Photo furnished
Hole in One at Eagle Creek
Ben Gordon of Shelbyville got a hole in one on Eagle Creek Golf Course at hole No. 17. The play date was 8:30 a.m. Thursday, July 21.His Hole in One Club was a 52 deg. wedge hitting a Noodle+ ball 107 yards.
Photos by Stu D. Baker
Travis Phelps displays an antler rack from a four year old buck, about twice normal size.
Animal Crackers Treat the Herd
•August 3, 2016•
By Stu D. Baker
For the News Progress
Travis Phelps Moultrie County Monsters Deer Farm northwest of Sullivan is anything but scary.
To prove his point Phelps scooped a cup full of animal crackers up and headed in to the eight foot high corral that’s home to five young deer. As the yearling does and bucks gathered around the cups of animal crackers, Phelps pointed out one of the his favorite benefits of deer farming.
“It doesn’t matter how rough work has been,” Phelps, a veteran Illinois Department of Corrections employee, said, “As soon as I enter the pen, I’ll sit down on a bucket, and the deer gather around for a few animal crackers, and all the stress of the day drops away.”
The monsters theme of the farm started with one deer who got a little eager for the animal crackers.
“Each deer has its own personality, and we gave them fun names like Cookie Monster,” he said, noting they even went as far as to incorporate Silence of the Lamb movie characters Hannibal and Clarice into the monster mix. Read More
Photo by Brynna Sentel
SOV Cheerleading Camp offered training for those competing to make this year’s expanded squad. Above Cassie Freese (front) and Aspen Bridges work on choreography.
•August 3, 2016•
By Brynna Sentel
For The News Progress
Sullivan Okaw Valley cheerleading squad is expanding thanks to the generosity of a local business.
The ability to offer positions to more students trying out was made possible in June thanks to the donation which could allow the squad to expand from 16 to 21 cheerleaders this school year.
That donor covered additional costs in uniforms, equipment and transportation, enabling the cooperative venture between Okaw Valley and Sullivan school districts to expand with no additional school expense.
The additional cheerleaders present new challenges for coach Marsha Kirby.
The second year coach has improved not only the support of the team but the desire to get involved. Last year Sullivan had only 13 cheerleaders tryout and make the team. This year 19 girls have managed to get a spot on the team. Read More
•August 3, 2016•
By Ariana Cherry
For the News Progress
The city of Sullivan signed a four-year contract with the Illinois Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 51 at their most recent meeting.
The contract begins August 1, 2016 and will end July 31, 2020 and includes a 2½ percent raise, sick time which may roll over and accumulate up to 21 days and giving workers Christmas Eve and Christmas day off.
The council also voted to move forward with a bid from Johnco Construction to build a garage for the gas department for the amount of $33,000. The bid covers the construction of a basic garage with three windows, no insulation and one light bulb with a light switch. It will be for the use of storing small vehicles.
Other news that was discussed or acted upon: Read More
Lemonade for a Cause
Five enterprising Sullivan elementary students served lemonade with a purpose on the square last Wednesday.
Darby Harden, owner of Gypsy Soul, where the Lemonade for School Supplies stand was set up on her front sidewalk, explained the students decided to accept school supply donations by selling lemonade.
In addition to accepting supplies they were raising funds through donations to help students who need supplies when school begins August 22.
Harden said she would continue to accept school supply donations after the stand closes, turning the supplies and donations over to Sullivan schools.
Those hawking lemonade and water for a dollar on the square were: Photo at left (from left) Callie Standerfer, Ruby Haegen, Bella Harden, Tessa Seeley, and Ava Shriver.
•August 3, 2016•
By Cheryl Murphy
For the News Progress
Sister Act, the musical comedy, is based on the 1992 movie starring Whoopi Goldberg as a club singer who has more sass than sense.
She is forced to hide her sinful soul beneath a nun’s habit after she witnesses her mobster boyfriend commit murder. Warning! This show retains the fun of the film but not the music. If patrons understand this up front and have an open mind, they will find this show too good to resist.
To illustrate that point my cousin took three nuns from St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Decatur to the show, and they laughed so hard they were crying. Pretty good testimony.
The movie was special by redoing already familiar songs into ones of faith. In the musical, those songs are replaced with original tunes by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater. A very qualified Menken has written iconic songs for Disney’s “Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Read More
Drone Photo by RR Best
Findlay Walleye Festival
The Findlay Walleye Festival was held July 29-31. The walleye tent in the firehouse opened at 4 p.m. Friday. Battle Creek Band, Kidd Kaddilack, and Whiskey Bend performed Friday evening. The walleye parade followed a community pancake breakfast. A classic car show, kiddie tractor pull and 3 on 3 basketball were Saturday. Eddie Webb and Southern Cross, played as well as Forest Parker performing. Sounds of Swing Big Band, Feudin’ Hillybilly and Big Spike Hammer Blue Grass all played Saturday evening. A Jimmy Buffet style party closed the event Sunday.
Photo furnished
Sullivan Women’s Philanthropy
Several women gathered at 5 West Thursday, July 28 to raise money for a nonprofit organization in Sullivan. Individuals and teams collectively raised $3500 that will go to The Little Theatre on the Square. Selection was made in a random drawing containing all suggested nonprofits. The next meeting is October 27.
Photo furnished
Miss Bethany
A Miss Bethany contest was held as part of Bethany Celebration recently. Moranda Matheson was crowned Miss Bethany. Moranda’s parents are Chad and Amber Matheson of Bethany, and her grandparents are Myrna and Jim Scritchfield of Bakersfield, California and Joe and Joan Matheson of Sullivan.
She attended tech school her junior year, while also maintaining straight As at Okaw Valley High School. Matheson earned her CNA, working the summer to earn money for college. She did not enter the contest for the crown but rather was hoping for the scholarship money to help offset expenses to become a pediatrician oncologist. She will be a senior at Okaw Valley High School this fall.
•July 27, 2016•
By Derek Pope
For the News Progress
Bethany’s village board gave a nod to nature enthusiasts this month by approving TIF funds to expand and improve Crowder Park’s walking trail. According to the Township Investment Fund chairman Greg McLain, the park district had envisioned alterations to the existing trail that would expand its “most visible, top portion” westward “down by the batting cages or skate park”.
While modest in scope, the cost of the project was the motivating factor for Marrowbone Park District to seek outside funding for the renovations.
The park district is itself a taxing body, levying a portion of village residents’ yearly property taxes for funding, but McLain said that the park board reported only around $16,000 in on hand money when they submitted their proposal to the TIF committee.
Although the TIF committee has been somewhat deterred from funding major projects for other taxing bodies in the past, McLain said that the relatively small cost of the proposal influenced the TIF’s final decision.
“We have helped private businesses with a lot more money than what they were asking for so the committee recommended to grant them the entire $6,840.” McLain also mentioned the village’s 2013 decision to provide a much more sizable TIF grant to Marrowbone Public Library, another taxing body in the village, as precedent for the committee’s recommendation. Read More