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Bethany Tournament Winners
“Iron” Mike Bryant and Josh “The Hitman” O’Brien were co-winners of the American Legion Post 507 Poker Tournament held Feb 20. Bryant and O’Brien bested a field of 58 players to bring home the victory!
•March 2, 2016•
Sullivan IGA and Agri-Fab are joining forces to help raise funds for the CEFS Food Pantry through March 12.
“When we found out Agri-Fab was planning a food pantry drive from Cindy, one of our cashiers, it just made sense to see if we could work together,” IGA manager Pat Stinson said of the new approach to helping the CEFS Food Pantry in Sullivan.
From March 6-12 the Sullivan grocer will give people a chance to round up their grocery bill to the next dollar. That amount will be donated toward purchasing food for the pantry.
Agri-Fab volunteers will be on the Sullivan IGA parking lot from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, March 12.
In addition to their own collection efforts among employees, Agri -Fab will provide reusable food bags for individuals to fill and donate to the food pantry. Read More
Photo by Mike Brothers
Who reached 21 first? C.J. Walker (right) actually turned 21 February 14, before great-grandfather Tom Florey turns 21 on February 29.
Finally Turns Twenty one
•February 24, 2016•
By Mike Brothers
Thomas Addison Florey is a Leap Year child, and February 29, 2016 is his 21st birthday.
That’s correct; the Bethany native was born February 29, 1932, and he is technically not old enough to drink.
Still living in Bethany and driving around in his recently purchased Chrysler Town and Country Caravan, Tom will be joined by his family 2-4 p.m. Sunday, February 28 for an open house at the Bethany Firehouse.
“You know I don’t get too excited about it anymore,” the soon to be 84 year old Florey said.
He explained his middle name Addison was shared by his father and grandfather.
“When I was a kid, my family always celebrated my birthday on March 1,” he said, recalling his great-aunt who lived in Flora was also a Leap Year child.
Florey said when he met Darlene Dick and they were married June 17, 1951, friends and family kidded her about robbing the cradle.
“Shoot, I didn’t turn four years old until February 1952,” he said with a laugh. Read More
Photo by Mike Brothers
SHS Senior Night
Held between the junior varsity and varsity basketball games on February 19, seniors from the SHS pep band, cheerleading squad, basketball team and their parents lined the gymnasium end to end. Prior to the senior recognition Ty Molzen (second from right) was recognized for scoring 1000 points by head coach Chester Reeder.
•February 24, 2016•
Mid Illinois Senior Services representatives Alicia Moyer and Director Deb Groendal enjoyed a record crowd at the Valentine’s Day Poetry Contest held at Courtyard Estates. They were incorrectly identified as CEFS representatives in a page 8 photograph of the February 17 News Progress. Our apologies for the error.
•February 24, 2016•
By Ariana Cherry
For the News Progress
Sullivan’s city website has a couple new apps which are available to residents.
One, a citizen problem reporter, allows citizens to report animal, park or utility problems from their computer or cell phone. They may sign in via Twitter or Facebook.
Green Hill Cemetery also has its own app. Currently it shows about 9,000 different spaces not including the old part of the cemetery. Users may click on different plots to see who is buried in a particular space or if it is available for sale. It also presents details such as who is cremated or is a veteran. Plots may be searched by location number or name.
The city of Sullivan is looking to purchase new time clocks for all of their employees. One package plan they are looking into has a $2,600 one time set up fee plus the purchase of the software.
The city may have the company host it on their site which would cost $3 per employee or Sullivan may host it themselves.
The council is also planning to get quotes for computer login software. Clerk Monte Johnson informed the council that there were three commonly used time keeping systems- pin numbers, card swipes and thumb prints. Employees may login remotely or onto a computer at their job site. Council members discussed the positives and negatives of both logging in remotely and on a nearby computer. Read More
Ray Reed at 23
•February 24, 2016•
Ray Reed of Sullivan is a Leap Year child, and this Monday, February 29, Ray will turn 23 years old.
“Or 92 if you’re counting,” Ray quipped. “You know I have done just about everything there is to do in life.”
He started reeling off some of the things he has done.
“I’ve sold about everything a person can sell from cars and real estate to appliances and paint.”
At one point Reed rebuilt carburetors and generators at the local auto dealership in Shelbyville. “You know cars don’t even have carburetors and generators any more,” he said of the changing times.
He spent 21 years working as an electrician for the railroad, but not before he got a serious lesson about electricity.
“I got hold of a saw with a short in it and grabbed a steel bar,” Ray recalled of his first experience.
“It almost killed me so I decided I better learn how to deal with this stuff.”
He even spent a few years as a television repair man, making house calls with a bag full of replacement tubes. Read More
New Health Courses from Lake Land Community College offered
•February 24, 2016•
By Ariana Cherry
For the News Progress
All funds are in the black, but the transportation fund is a concern, Superintendent Kenny Schwengel told board members at the last Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond meeting.
“We spend about $80,000 a month. I think we will at least get one more mandated payment. We have only received one so far,” informed Schwengel.
“In order to cover the transportation fund, we may have to transfer money from the education fund,” he added. It was also noted that the Douglas County sales tax is coming in at what the district expected, as well as Piatt County. Last October, the district received $60,000.
ALAH junior and senior students interested in health occupations will have a chance to take courses offered by Lake Land College at Sarah Bush Lincoln. They will earn high school and college credit. Students would attend every day by choosing a morning or afternoon session. They would complete their regular courses at school and then provide their own transportation to Sarah Bush for the health occupational classes. Read More
Photo by Mike Brothers
Leaky Chimney Comes Down
Masons Masonry Restoration workers cut through the cap on the abandoned courthouse chimney which had recently allowed water into the state’s attorney’s office. Short order was made of the removal during some of the coldest and windiest days of the year. Cost to the county was not to exceed $18,500.
Photo by Mike Brothers
Best Moultrie County Spellers: front from left: Zach Kursell, Alternate Brett Johnson, Carson Gillis, Sophie Floyd; second row: Natalie Lambdin, County Champion Reagan Crouse, Josie Hale, Aastha Patel; back row: Kenli Nettles, Robby LeCates and Alyssa Thompson.
•February 17, 2016•
Xenophobic was the word Reagan Crouse spelled correctly to win the Moultrie County Spelling Bee February 10.
Crouse edged fellow Sullivan seventh grader Brett Johnson after his attempt at “Guttural”. Johnson is alternate when Crouse competes in the Regional Bee March 19 in Decatur.
The County Spelling Bee was held at the Little Theatre in Sullivan, with 4-8 grade students from Lovington and Sullivan schools competing, after each had proven themselves the best spellers at their respective schools.
Sullivan schools Nichole Hendry read and pronounced the words for each of the 12 participating students. The county bee championship was decide in the 11th round of elimination.
The first round eliminated half of the field: Tarmac -Carson Gillis of Lovington; camaraderie - Sophie Floyd of Lovington; philharmonic - Natalie Lambdin of Lovington; esoteric - Kenli Nettles of Lovington; molasses-Lara Herschberger; resilience-Robby LeCates of Lovington. Read More