Category Archives: News Section

The MCHD to offer “Caregiver Stress-Busting”

News Progress Posted on by

•August 21, 2024•

by Angela Hogan

The Moultrie County Health Department (MCHD) is pleased to offer “Caregiver Stress-Busting.” This program is offered to support family and other non-paid caregivers who care for an individual living with dementia. Two trained facilitators lead the program, which focuses on education, support, problem-solving, and stress management. As a result, participating caregivers learn how to recognize and address their emotional, physical, spiritual, and cognitive needs. 

Participants will meet weekly on Thursday afternoons, September 5 – October 31, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the MCHD offices, located at 202 S. Main Street, Sullivan, IL. There is no cost for this program. Registration remains open until Tuesday, September 3, 2024.

Are you a caregiver? Read More

City Council changes meeting dates

News Progress Posted on by

•August 21, 2024•

by Sharon Barricklow

Sullivan City Council meetings are moving from the first and third Thursdays to the second and fourth Thursday after a vote Thursday night by the council. Mayor Mike Mossman said changing the meeting dates will give city employees more time to complete actions including getting the city’s bills ready for payment by council vote. “It will just make everything go more smoothly,” he said.

The meeting date change came as part of a series of actions the council took after an audit revealed what Mossman called “significant deficiencies in internal controls.” The council has hired 2020 Forensic Accounting of Bethany to, according to Mossman, “look at our accounting practices.”  Read More

Two stories of small town history

News Progress Posted on by

•August 14, 2024•

Gays celebrated the 2024 Two Story Outhouse Festival on Saturday, August 10, starting bright and early at seven in the morning. The festival celebrating the small structure includes a community breakfast, a car show, kid korner and inflatables for all around quality family fun. Gays, just a short drive east from Windsor used to have a full scale apartment building connected to the outhouse in the 19th century, once torn down in 1984 the outhouse would remain alone. Gays has been promoting the attraction since the 1960s to tourists from near and far, quoting “Gays, Illinois is the only place where you can find a building like this!” Read More

ALAH school board passes resolution for November ballot referendum on $24.6 million school building Bonds

News Progress Posted on by

•August 14, 2024•

by Ariana R Cherry

The ALAH Board of Education held a special meeting on Wednesday, August 7, 2024 to pass a resolution providing for and requiring the submission of the proposition of issuing $24,600,000 School Building Bonds to the voters of the district at the general election to be held November 5, 2024.

The proposition is as stated:

Shall the Board of Education of Arthur Community Unit School District Number 305, Douglas, Moultrie, Coles, Piatt and Champaign Counties, Illinois, improve the site of, build and equip an addition to and alter, repair and equip the Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond High School Building, including replacing heating and ventilation systems, adding air conditioning to classrooms and other spaces, constructing secured entryways, renovating space for educational and vocational programs and improving accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and issue bonds of said School District to the amount of $24,600,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof? Read More

Principals report buildings ready; students first day today

News Progress Posted on by

•August 14, 2024•

by E. Scott England

The Sullivan CUSD #300 school board met on Monday, August 12 for their regularly scheduled monthly meeting. All seven board members were present. Also present were the three principals. The meeting itself was fairly mundane, and, as is typical, few board members engaged in discussions on any of the business that was voted on.

Each principal gave a report on their respective buildings and happenings from over the summer. Sullivan elementary principal Leslie Guyot reported that they have had several new students register. She reported that some students have moved out, but there were far more move-in students this year. Read More

The Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program: available now

News Progress Posted on by

How does this program benefit eligible families, seniors, participating vendors, and the Moultrie County economy? 

•August 7, 2024•

By Angela Hogan 

What is the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program? 

The Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMSP) provides eligible participants with coupons to purchase fresh produce at local farmers’ markets. This initiative supports FMNP participants, vendors, and the local economy. The FMNP is available in Illinois through October 31, 2024. The Moultrie County Health Department (MCHD) is excited to offer this beneficial program to Moultrie County residents. 

Who can participate in FMNP? 

WIC participants: Individuals participating in the WIC program are automatically eligible for FMNP. Other income-qualified individuals are eligible and can also obtain FMNP coupons from the MCHD.  Read More

Petersen Health Care liquidates; Courtyard Estates sold

News Progress Posted on by

•August 7, 2024•

by E. Scott England 

Courtyard Estates of Sullivan has been sold following months of ongoing legal proceedings against Petersen Health Care. PHC filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in May, an action that came as a result of several loans that had been defaulted on dating back to February of this year.

After the loan default, about seven properties risked being foreclosed upon and shut down. At that time, it was reported that $51 million was owed to two separate companies. The filing of the chapter 11 bankruptcy allowed for PHC to keep locations open and in operation as well as continue paying employees. Read More

Historic building renovations and Splash Pad review

News Progress Posted on by

•August 7, 2024•

By Megan Russell

The Sullivan City Council had their first meeting of August, on Thursday, August 1st at six at the library. The meeting started with reports from Commissioner Abbey Sherwood, beginning her reports with another positive review on the Splash Pad, but revealing a small frustration with the Splash Pad. While speaking on how massive a hit the pad was to the community, it uses non-recyclable water. In the state of Illinois, in order to have a water system like this which recycles it must include cleaning chemicals like those often found in pools. Sherwood continued to explain how if the city were to switch to a recycle system the chemicals added would then identify the Splash Pad as a pool, and would then need a whole new set of rules and regulations the community would need to follow. Average Splash Pads can use from 5,000 to 26,000 gallons of water daily. Sherwood reporter that the park also received some new paint and minor improvement projects. Read More

Findlay’s Walleye tradition

News Progress Posted on by

•July 31, 2024•

Festivals and fairs are a huge part of summer tradition in Illinois, Findlay’s Walleye Festival is no exception. With the motto “good things come in small packages” stands true for the festival as venders and artisan began setting up booths towards their personal tables as early as seven. The festival ran for two days, having started its first day off with a bang on Friday, July 26th at 2:30pm with live music from Billy Galt & The Blues Deacons taking the main stage until five. Read More