by Tom Emery

March 18, 2015

Today, library users in Illinois enjoy of the best public libraries in the nation and a statewide commitment to resource sharing and library technology that is the envy of the nation. It wasn’t always that way.
This March marks the anniversary of the signing of the Public Library Act by then-Governor John M. Palmer in 1872. The law provided for the tax-supported, free-usage public libraries that Illinoisans know today.
Before then, Illinois residents had no access to free reading, and had to join private organizations for library material. Social libraries date to 1818 with the founding of such organizations in Albion and Edwardsville. A subscription library was founded in Belleville in 1821, and by 1872, there were an estimated forty such libraries across the state. Read More

Photo by Keith Stewart
Okaw Valley’s Aspen Cassady teaches her agriculture education students about the differences of cells in male and female reproductive organs in livestock Monday. Cassady recently earned a grant that will pay for a digital microscope set to arrive next week.

March 11, 2015

Will purchase digital microscope for student use

by Joash Tiarks
Bethany Reporter

The Illinois Agriculture In The Classroom(IAITC) program constantly seeks teachers who inspire their students, and the program is able to accomplish this by partnering with local teachers, specifically in the area of agriculture. Recently it found a partner in Okaw Valley ag teacher Aspen Cassady.

Each year, under the oversight of the Illinois Farm Bureau, the IAITC raises funds through the Illinois Agriculture Association(IAA), making more than $700,000 available to the teachers and classrooms throughout the entire state “to fund education, research, and charitable activities that benefit Illinois farm families and agriculture,” according the the IAA website. The IAA counts the Illinois Beef Association, Illinois Corn Growers, Illinois Pork Producers, Illinois Soybean Association, and the University of Illinois Extension among its large group of generous contributors. Read More

March 4, 2015

Brown’s Mad Gasser Tale to be presented Saturday in Sullivan
by Ariana Cherry
Sullivan/Arthur Reporter

Brown

WWII era Mattoon, Illinois, is descending into madness. The small town’s fears of an enemy within, stalking them like prey, are threatening to become a reality and consume the town. As the hysteria rises, the people of Mattoon are tested in ways that will change their lives and their idyllic small town forever. And for one family, everything hangs in the balance.”
That is the brief summary of Jason Brown’s latest book, “Prowler: The Mad Gasser of Mattoon,” a novel that covers the two week long hysteria surrounding the famous 1940’s incident.
In 1944, it was noted that a bizarre figure dressed in black wreaked havoc in Mattoon by spraying an unidentified paralyzing gas into the windows of unsuspecting residents. The attacker vanished without anyone ever seeing him, and the case stumped not only the residents but the local law enforcement. Social scientists ended up calling the whole situation a mass hysteria, which has now become the inspiration for Brown. Read More

Photo by Keith Stewart
Pictured are the new Moultrie County sheriff Chris Sims (left) and deputy Brandon Beckwith (right).

February 11, 2015

Two promotions and a new hire come to department

by Ariana Cherry
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

There’s a new sheriff in town…as well as a new second in command and deputy.
On December 1, Brandon Beckwith became the newest Moultrie County deputy after Chris Sims was elected as the Moultrie County Sheriff.
When previous Moultrie County Sheriff Jeff Thomas retired after 12 years of service (41 total in the department), Sims saw this as an opportunity to step up to serve the citizens of the county. After already serving as chief-deputy since 1994, he already had some ideas in mind of how he would like to assist the citizens and office.
“I had some authority as deputy, but the sheriff is ultimately responsible. I look forward to having the authority to make positive changes, empower employees to do a better job with customer relations and improve productivity,” said Sims. Read More

Photo by Keith Stewart
Joc French (right) recently donated four bikes to four randomly selected Lovington grade school students. This year’s winners include Koby Brownlee (left), Shalonda Hettinger (middle), and not pictured Jaydin Smith and Normal Mendez. Also not pictured are Joc’s wife Amanda and daughter McKenzie.

January 7, 2015

Four Lovington grade schoolers receive bikes in time for Christmas

by Keith Stewart

keith@newsprogress.com

For Joc French, he takes what has become a family tradition very seriously.

Almost like Santa himself, French walked up the lightly snow-covered sidewalk on a Thursday morning last month, carrying a large cardboard box adorned in aged green gift wrap, pictures of Santa emblazoned like patches except for one spot, on top, where a piece had been torn away accidentally, revealing the underlying brown cardboard. The otherwise faded green box was the same one used to draw names 20 years ago when Joc’s mother and father Mark and Tammy began to annually donate two bicycles to two Lovington grade schoolers.

“My dad had moved to Sullivan, and I felt our community here in Lovington should still be blessed with this opportunity,” said Joc.

Taking over in 2012, Joc did just that. Read More