Moultrie County Clerk Georgia England reminds residents of Moultrie County that the deadline to register to vote or transfer/change registration for the upcoming March 18 general primary election is Tuesday, February 18. Residents may register to vote at the county clerk’s office on the second floor of the Moultrie County Courthouse in Sullivan from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Registration is also available at all Moultrie County libraries and with precinct committeemen.

Requirements for registration are:

• U.S. Citizen

• Resident of precinct 30 days prior to election day

• Two forms of identification, one showing registrant’s current address

• 18 years of age by election day

Seventeen year olds may register to vote in the General Primary Election only if they will turn 18 on or before the November 4, 2014 General Election and meet the above requirements.

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 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.

Photo by Keith Stewart
Meridian athletic director Eric Hurelbrink hands Sullivan's four seniors the Okaw Valley Tournament championship trophy Saturday night after the Redskins beat Meridian 53-46.

Sullivan battles through OV Tourney, defeating host in Championship Saturday

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

“Why not us.”

What had been a rhetorical question and even mantra became a simple statement Saturday night, when Sullivan, the no. 5 seed, upended no. 7 seed and host Meridian in the Okaw Valley tournament championship 53-46.

After 12 long years, the trophy came back to Sullivan in what is the final year of the Okaw’s existence. Sullivan last won the conference tourney in 2002 when they defeated Monticello 51-43. But it was 14 years ago that a young Chester Reeder, then a jr. on the basketball team, was a part of the 99' Sullivan group to win the trophy.

Now in his first year as head coach, Reeder and company signed off on the irony with Saturday’s win.

“It means so much. I’m just so happy for these kids, especially these seniors,” said an emotional Reeder after Saturday’s game. “They’ve been told their whole life that they aren’t going to be successful. I was told when I took the job that it was going to be a struggle, that we weren’t going to win very many games. I just kept telling them, ‘Don’t believe what you hear. Buy into being there for each other. Play tough, play together, and worry about the 30 guys that we have in the program and see what happens. Play as hard as you can and see what happens.’”
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Moultrie County Clerk Georgia England has announced that the Public Test of the Optical Scan and TSX Touch Screen tabulating equipment to be used at the March 18 general primary election will be held at 10 a.m. March 10 in the elections counting center room, first floor of the Moultrie County Courthouse in Sullivan. This test is open to candidates, representatives of the political parties, the press and the public.

A recent report by Pew Research shows that for the second year in a row nearly a quarter of the nation didn’t read one book, which the report clarified as a paperback, audiobook, or tablet.

In the face of this epidemic, the Lovington Public Library will be encouraging residents to come together and read during the month of February. The library has set a community reading goal of 750 books, and everyone of all ages is asked to participate. All formats of books will qualify to help reach the goal. Stop by the library to enter the weekly drawing and inform the staff on how many books you have been reading. Each book will bring the goal a step closer. The library will feature many new materials for the whole family. Many of the new books were made available through a Libri Foundation grant sponsored by the Friends of the Lovington Public Library. To celebrate the community’s success, a culmination of the event will be held at noon Saturday, March 1. Performing at the library will be Abra-Kid-Abra, a St. Louis magician.

For more information, contact the Lovington Public Library at 873-4688.

Blood Drive in Findlay Feb. 17

A blood drive will be held from 2-6 p.m. at the American Legion Hall in Findlay February 17. For more information on donating blood, visit redcrossblood.org.