•March 23, 2016•
The Sullivan Fire District is hosting an Easter Egg Hunt at Wyman Park.
Starting at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 27 children will be separated into six different age groups.
With lots of great hidden prizes the Easter Egg hunters in each age group will have an equal chance to grab goodies.
Age groups include 0-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 and 10-11.
•March 23, 2016•
Faith Lutheran Church in Sullivan is celebrating Holy Week services beginning with Maundy Thursday.
On March 24 Maundy Thursday supper will be served at 5:30 p.m. with a service at 5:45 p.m.
March 25 marks Good Friday with the 7 p.m. Sullivan Ministerial Association community hosted by Faith Lutheran Church.
At 5 p.m. Saturday, March 26 Easter service is offered.
Easter Sunday service is 10 a.m. March 27 in Faith Lutheran Church.
•March 23, 2016•
Tax year 2015/ payable in 2016 is the general assessment year meaning all 10 thousand plus parcels in Moultrie County are published.
This was formerly know as the Quadrennial Assessment year for Moultrie County Property Tax.
In counties with less than 3,000,000 inhabitants, every four years, the Township Assessors, Multi-Township Assessors, and the Chief County Assessment Officer (the “CCAO”, also known as the Supervisor of Assessments) must review and reassess all property in the county and revalue each of the properties if and as needed.
After that work is done, the CCAO is required to publish a complete list of the assessments by township. The CCAO also mails individual assessment notices to all the county’s property owners.
Moultrie County CCAO Cindy Kidwell explained that the publication of the assessments is in this week’s News Progress, and the assessment notices were mailed Tuesday, March 22.
The beginning of the publication of the assessments outlines the information regarding the procedure and whom to contact should there be questions or concerns about assessments.
•March 16, 2016•
The University of Illinois Champaign announced the fall semester Dean’s List with the following area students included: Christy Allen of Arthur, Media; Emily Scott of Bethany, Media; Dylan Helfrich, Engineering; Thomas Hendrickson of Lovington, Liberal Arts and Sciences and Dakota Clayton, Applied Health Sciences; April Shuman, Agricultural Consumer and Environment and Tanner Typer, Agricultural Consumer and Environment, all of Sullivan.
•March 16, 2016•
Good voter turnout combined with new election equipment kept the Moultrie Country Clerk’s office pretty busy March 15.
County Clerk Georgia England noted the 410 absentee ballots voted in the general primary election broke recent records for primary elections, indicating voter interest in 2016.
New voting equipment prompted constant attention from Liberty Systems personnel as well as Election Deputy Jamie Helton and the election support staff as they fielded precinct issues throughout election day.
In Moultrie County’s 16 precincts 3822 ballots were cast out of 8362 registered voters. Of those, 2743 were Republican, 1066 were Democrat and 13 Nonpartisan. There were no local offices with contested races.
Brad Halbrook led the Republican race for Adam Brown’s seat in the 102nd Legislative District with 1482 votes, followed by James Acklin with 461 and Randy Peterson with 430 in the county.
The Republican contested 15th Congressional seat went to incumbent John Shimkus with 1519 over Kyle McCarter with 1048.
For president Bernie Sanders led the Democrats in the county with 566 votes; Hillary Clinton received 462 votes with Martin O’Malley getting 11.
Republican presidential hopefuls were led by Ted Cruz with 1321 votes followed by Donald Trump with 900. John Kasich was third with 264 followed by Marco Rubio with 141 votes.
Democrat U.S. Senate race was led by Tammy Duckworth with 611 votes, Andrea Zoppe-251 and Napoleon Harris-90.
Republican senate race was led by Mark Steven Kirk with 1764 followed by James Marter with 718.
In local uncontested races Republican incumbent State’s Attorney Jeremy Richey received 2242 votes with Coroner Lynn Reed receiving 2365.
County board candidates were led by Ron White with 1838; Tim Rose 776; Kevin McReynolds 1702 and Mike Barringer 1581.
Democrat State’s Attorney candidate Marvin L. Hanson received 880 votes and Circuit Clerk Cindy Braden 916.
•March 16, 2016•
First Christian Church in Bethany is planning to kick off the planting season in the prairie with a special observance on Sunday, April 3.
Pastor Tracy Siegman announced that the church will have a tractor bessing following the 10 a.m. service that day.
“We are asking anyone who would like to drive their tractor to church that day,” Pastor Siegman said..
•March 9, 2016•
This weekend Daylight Saving Time officially begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 13.
Daylight increases with spring just around the corner on Sunday, March 20.
Most time keeping devices are smart enough to change the time automatically; for analog clocks it’s a good idea to set them ahead an hour before bedtime.
It is also a good time to change batteries and make sure smoke alarms, and carbon monoxide detectors are working.
•March 9, 2016•
Wade Burch was sentenced to four years with the Department of Corrections in Moultrie County Circuit court Monday, March 8 by Judge Dan L. Flannell.
Burch, 26, of Shelbyville had pled guilty to aggravated criminal sexual abuse January 13.
In addition to the four year sentence Burch will face two years mandatory supervised release. He was given credit for five days served in Moultrie County Jail April 23-27, 2015.
Burch has since been free on $100,000 bond, of which the balance was returned to the posting person.
Aggravated sexual assault is a Class I felony carrying a five-seven year sentence.
Burch, a middle school basketball and baseball coach, was charged in April 2015, accused of sexual activity with a student whom he coached.
•March 9, 2016•
The third annual reenactment of the Last Supper is 7 p.m. Maundy Thursday, March 24 at First United Methodist Church in Sullivan.
The public is invited to attend.
Thirteen men of the congregation recreate the Last Supper of Jesus meeting with his 12 apostles on Mt. Olive, each one telling his individual Biblical story.
The program closes with open communion.
•March 2, 2016•
Scott Sate Bank in Bethany is hosting “Spring into Action” food drive to benefit the Bethany Food Pantry.
This is the second annual drive. Last year more than 900 items were collected.
Unexpired canned and boxed items as well as toiletry and paper products will be collected through March 31 at the bank during regular business hours.