The Sullivan American Legion Post 68 and the American Red Cross will be hosting a blood drive at the Legion on November 11. Appointments may be made from 12-6 pm by calling drive coordinator Jeri Davis at 273-9456. Walk ins are welcome, but making an appointment ensures that waiting time will be reduced and adequate staffing is available.
The public is invited to attend any of the following book signings by author E.M. Burtcheard of Sullivan:
October 10, from 10 a.m.-noon at the Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library in Sullivan
November 12 at 8:30 a.m. at the Moultrie County Senior Center in Sullivan
November 19 at 11:30 a.m. at the Shelby County Senior Center, located at 325 N. 9th St. in Shelbyville
The title of the featured book is “The Long Ride”, the story of two young girls who came west on the infamous Orphan Trains. The girls meet when they are each thrown into the jail of an unscrupulous sheriff on false charges. Their escape leads them on a trail across Texas where they meet other travelers they join with. One of the accumulated group will die at a river crossing.
“The Long Ride” is a western fiction, the fourth book written and first published by Burtcheard, who is a student of western lore, Native Americans, and the Civil War. Brutcheard has written two other unpublished western fiction books while studying history at Lake Land College, Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods, and EIU as well as several children’s works. Burtcheard lives near Sullivan, and books may be purchased on Amazon, with all proceeds going to the Wounded Warrior Fund.
The Moultrie County Historical and Genealogical Society will hold their monthly meeting Thursday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Heritage Center in Sullivan. The speaker for the evening will be Joan Pound of Sullivan and her program entitled “Moultrie County Men in the Civil War.” She will touch on topics such as: were there southern sympathizers in Moultrie County, the difference in the people in the northern and southern part of Illinois, what role did central Illinois have in Grant getting his start leading the troops, and how to quickly research a Moultrie County Civil War ancestor. A social hour will follow the meeting with refreshments being served.
As always all general meetings are open to everyone, not just members.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will hold a Youth Deer Hunt at Lake Shelbyville on October 11 and 12. The hunt will be conducted in portions of recreation areas previously closed for the season. As a safety precaution Lone Point Campground, excluding the boat ramp and Walleye Group Camp, Coon Creek Campground H Leg and portions of G Leg, and all of Wilborn Creek, Opossum Creek and Whitley Creek Recreation Areas will be closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic from 2:00 p.m. October 10, 2014 to 7:00 p.m. October 12.
These closings include boat ramps located within Opossum Creek, Wilborn Creek and Whitley Creek Recreation Areas. Ramps remaining open during this period include those in Dam West, Lone Point, Lithia Springs and Bo Wood Recreation Areas, Wolf Creek and Eagle Creek State Parks and all secondary ramps.
For more information contact the Lake Shelbyville Environmental Stewardship Department at (217) 774-3951 ext 7049.
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced that all offices and facilities that are normally open Monday through Friday will be closed Monday, October 13, in observance of Columbus Day.
Driver Services facilities that are normally open Tuesday through Saturday will be closed on Saturday, October 11.
All Driver Services facilities will be open for regular business on Tuesday, October 14.
A retirement party open house will be held Friday, October 24 from 1-4 p.m. at the Moultrie County Sheriff’s office for outgoing sheriff Jeff Thomas.
Thomas is not seeking reelection this November and will instead be retiring after 41-plus years of service.
For more information, call 728-4386.
Southern Gospel recoding artist, The Chosen Ones, will be appearing on Sunday, October 19 at 6 p.m. at the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 219 S Lincoln in Bethany.
The Chosen Ones are celebrating 40 years in gospel music, having begun their ministry in 1974. They have sung throughout the United States and abroad, performing over 160 personal appearances annually as well as appearing on Gospel Music Television. They have released over 20 recordings, which have included four national radio releases. Their latest recording, “So Blessed” was released in August 2012. To learn more about heir ministry you can visit www.thechosenones.org
For more information about this event, please contact. M. Smith at 217-433-1014.
Moultrie County Clerk Georgia England reminds residents of Moultrie County that the deadline to register to vote or transfer/change registration for the upcoming November 4 general election is Tuesday, October 7. Registration is in the County Clerk’s office on the second floor of the Moultrie County Courthouse in Sullivan 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Registration is also available at all Moultrie County libraries and with the precinct committee persons.
Requirements for registration are:
• U.S. Citizen
• 18 years of age by election day
• Resident of a precinct 30 days prior to election day
• Two forms of identification, one showing registrant’s current address
A few circumstances in which a person would need to re-register or change registration are: (1) a person has married or changed their name. (2) a person has moved to Moultrie County from another jurisdiction [county]. (3) a person has moved within the county, even if it would be next door.
Questions regarding a registration or the upcoming election should be directed to the county clerk’s office at 728-4389 prior to the deadlines.
Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library director Clemens Uptmor recently completed the fourth annual bike ride. Uptmor rode the 100 mile course in just under eight hours and raised $950 for the library in the process. Uptmor and the library would like to acknowledge the following sponsors for this year’s ride:
News Progress, Agri-Fab, Sullivan City Council, Elder Appraisals, Sullivan IGA, Highland Real Estate, Dave and Sharon Walker, Ann Wheeler, Mike McLaughlin, Carol Fidroeff, Kathie Price, Sharon Slaughter, Denise Dean, Dawn Becker, Lynn Elder, Carol Elder, Rich and Sue Preston, John and Barb Camren, and Rob Dickens.
The residents of Patterson House will be selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts next to CVS Saturday, September 27 to raise money to provide funding for Special Olympics, glasses and Christmas gifts. The fundraiser will begin at 5 a.m. and continue until doughnuts are gone.