•October 3, 2018•
By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress
Members of the Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond School Board had a budget hearing and passed the FY2019 budget at their last scheduled meeting.
The total expenditures for the year totaled $13,441,616.00. Superintendent Ken Schwengel noted that the district still has not received state transportation reimbursement and is anticipating a payment of $135,000 from last year. Read More
•October 3, 2018•
By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress
Sullivan has been looking into new and innovative ways for the city to track energy use and read meters.
City Clerk, Monte Johnson shared a presentation with members of the Sullivan City Council recently for a new AMI System (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) through Nexgrid. After looking through various options, Johnson introduced Nexgrid reporting on a trip he made to their headquarters to see how the software and its application worked.
Through Nexgrid, customers will have the ability to download widgets/apps to their computers, phones or tablets and actually see their energy use in real time and adjust accordingly to see how they can save on their monthly bills. Johnson noted that implantation will take some time as the city will have to manually put everything in – such as receivers and other devices.
There will be new meters for reading energy use, and the city will be able to see the information from office desktops. After everything has been installed, there won’t be a need for individuals to personally go out and read every single meter. Read More
•October 3, 2018•
By Rock Bass
for the News Progress
What the heck is The Fish Wrap?
One year ago this week Best Newspapers Inc., publishers of The Moultrie County News Progress, started printing The Fish Wrap which is mailed free of charge to 8500 households.
Why Fish Wrap?
For several months during the 1990s Bethany schools had been in negotiations with the Sullivan School District about possibly consolidating.
Hollis Dick, owner of HO Dick Transfer, had a history of involvement with the Bethany School District. His father had been a standout Mustang athlete and went on to serve as president of the school board in addition to starting a trucking business in 1957.
During that time Sullivan Supt. of Schools Richard Voltz was a weekly columnist in the News Progress and had written several articles promoting the consolidation of Bethany and Sullivan schools. Read More
Photo furnished
Corn harvest with teams of horses is among the farming techniques demonstrated at the Illinois Amish Heritage Center.
•October 3, 2018•
A new special event, Harvest to Home, will be held at the Illinois Amish Heritage Center three miles east of Arthur on Friday and Saturday, October 19-20. The event will start at 9 a.m. each day and continue until 8 p.m. on Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday.
The fall harvest was the culmination of the farm year. Corn had to be picked, processed, and stored. It was often stacked into corn shocks in the field or picked by hand and thrown into a nearby wagon.
All of the steps of harvesting and processing corn will be demonstrated at the inaugural Harvest to Home event at the new Illinois Amish Heritage Center. Activities during the two-day event will include corn cutting and shocking, corn harvesting with corn pickers, shelling corn with small and large shellers, harvesting and shredding of corn stalks, and grinding corn into corn meal using an early grist mill. Read More
Photo by Mike Brothers
Art Club member Anna Mathias on ladder and SHS Art Instructor Melissa Nichols work on Senior Center mural.
•September 26, 2018•
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress
A beautiful new mural is taking shape on the east side of the Senior Center across from the post office. It was designed by the students of Melissa Nichols’ high school Art Club. Eight of the 25 members have volunteered their time this summer to paint the mural in exchange for class credits.
Nichols said “ I created the Art Club this year to undertake special projects for my art classes. The opportunity to create public art was especially appealing to the 25 students in the club.”
The students incorporated several themes which they felt best represented the Sullivan community. Because it is the Senior Center there is a silhouette of a senior couple sitting on a bench on the south side of the building. Around the corner on the east is a depiction of someone fishing in Wyman Lake as a nod to our parks and also fields to represent the agriculture so important to the community. Next is a stage with masks to illustrate the Little Theatre on the Square. Read More
Photo by Ellen Ferrera
SHS Who’s Who Award winner Kathi Garvey
•September 26, 2018•
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress
Homecoming will be very special for Kathi Garvey this year. Not only will she receive the Alumni Who’s Who Award but it is the 25th anniversary of her class (1993) graduation so a lot of her classmates will be on hand to share the celebration with her.
“My aunt nominated me, but I never imagined I would receive this honor,” Garvey said. “Seems like it should go to an older person.”
The award is given to the high school graduate who has remained in the community and made a significant contribution to Sullivan.
Garvey is presently the executive director of the Mid-Illinois Senior Services, a position she has had for the past three years. After graduation, she briefly attended Lake Land College but had to leave to care for her mother. Fourteen years ago, she began working at the Thrifty Boutique, which is owned by Senior Services, and worked her way up the ladder to executive director. Read More
•September 26, 2018•
Scot England, an accomplished book author, TV Anchor, radio and TV reporter and a friend to many country music stars, will be returning to Sullivan this October 6 to act as Master of Ceremonies at the Sullivan Alumni Banquet/Reunion.
The occasion is the annual gathering of alumni of Sullivan High School and Scot will be at the podium to bring his experiences, wit and personality to the event.
England graduated from Sullivan High School in 1983 and went on to do in person interviews with more than 300 celebrities ranging from the entire cast of the Brady Bunch to Weird Al Yankovic and was one of the first ever to interview Garth Brooks.
He was also one of the last to interview movie legend Tony Curtis. Read More
•September 26, 2018•
By Mike Brothers
Local candidates were featured at the Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development hosted forum held in the First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall Sept. 20.
Amanda Standerfer of Sullivan was the forum monitor with each candidate asked previously submitted questions and given two minutes to answer.
Although the attending crowd was small, the News Progress Live FaceBook feed attracted more than thousand viewers.
Two Republican and two Democrat candidates vying for four county board four year seats attended the forum. They included incumbent Republicans Arlene Aschermann and David McCabe, incumbent Democrat Gary Smith and past Democrat county board chairman Steve Mayberry.
Neil Bryan was appointed to serve the remainder of Ron White’s county board seat and is running unopposed for a two year term.
Each county board candidate expressed a commitment to expanding tourism in an effort to grow the county economy as well as supporting development of a long range comprehensive plan for the future. Read More
•September 26, 2018•
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress
When Lynn Lowder was a young man, he asked his mother what he should do with his life. She advised, “Son, just help people.”
Retired Marine Corps Major Lynn Lowder has been doing just that, especially for veterans, his entire life.
On Oct. 6 he will receive the SHS Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award.
A 1964 graduate of Sullivan High School, he always knew he wanted to be a Marine so he dropped out of college his junior year at Northern Illinois University after an injury ended his football aspirations.
Lowder joined the Marines, and his drill instructor encouraged him to apply to Officer Training School to which he was selected.
In Vietnam he was assigned to the First Force Reconnaissance Company which penetrated deep into enemy territory. An operation that prompted his award of the Silver Star for valor.
After Vietnam, he returned to finish his undergraduate degree at Northern, obtain a law degree from DePaul and serve as a JAG officer for some 16 years. Read More
•September 26, 2018•
Women’s role in politics is increasing, and the Moultrie County candidates forum in Sullivan featured one woman running against an elite court group.
Ramona Sullivan is the single female candidate for 6th Judicial Circuit Court Judge and explained the situation on the bench in central Illinois.
“Diversity is needed in the 6th circuit,” Sullivan said to the crowd gathered at the First United Methodist Church for the Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development hosted candidates forum, Sept. 20.
Of the 14 judges in the 6th judicial circuit, Sullivan pointed out it is presently all white and all Republican, representing one perspective very well. Read More