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Okaw Valley School District Holds Hearing on Bond Sale

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•October 30, 2019•
By Ellen Ferrera
for The News Progress

On October 24 the Okaw Valley School District entertained public comment on the Board’s intent to issue $750,000 Working Cash Fund Bonds.
Hollis Dick of Bethany was the only person to make public comment. Mr. Dick complained that the public wasn’t given enough time to respond to the notice. He asked who the board attorney was and if he had been consulted about giving proper notice.
The Board assured Mr. Dick that they had worked with their attorney and that all public notices had been handled properly. Read More

Cotton Wood Pavilion is Ready for Action

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Photo by Mike Brothers
Dedicating the Cotton Wood Pavilion were: Back from left: Lion Dave Reed, Lion Roger Tice, Lion Jesse Barker, Mayor Richard Glazebrook, for First Community Bank Reid Molzen; front Lion President Verna Tice, Cotton’s son Steve Wood, Lion Coach John Ruscin, Lion Lynn Elder, and David Daily of Moultrie County Redi Mix.

•October 30, 2019•
By Mike Brothers

It took a couple of years and a bit of fund-raising, but the Cotton Wood Pavilion on the square in Sullivan was recently dedicated.
What began with discussions to put a shelter on the lot at the south corner of Jefferson and Main streets grew to include a commemoration of longtime community advocate, abstractor and Lions Club member Ivan D. “Cotton” Wood.
Lions president Verna Tice explained that Cotton’s 50 years as a member gave the club members inspiration to participate in the pavilion project.
“Lions are known for helping people with sight and hearing issues,” Verna said, noting the Lions contribution to the pavilion is a nice way to honor his memory.
Verna’s husband Roger was a Lions Club member while Cotton was active.
“When I worked at the bank, I would drop by the abstract office, and Cotton would tell me the history of real estate ownership,” Tice recalled, noting Cotton recalled just about every land transaction in the county and could give ownership lineage in detail. Read More

OVHS Volleyball Team Wraps Winning Season

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Photo furnished
OVHS Players recognized: April Decesaro, Kate Jeffers and Paige Coleman at Senior Night Tuesday.

•October 30, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Okaw Valley volleyball team completed the regular season with a 22-10 overall record and a second place finish in its inaugural year in the Lincoln Prairie Conference.
The Timberwolves finished the LPC with an 8-3 after dropping a match to Argenta-Oreana Thursday (24th) and defeating Blue Ridge last Tuesday.
Against the Bombers, OV lost 24-26, 25-17, 20-25 in its last regular season game.
Kate Jeffers totaled five blocks and six kills, and Paige Coleman collected nine digs and six kills.
April Decesaro added two aces and six digs, while Grace Bunfill finished with 11 digs and 22 assists.
Avery Bruns recorded three blocks, Macie Fleshner had eight kills and Karson Park had seven digs.
Against Blue Ridge last Tuesday, OV won in straight sets, 25-17, 25-19.
Jeffers led the team with nine kills and three aces, and Coleman contributed eight kills and eight digs.
Bunfill tallied 25 assists, seven digs and two aces, while Fleshner finished with four kills and seven digs.
Bruns had four kills, Decesaro had 12 digs and Park had eight digs.
OV entered the Kansas Regional this week.

Remember When? 10-30-2019

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25 Years Ago This Week

Local elevators report a strong harvest is just about finished. RR grabbed a photo of Allen Eaton unloading a truck at the Sullivan Grain Co.. Gary Smith at Moultrie Grain Assn’s Lovington elevator estimated that the harvest was 80 percent finished, with strong yields of 200-plus bushels of corn per acre and 60 bushels of soybeans per acre.
The Bethany High School Fillies came away with a hard fought victory over Deland-Weldon for the team’s second win of the year. Teri Zimmer scored three straight points including two aces to give the Fillies the lead, Leslie Patient added three aces and ten kills for the night.
Terry Klingel shot a hole-in-one at the Sullivan Country Club using a five-wood on the 17th hole, par-3 197 yards. His first hole-in-one was witnessed by Vernon Perrine, Ray Duncan and Rick Steward. Three others have shot a hole-in-one in the last few weeks. Bud Grant his a 128-yard hole-in one, Sullivan High School senior Adam Uhlarik shot a hole-in-one during team practice and Han daily used a five-wood to hit her hole-in-one on the same fourth hole. Read More

ALAH Moves Forward with New Branding Tool and App

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District Transfers Ownership of Hammond Property

•October 30, 2019•
By Ariana Cherry
For the News Progress

Members of the ALAH School Board met at the Atwood Grade School on Wednesday, October 18 and took a tour through the building.
After the tour, the regular meeting of the board came to order.
The total of all funds for the district from the September 2019 Treasurer’s Report is $9,405,895.22. The Education fund is $5,124,767.45. Transportation funds are $544,818.58. Superintendent Shannon Cheek noted that all funds have been received for transportation and its budget is in good shape.
The ALAH Board voted to move forward with Apptegy. “Apptegy will allow us to increase our communication process with all stakeholders,” said Cheek in a separate interview. Read More

Knights Second Half Propels ALAH into Playoff Berth

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Photo by Jason Brown
Ben Carroll rushes down the sideline in the Knights 23-0 win.

•October 30, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond football team went into the half against Villa Grove/Heritage tied at 0-0.
The winner of the game would earn its sixth victory and an automatic playoff berth.
After a first half filled with penalties and sloppy play by both teams, the Knights’ coach Ryan Jefferson told his players in the locker room what they needed to do to win the second half.
“Both teams played evenly bad the first half,” said Jefferson. “I told our team we needed to do three things to win the game: one) tackle better, two) less penalties, three) do something on offense. We did those three things much better the second half and never looked back.”
ALAH came out in the second half and scored three touchdowns and a field on its first four possessions.
“Starting the second half, it was like it was a new game,” Jefferson said.
The Knights put the first points on the board in only three plays.
A 52-yard kickoff return by Ben Carroll led to a Kaden Feagin 18-yard run and then a 10-yard touchdown run by Finn Davison.
Aaron Likens kicked the extra point to take a 7-0 lead.
Feagin finished with seven rushes for 38 yards and two catches for nine yards, and Davidson added 50 yards rushing on four carries.
ALAH’s second score came on their next possession after Brady Borntereger competed a 29-yard pass to Jamison Rocke to help put Likens in position for a 32-yard field goal. Read More

Obituaries 10-30-2019: Jim Wheeler

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Jim Wheeler

Jim Wheeler, 85, Sullivan, IL, died Tuesday, October 22, 2019, at St. Mary’s Hospital.
Jim was born April 11, 1934, in Decatur, the son of James E. and Nona (Sanders) Wheeler. While living in Greenville, Il., his mother died and Jim moved to Bethany to live with his grandparents, Otis and Clara Wheeler. He married Donna Shank in 1956 and had three sons, Brad, Kris and Derk. Donna died in 1991, after a long illness. Jim married Ann Poland in June 1994. Read More

Obituaries 10-30-2019: Elaine Wood Hansen

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Elaine Wood Hansen
Elaine Wood Hansen, age 90, of Brandon, Mississippi peacefully passed away on Sunday, October 27, 2019 at Castlewoods Place in Brandon.
Graveside services will be held at 1:30 PM, Saturday, November 2, 2019 at Greenhill Cemetery, Sullivan, Illinois, with Rev. Michael W. Fender officiating. No visitation will be held. Local arrangements were made by McMullin-Young Funeral Home, Sullivan IL. Read More

Knights Volleyball Team Knocks Off Arcola

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Photo furnished
Four ALAH seniors (Abby Abercrombie, Addi Tinkle, Kaylee Yeakel, Marta Marti Guillen) pose with parents on Senior Night last Tuesday.

•October 30, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond volleyball team split two matches this past week to finish the regular season with a 12-22 overall record and a 3-6 in the Lincoln Prairie Conference.
The Knights knocked off Arcola on Thursday in straight sets, 25-19, 25-17.
Mackenzi Bowles hit eight kills to lead the Knights, and Charley Condill collected two aces, two kills and three digs.
Alisha Frederick tallied three digs and 16 assists, while Addi Tinkle added two aces, three kills and two digs.
Michaela Powell served four aces to lead the Knights, while Cheyenne Chupp hit four kills.
Last Tuesday against Tri-County, ALAH lost in two sets, 25-15, 25-18.
Bowles hit eight kills and two digs, and Frederick added 11 assets and five digs.
Condill collected three aces, two kills and two digs, while Marta Marti Guillen served three aces.
Powell and Ashley Seegmiller each served two aces, and Powell added six digs.
Tinkle tallied four aces, two kills, three assists and two digs.
ALAH entered the Class 1A Cerro Gordo Regional as the No. 11 seeded team this week.[/s2If]