Category Archives: News Section

Village of Lovington Approves Fireworks Plan

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•February 17, 2016•

The village of Lovington January board action included approval for the village to spend $6000 toward July 3 fireworks.

This motion was approved following discussion to include Jake Kamm, representative of the fireworks company, was requested by trustees Dennis Garmon and April Daily to be on the agenda.

Village president Jim Minor said discussions with Shelly Martina and trustee Pam Anklam indicated about $3500 could be raised to help fund the fireworks.

Julie Kinert appeared on behalf of the Miss Lovington Scholarship. She said the contest will be held at 7 p.m. May 19 and the village had donated $500 toward the scholarship in the past. Read More

County Board Ratifies Corrections Contract

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Das Clubhaus License Approved 

•February 17, 2016•

by Mike Brothers

Following an executive session discussion Moultrie County Board members ratified a three year contract with county corrections officers.

Included in provisions for the new agreement was a three percent salary increase over the contract period.

An additional provision was if a corrections employee left county employment before one year of service, 100 percent of the training cost would be reimbursed the county. If the employee leaves before two years, they will be responsible for half their training cost.

The county board approved a Class B liquor license that allows Don Frevert  to open Das Clubhaus at the Sullivan Country Club.

Action was taken during the February 11 county board meeting to approve the license following recommendation of the Liquor Commission. Chairman Dave McCabe noted that Frevert is from Sullivan and is planning to reopen the clubhouse at the country club in April. Read More

Snow Goes

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Snow Goes City of Sullivan Street Department crews scoop the piles of snow left over following the Valentine’s Day weekend accumulation.

Photo by Mike Brothers
City of Sullivan Street Department crews scoop the piles of snow left over following the Valentine’s Day weekend accumulation.

General Primary Election Initiates New Voting System for County

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Ballots available online

•February 17, 2016•

By Mike Brothers

Specimen ballots for the March 15, 2016 General Primary Election are published as a special insert with the Wednesday, February 17 edition of the News Progress.

Included are both the Republican and Democratic specimen ballots along with one property sale proposition affecting the voters of Arthur.

This is the first year for the Unisyn Optical Scan and Touch Screen tabulating equipment. There will be a public test of the new system at 10 a.m. March 7 in the Elections Counting Center Room on the first floor of the Moultrie County Courthouse.

The grace period for registration and voting is February 17-March 15. With two forms of identification a voter may register, change name, or change an address at the county clerk’s office.

Voters wishing to vote by mail may obtain an application from the Moultrie County Clerk’s website http://www/moultriecountyil.com  Read More

Bethany Bar Changes Hands, Owners Seek to Revisit TIF

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•February 17, 2016•

By Derek Pope
for the News Progress

Bethany city council members have shown a renewed interest in renovating the village’s downtown buildings following a proposal by the four co-owners of Bethany’s newest business—The Publisher.

The new establishment, currently Bethany’s only operating bar, took the place of the beleaguered Hired Hand Winery and Saloon after opening up shop in the now closed business’s buildings and purchasing the liquor license originally granted to the previous owners.

Although it is a fresh start for the bar’s proprietors, Ron Martin, Mike Sweeney, Pam Barker, and Heidi Bruns, they will still have to face some of the same obstacles that the Hired Hand encountered when alcohol sales became legal in Bethany nearly four years ago.

Not the least of these challenges will be repairing the image of open alcohol serving businesses in the village, chiefly in the eyes of Bethany’s board of trustees.

Last May Bethany’s city council members soured to the idea of subsidizing tavern style businesses after a dispute with the Hired Hand’s owners led to the revocation of a $48,000 TIF (Township Investment Funding) loan to renovate the heating and cooling system of the downtown buildings that housed the business. The deal ended up costing Muzzy’s Hometown Heating and Cooling, a locally owned HVAC business originally contracted to do the work, a sizable injection of business. At the time, village officials expressed their dismay that the downtown buildings would not receive necessary repairs and that the botched deal would have various other ripple effects beyond that. Read More

Longaberger Binga at Windsor

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Photo Submitted Longaberger Binga at Windsor The Windsor class of 2017 will host a Longaberger Binga Fundraiser March 19 at Windsor High School. Doors will open at 5 p.m. with the games starting at 6p.m. Tickets are available from junior class members, by calling Lesley Baker or Shanna House at 459-2636 or at the door. All of the baskets will be filled with goodies. Refreshments, 50/50, and raffle items will also be for sale. Pictured left to right: Bailey Fleshner, Jodie Harris, Gillian Sanders and Katie Greuel

Photo Submitted
Longaberger Binga at Windsor
The Windsor class of 2017 will host a Longaberger Binga Fundraiser March 19 at Windsor High School. Doors will open at 5 p.m. with the games starting at 6p.m. Tickets are available from junior class members, by calling Lesley Baker or Shanna House at 459-2636 or at the door.
All of the baskets will be filled with goodies. Refreshments, 50/50, and raffle items will also be for sale. Pictured left to right: Bailey Fleshner, Jodie Harris, Gillian Sanders and Katie Greuel

Touch Screen Voting Comes to Moultrie

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Photo Submitted New Voting Equipment: Liberty Systems LLC partner Ken Gibson, County Clerk Georgia England and Election Deputy Jamie Helton prepared the system for operation last week.

Photo Submitted
New Voting Equipment: Liberty Systems LLC partner Ken Gibson, County Clerk Georgia England and Election Deputy Jamie Helton prepared the system for operation last week.

Storage Capacity Increased

•February 10, 2016•

Touch screen voting is coming to Moultrie County elections this spring, giving electronic or traditional as a voting option , all with updatedcentralized tabulation equipment.

County Clerk Georgia England explained election judges will learn the new system’s operations during a March 8 training session.

Ken Gibson, of Liberty Systems LLC, the vendor for the new voter tabulation system, explained the county’s equipment was 25 years old and was reaching maximum memory capacity.

The new tabulation system can hold the entire county’s tabulations on one piece of equipment.

“Plus there is the capacity for future growth,” Gibson said. Read More

Sullivan District Approves Bond Issue

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•February 10, 2016•

By Mike Brothers

Sullivan Community Unit #300 school board approved issuing $123,000 taxable obligation bonds while discussing funding options for $5 million in Life Health Safety Improvements.

Board president Steve Poland asked whether the general obligation bonds issuance was related to the current state budget crisis.

Supt. Brad Tuttle explained that Gov. Rauner’s  economic agenda calls for a property tax freeze which could affect every district’s funding ability in the state.

By issuing the $123,000 in bonds the school tax rate will be partially buffered in the event of a freeze.

The resolution to issue $123,000 in bonds at 2.5 percent interest passed unanimously

Tim King of King Financial Consultants noted that the 15 school districts he represents all are taking the same precautions as Sullivan toward the tax freeze.

King pointed out the $2.5 billion in 0 interest statewide loans for which Sullivan applied to finance the HVAC and roofing repair costs went to Cook and collar counties school districts. Read More

Individual Placement & Support Program Faces Funding Challenge

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Photo by Kennedy D Nolen Hollie Atchison, Employment Specialist; Penny Arthur, IPS Supervisor; Jeremy Nolen, Employment Specialist, are a part of the IPS program offered through the Moultrie County Counseling Center.

Photo by Kennedy D Nolen
Hollie Atchison, Employment Specialist; Penny Arthur, IPS Supervisor; Jeremy Nolen, Employment Specialist, are a part of the IPS program offered through the Moultrie County Counseling Center.

•February 10, 2016•

By Kennedy D. Nolen
For the News Progress

Individual Placement & Support (IPS) is a  program offered at the Moultrie Country Counseling Center (MCCC) since December 2013.

This non-profit program, IPS, offers services in conjunction with the Division of Rehabilitation Services.

Adults who receive counseling from the Moultrie County Counseling Center are presented with the following options through the Individual Placement & Support program: a career profile, application completions, peer support, benefits counseling, supportive counseling, interviewing skills, job search skills, job development, job retention, and schooling. These needs are adjusted to fit each of the client’s needs and personal goals. Read More

Donor Matches 3 Degree Donation

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Photo courtesy WANDTV Donor Matches 3 Degree Donation Moultrie County Food Pantry received WAND/IBEW 3 Degree Challenge donation on the air February 3. Director Kristy Dawson and Nancy Kenton from the Food Pantry are pictured along with Ron Cummings from IBEW Local 146 and Chief Meteorologist JC Fultz. “I am so excited that we were able to give back to an area that I grew up in!” the Bethany native said during the presentation. He announced the $1000 3 Degree donation had been matched by an anonymous donor to give the Food Pantry an additional $2000 to help those in Moultrie County.

Photo courtesy WANDTV
Donor Matches 3 Degree Donation
Moultrie County Food Pantry received WAND/IBEW 3 Degree Challenge donation on the air February 3. Director Kristy Dawson and Nancy Kenton from the Food Pantry are pictured along with Ron Cummings from IBEW Local 146 and Chief Meteorologist JC Fultz. “I am so excited that we were able to give back to an area that I grew up in!” the Bethany native said during the presentation. He announced the $1000 3 Degree donation had been matched by an anonymous donor to give the Food Pantry an additional $2000 to help those in Moultrie County.