•August 17, 2022•
Moultrie County, along with counties and municipalities all over the country, is a recipient of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. Moultrie County to date has received approximately $2.8 million from the US Treasury. The Moultrie County board assembled a bi-partisan ad hoc committee made up of members representing the villages and towns around the county. Read More
Category Archives: News Section
County Board Approves Fencing and Concrete Repairs
•August 17, 2022•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer
The Moultrie County Board met on Thursday, August 11, and approved two motions in regard to fencing around courthouse electric service and concrete repairs. Chairman Billy Voyles reported there are electric panels open around the outside of the courthouse, and they want to protect any children who may be playing on the lawn at any point. A chain link fence will be installed. The approved motion was for $3,400 for fencing around the electric service.
The second motion approved was $13,450 in concrete repairs. Voyles said there are substantial repairs that need to be made to concrete outside the courthouse. Discussed but not on the agenda was the possibility of purchasing generators for the courthouse and animal control.
Rick Matthews, head of maintenance, told Voyles that Bob Lane offered to donate his time to install the generator at animal control. They were told they could apply for ARPA funds to pay for these generators. Read More
Baby Talk Car Seat Safety Checks
Photo by Crystal Reed
Baby Talk Car Seat Safety Checks
Katrina Farris, Director of Early Childhood for Mattoon School District, speaks with Abby Elzy during a car seat safety check held in the parking lot of the First United Methodist Church last week in Sullivan. Farris and other Baby Talk representatives as well as a representative from the Moultrie County Health Department checked the installation of car seats and also had informational pamphlets regarding seat belts, booster seats and rear facing seats.
Photo by Crystal Reed
Cardboard Box Night
Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library and Moultrie County Baby Talk hosted Cardboard Box Night at the library on Tuesday, August 9. Pictured are Jack and Lisa Bertetto creating a fire breathing dragon using cardboard boxes.
Frog Music at ETML
Photo by Crystal Reed
Frog Music at ETML
Brock Rowland, Program Specialist at Macon County Conservation District, presented a program on frogs at the Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library on Friday, August 5. Participants listened to what different frogs sound like, learned about different types of frogs and were able to see some up close.
Photo by Crystal Reed
Newspaper Kites
Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library had a week of activities for children in kindergarten-5th grades from Monday, August 1 to Friday, August 5. On Monday children made their own bird houses, Tuesday was stamp making, Wednesday was shrinky dinks, Thursday was newspaper kites and Friday, the Rock Springs Nature Center presented “Frog Music.” Pictured are Emmitt Herzog and Aniston Baker with the newspaper kites that they created.
MCHGS Program
•August 10, 2022•
Carolyn Stephens, Adjunct Faculty at Lake Land College, will be sharing research and stories about “The Old York Trail” at the Moultrie County History Center, 1303 S. Hamilton, Sullivan, on Thursday, August 18, at 7:00 p.m. A historian and avid researcher with experience in archaeology, she has used modern technology, early records and maps, as well as help from over 190 people and groups from Illinois and Indiana to map the exact route of this ancient, well-traveled “superhighway”. It led from York, a port on the Wabash River, into the heart of central Illinois. Migrating buffalo, Native Americans, and countless early pioneers seeking new homes in the virgin forests and prairies of Illinois used the Old York Trail. Many believe that the Thomas Lincoln family followed it during their migration into Illinois from Indiana in 1880 before joining the Charleston Road through Moultrie County. Carolyn’s research about the York Trail was made possible by a significant grant for community college faculty awarded to her. She is looking forward to sharing what she has learned with the Moultrie County Historical and Genealogical Society. The public is invited to attend.
Free Workshop Series
•August 10, 2022•
Professional caregivers in long-term care environments face unique challenges which may impact their personal health and wellbeing. A workshop series, Learn. Think. Care., offered by University of Illinois Extension, helps caregivers build personal resiliency, knowledge, and strategies for meeting the needs of clients in long-term care environments.
“Professionals that work with older adults often have trouble accessing convenient continuing education opportunities,” says Karla Belzer, Illinois Extension family life educator.” The series is designed for professionals to join the session online, during their work day, eliminating the barriers of time and travel that often impair participation in continuing education.”
Three free one-hour workshops will be held online beginning at 2 p.m. on Sept. 8. Register at go.illinois.edu/LTCwebinars at least one week prior to each workshop to receive all access information. CEUs and CPDUs are available for a fee. Read More
Council Approves Pay Estimates
•August 10, 2022•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer
The City Council recently approved three pay estimates for the water treatment plant project. The estimate was in the amount of $190,731.50 to Grunloh Construction; the second for $421,021.00 to Grunloh Construction and the third was to Grunloh Building in the amount of $143,888.22. These were all unanimously approved with Commissioner Chuck Woodworth being absent. Read More
Lovington Native Part of Team Awarded Pulitzer Prize
•August 10, 2022•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer
David Kidwell, formerly of Lovington, was recently part of a team from the Better Government Association which won a Pulitzer Prize for its investigative stories with the Chicago Tribune that exposed the failure of Chicago city officials to keep tenants safe from deadly fires in dangerous residential buildings. Kidwell grew up in Lovington, graduated from Lovington High School and had a summer internship with the News Progress while he was attending college at Eastern Illinois University. He said working at the News Progress was his first real taste of reality of real-world journalism and that he enjoyed every second of it. Read More
Sullivan Fire Department Visits Park Rec
Photo by Crystal Reed
Sullivan Fire Department Visits Park Rec
The Sullivan Fire Department visited Park Rec at Wyman Park on Thursday, July 28. The department did a cookout for participants and then sprayed water from the ladder truck so the children could play in the water.
SOV Lift-a-Thon Fundraiser
Photo by Crystal Reed
SOV Lift-a-Thon Fundraiser
SOV football athletes competed in the annual Lift-a-Thon on Friday, July 29 at Second Chance Gym.