•December 9, 2015•

Lovington Village Board met November 2 with Jan Harner updating the board on the live nativity at the Life Center from 5-8 p.m. Sunday, December 20.

They explained the Church of God sponsored event on West State Street will be a walk through and not a drive by.

About 60 volunteers will help as shepherds lead the visitors to the nativity. Harner noted that neighbors are being informed so they may prepare for the traffic.

Tina Irvin reported speeding vehicles down the alley near her home. The board explained she could record the license number and report it to police for further action.

Village clerk Alma Fair presented the 2016 meeting calendar recommending that the village board move from the first to the second Monday of the month. She explained the change would allow the treasurer ample time to prepare the monthly report.  Read More

Compiled by Bekki Ferguson-Stevens

25 Years Ago This Week

High aims have landed Amy Edwards of Sullivan in some lofty places during her four year stint in Air Force ROTC Detachment 190 at the University of Illinois. The 21 year old senior, a 1987 graduate of Sullivan High School and daughter of Harold and Marty Edwards of Sullivan, recently ended her one-semester term as commander of the university’s approximately 150-member cadet corps and is well on her way to becoming an Air Force jet pilot.

Tracey Craig, Jacque Hogue and Diane and Angela Gore represented Sullivan at the Shemamo Council’s annual meeting held recently in Decatur. Donna Bland of Bethany was elected a member-at-large on the board.

Josh Haegen was named most valuable player and captain of the Redskin golf team during the Sullivan High School fall sports awards night. Senior Todd Risley received a four year varsity bar, while Haegen, a junior, received his third year varsity bar. Second year bar recipients were juniors Bryan Johnson and Justin Lowry.

Lori Byers and Chad Uphoff have been named recipients of the 1990-91 DAR and SAR awards at Lovington High School. Byers is the daughter of Don Byers of Decatur and Sandi Sparks of Lovington, and Uphoff is the son of Roger and Judy Uphoff of Lovington.   Read More

•December 2, 2015•

It turns out that Master Gardeners are made, not born – and your opportunity to become a University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener volunteer begins in January.

Applications are now being accepted for the Master Gardener training program, which starts Tuesday, Jan. 26 at the Coles County Extension Office in Charleston. The weekly training sessions, held on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., will continue through April 12.

Once new Master Gardeners have completed their 60 hours of daytime classroom training, they give back to the community by volunteering at least 60 hours to educate area residents about gardening in all its many forms.

“A lot of people think they need to be an expert gardener to enroll as a Master Gardener trainee, but all you really need is an interest in gardening and a willingness to share research-based gardening information with our neighbors throughout the community,” said Kathy Reiser, County Director of the Coles-Cumberland-Douglas-Moultrie-Shelby Extension Unit.  Read More

•December 2, 2015•

The Sparrows Unlimited Inc. annual auction will be held at Jerry’s East End in Lovington at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, December 5.

Sparrows main objective yearly is to raise money to buy Christmas presents and coats for children of Lovington whose families may be in need of assistance.

This year more than 115 children will receive a better Christmas because of the generosity of the Lovington community. Read More

Photo Submitted
National Convention (chapter): ALAH FFA members attended the National FFA Convention for the final time in Louisville, Kentucky. Pictured (front L to R) Katie Gingerich, Adam Hingson, Janette Comstock, and Makenna Green. (Back L to R) Keegan Morfey, Zane Crist, Colton Romine, Josiah Kinert, and Jordan Jent.

•November 25, 2015•

By: Keegan Morfey
FFA Reporter

Nine Arthur-L/Atwood-Hammond FFA members traveled to Louisville, Kentucky, joining a record 65,173 FFA members, advisors, and guests from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands attending the annual National FFA Convention.

Janette Comstock, Zane Crist, Katie Gingerich, Makenna Green, Adam Hingson, Jordan Jent, Josiah Kinert, Keegan Morfey, and Colton Romine, along with FFA advisor Wendy Leenerts and chaperone Monica Green, participated in the event on October 28-30.

The opening session included introductions from all six national FFA officers, the national FFA band and chorus performed, celebrating 50 years of the New Farmers of America and FFA merger. Keynote speaker, Dr. Rick Rigsby, a San Francisco native and a former award-winning journalist, gave a hilarious and motivating talk.  FFA members visited the career show and expo where hundreds of colleges, businesses, and organizations were represented.  Read More