Category Archives: News Section

County Approved Levy and Budget

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Tax Levy Increased $100,000

•November 27, 2019•
By Mike Brothers

The Moultrie County Board approved the FY2020 Budget and Levy at the Nov. 14 meeting.
County board and budget committee chair Dave McCabe explained that although the proposed total tax levy for the county had increased by $100,000 over the previous levy to $2,740,000 the amount is $38,533 below the 105% increase that would require Truth in Taxation notice and hearing.
Board member Tyler Graven requested McCabe to review the previous levy amounts which totaled $2,635,500. The board voted 5 to 3 for the 2020 tax levy. Read More

Lovington Village Board Discuss Drainage and Sidewalks

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•November 27, 2019•
The Lovington village board met Oct. 14 with Pastor Mike Carriger of Maranatha Church on North Broadway, Lovington offering to get involved in community events.
Pastor Carriger explained the church offered hot dogs, chips, a drink and a treat as a drive thru project for Halloween. Trustee Pan Anklam, who is an officer in Sparrows, offered to get with the pastor to let him know the needs in the community.
In the absence of President Roger Walker, trustee Dennis Garmon reported that the sidewalk project is nearing completion.
Trustee Gary Clem noted the good price the village received from Brad Eaton allowed additional sidewalks on High Street.
Garmon reported the village could clean up the burned house on State Street and attach a lien to the property.
Roots that clogged the storm sewer on the Rte. 32 curve will have to be removed and the drainage tile replaced with Trustee Clem reporting President Walker was working with several people on the project. Read More

Moultrie County Quadrennial Year Assessed by Vanguard Appraisals

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•November 27, 2019•
As CCAO Lori Barringer’s role is to make sure that the value of residential, commercial and industrial properties is at 33.33% of Fair Market Value.
Market value is set by those who purchased property over the past 3 years.
Therefore, 2019 values are based on 2016, 2017 & 2018 sales.
What if property doesn’t sell; how do I determine values? The Replacement Cost New, minus depreciation, plus land values.
“We do this by utilizing a mass appraisal system (Vanguard)” Barringer explained.
Moultrie County has been using Vanguard since 2011 for Commercial & Industrial Properties. Read More

St. Columcille Confirmation

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Photo furnished
St. Columcille Confirmation
2019 Confirmation and First Communion with Most Reverend Bishop John Paprocki for Immaculate Conception, Mattoon, and St. Columcille, Sullivan, at Immaculate Conception Church on Sunday, October 13, 2019.
Front Row: Addison Montgomery, Logan Gowin, Morgan Moses, Colin Beals, Ellison Lynch, Finnegan Reardon, Belle Powers, Leonardo Carrillo, Lilly Schuler, Levi Risley, Emma Drake, Abel Gonzalez, Valerie Rodriguez, Liam Strader
Middle Row: Liam Donovan, Zaiden Kaufman, Griffin Walk, Simon Parri, Owen Burton, Ethan Rankin, Cian Lynch, Josie Auer, Aaron Blanchette, Jeremy Cunnings, Amaka Cunnings,
Back Row: Treyeson Scott, Emerson Risley, Audrey Dodge, Ella Bahney, Reese Dodge, Fr. John, Bishop Paprocki, Father Adam Pritchard, Deacon Gene Uptmor, Capone Matthews, Isabel Donovan, Kylie Voyles, Trent Hettinger

Chocolate Fund Raiser Boosts County Food Pantry Giving

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Photo furnished
Members of Sullivan Rotary Club Derek Righter and Rudy Huber helped prepare Thanksgiving baskets for the Moultrie County Food Pantry last week.

•November 27, 2019•
Flesor’s Candy Kitchen fund raiser for the Moultrie County Food Pantry at Cathrine’s Gallery Saturday was big!
“The crowd was great on Saturday,” CEFS Outreach Coordinator Mariah White-Landrus said. “We’ve had people coming in all morning to pick up Thanksgiving boxes.”
From 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday in Sullivan more than a hundred of Flesor’s signature Holiday baskets were sold, along with a variety of gift boxes making the single day fund raiser the largest since its beginning.
Saturday winners of a one pound box of candy and a $15 gift certificate from Flesor’s were: Karen Dwyer, Lori Shasteen, and Lois Shuman.
The Food Pantry receive a record delivery of more than 130 turkeys from Sullivan IGA Monday.
Volunteers from the Sullivan Rotary helped prepare Thanksgiving boxes last week. Sparrows of Lovington donated fruit baskets toward Thanksgiving dinner following their Fruit basket Thanksgiving community delivery. Read More

Nutrient Rich Farming Practices Promote Progress

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Photo by R.R. Best
Becca Dickens, she was showing us the paw paw plants they are attempting to grow

Farmers Market Response Inspired Expansion

•November 27, 2019•

O. Mac Donald
for The News Progress

Regenerative Life Farm started as a hobby for Becca Dickens and Jarrod Yantis of Findlay.
The popularity of their nutrient rich vegetables at Sullivan Farmers Market this season gave the Findlay couple inspiration to expand the operation.
“Regenerative gardening starts with the soil,” Dickens said of the natural growing process used.
That includes cover crops during the winter to reduce soil erosion and practicing chemical free production. Read More

Sullivan Moves Closer to New Metering Systems

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Street Dept. Gets Bucket Truck

•November 27, 2019•
By Mike Brothers

Sullivan City Council approved the purchase of $273,500 in ultrasonic water meters from Mueller Systems at the Nov. 12 meeting.
In Public Health and Safety commissioner Chuck Woodworth’s recommendation for bid waiving he explained the Mueller meters provided functions required for the Nextgrid meter conversion of the city’s utility metering systems. The bid was approved unanimously.
Competitive bids for a Small Wheel Loader for the department were opened with Commissioner Woodworth reserving a vote until a review of the bids which ranged from $59,650 to $99,700.
Street and Public Improvements commissioner Peggy Hargis proposed purchasing a 2009 bucket truck with a winch which could be used for the street dept. as well as the Parks Dept. and Public Health and Safety. Read More

Sullivan Show Choirs Preview For Food

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•November 27, 2019•

Sullivan Show Choirs preview night is coming at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18.
It is held in conjunction with a community food drive for the Moultrie County Food Pantry.
Two nonperishable food items are the price of admission.
For that you receive season preview performances by Sullivan’s show choirs at Sullivan High School.
Proceeds benefit the Sullivan Food Bank.
The Show Choir Preview/Community Food Drive is hosted by the Sullivan Singers Booster Club and Sullivan CUSD #300.

Coach Ruscin’s Long History With Lions Turkey Bingo

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
John and Anna Ruscin started seeing each other when John started helping with Turkey Bingo.

And the Beginning of Life with Anna

•November 20, 2019•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

John Ruscin has probably never undertaken any assignment for the short haul. He was a teacher/coach at Sullivan Elementary School for 37 years, then an IGA employee for 19 years and on November 8 he announced that he would be retiring after 68 years of volunteer service to the Lion Club’s Turkey Bingo.
“I came to Sullivan as a geography teacher and coach in 1951,” John recalled. ”Then Principal, Russell Ashbrook, actively recruited every male teacher to membership in the Lion’s Club. I have been there ever since.”
“I’ve been told that the turkeys were tossed off the roof of the Court House and the participants had to chase down their turkey,” He said it was an early story of how Thanksgiving Turkeys were distributed. Turkeys can fly can’t they?
“This practice was discontinued due to complaints about cruelty to the turkeys,” he continued.
Turkey Bingo was first held at Shasteen Motors, then moved to the Armory and finally to the American Legion Hall, John said, emphasizing more than 300 people have participated in the annual fundraiser each of the past two years.
The Lion’s Club helps those with vision issues and supports community programs including school scholarships. Read More

Titus-Sentel Sale: Big Crowd; Bigger Money

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•November 20, 2019•
By Mike Brothers

The crowd packed into the Sullivan American Legion Friday, Nov. 15 saw the Winifred Titus Sentel Trust farms sell for $10,971,883.
Busey Farm Brokerage managed the sale of seven tracts totaling 928.1 acres of land north of Sullivan city limits.
The city of Sullivan did not bid on any of the tracts of farm land, although the city council did purchase the Titus Home located at the south end of Wyman Park earlier.
“An unbelievable crowd attended the sale,” Mayor Richard Glazebrook said of the event which drew some 150 people. “This is a tremendous blessing for the city of Sullivan. Winifred Titus Sentel demonstrated extraordinary vision when she made her decision in 1960.” Read More