Category Archives: News

Train Strikes Car, Sending Single Occupant to Hospital

News Progress Posted on by
November 5, 2014

Shelbyville man listed in critical condition

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

AShelbyville man’s vehicle was struck by a train last Tuesday in Dalton City, sending the single occupant to Carle Hospital in Urbana where he was listed in critical condition this week.

According to a Moultrie County sheriff’s crash report 43-year-old James N. Lewis’s 1997 Pontiac Grand Am collided with a locomotive near the railroad crossing situated closest to the intersection of Illinois Routes 128 and 121 in Dalton City at 4:55 a.m. October 28. Read More

Sullivan High School Class to Host Veterans Day Program November 11

News Progress Posted on by
November 5, 2014

A Veterans Day program is scheduled for November 11 at 1 p.m. in the Sullivan high school gym.

“We are doing this to give back,” said Sullivan High School senior Issac Shields about his Career English Class who is hosting the Veterans’ Day program.

The class, guided by high school English teacher Becky Lawson, has been working on the event for several weeks.

“We are giving honor to the ones who deserve honor,” added senior class member Brooke Leavitt. Read More

Third Annual IGA Round Up to Benefit Food Pantry

News Progress Posted on by
November 5, 2014

IGA staff to try and set record fundraising total

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

For Moultrie County Food Pantry outreach coordinator Kristy Dawson, her typical week includes purchasing ground beef once a week and then traveling to both the Sullivan IGA and the Windsor Food Center for two grocery pickups a week.

But more recently, the purchases have been happening more often and in larger quantities due to a severe lack in donations.

“We’ve had several small food drives here and there in recent months, but it’s been three months since our last large food drive,” said Dawson, “so purchasing food has been happening more often than normal.” Read More

Sullivan American Legion to Rededicate Veterans’ Memorial Nov. 1

News Progress Posted on by
October 29, 2014

Time capsule from 1989 also to be opened

by Barry Featheringill
Sullivan Reporter

On November 11, 1989 the Sullivan American Legion dedicated the Veterans Memorial located at the southwest entrance of Wyman Park.

The memorial was a dream of Legion Commander Al Golden Sr. and the committee of legion members which included Al “Sonny” Golden Jr, Richard Shellabarger, and Mike Keown. The legion started planning the memorial in 1987 with legion members traveling around to other communities to see what their memorials were like. Read More

Red Apple Owners Enter into TIF Agreement with City

News Progress Posted on by
October 22, 2014

Part of reconstruction costs eligible for TIF funds

by Barry Featheringill
Sullivan Reporter

Steve Sadikoska and Tim Halili of the Red Apple Restaurant were in attendance at the October 13 city council to hear discussion regarding possible Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to help with the reconstruction of the restaurant that burned down July 29.

Mayor Ann Short opened the discussion expressing the feelings of the city: “All of us feel so badly because of your unfortunate situation. That was just horrible.”

Short then went on to explain that the TIF program is when construction is completed and taxes are assessed by the county, the difference between what taxes were before the fire and what they are after construction is completed. In talking with the city’s TIF attorney it has been determined that the construction would be eligible for TIF funding for the reconstruction of the restaurant. Read More

County Board Approves FY15 Tentative Budget

News Progress Posted on by
October 15, 2014

Opts to levy less than max amount for now

Barry Featheringill
Sullivan Reporter

At the October county board meeting finance chairman Ron White presented a 2015 tentative budget for Moultrie County.

White noted that “The state allows each county to set 0.37 percent of total assessed property value. This would have created a maximum tax levy of $880,000. The finance committee after gathering figures from department heads has set a levy of $810,000. We have a good balance to carry forward into 2015”.

With no discussion White made a motion to accept the tentative budget for fiscal year 2015. Votes were all in favor with one board member absent while the vote was taken (Tim Rose arrived after the vote). Read More

ALAH Schools Implement Google App Tools as Key to Learning

News Progress Posted on by
October 15, 2014

Jr. high moves towards 1:1 learning to prepare for high school

by Ariana Cherry
Sullivan/Arthur Reporter

Junior high mathematics teachers Sarah Smith and Jami Budd opened the ALAH School Board meeting with discussion about the new Google Chrome notebooks and Google accounts that have recently been set up with the junior high classes. Seventh and eighth graders are learning about using Google email, documents, slide, groups, and sharing documents.

“It will be good for group projects so that kids can work together from home and be live via Google. It is unbelievably exciting to watch. We are trying to prepare them for high school because we know that is the direction we are going towards,” said Smith. Read More

SOV Varsity Football Game Postponed After Fatal Accident at Shelbyville Bus Garage

News Progress Posted on by

Coroner identifies transportation director as victim

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

The varsity football game between SOV and Shelbyville scheduled for Friday, October 10 has been postponed due to what area sources are claiming a serious injury occurring to one of Shelbyville schools' staff members.

Both the Shelbyville Daily Union and Shelby County News are reporting that a staff member was injured after being trapped under a vehicle late this morning. The Daily Union elaborated by saying the injury resulted in a fatality, while the County News is reporting the individual was injured after a jack slipped while working on a school bus in the bus garage.

According to the Daily Union, Superintendent Denise Bence released the following statement:

"The district lost a beloved employee today. We are all deeply saddened. Our hearts are aching for his family. They are in our prayers."

Tonight's football game has been rescheduled for Saturday, October 11 at 7 p.m.

UPDATE 5:17 p.m.: Both the Daily Union and the Shelbyville County News are reporting that Shelby County Coroner Brian Green has identified Tim Powers, 45,  as the individual killed in today's accident. Powers was the Shelbyville school district's transportation director and was injured while working on a bus in the district's bus garage.

OV School Budget Approved

News Progress Posted on by
October 1, 2014

Projected budget shortfall of $70,000

by Joash Tiarks
Bethany Reporter

One of the major items on the agenda for school boards this time of year is the annual budget proposal, Okaw Valley being no exception.

There was ample opportunity for public discussion on the proposed 2014-15 budget during the special session scheduled for the 15 minutes previous to the regularly scheduled meeting last Thursday evening. However, no one from the public attended to take advantage so the regular meeting commenced without incident, and the budget ended up passing with a unanimous vote. “Everything is going to be decided on the governor’s race,” said  superintendent Kent Stauder replying to board president Tim Rothrock after he asked about the direction state funding might take over the course of this next year. “We know where the Democratic governor is going, as far as funding, but the Republican candidate really does not have a plan yet.” The amount of General State Aid(GSA) is, in fact, lower than last year but that is in response to a rise in local Equalized Assessed Valuation of property, or EAV. Read More

Moultrie Circuit Clerk Takes on E-Filing 

News Progress Posted on by
September 24, 2014

New online tool to allow attorneys to file and retrieve case information remotely

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

Cindy Braden’s office has undergone an upgrade, so to speak. But it hasn’t only made her office more efficient. It has also provided attorneys a more efficient way to file and retrieve case information without having to travel to Moultrie, which could eventually trickle down to clients in the form of some cost savings.

“Attorneys of record can now access documents electronically through Judici,” said Braden.

“It also means that an attorney in Chicago can file from his office and not make a trip here,” said sixth judicial circuit chief judge Dan Flannell. “The decision to go to e-filing is driven by the clerk in every county. It won’t matter in my view if the presiding judge each county is in favor. If the clerk isn’t, it won’t happen. And this has been Cindy’s project. Frankly, from a court’s perspective, it effects them more.” Read More