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Dive team members Jesse Scribner, Rob Martz and Amanda Farley make do with outdated equipment.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

•October 31, 2018•

By Sonya Best
for the News Progress

When Sullivan Spark met last Thursday at Sullivan Church of God promoting two of the community’s greatest assets, Lake Shelbyville and the Little Theatre on the Square emerged as a common focus.
The enthusiastic volunteers divided themselves into four different groups and began brainstorming strategies to reach the goals to improve on four areas of the community that they feel need improvement: arts, culture and entertainment, parks and recreation, retail and dining, and housing. Read More

Photo by Señora King
Gary Herschberger works on letter translation.

Gain Cultural Insight

•October 31, 2018•

By Seth Mayberry
for the News Progress

In the last few weeks, Señora King’s Spanish III and IV classes have been translating letters sent from Honduras from Spanish to English.
The letters were written by children to their sponsors in the Scholarships with Blessings program. Scholarships with Blessings is a Christian mission program aimed at providing less fortunate children in Honduras with education, school supplies, clothes, and medication.
According to Alicia DeLong, Mike Craig of the First United Methodist Church in Sullivan started a group to go on mission trips to La Ceibita, Honduras in 2010. Along with Scholarships with Blessings, they continue to help the less fortunate. Read More