Category Archives: News Briefs

Lake Land College Honors 2023 Non-traditional Student of the Year Award Recipients and Nominees

News Progress Posted on by

Photo furnished
Lake Land College recognized the 2023 Non-traditional Student of the Year Award winners and nominees. Pictured Left to Right are: (Front row) Christina Dickenson, Tashia Carter, Holly Cornell, Hollie McCarty and Ron Mason. (Back row) Lake Land College President Josh Bullock, Anthony Gasperini, Brianna Sexton, Benjamin Wilson and Stephanie Sample

•February 15, 2023•
Lake Land College presented the Non-traditional Student of the Year Award to both Ron Mason, Mattoon and Stephanie Sample, Sullivan during an event Wednesday. Sample and Mason were among 14 nominees who were honored for their perseverance and outstanding achievements in returning to college to pursue their dreams.
The nominees were: Derek Clark, Charleston; Benjamin Wilson, Paris; Brianna Sexton, Charleston; Anthony Gasperini; Travis Fox, Windsor; Holly Cornell, Montrose; Chelsea Rouleau, Effingham; Tashia Carter, Mattoon; Kyler Roan, Paris; Christina Dickenson, Pana; Brooklyn Cook, Neoga; and Hollie McCarty, Paris.
“The individuals we honor this evening have not had an easy path to success, yet you would never know it. They inspire the people around them with their positive attitude and determination to succeed,” said Kelly Allee, director of marketing and public relations. “We are humbled by their accomplishments and are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate with them. We cannot wait to see what they accomplish in the future.” Read More

Tarble Arts Center’s Winter Exhibition Cycle

News Progress Posted on by

•February 15, 2023•
Art from Here arrived at the Tarble Arts Center on February 10th, continuing the Tarble’s annual tradition of showcasing the creativity and expression of young artists in east-central Illinois. This year’s exhibition celebrates 40 years of collaboration with regional art teachers, presenting 134 artworks by 128 students across six counties—Douglas, Coles, Effingham, Edgar, Moultrie, and Cumberland. The exhibiting artists come from Arcola, Ashmore, Charleston, Effingham, Mattoon, Oakland, Paris, Sullivan, Teutopolis, and Toledo. This exhibition will be on view through March 11th, 2023. Read More

HSHS Illinois Hospitals Encourage Frequent Hand Washing to Avoid Spreading Illnesses

News Progress Posted on by

•February 15, 2023•
Health care providers at HSHS Illinois hospitals encourage everyone to frequently wash their hands when exposed to highly touched surfaces to aid in reducing the spread of these illnesses like RSV, Influenza, COVID and more.
“COVID, flu and RSV primarily spread through droplets in the air but could also be spread by our hands,” said Stephanie Thannum, HSHS Illinois manager of quality and infection prevention. “Germs can be spread by hands coming into contact with a hard surface contaminated by the cough or sneeze of an infected person. Washing your hands often, especially before eating or touching your face and after using the restroom, can help prevent many illnesses including COVID, flu and RSV. Read More

Election Notice

News Progress Posted on by

•February 15, 2023•

Citizens who are not registered to vote and cannot leave their home or Nursing Home/Assisted Living Facility because of a permanent physical disability can arrange for voter registration and voting by contacting the Moultrie County Clerk’s office.
The last day to register to vote before the April 4, 2023, Consolidated Election is Tuesday, March 7, 2023, with the exception of grace period registrations and transfers between March 8, 2023, and Election Day. Read More

Area Artists Wanted for Creative Arts Fair

News Progress Posted on by

•February 15, 2023•
Calling all artists in Arthur and other surrounding communities!
A fundraiser to help support outreach endeavors in the Arthur Community will be holding its first ever Spring Community Creative Arts Fair.
The goal of the fundraiser is to raise money for the outreach programs that AUMC (Arthur United Methodist Church) uses as its ministry to help the community. Those programs include the AUMC Food Pantry, Wednesday Night Community Meals, God’s Closet, the youth programs and the Arthur Ministerial Association. Read More

Illinois Community Colleges Celebrate Critical Workforce Training during Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month

News Progress Posted on by

•February 15, 2023•
February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, and Illinois community colleges across the state are celebrating their valuable role in preparing the workforce for in-demand jobs. CTE programs offered at community colleges provide students with hands-on training and real-world experience in a variety of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, and technology.
Lake Land College offers more than 100 career and technical majors in high demand fields. Students who graduate from these short-term and degree programs launch start their careers with little to no debt with life-sustaining wages.
In addition, Lake Land is proud to be working with many industry partners to grow highly skilled employees from within the community. The college has 12 registered apprenticeships this spring and in the past year the Center for Business and Industry served 1,840 students and 23 companies with customized training programs. Read More

Is There An Illinois Dialect, and Is It Worth Protecting?

News Progress Posted on by

•February 15, 2023•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer

Do you speak Illinoisan?
More to the point, do you speak Chicagoan?
Heck, I could just as easily ask whether you speak North Sidese or South Sidese.
Perhaps it’s the 59 years I’ve spent listening to and speaking to Illinoisans, but during a brief conversation I can safely guess whether you spent much of your life north or south of the Loop. I can even tell most Minnesotans from North Dakotans, which is a rare skill.
So I am of a mind that there is no such thing as an Illinois dialect. It’s too broad. I know people from northern, central and southern Illinois, and we barely sound like we’re from the same country.
I grew up in Arlington Heights, but this column’s editor, Michelle Holdway, hails from downstate Herrin. And she has kept her southern twang for decades since moving to the Chicago area. Read More

Remember When? 2-15-2023

News Progress Posted on by

25 Years Ago This Week

Russell Moore accepted the position of sergeant in the public safety department at Lake Land College, and former Lovington resident, Laura Brandenburg was appointed as secretary to Admissions and Records.
During Senior Night for the Sullivan boys basketball team, the seniors stepped up and carried the team to a 70-50 victory over Clinton. Sullivan improved to 15-6 overall and remained in a three-way tie for first place in the Okaw Valley Conference at 10-2. Read More

Cub Scout Pack 39 Pinewood Derby

News Progress Posted on by

Photo furnished
Cub Scout Pack 39 Pinewood Derby
Cub Scout Pack 39 held their Pinewood Derby on January 24. Winners were first place: James Conlin, second place: Evan Young, third place: Jack Bertetto and fourth place: Mason Scroggins. Pictured from left to right are Mason Scroggins, James Conlin, Jack Bertetto and Evan Young (in back).

Why ‘Monosemy’ Can Mean Only One Thing

News Progress Posted on by

•February 8, 2023•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer

One of the great things about English is its malleability.
A sentence can take on a different meaning when you apply emphasis in different places.
The same word can hold different meanings in different contexts.
We bend, shape and recombine the same words to form different thoughts.
And that’s because it’s a whole lot easier to find a word with multiple meanings than a word with a singular one.
Can you imagine how much the Broca’s area of your frontal lobe would have to occupy in your noggin if every word had just one meaning?
What’s the point of having an air fryer and a pressure cooker cluttering up your kitchen when you can have a single machine that functions as both? Read More