•October 2, 2019•
OVES is launching the innovative Choose To Be Nice program this year to create a lasting culture of kindness that will influence the entire community.
With age-appropriate curriculum, practical lessons and fun activities for the entire school, the program shows students how to fundamentally improve their interactions with others.
The comprehensive program starts with a simple promise to be nice. Students and faculty, are invited to make the promise and sign a colorful banner and received a promise band to make it official. The banner is hung prominently in the school as a reminder to everyone. Read More
Category Archives: News
New Awards Mark 90 Years Of Alumni Homecoming Banquets
•October 2, 2019•
By Ralph Kirk
for the SHS Alumni Association
The very first Sullivan Homecoming banquet was held November 2, 1928 in the school gym, alumni were served chicken pie and the Sullivan football team played Arcola. Neither side scored a single point!
Alumni awards were given to Dr. Butler, Bo Wood, Tiny Hill, and C. B. Shuman.
Many Sullivan SAA banquet alumni and SAA award winners have gone on to remarkable careers that helped improve the area and the world. One of the main halls at Sullivan High School is lined with their “footprints” or plaques marking their passage through Sullivan and detailing some of their accomplishments in the area and world.
Dedicated volunteers such as SAA founder Maxine Davis willingly put hundreds of hours of their volunteer time in planning and executing the banquets each year. Ninety years of banquets is certainly a remarkable accomplishment, and SAA decided it should do something special to mark that success. Read More
Sullivan School District Enrollment is On the Rise
•September 25, 2019•
By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress
Sullivan High School Student Council representatives presented homecoming plans to the Unit #300 board of education Sept. 9.
The theme for homecoming is Decades with Oct. 4 parade day and Oct 5 dance and coronation.
Superintendent Ted Walk reported total enrollment for the entire school district is up five percent. This year, the smallest classes are the sophomores and juniors and largest classes are the first and third grades.
“The school year is off and going well,” he said.
The Sullivan School Board held a budget hearing to discuss the FY 20 Tentative Budget. Superintendent Walk stated that the 2020 budget was very similar to the current budget. It was a balanced budget and there were small changes. He noted that the Title funds had increased slightly and allocated in different areas. After the hearing was closed, members voted and unanimously for the FY 20 budget. Read More
Oh Brother: The Right Person at the Right Time Made the Difference
•September 25, 2019•
By Mike Brothers
There are miracles and there are miraculous events.
What happened to Kaye Webb of Sullivan last week may be a little of both.
Most everyone around knows Kaye for her talents with genealogy through her work with the Moultrie County Historical and Genealogical Society.
Kaye is also one of the select readers of the Moultrie County News Progress who picks their newspaper at the office as soon as it comes off the press on Wednesday.
Circulation guru at the News Progress, Carolyn Collier has a constant stream of fresh newspaper visitors on Wednesday afternoon from about 1:00 p.m. when the paper comes off the press until closing time. Read More
ALAH Board Approves Budget, Discusses Apptegy Advantages
•September 25, 2019•
By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress
Arthur Lovington Atwood Hammond school board members learned more about, Apptegy during a regular meeting where the annual budget was approved.
A live meeting with one of its techs, Casey, via Google, revealed information about how the app could benefit the district.
The Apptegy tech demonstrated a live working app that the Arcola School District had in place.
Presently, Apptegy has 100,000 districts in the U.S using the app and an estimate of 128 school districts in Illinois. The main purpose of the app is to promote stories and events that are happening in the school district. Apptegy is designed to make it simple for parents and students to navigate all in one place, creating a much more streamlined appearance.
It will be free to download for anyone who has a smart phone or tablet device. Board members noted that there were already high school staff that are interested in integrating some students in with the app to start helping out with it and promoting events and various organizations. Read More
Annual Senior Expo In Sullivan Draws Over 300 Visitors
Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Senior Services Exec Dir Kathi Garvey(l), Assistant Vonnie Lee and Counselor Kim Adamson at Senior Expo.
•September 18, 2019•
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress
Every last table in the Sullivan American Legion Hall was commandeered for seating and most of the vendors ran out of promotional items as over 300 senior citizens converged for the annual Senior Expo sponsored by the Mid-Illinois Senior Services September 13.
Griffin’s Catering prepared the free lunch of BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, cole slaw and chocolate cake. The lunch was provided, as it has been for several years, by State Senator Chapin Rose and State Representative Brad Halbrook.
Some 20 members of the SHS Student Council volunteered to serve the meals so the seniors would not have to stand in a long lunch line.
Thirty vendors ringed the hall and offered an array of free promotional items such as umbrellas, hats, pill cases, note pads, key chains, plastic shopping bags and coin purses. The vendors also had drawings for many door prizes which are always favorites of the attendees. Read More
County Board To Take Up Issue Of Recreational Marijuana In Moultrie County
•September 18, 2019•
High Tax for Getting High
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress
At the regular board meeting on September 12 chairman Dave McCabe reminded the Moultrie County Board that they will need to take up the issue of legalized recreational marijuana in Moultrie County.
The new Illinois law, Cannabis Regulation Tax Act (CRTA), takes effect January, 2020. The comprehensive 610-page bill sets forth rules and regulations by which counties and municipalities will tax and regulate the sale of recreational marijuana. Read More
Sullivan Spark Gets Helping Hand from Peace Corps Volunteer
Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Peace Corp volunteer Kathleen Preising is helping with Sullivan Spark.
•September 18, 2019•
Long Winding Road
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress
Kathleen Preising’s parents were both Peace Corps volunteers in Ecuador. Her father later took a job with the United Nations and she completed her high school education at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy.
It is Sullivan’s MAPPING program that brings her here. Sullivan’s program was renamed SPARK so people wouldn’t think it was a geography project.
SPARK was to ignite economic development in Sullivan. She is here for the next year assigned to the Chamber of Commerce to help SPARK develop and implement community economic development programs.
Kathleen has been here only a week but she says of her assignment, “I am excited with what is going on here in Sullivan with so many people actively engaged and ready for change. I have been to a few of the shops and am just very excited about my year here.” Read More
Matthew Smith and Indelible Grace Perform at Elim Springs
Matthew Smith writes new melodies for old hymns
•September 11, 2019•
Matthew Smith and Indelible Grace return to Elim Springs Church of Jesus Christ for a concert Wednesday, Sept. 18.
This third appearance by the Nashville based musician and his band kicks off a nationwide tour in Sullivan which ends up in Bremerton, Wash. on Nov. 9.
“We have been to Elim Springs twice before and were well received,” Smith said, noting he reached out to church pastor Vanessa Patient and asked whether they were interested.
In addition to the 7 p.m. concert Smith will once again conduct a hymns seminar at 5 p.m.
“We have enjoyed the approach to hymns taken by Matthew Smith and Indelible Grace,” Elim Springs Pastor Vanessa Patient said of the return engagement.
“The richness of the old texts with the freshness of new tunes deepens our understanding of the ways we interact with musical worship of God,” she continued. “We look forward to hosting them again!” Read More
It’s Not Just a Picnic When County Clerk & Recorders Meet
Photo by Mike Brothers
Zone Three County Clerk and Recorders -Back Row from left: Mark Sheldon - Champaign Co. Recorder, Michael Gianasi - Christian Co. Clerk/Recorder, Josh Tanner Macon Co. Clerk, Mary Kennedy - Moultrie Co. Deputy Clerk, Dana Smith - DeWitt Co. Clerk/Recorder, Laura Lee - Clark Co. Clerk/Recorder, Dawn Kupler - Woodford Co. Clerk/Recorder.
Front Row: Jessica Fox - Shelby Co. Clerk/Recorder, Mary Eaton - Macon Co. Recorder, Lindsey Light - Vermilion Co. Election Deputy, Cathy Jenkins - Vermilion Co. Clerk, Theresa Moore - Logan Co. Clerk/Recorder, Kristy Masching - Livingston Co. Clerk/Recorder, Judi Pollock - Douglas Co. Clerk/Recorder, Georgia England - Moultrie Co. Clerk/Recorder, Jill Kenyon - Marshall Co. Clerk/Recorder, Bev Howard - Cumberland Co. Clerk/Recorder, Julie Coe - Coles Co. Clerk/Recorder.
•September 11, 2019•
The 3rd Annual Illinois Association of County Clerks and Recorders Zone III picnic meeting was held at Purcell’s Pond located near Decatur August 29.
The meeting this year was hosted by Moultrie County Clerk Georgia England with the meal provided by her election vendor, Liberty Systems LLC. There were 18 clerk/recorders present, along with four deputy clerks, four representatives from the State Board of Elections/ISP-STIC, seven vendors and three guests.
England stated that all Zone meetings consist of a business meeting, legislative review, updates from the State Board of Elections, STIC (Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center), Department of Revenue, and by any vendors attending the meeting.
One of the hottest topics at the August meeting was regarding elections and cyber security.
A couple of Illinois counties have made the news recently regarding Iranian attacks to websites causing concerns to many citizens.
Counties were advised that the best protection of county systems are when county boards recognize the importance of getting all the county offices on board, not just the county clerk’s office. Read More