•May 11, 2016•

Moultrie County Courthouse computer systems have grown slower and older, prompting the county board building and grounds committee to recommend an upgrade.

County Clerk Georgia England reported Quality Network Selutions findings at the regular meeting May 4. Slow access and crash problems prompted QNS to look further into the problems within the courthouse system.

QNS discovered servers from 2001, 2003, and 2006 in use beyond their capacity. Average server life expectancy is five-seven years.

County board chairman Dave McCabe explained the county will have to start looking toward more frequent system updates. He explained the out-of-date servers are not useable, and the county will need to start from scratch on rebuilding new servers. Read More

•April 27, 2016•

By Ariana Cherry
For the News Progress

Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond’s transportation fund continues to dwindle as the state still continues to not pay the school districts. The current funds for transportation sit at $88,640; although a third payment has been dispersed but not processed. If the payment is processed, it will add another $255,000 to the balance. If that money is not received, more money from the general education fund will have to be transferred. The over-all checkbook balance of the district is around four million dollars with all funds still in the black.

ALAH district looks to federal and state grants to help make technology updates.

Jeremy Rodebaugh,technology coordinator, noted a few things that the district is in need of updating. Some of the things he mentioned include getting more bandwidth as it currently tops out at 75MB. Atwood-Hammond has maxed out on their bandwidth and fiber optics will be needed to increase it.

The cost of installing fiber optics is estimated at $20-25,000. Rodebaugh has been doing some research and stated that there are several state and federal grants for which the district could apply in order to help pay for the increase of bandwidth. Read More

•April 20, 2016•

A thirty two year old Windsor man was transported to Carle Hospital following a head on crash into the rear of a planter on Highway 32 Tuesday afternoon.

Macon County Chief Deputy Gary Carroll said that the Toyota RAV driven by Seth Polk was shredded beyond recognition after driving headon into the yellow planter being pulled south while he was traveling south on Rte 32 about a mile from the Bruce-Findlay road.

First transported to Sarah Bush Lincoln then to Carle Hosptial in Champaign, Polk managed to escape with a back injury.

The Moutlrie County Sheriff’s Department noted charges are pending further investigation, once Polk in released from the hospital.

Photo by Mike Brothers
This Wilborn Creek Road crossroads will be realigned for safety to remove a sudden jog which can catch drivers by surprise as part of the summer project.

•April 20, 2016•

The Moultrie County Highway Department is announcing a road rehabilitation project to improve the roadway smoothness and safety on County 5/16 (Wilborn Creek Road, CR 625E).

Work is tentatively scheduled to begin May 2 and is anticipated to be completed in September.

The project begins south of the Illinois Central Railroad at Illinois Route 121 and extends southward approximately 3.7 miles.

Included is the replacement of across road culverts (which will cause periodic road closures), pavement removal and replacement south of the Wilborn Creek Access Road. Read More

•April 13, 2016•

By Jose Pound
For the News Progress

Sunday, 13 March – Day 1.

Now I’ll relate some of our daily activities in Cuba beginning with our arrival at Jose Marti Airport in Havana via a chartered Aruba Airline flight (both going to and coming home from Cuba). Jose Marti is a national hero, poet of the Cuban people emphasizing “freedom” and godfather of current Cuban political life. His is the main statue in Revolutionary Square in center of Havana, where both Pope Francis and President Obama spoke to huge crowds of Cubans. It reminded me of a smaller version of Tiananmen Square in Beijing China…surrounded by government ministries.

On our arrival, after the 45 minute flight from Miami, the airport terminal was jammed with people, without much control as where we were to go. Plus it was hot (in the 80s) and humid like a summertime greenhouse without air conditioning. The exit lounge at the airport on our return home was “somewhat” air conditioned. Finding our luggage after arrival from Miami was a two hour event, which was a real strain on your disposition. However, when we all had our luggage, we were directed to a “new” Chinese made luxury bus, which served us well for the next seven days plus it was delightfully air conditioned. There were numerous antique (50s) vintage cars in the airport parking lots. We soon learned that these cars have been carefully maintained/rebuilt as Cuban taxis.

Cuba is being inundated with US visitors…like us. We were there on a People to People program based on regulations of the US Department of Treasury. A Road Scholar contact person told me Cuba is their most sought after travel destination of late. After our experience, I understand why. Read More