Submitted
Pictured, from left to right, are a few of the Moultrie County Longhorn 4H club members along with their new sign for the Purvis Cemetery: Alexa Hauser, Sydney Mulligan, Tim Hauser, Coen Foster, Makayla Graston-Garland, Brett Bushue, Dawson Foster & Brad Foster

February 25, 2015

As part of the values that 4-H routinely teaches, the Moultrie County Longhorns 4-H club is carrying on the tradition with their current service project, restoring the Purvis Cemetary near Allenville.
The club was recently awarded a grant from Farm Credit Illinois (FCI).  FCI awards grants to 4-H clubs and FFA chapters throughout central and southern Illinois to implement valuable improvement projects in their communities. FCI awarded 38 4-H clubs and FFA chapters with $250 grants this year to establish projects that will make their communities better places to live.
Purvis Cemetary, established in 1818, is located southwest of Allenville on corps ground next to Lake Shelbyville. Many who wonder upon it, may not even notice the overturned stones because of the weeds. After creating a new sign for the cemetary and cleaning up some of the trash and debris, the club’s goal is to research the graves and restore or replace some of the more damaged markers.  The club has divided into two workgroups, those working on the landscaping and others doing the research.
The group has also, so far, compared a list of graves at the site to an online database and discovered nine names listed are not online. The 1820’s were a big era for the start-up of organized burials in graveyards in America.  Many times the graves from that period are in the middle and radiate from the center outward as the years progress.  A reading is a listing of who is buried in a graveyard.  Many are now listed online.  The earliest markers are made of field stone or wood, a trend that lasted into the 1830’s. Before that, limestone was used, but in 1855, marble became fashionable with the advancement of the railroad across America. In turn, graveyards tend to be near water, a symbol of peacefulness and continued life.   Read More

Siegman

February 25, 2015

Tracy Siegman of Bethany was officially seated as a board member on the C.E.F.S. Economic Opportunity Corporation Board of Directors during a recent meeting in Effingham.
Siegman was designated to serve on the C.E.F.S. Board of Directors by the First Christian Church of Bethany and will represent the private sector for Moultrie County on the C.E.F.S. Board of Directors. Siegman was appointed to serve on the personnel committee, membership committee, and the economic development and employment committee.
Siegman, pastor of the First Christian Church in Bethany and member of the Bethany Ministerial Alliance, is an active member of her community and county. Siegman indicated her goal is to encourage others to reach out to those who are vulnerable and economically disadvantaged in society, helping them to realize a more stable and sustainable life. As a community leader, Siegman works to influence and encourage others to participate and engage in assisting their neighbors, and she feels that her service on the C.E.F.S. Board of Directors will compliment her ministry of outreach. Read More

February 25, 2015

Submitted by Georgia England

Registered voters who are not able to vote on election day April 7 are able to vote before that date either by absentee voting or early voting in the county clerk’s office at 10 S. Main in Sullivan.
Absentee voting is February 26 through April 6 weekdays between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with the clerk’s office remaining open until 5 p.m. April 6.
Early voting is 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. March 23 through April 2 weekdays, with the clerk’s office remaining open on April 2 until 5 p.m. with special Saturday hours March 28. A voter must present valid identification but does not have to have an excuse to participate in either of these methods of voting. Read More

February 25, 2015

With almost 50 vendors representing more than 1,000 products, the Arthur Home & Garden Expo is bigger and better than ever. Vendors will be offering the very latest products, services, how-to clinics and innovative solutions at this year’s event.
“Our focus this year is on custom kitchens, cabinetry and furniture,” noted Joe Kauffman, owner of Kauffman’s Custom Wood Interiors and spokesperson for the Woodwright’s Guild of central Illinois. “This year we have even more vendors representing almost every sector of the home improvement sector. If you are looking for it, you’re sure to find it at this year’s show.” Read More

February 18, 2015

The Illinois Sheriffs’ Association announces that it will be awarding more than $53,000 in college scholarships throughout the state of Illinois to students wishing to pursue higher education during the 2015-2016 academic year.
The scholarships are to be applied to tuition, books and fees only. The student must be enrolled full-time at a certified institution of higher learning within the state of Illinois.
Moultrie County Sheriff Chris Sims will award one scholarship in the amount of $500.
There will be no restriction on any applicant by reason of race, age, creed, color, sex or national origin. The only limitations are as follows: Read More