Category Archives: News Briefs

Night Of Rock At Du Quoin State Fair

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Cinderella front-man Tom Keifer, Sebastian Bach to perform at the Grandstand

•July 27, 2016•

A high energy rock concert is what fairgoers will be treated to Saturday, August 27 when Cinderella’s Tom Keifer and Sebastian Bach take the Grandstand stage at the Du Quoin State Fair. Keifer is a singer-songwriter who is best known for his work as lead singer for the rock band Cinderella.

Rolling Stones magazine calls Keifer ‘a gritty, bluesy, (rocker) with enough swagger to draw comparisons to Mick Jagger.” Keifer’s vocals are featured in hit songs such as, “Don’t Know What You Got Till It’s Gone,” and “Shelter Me.” Today he’s showcasing his talents in his debut solo album, The Way Life Goes. Read More

SBL Food and Nutrition Offers Program

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•July 20, 2016•

More and more people are using fitness/activity devices and apps to track their health and wellness stats. Sarah Bush Lincoln’s Food and Nutrition Services is hosting a community presentation on how to use these fitness/activity trackers to help you reach your health goals. This free program begins at 6:30 pm, Tuesday, August 2, in the Lumpkin Family Center for Health Education located on the north side of Health Center. Read More

Remember When? 7-20-2016

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Compiled by Bekki Ferguson-Stevens

25 Years Ago This Week

David and Dennis Peadro of Peadro’s Feed Co. in Sullivan recently attended a feeding and management school at the headquarters of Kent Feeds, Inc in Muscatine, Iowa.

Mary Oathout of Bethany and Laura Gingerich of Sullivan won awards in the 16th annual Quilt Show which will run through July 14 at Rockome Gardens near Arcola. Oathout’s quilt, named Hearts of Love, took third place in the miscellaneous category, and Gingrich’s quilt, named Log Cabin/Triple Broken Star, took honorable mention honors.

Darby Seabaugh, daughter of new rural Sullivan residents Tracy and Tina Seabaugh, was crowned Little Miss Firecracker during Fourth of July activities in Sullivan.

Local entrants Kimberley Wood of Sullivan and Angela White of Lovington will compete in the 30th Annual Miss Moultrie-Douglas County Fair Queen Pageant during pre-fair activities at 7:30 Monday. Lauren West of Lovington will compete against 11 other young girls for the Little Miss title.

Three-year-old Frank Austin, son of Steve and Kelly Austin of Bethany, was chosen the Firecracker Kid during Bethany’s Fourth of July celebration. The contest was sponsored by the Bethany Alumni Assn. Other participants included Kenny Sanders, son of Diane Sanders and Forrest Sanders; Daniel Kidwell, son of Mike and Cheryl Kidwell; and Michael Snearly, son of Wayne and Jill Snearly. Read More

Cold In-Place Recycling Moves Wilborn Blacktop Along

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Wilborn Two_0451

Photo by Mike Brothers A train of equipment ground the existing Wilborn Creek pavement up and redistributed recycled material for road base in an environmentally friendly way to complete the reconstruction of CR625E.

•July 20, 2016•

Dunn Company performed three miles of Cold In-Place Recycling (CIR) for the Moultrie County Highway Department on CH16 (Wilborn Creek Blacktop) last week.

The CIR process consists of the on-site rehabilitation of the asphalt pavement with a single unit recycling train. This involves cold milling the pavement surface and remixing with the addition of asphalt emulsion to improve the properties, followed by paving the recycled material and compaction of the reprocessed material in one continuous operations.

The process eliminates the need for hauling of material to and from the site. CIR re-uses the county’s most viable assets, the roads in which they maintain. CIR drastically decreases environmental impact, and is a cost effective alternative to traditional construction.

Moultrie County Highway Engineer Jeff Birch was on site for CIR and noted the process was working well. CH 16 Wilborn Blacktop currently suffers from fatigue, edge cracking, longitudinal cracking, uneven surfaces, raveling, and has a very unstable ride. This is a process that should stabilize the road surface for the future. Read More

Tabor Park Draws Crowd to Garden Tractor Pull

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•July 20, 2016•

Christian County Tractor Pulling Association held the second annual Sullivan Garden Tractor Pull in Tabor Park Sunday, July 17.

Prizes were awarded the top four finishers in seven different classes.

950# 12HP Stock Single Class: First Rob Matthews on Little Legend - 295.92 ft., second Randy Long on Red Baron-294.06 ft., third Dylan Dirks on Cloey’s Ride-293.21 ft., fourth Terry Norville on Steiger Cub-289.87 ft.

1050# 14HP Stock Single Class: first Jake Bolen on Ole Blue-229.80 ft., second Vance Steward on Layin’ Tracks-212.48 ft., third Dave Beasley on Ole Crow-208.07 ft., fourth Kristin Johnson on Slow Ride-207.25 ft. Read More

Stopgap Measure Funds Department of Commerce Programs

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•July 13, 2016•

The Governor and the Leaders’ stopgap funding plan, signed into law yesterday, provides appropriations for critical Illinois Department of Commerce programs including assistance for low-income households, workforce training, small business loans and export assistance, tourism promotion, and energy efficiency programs.

“This stopgap funding plan protects and sustains important Department of Commerce programs that provide services to low-income and disadvantaged residents throughout the state, and funds important economic development initiatives,” Acting Director Sean McCarthy said. “I want to thank the members of the General Assembly for working with Governor Rauner and his administration to pass a responsible bridge plan that protects our most vulnerable residents. We look forward to a balanced budget with structural reforms that help businesses grow and create jobs in Illinois.” Read More

Good News! Coming to First Christian Church in Sullivan July 17

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Good News quartet•July 13, 2016•

The men’s quartet Good News! will lead the worship service at Sullivan’s First Christian Church on Sunday, July 17. From Sycamore, Illinois, the group will combine a rich musical heritage with their personal testimony as they present the message that day.

The gathering will be a homecoming for three members of the quartet who call Sullivan their hometown: Ann Elder, keyboardist; Joel Maurer, baritone; and Doug Elder, lead tenor. Born and raised in Sullivan, the three are proud graduates of Sullivan High School. Read More

Critical Response, Safety Programs, Move Forward With Funds

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•July 13, 2016•

Illinois Emergency Management Agency continues its mission to protect the residents of Illinois from a variety of hazards and respond to disasters throughout the state following the state’s funding approval.

“This spending plan is good news for IEMA and our many local public safety partners,” said IEMA Director James K. Joseph. “We sincerely appreciate the efforts of the governor and the General Assembly in ensuring that these critical public safety programs can continue, and we look forward to passage of a balanced budget with structural reforms in the near future.”

SB 2047 will allow IEMA to allocate a variety of federal grant funds and other non-GRF state funds to local emergency management agencies and mutual aid partners from local law enforcement, fire services and other public safety organizations.

This includes the release of FY 16 funding totaling $650,000 to local emergency management agencies in counties surrounding the six operating nuclear power plants in Illinois. The grants, which are funded by fees paid by Exelon, support local preparedness and training efforts for a potential accident at the nuclear power plants. The stopgap funding plan also allows IEMA to provide the grants in FY 17. Read More

Heat, Humidity Can Be Deadly Combination

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Emergency management offers heat safety tips

•July 13, 2016•

On average, heat kills more people each year than other weather-related hazards, such as tornadoes, floods and lightning. To increase awareness about the dangers of extreme heat, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and local emergency management agencies are offering heat safety tips throughout July to help people stay safe when temperatures rise.

According to the National Weather Service, heat accounted for an average of 113 fatalities each year from 2006–2015. During that same period, tornadoes caused an average of 110 deaths each year, while floods resulted in an annual average of 84 fatalities.

“People often don’t realize how dangerous hot weather can be,” said IEMA Director James K. Joseph. “We want everyone to be aware of the dangers of extreme heat and what they can do to stay safe and healthy.”

Joseph said heat-related fatalities can be prevented by taking precautions when temperatures rise. One of the most important heat safety tips is to never leave children, elderly people, adults with disabilities, or pets in parked cars even for a short time. Temperatures in vehicles rise much faster than many people realize.  Read More