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Lovington Rabies Clinic

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•April 10, 2019•

The annual Lovington Rabies Clinic will be held at Lovington Fire Department noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 4.
Fees are charged for one-year rabies vaccinations. Other vaccinations available for dogs are K9 Virus and Bordetella (kennel cough). Additional vaccinations available for felines are Feline Virus and Feline Leukemia. Microchipping is available for a fee.
County tags required for all canines in Moultrie County are available.
Proceeds from this clinic go towards food served during Lovington’s free Youth Summer Meals and Recreation program. The clinic is sponsored by Dr. Heidi Grooms, D.V.M., of Graham Veterinary Clinic, in Arthur and is organized by the Lovington Revitalization Coalition.
For more information, call or text Tamara McRill Chambers at (217)273-6349.

Two Wins for OV Baseball Last Week

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•April 10, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Okaw Valley baseball team won two games and lost one this past week.
OV defeated Tolono Unity last Tuesday and Argenta-Oreana last Wednesday but lost to Greenfield Saturday.
Against Tolono Unity, OV scored one run in the first for the early 1-0 lead.
The Timberwolves took advantage of five Tolono errors to score runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth inning for the eventual 5-1 win.
Talon Russell and Eli Hagerman each recorded a hit and a walk, and Hagerman and Camden Coleman each pitched three innings in the win.
Hagerman finished with two RBIs, and Hank Yowell knocked in one run.
The following day, OV defeated Argenta Oreana 2-0 behind a 2-hit shutout pitching performance from Dalton McGill.
He pitched seven innings and walked four. He struck out nine. Read More

Mo. Co. Health Department Honors Child Abuse Awareness Month

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Photo furnished
Children display pin wheel symbol.

Blue Pinwheel Symbol
•April 10, 2019•
Blue Pinwheels are the theme for April at the Moultrie County Health Department (MCHD), and they symbolize more than just the windy spring days that typically dominate our central Illinois weather. Blue Pinwheels are also the symbol for National Child Abuse and Neglect Awareness Month. The pinwheels represent the whimsy, joy and innocence of childhood which is often lost when child neglect and abuse occurs.
Child neglect and abuse comes in many different forms and can be inflicted from a variety of sources and exposures. Anyone who is responsible for the care or well-being of a child under the age of 18 years is capable of committing intentional and unintentional actions that can cause physical, mental, emotional or even sexual abuse to a child. Though the abuse may not be immediately recognized, the damage caused by the abuse can last a lifetime.
The MCHD encourages all Moultrie County residents to advocate and care for our children. Following are 10 suggestions for becoming a more effective child advocate:
For Parents and Caregivers: Read More

McDonald’s Construction Begins

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•April 10, 2019•

McDonald’s Restaurant of Sullivan closes Monday, April 15 to allow for new construction.
Sunday, April 14 McDonald’s will open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, which will be the last day for the old building, owner Angie Matlock explained.
The existing building will be removed to the existing footprint, and a completely new McDonald’s with a dual drive thru will be built in its place. Construction timetable is expected to be seven weeks.

Obituaries 4-10-2019: Pete Spencer

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Pete Spencer

Peter A. ‘Pete’ Spencer, 68, of Sullivan, passed away at 3:33 a.m. Thursday, April 4, 2019 in St. Mary’s Hospital in Decatur.
Celebration of Life services were at 1 p.m. Monday in Reed Funeral Home in Sullivan. Burial will be at a later date in Camfield Cemetery in Sullivan. Read More

Second for ALAH Girls’ Track Team at Invitational Meet

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•April 10, 2019•

The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond girls’ track and field team placed second with 79 points in the 28th annual Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond Invite Saturday.
Tuscola won with 98 points.
Kenli Nettles scored most of the points for ALAH.
Nettles won the 300-meter dash with a meet-record time of 26.09, and Alexa Miller placed third at 27.73.
Miller also placed third in the 100-meter dash at 13.32 Read More

Tuscola wins ALAH Boys’ Track Invite

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•April 10, 2019•
The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond boys’ track team placed seventh out of 15 teams with 32 points in the 49th annual Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond Boys Invite Saturday.
Tuscola won the invite with 86 points.
Austin Romine took first place in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:05.58. Read More

OVHS and ALAH Students Receive Award

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•April 10, 2019•
Thirteen area high school seniors were awarded Good Citizen Awards from the Stephen Decatur Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution Saturday, March 29 in Decatur.
Winners were selected by faculty of the high schools on the basis of leadership, dependability, service, patriotism, and cooperation. These aware are presented annually to outstanding senior class students from Macon, Moultrie, DeWitt, Piatt, and Christian county high schools.
Students honored by the Stephen Decatur Chapter are: Read More

Remember When? 4-10-2019

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25 Years Ago This Week

There was a break-in at the Moultrie County Sheriff’s office. State Police investigators from Effingham have been assigned to the case. Sheriff’s Sgt. Rieck Kendall said that the burglary occurred in the jail’s basement. He said that items were taken but has declined to provide additional details.
After scoring only one run in a loss to Shelbyville, the Sullivan Redskins baseball team turned the tables and defeated Arcola 10-1. Jason Wildman picked up the win against Arcola. He pitched four innings, giving up four hits and one unearned run. He struck out eight. Andy Wagner went two-for-three with a triple and an RBI. Steve Book and Tim Lowry each had two RBIs. Read More

Swan Song for Bethany Foods

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Bethany Foods owner Ata Abbed is pictured with former employee Lois Traster.

•April 10, 2019•
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

When Ata Abbed retired from General Motors after 26 years of service, he was still young enough to have a second career.
His brother was in the grocery business and had seen an ad for a grocery store in the small town of Bethany, Illinois. It turned out to be a 29-year adventure for Abbed and his family.
“We were so very fortunate to have had the best neighbors, like Jerry and Kay Ward, that anyone could ask for,” Ata recalled. “We had wonderful employees like Della Lowe, Hope Snyder, Lois Traster and the support of the community.”
“The community has been very supportive of the grocery store, and we can’t thank all of our customers enough for their support and friendship over the years,” he continued.
It was a good place to raise a family.
“In 1989 the community welcomed us and enabled us to work, build a home and raise a family here. Leaving all our friends and customers is the most difficult part of our retirement decision,” wife Linda added.
On Saturday, April 6 some of those customers came to shop or say “goodbye”. Read More