Category Archives: News Section

A Time to Honor and Remember Those Who Gave All

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
March to Greenhill Cemetery
American Legion Post #68, Honor Guard, Sons of American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary members led the Memorial Day parade from the Sullivan square to Greenhill Cemetery ceremonies on Memorial Day.

•May 30, 2018•

By Ellen Ferrera
for The News Progress

We watched them approach in the distance with flags unfurled taking measured steps as they marched down Water Street towards Greenhill Cemetery.

The American Legion Honor Guard and a Boy Scout troop entered the cemetery to the intermittent command of “hut, hut” and took their positions for the solemn memorial services.

After a prayer, Marine Corps Major Lynn Lowder addressed the crowd of some 100 people. A graduate of Sullivan High School and a frequent speaker there, he noted that both his parents and grandparents are buried in Greenhill.

Major Lowder recalled that his first military ceremony was here, and he knew it was important because of all the flags and the music. Read More

OVHS Commencement

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Photo by R. R. Best
OVHS Commencement
Okaw Valley High School graduation for 47 senior candidates was held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, May 27 in the high school gymnasium in Bethany. Quinn Michael Brooks was the class of 2018 valedictorian and addressed his classmates along with salutatorians Grace Catherine Harlin, Hannah Beth Landreth and Ethan Johannes Macklin.  Above graduates Tanner Coleman, Cody Drake, and James Burns. switch tassels at the end of the ceremony.

City Council Approves Purchase of Body Cameras for Police Department

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Grant Could Assist

•May 23, 2018•

By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

Sullivan City Council and members of the police force discussed purchasing body cameras for the police department at their last meeting.

The police department has been using  AXON body cameras since September with the video feed used during their presentation. The software for the body cameras allows individual’s faces to be blurred for privacy and show more clearly whether a weapon is being carried. Allowing for live-streaming and being wireless were among some of the features discussed. Read More

St. Jude Dash n Bash: Four Years and Still Running Strong

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Photo by RR Best
Devoted St. Jude Runner training at 3 below zero.

•May 23, 2018•

By Mike Brothers

St. Jude Dash n Bash in Sullivan kicks off its fourth year Saturday, June 2 in Wyman Park with more than 90 percent of everything raised going to the St. Jude, Memphis and Midwest Affiliate in Peoria.

Over the past three years the event has given $32,000 to St. Jude Hospital Stephanie Helmuth, Sullivan event founder, said of the success.

St. Jude’s no cost treatment for children with the most serious health issues is offered regardless of race, religion or a family’s ability to pay.

Helmuth’s realization of what that meant came after the birth of her youngest child River who required infant heart surgery at the St. Jude Midwest affiliate in Peoria.

“Sitting in that hospital room let me understand what others faced,” said Helmuth of her incentive to start the run in Sullivan to help St. Jude.

She and other Sullivan area runners had participated in the St. Jude Mattoon/Peoria run so eight volunteers got together the first St. Jude Dash n Bash. Read More

Power Out

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Photo by R.R. Best
Power Out
Around 1:00 p.m. Tuesday a John Deere with folding disc attachments, owned by Terry Warren, caught a power line at the corner of South Market and West Eden Streets in Sullivan, knocking out power to both Agri-Fab and Hydro-Gear, according to Sullivan Police Chief Jim Waggoner. City Administrator Dan Flannell commended Sullivan Electric Dept. employees who responded immediately and were able to replace the pole and restore power within 40 minutes.

Sullivan Schools Hire Coach and Music Teacher

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•May 23, 2018•

By Mike Brothers

Sullivan Community District #300 school board met May 14 hiring a head football coach and an elementary music teacher.

Following interviews by Sullivan and Okaw Valley athletic directors Ryan Aikman and Brooks Inman, high school principal Erik Young recommended employing Jeff Myers as head football coach. Myers replaced Andy Kerley who lost his job due to teaching staff cuts after one year.

Myers has previously coached at Central A&M and St. Teresa High School in Decatur. He resides in Shelbyville. Board members present approved including Steve Poland, Tyson Grooms, Erik Stollard, Zak Horn and president Jeff White. Read More

A Ground Breaking Facility for Okaw Valley Schools

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Photo by Mike Brothers
OVHS agriculture teacher and ag complex creator Wes Wise explained the inspiration for the collegiate styled facility and thanked all those who helped make this day possible. In background high school principal Matt Shoaff and Supt. Ken Stauder listen along with students, Corp representatives and community representatives gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony.

“Some men see things as they are and say, ‘Why’? I dream of things that never were and say, ‘Why not’?”
Robert F. Kennedy.

•May 23, 2018•

Why not OV? Reflects on the possibilities referred to by Kennedy. Okaw Valley CUSD #302 is a school district willing to dream.

On Thursday, May 17 Okaw Valley High School entered a new era of education breaking ground on a new 5000 sq. ft. agricultural complex.

Along with a classroom and lab the school will initiate animal husbandry, putting the 170 student high school in Bethany in the collegiate level of agricultural learning.

Supt. Kent Stauder told a crowd of students, educators, U.S. Corps partners and members of the community of how the school board asked him to come up with a “dream project”following the district’s success as a U.S. Corps of Engineers partner.

Stauder went to agriculture teacher Wes Wise, who came up with a hands on agriculture concept that incorporates the classroom and real learning modeled from a collegiate approach to learning natural resources, agronomy, animal husbandry and much more. Read More

Lovington Park Recreation Plan Approved

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•May 23, 2018•

Lovington Village Board’s April meeting involved discussion of a 9park board request for Park Recreation week Monday, June 4 through Friday, June 8.

Trustee Dennis Garmon reported the request was for $500 and events will include Scovill’s Mobile Petting Zoo with Thompson vending services Friday. Three members of the park board attended CPR and First Aid Certification classes at the library. Garmon moved the $500 request for Park Recreation and events be approved along with the $17.50 each for park board certifications. The motion seconded by Pam Anklam was approved by Brenda Wood, Pam Anklam, Garmon, Gary Clem and April Daily.  Read More

Sullivan High School Class Exclamation: “We did it!” 

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Photo by R.R. Best
At the senior walk before Sullivan High School graduation Sunday students displayed their art work. Left to right: Bryce Hubbard, Tate Fultz, Andrew Matlock, Alyssa Dingman and Sky Cooley.

•May 23, 2018•

Three words expressed the feelings of 81 Sullivan High School seniors during commencement exercises held in the gymnasium at 2:30 p.m.  Sunday, May 20.

Class president Winchester Phelps reminded classmates that the dumbest ideas make the best memories and that with the help of school and family: “We did it!”

Salutatorian Trevor Elder said starting high school was like random pieces of a puzzle and that each year those pieces started to fit into a plan for the future. “You may fall down, you will make mistakes,” Elder said. “Pick yourself up and move forward.”

Valedictorian Laine Cameron contrasted the urgency for seniors wanting to finish their last year of high school with what it took to actually get it done. Read More

“Trucks are for Girls” Day Hosted by Marvin Keller Trucking

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“Trucks are for Girls” Day Hosted by Marvin Keller Trucking
Area Girl Scouts now have another patch to show they learned something new. Marvin Keller Trucking recently partnered with the Women in Trucking Association to sponsor a Trucks are for Girls Event for local Girl Scouts May 19.
Marvin Keller invited Girl Scout troops from Moultrie and Shelby counties for a fun-filled morning of learning. The purpose of the event was to teach the girls about the importance of trucking to our economy while they were able to get an up close view of a tractor-trailer. At the event, the scouts visited several activity stations throughout the Marvin Keller facility. They received their own dispatch, saw a pre-trip inspection, got to climb in a trailer, and even took a ride in a semi-truck. Volunteers who work at Marvin Keller were on site to help the girls with the activities and answer any questions they had about the transportation industry.
The girls each received a Transportation Patch which was created by the Women in Trucking Association in 2014.