Category Archives: News

A Memorable Scouting Trip Visiting National Monuments

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Photo by Mike Brothers
Mike Rollins remembers his scouting days and a trip that made him a seasoned traveler. He is seated on the left in his Scout photo from the 1960s.

•April 26, 2017•

By Woody Hills
for the News Progress

When Sullivan Masonic Lodge Worshipful Master Mike Rollins presented Boy Scout Troop 39 a donation from the St. Patrick’s Day corned beef and cabbage fundraiser, it brought back one great scouting memory.

Rollins spent years on the road as a truck driver before retiring to Sullivan, but one road trip while he was a Boy Scout in the mid-sixties made him appreciate traveling as he still keeps a camper and truck at ready in his drive.

“During the sixties our Boy Scout troop was fortunate enough to have some parents connected to the Air National Guard in Springfield,” Rollins said of the beginning of the great Boy Scout Road Trip.

He explained that through those connections the scouts learned that prior arrangements would let them stay at military facilities free of charge on a planned trip west. Read More

County Clerk Seeks Reelection

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Cautions Politicians About Rumors

•April 19, 2017•

Moultrie County Clerk Georgia England announced her run for reelection, while dispelling “coffee shop talk”, at the April 13 county board meeting.

England, who has been the Democrat County Clerk in Moultrie County since 2001, made the announcement while clearing the air of some political rumors circulating the local circuit.

“I am going to run in 2018,” England proclaimed. “I need to clear the air about some coffee shop talk that has been going around for the past couple of weeks,” she said, addressing the eight Republican/one Democrat board. Read More

OVHS Drama Club Presents “The Addams Family”

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OVHS presents “The Addams Family” April 20 -22 at the gym in Bethany.

•April 19, 2017•

Okaw Valley High School Drama Club will present the musical “The Addams Family” from at 7 p.m. April 20-22 in the OVHS gym.

“The Addams Family” (A New Musical) opened on Broadway in April 2010 and was created by Jersey Boys authors Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice and Drama Desk Award winner Andrew Lippa. It tells an original story of the familiar family that is known for all things macabre. Read More

Cole-Moultrie e911 System Tests Land Line Services

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•April 19, 2017•

Coles-Moultrie e911 is calling land lines to verify data the week of April 17, Arlene Aschermann, announced at the April 13 county board meeting.

The Moultrie Co Public Safety chair, explained telephone customers randomly called in Moultrie County will be given a code to dial back. This will the verify the individual’s information in the 911 database.

In Moultrie County 776 land lines are unpublished and 1936 published. Only the published numbers will receive calls.

People with unpublished land line numbers should call 217/345-2939 to be included in 911 data base. Read More

Eagle Creek Resort Gets IDNR’s Attention

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Photo furnished
State Sen. Chapin Rose, Dave McCabe (Moultrie County Board Chairman), Dan Flannell (Sullivan City Administrator), and Dave Cruitt (Shelby County Board Chairman), State. Rep. Brad Halbook (R-Shelbyville) met at the statehouse April 6 and discussed the future of Eagle Creek Resort.

•April 19, 2017•

By Mike Brothers

Hope is not lost for Eagle Creek Resort. Moultrie County Board chairman Dave McCabe told the board it could be until September before prospective developers will get a chance to submit proposals on the Lake Shelbyville resort.

Shuttered since 2009, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is preparing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Eagle Creek Resort which, according to McCabe, should allow developers enough flexibility to submit plans to rebuild the resort which may not require total demolition. Read More

Board Approves County and Township Road Projects

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•April 19, 2017•

By Mike Brothers
mbrothers@newsprogress.com

The Moultrie County Board approved bids for county and township roads and bridges at the April 13 meeting.

Road and Bridge Committee Chairman Kevin McReynolds moved that the County Motor Fuel Tax materials program for 2017 be awarded to low bidder Earl Walker Company for $229,765. He also made a motion concurring with township road commissioners to accept Earl Walker Company and Emulsicoat for township roads: Walker-$859,818.84 and Emulsicoat Inc- $36,960.

Both motions were approved unanimously.

McReynolds offered a resolution authorizing $43,395 state bridge funds and $12,350 local bridge funds for the Whitley Township  bridge project. Resolution passed unanimously. Read More

City Council Discuss Sullivan Civic Center’s Roof Issues

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•April 19, 2017•

By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

“The Sullivan Civic Center has been an important part of Sullivan for years,” city council members agreed at their most recent meeting. The building itself is 50 years old.

For some time now, commissioner Mike Mossman has been dealing with legal issues concerning its roof. Both Mossman and city administrator, Dan Flannell met with architects to discuss the roof.

One option they were given was to redo the entire building design which would separate the pool area from the building which would keep its humidity issue confined to only one building.  Read More

Bunny Trail Leads to Easter Egg Carnival

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Photo by RR Best
The pony ride was a popular event at the Easter Egg Carnival at Courtyard Estates Saturday. The annual event is sponsored by Petersen Health Care facilities in Sullivan.

•April 19, 2017•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

The bunny trail led to the 10th annual Easter Egg Carnival on the grounds of the Sullivan Rehabilitation and Health Care Center Saturday, April 15.

There, en masse, were approximately 800 children and parents gathered to ride ponies and pet camels, goats, rabbits, and sheep. They bounced around in three colorful bouncy houses, ate hot dogs, chips and sodas and found over 8,000 Easter eggs. There was more: 18 prizes drawn from the three children’s age groups, a $100 KMart gift certificate drawing and the famous cake walk. All this, except the food, was free to the public.

This was no small undertaking and accomplished only by the dedicated work of many volunteers. It began Monday before April 15 when Ken “Catfish” Morrison started mowing the large field, putting up the flags and tables. A small army of residents at Courtyard Estates spent four days filling all the 8,000 eggs with candy. Petersen Health Care provided the pony rides and the petting zoo, Courtyard Estates, Eastview Terrace and Mason Point provided the bouncy houses and all the volunteers who helped run the stands, take tickets, and run the cake walk. It was, indeed, a community effort. The pony rides and petting zoo handlers managed their attractions, but everything else was run by the volunteers. Read More

Schools Spruce up Findlay

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Photo by Mike Brothers
OVMS eighth grader Connor Wood and Shelbyville seventh grader Gabe Dove load mulch for Findlay park project.

•April 12, 2017•

Okaw Valley and Shelbyville Middle School students helped spruce up the village of Findlay April 7.

Jody McCormick, Findlay trustee and economic development coordinator, came up with community projects to help prepare the village park and downtown planters for spring activity, while also cleaning up around the village.

“This is a great opportunity to get together different communities and work hand in hand to complete projects where the kids can see it to completion,” McCormick said, noting she hopes to get involved when the co-op exchange goes to Shelbyville for a similar project in the future.

The chance for students from different schools to cooperate on community projects came from Findlay Middle School student council advisor Lou Maxedon. He explained that a discussion about community projects in cooperation with other schools was held at a recent workshop.

”When I discussed the possibility of student councils from Okaw Valley, Central A&M and Shelbyville working together on projects, middle school principal Ross Forlines agreed so we contacted Jody to help kick off the effort,” Maxedon said.

He explained that students from sixth-eighth grades were randomly selected to work in 12 groups at the park and downtown emptying planters and clearing trash in the business district. Read More

Sunday Crash Sends Driver to Hospital

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Photo by RR Best
Early Sunday morning crash sends Sullivan man to hospital.

•April 12, 2017•

A 1:24 a.m. crash April 9 sent a Sullivan man to Carle Hospital with serious injuries.

Moultrie County Sheriff Chris Sims explained that deputies were called to 696 CR 1100N where the remains of a 2010 Hyundai coupe were sitting on its top five feet from a house.

The driver, Tyler J. Sesko, 24, Sullivan, was removed from the overturned vehicle by the Sullivan Fire And Rescue Squad, then transported to Carle. He was issued a ticket for reckless driving with the investigation open. Read More