Five Elite Basketball Fundamental Clinics will be held at Sullivan High School beginning on March 9 and held thereafter on each Sunday of the month. The last clinic will be held on Wednesday, April 2. All clinics will be held from 1-3 p.m. at a cost. The clinics are open to boys and girls from 3rd grade to high school. For more information about Elite Basketball, contact Barry Wolfe at 232-4446 or visit www.elite-basketball.net.
Category Archives: free news stories
Senator Rose to Host Area Satellite Office Hours
State Sen. Chapin Rose’s (R-Mahomet) office will be holding satellite office hours 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the Bethany Village Hall and 1:30-3 p.m. at Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library in Sullivan, both on February 4.
A member of Senator Rose’s staff will be on hand to meet with constituents regarding issues important to them. The satellite office hour program is in an effort to bring his office to local citizens.
Constituents with questions may contact Rose’s Macon County office at 330-9356 or via email at senatorchapinrose@gmail.com Constituents may also submit concerns or opinions on issues via Senator Rose’s website at: www.senchapinrose.com and clicking on the “contact form” button.
Rules of Road Review Course Feb. 5
The Secretary of State Jesse White, in cooperation with Mid-Illinois Senior Services, Inc., is offering a Rules of the Road review course for all citizens in the Sullivan area. The course is free to anyone who wishes to attend.
The purpose of the course is to help participants pass the Illinois driver’s license renewal examination. The course prepares applicants for the general written and road examinations, and also provides information on the vision screening.
The course will be held at: Mid-Illinois Senior Services located at 114 E. Jefferson in Sullivan February 5 from 10-11:30 a.m.
For more information, visit cyberdriveillinois.com
ALHS Assigns Interim Principal After Hatfield Resigns
The News•Progress received the following press release from Arthur-Lovington Superintendent Travis Wilson Friday afternoon following ALHS principal Brian Hatfield resigning Wednesday:
"The Arthur-Lovington District administration and board of education were very saddened to learn of the events that have taken place recently regarding our former high school principal. The matter has been resolved quite quickly and with all deliberate speed to ensure that the District's response to these events was legal, appropriate, effective, and prompt. We recognize the legitimate concerns that parents and members of the community may have, and assure you that the District has taken these issues seriously and worked to resolve them as appropriately as possible.
Members of the school community should know that the District administration and board of education were as surprised by some of the reporting in recent media accounts as they were. The very minute that District administration learned of the allegations contained in the media accounts, they moved immediately to ensure appropriate actions were taken to ensure the safe and orderly operation of school functions.
Please know that at all times the District administration and board of education undertook due diligence to ascertain the facts, assess the appropriate and legal steps, and respond accordingly. Throughout this personnel matter, District administration has been in regular contact with the District's legal counsel to make sure that we were acting in a legal and appropriate manner. Please also know that if there had been any knowledge or facts that would have suggested to District administration any safety issue for students or other members of the school community, they would have acted immediately to remove that risk. At no time prior to recent media reports did the District have knowledge of any such risk.
This matter has been resolved quickly and without any direct harm to any member of the school community. Should any parent or student have questions or concerns, please contact Travis Wilson, 543-2511.
Danny Powell, former principal at Villa Grove School District, will serve as substitute interim principal for the remainder of the school year at Arthur-Lovington Jr. /Sr. High School. He will begin those duties on Monday, February 3, 2014."
To read the original report about Hatfield, click here.
Hatfield Resigns as Principal Amid Charges
3:09 p.m.: The NewsProgress received the following press release from Arthur-Lovington Superintendent Travis Wilson Wednesday afternoon:
"The District has received a letter of resignation from Arthur-Lovington Jr./Sr. High School Principal Brian Hatfield. The School Board will act upon the resignation at our next meeting. Mr. Hatfield is no longer at work as of today."
Hatfield's resignation comes after he was charged with two counts of domestic battery on January 21. For the full story click here.
SIUE, Culver-Stockton Dean’s Lists
Earning fall dean’s list honors at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville are Ashley Tabb and Myranda Tabb, both of Arthur; Robert J. Guynn of Dalton City; Anthony Hettinger, Jordan Leynes and Courtney Yoder, all of Lovington and Emma Adkisson, Rachel Cook, Hayley Harshman, Colton Henderson, Zachary Righter and Dalton Whetsell, all of Sullivan.
Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Mo. has announced that Ruthie Wheelock of Lovington and Witten Crawford of Sullivan have been named to their fall dean’s list.
AL Post-Prom Fundraisers Thurs., Next Fri.
In an effort to help raise money for the Arthur-Lovington high school post-prom trip to Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin, parents have organized “Fill the Boot” fundraisers at this Thursday’s girls’ basketball game against Tri-County and at the Friday, February 7 boys’ basketball game.
Parents will collect donations to keep the cost minimal so all students may attend the post-prom event.
Post-prom was created to offer prom attendees a drug-free, fun, activity-filed night after prom has concluded. Parents are asking people attending the games to support the athletes and support the drug-free post-prom event.
Absentee, Early, and Grace Period Registration/Voting
Registered Voters who are not able to vote on Election Day March 18 are able to vote before that date either by Absentee Voting or Early Voting in the County Clerk’s office, 10 S. Main, Sullivan. Absentee Voting: February 6 through March 17 weekdays between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with the Clerk’s office remaining open until 5 p.m. on the last day of absentee voting.
Early Voting: March 3 through March 15, 2014 weekdays between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with Special Saturday hours on the last day of Early Voting from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. A voter must present valid identification when voting, but does not have to have an excuse to participate in either of these methods of voting.
Grace Period Registration/voting: February 19 through March 15, weekdays between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with special Saturday hours on the last day of grace period registration/voting from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Grace period is an extension of regular registration in which a person may register to vote or transfer their registration due to a name change or an address change. This method of registration is available only in the County Clerk’s office during regular office house; and if a person wants to vote in the upcoming Election, they must vote at the time of grace period registration. Registration requirements: U.S. Citizen; 18 years of age by election day; resident of your precinct 30 days prior to election day; two forms of identification, one showing current address.
Special Saturday hours for absentee/early voting and grace period registration/voting only will be Saturday March 15 between 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the County Clerk’s office.
The last day a signed absentee application can be accepted in the Moultrie County Clerk’s office, for an absentee ballot to be mailed, is Thursday, March 13.
If you have any questions pertaining to Absentee, Early or Grace Period voting, please call the County Clerk’s office at 728-4389.
Food Distribution in Sullivan Feb. 8
The Eastern Illinois Foodbank will distribute a truckload of food to hungry area families at the Sullivan VFW Post 6410, 1146 State Hwy 32, 9-11 a.m. February 8. All Moultrie County residents who meet income eligibility criteria are welcome (see below).
The distribution is part of the Foodbank’s Foodmobile Program, a system of mobile food pantries designed to help bring nutritious food to areas of chronic or extreme need. Through the program, local companies and organizations are invited to contribute toward a one-day distribution of food and optionally participate in the distribution process. The cost to partner with the Foodbank on a Foodmobile distribution is $2,500.
The Foodmobile distribution comes at a critical moment for area residents. Data released by Feeding America, the nation’s network of food banks, shows that a staggering 15 percent of people in eastern Illinois are considered food insecure, which means they sometimes lack adequate access to food. More shockingly, more than 20 percent of children are food insecure.
“The number of people in eastern Illinois struggling to get food on the tables has been on a 10-year climb,” said Jim Hires, Executive Director at the Foodbank. “Eastern Illinois has been hit especially hard.”
All eligible residents of Moultrie County needing food are welcome to attend the Foodmobile distribution. To be eligible, a household must have an income at or below 185% of the federal poverty level, or approximately $3,631 per month for a family of four. Other area Foodmobile distributions may be found by visiting the Foodbank’s website at www.eifoodbank.org and clicking “find help.”
Maximum monthly income per eligible household:(for each additional household member over eight, add $620):
Family Fit Night Feb. 13
The Sullivan Elementary School PTO is hosting Family Fit Night 6-8 p.m. Thursday, February 13 in the elementary school gym. All families with elementary age children are welcome to attend. The goal for the event is to promote healthy lifestyle choices and show families what healthy options are available in the community. Local businesses and organizations providing fitness or nutritional services will set up displays of information and conduct fun activities for the children. Students will also have the opportunity to win prizes for participation.
Anyone interested in being a vendor for Family Fit night may contact Lauren Calandrilla at lrcalandrilla@gmail.com.