Shawnee to Preserve Moultrie Heritage and Continue Network Improvements

•December 23, 2015•

Shawnee Communications (Shawnee) and Moultrie MultiCorp, Inc., today announced that Shawnee, a rural provider of telephone, high speed Internet and other telecommunications services in five southern Illinois counties, would acquire Moultrie MultiCorp, Inc., the holding company of Moultrie Independent Telephone Company (MITC) and MITC’s affiliated companies, including One-Eleven Internet Services and Moultrie Telecommunications.

Shawnee announced that the Lovington based companies would continue to operate with no changes and that Shawnee would continue investing in technology infrastructure to provide customers with the latest in telecommunications and high speed Internet services, preserving the strong legacy left by Moultrie’s current owners, the Bowers brothers. Read More

•December 16, 2015•

Meeting Opens with Prayer

By Mike Brothers

The Moultrie County board  approved employee appreciation bonuses at the December meeting.

Budget and finance committee chair Ron White moved that full time employees receive a net $200 bonus with part-time employees receiving proportional amounts.

Board chairman Dave McCabe explained that the bonuses were excluded from the Health Dept., elected officials and those covered under collective bargaining contracts. The board approved the $8165 total in bonuses unanimously.

Opening the meeting with a prayer for the first time was Father John Sohm of St. Columcille Catholic Church in Sullivan. Prayer was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.

White proposed to invest $7500 in Sullivan Economic Development Commission’s No Job Left Behind program. This was a $2000 increase over the previous budget year. The measure was approved unanimously.

The Code Red five year contract totaling $7,749.40 annually was approved. Code Red Director Jan Haegan explained the contract includes the automated weather alert system which calls individuals within a watch area in the event of tornado, floods and other natural disasters.

Haegan may also get onto the Code Red web site to discover if other dangerous situations require automatic telephone alerts.

“If a tanker overturned causing a dangerous gas leak,” Haegan said, “the system would then call everyone within the evacuation area in a couple of minutes.” Read More

•December 16, 2015•

Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is recognizing area high school students who have been named 2016-17 State Scholars for their outstanding academic achievement.

L to R: Jakob Brewer, Cade Day, Rebecca Davis and Allison Irwin

Arthur Lovington Atwood Hammond high school Illinois State Scholars are Jakob Brewer, Rebecca Davis, Cade Day and Allison Irwin.
Read More

•December 2, 2015•

By Ariana Cherry
For the News Progress

There are quite a few unpaid cemetery plots and the Sullivan City Council took action at the regular meeting.

“There are about $15,000 worth of unpaid cemetery lots,” informed mayor Ann Short. The city is taking action by mailing out letters to all of those who still have lots but have yet to pay. “Action will be taken. If they do not respond in two weeks, plots will be resold,” said Short. One plot has already been presumably “filled” and is not paid for. Further action will be taken on the outstanding bill if it isn’t paid though, according to Short.

Other news that was discussed or acted upon:

- -Commissioner Bill  Hagen reported that on the last days of the recycling program that so much trash was left on the ground that another dumpster had to be brought in.

“It was pretty bad,” he noted. “We are still waiting on the paperwork from those who still would like to have a recycling program. It will be presented at the next meeting he stated.

- -Commissioner Mike Kirk reported the city was selling a 1970 Toyota gasoline FG20. “It is old, but it still works,” he said. The city received five bids with the highest one at $1,030.  Read More

Photo Submitted
Students gathered at the Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library with artist David Zoberis, Sr. last week, and by following his “Just Painting” instructions they each produced a masterpiece.

•December 2, 2015•

By Ariana Cherry
For the News Progress

Students learned to “Just Paint” at beginning acrylic paint class presented by artist David Zoberis, Sr. at Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library last week.

For a little more than two hours, a group of beginning acrylic painters and one reporter learned a few lessons of what it was like to “just paint” – as instructor and artist, David J, Zoberis Sr. said.

In front of the class sat a piece of artwork that featured an outdoor springlike setting with a table that had an antique tea kettle and a folded tablecloth sitting on it. Zoberis told the students that would be their project for the day.

To some, seeing such a professional painting created, could be overwhelming – for others, motivation to “just paint.” The final masterpiece was open to interpretation.

Zoberis provided materials for the entire class including paints, easel, canvas and paintbrushes. While everyone painted, he suggested different techniques that could possibly help a painter when creating a piece of artwork. Zoberis has conducted these workshops for more than two years for both adults and children. Libraries in Wisconsin started asking for adult painting classes. “I wanted to do what other artists didn’t do. None of the artists I know do workshops in the state of Illinois. I’d like to provide creativity to small libraries in Illinois and keep my studio,” he said.  Read More