Category Archives: News

Masonic Lodge Presents Community Builders Award Makes Community Donations

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Laurrie Minor received Community Builders Award.

•November 14, 2018•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Laurrie Minor, Executive Director of the Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development, was honored with the Community Builders Award by Sullivan George A. Sentel Masonic Lodge #764.
She received a plaque in recognition of her work with the Chamber at the Past Masters dinner and awards ceremony held Friday, Nov. 9 at the Masonic Lodge.
Worshipful Master, Ron Chenoweth, welcomed the members and guests and offered an opening prayer.
“Our golf outing and other fundraisers were very successful this year.” He reported “We provide three scholarships to high school students in Windsor, Sullivan and Okaw Valley each year. Excess funds are then given to community organizations.” Read More

County Dive Team is Underwater on Funding

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File photo
Dive team members Jesse Scribner, Rob Martz and Amanda Farley make do with outdated equipment.

•November 14, 2018•

By Mike Brothers

Members of the Moultrie County Public Health and Safety committee learned how underfunded the County Dive Team is and will make recommendations for the county board to help.
Moultrie County Dive Team coordinator Clay Brush appeared before the committee recently to explain changes in public safety diving standards and how it affects the ten-member dive rescue team.
With a budget of $5,000 per year the team isn’t able to cover the cost to equip a diver with full dry suits and face masks as required under new standards. The cost is about $7,800 to fully equip and certify one diver.
A separate department of county Emergency Services and Disaster Agency, Brush pointed out the dive team has two of the dry suits, which have a life expectancy of five years, that were purchased in the early 1990s with three others purchased around the turn of the century. Read More

Pie in Face Inspires Sullivan Schools’ Day of Giving Competition

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•November 7, 2018•

Sullivan Elementary School and Sullivan Middle School have a challenge for who can collect the most food and monetary donations for the Eastern Illinois Food Bank Day of Giving.
The winning school’s principal gets to throw a pie in the losing principal’s face!
What better way to give to the local food bank while competing for someone to get pie faced?
Also helping with the efforts toward the November 27 Day of Giving celebration are the Sullivan IGA, Sullivan VFW, Sullivan Eyecare, Oakwood Apothecary, The Sullivan First United Methodist Church, and The Sullivan Vineyard Church. Read More

Pacesetter Award for Moultrie County Relay for Life Team

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Moultrie County Relay for Life committee members with the Pacesetter flag award from left: Jan McReynolds, Shelby Ray, Adam McReynolds, Tony Holly, Rob Young, Heather Dendy, Michelle Young and Angie Ray.

•November 7, 2018•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Every person, organization and business in Sullivan that participated in or in any way supported the recent American Cancer Society Relay for Life should be extremely proud.
The odds of reaching the $50,000 goal were seriously stacked against such an achievement, but Moultrie County prevailed for the first time in its relay history.
At the Relay for Life awards ceremony held at Vineyard Church in Sullivan on Nov. 3 Senior Community ACS Manager, Jeremy Harken, detailed the incredible achievement.
At the end of the regular campaign the team was $9,000 short of goal. But they had a 30-day grace period and decided to go back out raising an additional $18,000 in just 30 days.
“This has never been done in all my years of fund-raising,” Harken emphasized.
“Relay for Life is the largest fund-raiser in the world bringing in an average of $250 million each year. Read More

City Council Gets Start on Water Plant Improvements

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•October 31, 2018•

By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

At the last Sullivan City Council meeting the new water plant project was initiated with approval of Lee Beckman to prepare engineering plans.
This is a long term project which could cost between $2-3 million a year until it is completely rebuilt.
“It’s a big project, but I feel it is very important for the future of the city,” Commissioner Mike Mossman said.
The council went on to discuss whether to replace existing water meters which are eight years old with a projected lifespan of 10 years. They discussed the possibility of getting meters that are automatic and did not contain moving parts but also noted replacing all the meters would take more manpower.
To replace them in a “timely-fashion,” employees from the other departments could assist to complete the project. The council decided that they would do some more research with further discussion next meeting. Read More

Spark Sessions Create Common Focus on Community Assets

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•October 31, 2018•

By Sonya Best
for the News Progress

When Sullivan Spark met last Thursday at Sullivan Church of God promoting two of the community’s greatest assets, Lake Shelbyville and the Little Theatre on the Square emerged as a common focus.
The enthusiastic volunteers divided themselves into four different groups and began brainstorming strategies to reach the goals to improve on four areas of the community that they feel need improvement: arts, culture and entertainment, parks and recreation, retail and dining, and housing. Read More

Three Arrests Made in Sullivan

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•October 31, 2018•

In the early morning hours of October 26, the Sullivan Police Department along with the Moultrie County Sheriff’s Department developed information that led to the issuance of a search warrant for a multi family dwelling in Sullivan. Read More

Spanish Students Translate Letters from Honduras

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Photo by Señora King
Gary Herschberger works on letter translation.

Gain Cultural Insight

•October 31, 2018•

By Seth Mayberry
for the News Progress

In the last few weeks, Señora King’s Spanish III and IV classes have been translating letters sent from Honduras from Spanish to English.
The letters were written by children to their sponsors in the Scholarships with Blessings program. Scholarships with Blessings is a Christian mission program aimed at providing less fortunate children in Honduras with education, school supplies, clothes, and medication.
According to Alicia DeLong, Mike Craig of the First United Methodist Church in Sullivan started a group to go on mission trips to La Ceibita, Honduras in 2010. Along with Scholarships with Blessings, they continue to help the less fortunate. Read More

Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library Plans 40th Anniversary Celebration

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•October 31, 2018•

By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

Then Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library will celebrate its 40th anniversary November 5-9.
Its history dates way back to 1898, when on August 1, the Sullivan City Council took action to establish a city library. Early residents remember a time when they would go check out their library books in the back of the Barber Book Store on the south side of the square.
Some years before 1915, the library moved to the two-story brick building on the south side of the square. The library was on the first floor while the telephone company operated from the second floor.
After 1915, the library moved to a city owned library building on East Harrison Street where it stayed for many years.
In 1978, the library made its final rest stop on West Water Street where it was named the Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library. This new building was made possible through a donation from the estate of George and Leona Titus who directed the library be built in memory of his great-grandmother Elizabeth Titus. Read More

DOVE Ceremony Honors Victims Of Domestic Violence

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•October 31, 2018•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

The sanctuary of the First United Methodist Church was darkened save for a single light shining on the pulpit which was covered with a quilted, large white dove.
On a table in front were flowers and two memorial candles. This was the setting for the 18th annual Dove Candle Lighting Ceremony.
Mary Hughes, Moultrie County director of Dove, welcomed the audience and spoke of the many levels of domestic violence which include stalking, economic and financial abuse, physical and sexual abuse as well as psychological abuse. Read More