Photo by Daniel Thompson
Bud Lash of Bethany found this morels mushroom in town growing by the foundation of a house.
Big Morels
Category Archives: News Section
Moultrie County Looks into Improving Courthouse Technology
•May 11, 2016•
Moultrie County Courthouse computer systems have grown slower and older, prompting the county board building and grounds committee to recommend an upgrade.
County Clerk Georgia England reported Quality Network Selutions findings at the regular meeting May 4. Slow access and crash problems prompted QNS to look further into the problems within the courthouse system.
QNS discovered servers from 2001, 2003, and 2006 in use beyond their capacity. Average server life expectancy is five-seven years.
County board chairman Dave McCabe explained the county will have to start looking toward more frequent system updates. He explained the out-of-date servers are not useable, and the county will need to start from scratch on rebuilding new servers. Read More
Holocaust Survivor Shares His Story
Photo courtesy Jessica Voyles
Sullivan High School English teacher Rebecca Lawson left introduces Holocaust survivor Jerry Koenig, who gave his account of Poland under the Nazis during World War II.
•May 11, 2016•
Eleven people hidden in a hole under a barn in Poland lived in fear of death for 22 months during World War II.
Jerry Koenig, Holocaust survivor of that ordeal, told Sullivan students what life of a persecuted group was like under the Nazi reign of terror. Only 10 percent of the Jewish population in Poland survived the Holocaust.
Sunday, May 1 was Yom Hashoah (Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust), making Koenig’s presence historically significant for those gathered in the Sullivan High School gymnasium.
“After Germany took over Poland in 1939, they forced Jewish people to wear a white arm band with the Star of David,” Koenig, who was nine years old then, recalled. “Then they started rationing food to give the army first priority.”
Koenig and his middle class family lived in Pruszkow but were soon trucked to Warsaw ghettos where the Nazis were starting the starvation process to exterminate the Jews.
“There were 300,000 people crammed into a walled neighborhood and survival depended on how much food we could buy from the black market,” Koenig, said, recalling his father arranged an escape to the country for his mother, younger brother and himself. Read More
ALAH FFA Competes in Section 17 Agriculture Business and Horticulture CDE
Photo furnished
ALAH FFA Competes in Section 17 Agriculture Business and Horticulture CDE
Two ALAH FFA members traveled to Parkland College in Champaign to compete in the Section 17 Agriculture Business and Horticulture Career Development Events (CDEs).
Competing were Josiah Kinert in the Agriculture Business CDE and Jordan Jent in both Horticulture and Agriculture Business CDEs.
The Agriculture Business CDE consisted of a 50 question test that had various questions on agriculture business such as net worth, budgeting, and marketing. The horticulture CDE included identifying 50 plants from a list of 300, a test, six judging rings, a landscaping practicum, and identifying plant disorders and diseases.
Pictured are ALAH FFA members Josiah Kinert and Jordan Jent who participated in the Section 17 Agriculture Business CDE at Parkland College.
ALAH FFA Competes in State Livestock Judging
Photo furnished
ALAH FFA Competes in State Livestock Judging
The ALAH FFA competed in the State FFA Livestock Judging Contest April 23 with a team of four consisting of Josiah Kinert, Makenna Green, Adam Day, and Katie Gingerich. The contest was held at the U of I beef farm. The students judged four placing classes, three keep and cull classes, and one grading of beef steers class. They judged beef cattle, sheep, swine, and meat goats. One hundred three teams and 458 individuals competed with the local team placing 21st in the state. Green, Day and Gingerich each earned “A” ratings, and Kinert earned a “C” rating.
Pictured are ALAH FFA members who competed at the State Livestock CDE held at the University of Illinois. From L to R Josiah Kinert, Katie Gingerich, Makenna Green, and Adam Day.
ALAH FFA Member Competes in First Ever FFA Dairy Handlers CDE
Photo furnished
ALAH FFA Member Competes in First Ever FFA Dairy Handlers CDE
Katie Gingerich of the Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond FFA chapter attended the State Dairy Handlers Contest April 8 at Kaskaskia College in Centralia. She and the other 11 contestants led their cows in the ring while the contestants in the State Dairy Judging Contest judged the cows. Gingerich, leading a Holstein cow and a Brown Swiss cow, was judged based on her appearance, calmness, ability to handle the animal, and how well she was able to set up her animals. She received a score of 89 out of 100.
Pictured is ALAH FFA member Katie Gingerich leading a Brown Swiss cow in the FFA State Dairy Handlers CDE.
SES Monster Mash
Photo furnished
SES Monster Mash
The Monster Mash took place October 26 at Sullivan Elementary School. Students pictured from left to right: Zoey Stovall (3rd Grade), Addison Brush (3rd Grade), Jazzlynn Coe (3rd Grade), Ann Camren (4th Grade)
Talent Management Pipeline Program Fills Skill Gap
Photo furnished
Culvert Replacement
Sullivan Township Road Commissioner Elmo Weaver explained Moultrie County Road 1100N, south and east of Kirksville will need to be closed a couple days when weather permits. Then this drainage improving 50 foot long, six foot tall culvert can be installed. Above Township operator Rich Rutledge puts pressure on end loader tires as he unloads the five ton culvert, which was trucked from Kirksville, Missouri to Kirksville, IL.
•May 11, 2016•
By Ariana Cherry
For the News Progress
Those attending the No Job Left Behind May 3 session at Yoder’s Kitchen in Arthur learned the value of the Talent Management Pipeline.
Guest speakers Vicky Haugen, Executive Director and Kim Kuchenbrod, Workforce Development of Vermillion Advantage presented the Talent Management Pipeline Program.
Several businesses were in attendance: Hydro-Gear, Agri-Fab, GSI, IHI Turbo, Moultrie County Counseling Center, MasterBrand Cabinets, U of I Extension, several school officials and business teachers, Arthur Tourism and the City of Arcola.
The Talent Management Pipeline Program was put into movement in 2014 to help an American economy facing threats with a skill gap that is hindering growth and competitiveness of companies. A growing number of students are finding trouble managing their transition to employment and business. In a troubling economy, there are businesses who are in need of new workers with fresh talent. Read More
Street Closings Accompany Square Improvements
Photo by Mike Brothers
New curbs, gutters and ADA approved sidewalks in Sullivan are nearing completion by Walker Construction of Mattoon. Work has begun milling pavement around the square with motorists dealing with street closings and detours for awhile.
Time and Patience Required
•May 4, 2016•
By Mike Brothers
The good news is the streets and sidewalks around the Sullivan square will look great when finished.
And the bad news has already hit some of the businesses around the square.
Starting Wednesday, May 4 the north and west sides of the square are closed.
On Thursday, May 5 the east and south sides of the square are being closed for more extensive construction.
As the city’s complete resurfacing project continues, side street closings started May 3 and extend through Thursday, May 5. Read More
Okay Valley Prom 2016
Photo courtesy Jeni Yantis
Okaw Valley Prom
Race Underwood and Samantha Degenhardt were crowned as the 2016 Okaw Valley High School Prom King and Queen Saturday, April 30 at the Mt. Zion Park Foundation Community Center. Front from left - Crown bearer Maggie Patient, 2016 queen Samantha Degenhardt, 2016 king Race Underwood and crown bearer Thiago Coney. Back row- Junior class president Brianna Creviston, candidates Hannah Dicken, Brandon Poper, Charli Uhlrich, Nic Brown, Nicole Miller and Justin Johnson.