Photo furnished
Sullivan Rotary Club donates the total operation costs for One Book One Sullivan, allowing everyone in the community to join the reading program directed by Sullivan Middle School students.

•November 28, 2018•

One Book One Sullivan is excited to present The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Drannen as the 2018-2019 book choice.
Sullivan Middle School students worked diligently to choose the book that would best match interests of middle school through adult readers.
According to Penguin Random House’s website, when Jessica is told she’ll never run again, she puts herself back together—and learns to dream bigger than ever before. The acclaimed author of Flipped delivers a powerful and healing story.
Jessica thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in a car accident. She’s not comforted by the news that she’ll be able to walk with the help of a prosthetic leg. Who cares about walking when you live to run? Read More

•November 21, 2018•

The Sullivan Police Department and law enforcement throughout Illinois will be working around the clock through Thanksgiving and the remainder of the year to make certain travelers are buckled up and driving sober, Chief of Police Jim Waggoner announced Sullivan Police Department is joining the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Police and nearly 200 local police and sheriff’s departments to remind motorists to Click It or Ticket and Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
Drivers and passengers can expect a ticket from Sullivan Police Department if they are spotted without a seat belt or with an unbuckled child in their vehicle. Additionally, motorists are being warned that driving after drinking or using drugs or other impairing substances will not be tolerated. Stepped-up patrols including seat belt enforcement zones and roadside safety checks will be seen throughout Sullivan and the state. Read More

•November 21, 2018•

Sullivan Schools observed Veterans Day on Monday, Nov. 12 with the high school program organized by Rebecca Lawson’s Career English class seniors.
Following the school assembly lunch was provided by students, members of the Baking Brigade of Sullivan, and staff members for the 40 veteran guests who attended.
“I appreciated the cooperation and support of the Sullivan High School staff, especially Mr. Wilson and Mr. Schaefers,” Lawson began. “Without the help of my co-corkers  this program could not happen.”
“I am proud of my students. Many of them stepped out of their comfort zones to organize and hold the assemblies we do, and that is not easy,” she continued.
“They also made gifts for the veterans, designed t-shirts, made food, drew up layout plans, organized and ran the program, etc..”
“This is a learning experience for them and an opportunity for them to serve our community,” Lawson concluded. Read More

File photo
Dive team members Jesse Scribner, Rob Martz and Amanda Farley make do with outdated equipment.

•November 14, 2018•

By Mike Brothers

Members of the Moultrie County Public Health and Safety committee learned how underfunded the County Dive Team is and will make recommendations for the county board to help.
Moultrie County Dive Team coordinator Clay Brush appeared before the committee recently to explain changes in public safety diving standards and how it affects the ten-member dive rescue team.
With a budget of $5,000 per year the team isn’t able to cover the cost to equip a diver with full dry suits and face masks as required under new standards. The cost is about $7,800 to fully equip and certify one diver.
A separate department of county Emergency Services and Disaster Agency, Brush pointed out the dive team has two of the dry suits, which have a life expectancy of five years, that were purchased in the early 1990s with three others purchased around the turn of the century. Read More

Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Moultrie County Relay for Life committee members with the Pacesetter flag award from left: Jan McReynolds, Shelby Ray, Adam McReynolds, Tony Holly, Rob Young, Heather Dendy, Michelle Young and Angie Ray.

•November 7, 2018•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Every person, organization and business in Sullivan that participated in or in any way supported the recent American Cancer Society Relay for Life should be extremely proud.
The odds of reaching the $50,000 goal were seriously stacked against such an achievement, but Moultrie County prevailed for the first time in its relay history.
At the Relay for Life awards ceremony held at Vineyard Church in Sullivan on Nov. 3 Senior Community ACS Manager, Jeremy Harken, detailed the incredible achievement.
At the end of the regular campaign the team was $9,000 short of goal. But they had a 30-day grace period and decided to go back out raising an additional $18,000 in just 30 days.
“This has never been done in all my years of fund-raising,” Harken emphasized.
“Relay for Life is the largest fund-raiser in the world bringing in an average of $250 million each year. Read More