•May 25, 2022•

The Amish Country Tractor Cruise is set for Saturday, June 18 in Arthur. A 46-mile cruise will take riders on a picturesque drive through the Heart of Illinois Amish Country.
Registration for the cruise will begin at 6:00 a.m. CDT at Yoder’s Kitchen, located on IL 133, and then departs at 8:00 a.m. A 9:45 a.m. CDT rest stop will be at the Rudy Huber Farm at Galton and lunch will be served at the Vernon Yoder Farm/Tri-County Auction Facility at Arcola. The cruise is expected to return to Arthur by 2:30 p.m.
Each year, the cruise takes riders on a different route throughout Amish Country. This year the cruise will visit the communities of Chesterville, Galton, Kemp, Filson, and Arcola Major sponsors for this year’s cruise include CHI, Farm Credit Services, The Equity, Kuhns Equipment, Yoder’s Kitchen, and Yoder Seed Company.
Cruise Director, Jim Fleming expects a record crowd this year. “We have received national exposure from Heritage Iron magazine as one of the premier tractor cruises in the Midwest. I think we could hit 200 tractors,” Fleming said. The first cruise was held in 2010 and is held on the Saturday preceding Father’s Day to encourage good family and Dad time. Many families plan activities around the cruise.
Funds raised from the cruise fund scholarships to agriculture students at ALAH High School.
For more information and to request a registration form, please contact Jim Fleming at 217-791-1026 or by email at fbjf1964@consolidated.net

•May 18, 2022•

The Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library is preparing to kickoff summer reading with a part on June 3 from 10 am to 2 pm. This is free and open to the public. There will be an inflatable obstacle course and slide, sno cones, s’more making and a craft.
This year’s summer reading theme is Read Beyond the Beaten Path. Summer reading officially starts on Wednesday, June 1. Participants can start registering on Tuesday, May 24 and there will be open registration on June 3 at the party.
The library is looking for volunteers to help at the kickoff party. Volunteers will help monitor the inflatables, the craft table and the sno cones and s’mores. Volunteers can be in sixth grade and up and adults may help as well.
There are 10 weeks of summer reading. This is 10 weeks of earning prizes. Every week they meet their reading goal they can get a new prize. Reading logs will be kept at the library this year and the kids will get stickers to put on their log as they progress.
YA (young adults) will have activities on Thursdays at 2:00 in June. YA is for kids entering 6th-12th grades. They will be making things for the letterboxing activity, fairy lights, and more.
For kids entering kindergarten through 5th grades activities will be held August 1-5. It will be held in the mornings. Exact times will be announced closer to the dates.
They will have a letterboxing activity throughout the summer for the entire family. Letterboxing is similar to geocaching, but no coordinates are given. Instead you will follow clues and solve puzzles to find them. You do not leave a trinket behind. Instead there will be a stamp inside a small waterproof box that you use on a premade card you can get in the library. When you find them all you can come back for a prize. This will start in June also.
In July they will have a free family friendly movie every Friday at 1:00 pm. Popcorn and water is provided. Guests can bring other snacks if they wish along with blankets and pillows to sit with. Chairs will be provided for adults.

•May 18, 2022•

The Moultrie County NewsProgress is seeking local Veterans to share their stories in our publication. Interviewees should be willing to be interviewed and photographed. For more information call us at 217-728-7381.

•May 11, 2022•

Joshua Handschin of Atwood is a candidate to graduate from Utah State University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. Handschin is eligible to earn a degree from Utah State University and is among the 6,588 students eligible to receive degrees and certificates from USU’s statewide campuses or USU Online. The 2022 graduating class includes graduates from summer and fall 2021 and spring 2022 semesters.
USU Statewide campuses have held graduation ceremonies through the past several weeks. The USU main campus ceremonies were held May 5 in Logan.

•May 11, 2022•

A candidate forum for the upcoming election will be held on Wednesday, May 18 in the Sullivan Middle School gym. Doors open at 5:30 pm with the forum beginning at 6 pm. The forum will be formally moderated and timed. We will be livestreaming the event on the News Progress Facebook page. Starting with this election, Moultrie County will be split between two legislative districts the 51st and 54th. Candidates from both districts have been invited. The three candidates for the Appellate Court 5th Judicial District have been invited. Other candidates for the following have been invited: State Rep 101st and 107th, Regional Superintendent of Schools, 15th Congressional District, Moultrie County Sheriff, Moultrie County Treasurer, Moultrie County Clerk, Moultrie County Board and there will be information and questions and answers for the Sullivan School District referendum.