 1945 in Springfield, the daughter of Joseph Parker, Jr and Beulah Elmore Parker. She had been a registered nurse for Cancer Care Specialists of Central Illinois in Decatur. Linda married William Taylor on June 21, 1969 in Assumption.
Surviving are her husband William of Bethany; daughter Jennifer (Paul) Bone of Clinton; son Todd Taylor of Orlando, Florida; brother Joseph D. (Lynn) Parker of Pawnee; grandchildren Camillia (Bryce) Hunsley of Manito, Brittney (Zach) Horrell of Kahoka, Missouri, Allison Bone of Clinton and Quentin Bone of Clinton and great granddaughter Eliza Hunsley.
She was preceded in death by her parents and a granddaughter Hope Bone.

14 Illinois Counties at Warning Level for Coronavirus Disease

News Progress Posted on by

•August 14, 2020•

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 14 counties in Illinois are considered to be at a warning level for novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). A county enters a warning level when two or more COVID-19 risk indicators that measure the amount of COVID-19 increase.

Fourteen counties are currently reported at a warning level – Bureau, Cass, Clinton, Franklin, Greene, Grundy, Hancock, Jefferson, Kane, LaSalle, Moultrie, Perry, Union, Will.

These counties saw cases or outbreaks associated with weddings, businesses, birthday parties, long-term care facilities and other congregate settings, bars, sports camps, and spread among members of the same household. Public health officials are seeing people in some communities are not wearing masks, or if they are, they are being worn incorrectly. Local health departments are finding it challenging to obtain the information necessary to halt local transmission, by quickly identifying exposures from contacts of cases and businesses. Inconsistent messaging from local elected leaders are contributing to on-going transmission in some communities where there is little public concern for consequences or enforcement of social distancing, banning large gatherings, or quarantine/isolation orders.

Several counties are taking swift action and implementing mitigation measures to help slow spread of the virus. Examples include increasing the availability in testing in their community and working with local businesses to educate and spot check mask wearing and guideline adherence.

IDPH uses numerous indicators when determining if a county is experiencing stable COVID-19 activity, or if there are warning signs of increased COVID-19 risk in the county.

• New cases per 100,000 people. If there are more than 50 new cases per 100,000 people in the county, this triggers a warning.
• Number of deaths. This metric indicates a warning when the weekly number of deaths increases more than 20% for two consecutive weeks.
• Weekly test positivity. This metric indicates a warning when the 7-day test positivity rate rises above 8%.
• ICU availability. If there are fewer than 20% of intensive care units available in the region, this triggers a warning.
• Weekly emergency department visits. This metric indicates a warning when the weekly percent of COVID-19-like-illness emergency department visits increase by more than 20% for two consecutive weeks.
• Weekly hospital admissions. A warning is triggered when the weekly number of hospital admissions for COVID-19-like-illness increases by more than 20% for two consecutive weeks.
• Tests perform. This metric is used to provide context and indicate if more testing is needed in the county.
• Clusters. This metric looks at the percent of COVID-19 cases associated with clusters or outbreaks and is used to understand large increase in cases.

These metrics are intended to be used for local level awareness to help local leaders, businesses, local health departments, and the public make informed decisions about personal and family gatherings, as well as what activities they choose to do. The metrics are updated weekly, from the Sunday-Saturday of the prior week.

A map and information of each county’s status can be found on the IDPH website at https://www.dph.illinois.gov/countymetrics.

27 New Positive COVID-19 Cases in Moultrie County

News Progress Posted on by

20 in a Long Term Care Facility
•August 12, 2020•

The Moultrie County Health Department (MCHD) has confirmed 27 positive cases of the novel coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19). Of this total, 20 individuals are associated with the Sullivan Rehabilitation and Health Care Center (SRHCC), located in Sullivan, Illinois. These individuals who reside in Moultrie County include one staff member and 19 residents of the facility. They range in age from 20-80 years, and five are currently hospitalized.

The other seven individuals are unrelated to the long term care facility and range in age from one to 60 years. All are isolated at home. Public health officials are notifying all close contacts.

To date, 2,470 Moultrie County residents have been tested for COVID-19. Of those tests, 99 have been confirmed positive for COVID-19. Of the community cases, 12 are still in isolation.

The SRHCC has notified all residents, family members, staff and contacts. Per CDC requirements, all residents and staff have completed COVID-19 testing. All individuals who tested positive or were exposed have been isolated and quarantined for safety concerns. The facility continues to closely monitor all residents and staff. Visitation is currently restricted for the continued protection of all residents, friends, family members and staff.

The SHRCC continues to work closely with the Moultrie County Health Department and the Illinois Department of Public Health. Updates to this situation will be provided as they become available.

“On behalf of all involved, we at the Moultrie County Health Department understand that this is very stressful for everyone,” said Moultrie County Health Department Administer Angela Hogan, RN, MSPH. “We ask for your patience, understanding and support for the Sullivan Rehabilitation and Health Care Center and these special members of our community during this difficult time.”

The Moultrie County Health Department is asking all individuals and businesses to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our communities by using the three basic Ws:
Watch physical distance and keep six feet from others.
Wear a mask when in public places.
Wash hands routinely.
The CDC recommends that individuals who are experiencing COVID-19-like symptoms stay at home and away from other people until:
At least 10 days have elapsed since symptoms first appeared and
In the last 24 hours the individual has been fever-free without fever-reducing medication and
Symptoms have improved.
People with weakened immune systems may need to self-isolate longer than 10 days.

Information on area testing sites can be found at https://dph.illinois.gov/testing.

For more information on the Moultrie County Health Department’s news, events and services, please visit www.moultriehealth.org and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/moultriecountyhealth.

Pritzker Announces Launch of Housing Assistance Programs

News Progress Posted on by

Calls it largest pandemic-related housing stability program in the nation

•August 12, 2020•
By Peter Hancock
Capitol News Illinois

SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday announced a pair of housing assistance programs aimed at helping lower-income households meet their rent and mortgage payments during the pandemic.
“The economic pain brought on by COVID-19 has impacted every Illinoisan, but no one has carried a burden larger than those least able to weather a financial hardship,” Pritzker said during an announcement in Chicago. “Every action that we take to pave our way through this crisis and beyond must be done with a special focus on those who have too often been left out and left behind.”
The two programs are being administered by the Illinois Housing Development Authority. The Emergency Rental Assistance Program will provide $150 million in federal CARES Act funding to help low-income households catch up on their rent payments.
Tenants who are approved for that program will receive one-time grants of $5,000, paid directly to their landlords, to cover rental payments they missed starting in March and to prepay rent bills through December, or until the $5,000 is exhausted, whichever comes first. Those grants will not have to be repaid. Read More