Submitted
Team Quest Places Second
Windsor High School’s Team Quest team recently traveled to Mt. Vernon and placed second in regionals. They advance to the finals in April, which will be held in Chester. Pictured (L to R): Katie Greuel, Uriah Jones, Kristen Morlen, and Melanie Adams.
Submitted
Windsor High School Student of February
Senior Alexandria Bridges, daughter of Jeff and Amy Bridges, has been named February Student of the Month at Windsor High School. Bridges is involved in volleyball, student council, yearbook, National Honor Society, WYSE, physics club, health occ., and is an FFA officer. Bridges plans to attend Lake Land College and then transfer to Parkland College for radiology.
Submitted
All-Conference Scholastic Bowl
Uriah Jones, (left) a senior from Windsor High School and Sterling Howard, (right) a sophomore, both received a trophy for making scholastic bowl second team all conference. Uriah competed on the varsity team and Sterling on the fresh-soph team. They were among the top 10 scorers of the NTC conference for the scholastic bowl season.
Photo by Keith Stewart
Biking About Bullying
Pro-BMX biker Matt Wilhelm visited Arthur Grade School and Atwood-Hammond Grade School on Thursday, February 12. Wilhelm, known as the world’s fastest spinner on a bike, spoke to the assemblies about his career, hard work and first-hand experience with bullying. Wilhelm has appeared in the semifinals of America’s Got Talent, won 30 Seconds to Fame, and was featured with President Obama in “Stop Bullying: Speak Up” on Cartoon Network. Wilhelm is a Chicago native and Millikin graduate.
Submitted
Wheeler’s 33 Years Recognized
The Moultrie County Merit Commission presented member Jim Wheeler a plaque of appreciation for his 33 years of service to Moultrie County as a member of the Moultrie County Merit Commission. Pictured, from left to right: Former Sheriff Jeff Thomas, Jim Wheeler, Sheriff Chris Sims, former Sheriff Rieck Kendall. Wheeler’s last day as a member of the commission was December 1. Thomas was selected by the county board to replace him.
Submitted
2014 Rotary Vocational Award
Kurt VanDeursen, owner of VanDeursen’s Ace Hardware in Sullivan (right), was recently named the 2014 Rotary Vocational Award recipient. To his left is Jack Peterson, president of Sullivan Rotary.
Submitted by Jason Brown
Bethany Legion Poker Tournament Winner
Phil Bryant, of Sullivan, (pictured) won the American Legion 507 Poker Tournament in Bethany, Saturday, Jan. 24. With the proceeds from the tournament, the American Legion 507 awards an academic scholarship each year for an Okaw Valley High School graduate.
Submitted
NTC Scholar Athletes
Each year the National Trail Conference gives out a $1000 scholarship to both a male and female scholar athlete. This year Uriah Jones and Melanie Adams were chosen to represent Windsor High School. Jones was awarded the $1000 scholarship.
Submitted
Windsor FFA Attends 212º Leadership Conference
More than 680 students and 140 teachers from across Illinois attended the 212º Leadership Conference. The conference is an activity of the National FFA Organization, coordinated by the Illinois FFA Center, sponsored by Syngenta and Crop Production Services as a special project of the National FFA Foundation. Travis Fox, Gillian Sanders, Kaitlyn McCoy, Whitney Pepperdine, and Skyler Darby, members of the Windsor FFA Chapter attended the conference January 30-31.
The two-day program helps FFA members become aware of the four categories of growth while discovering the importance of pursuing lifelong growth. FFA members attended sessions on discovering how habits affect growth, determining the difference between personal and professional relationships and identifying personal mentors and coaches. The agriculture education teachers participated in professional development workshops.
The National FFA Organization coordinates 212º Leadership Conferences nationally with the sponsorship of Syngenta. CPS supports the programs taking place in Illinois. This school year more than 3,000 students across the nation will participate in a 212º Leadership Conference.
Pictured from left to right: Renee Kinzinger - Illinois State FFA Secretary, Gillian Sanders, Kaitlyn McCoy, Skyler Darby, Whitney Pepperdine, and Travis Fox
Photo by RR Best
Dive Team Rescue at Mason Point
The Moultrie County Dive Team helped rescue a 12-year-old boy last Thursday evening after his kayak became stuck in a pond at Mason Point. According to dive team commander Clay Brush, the boy was kayaking, but the pond began to refreeze around him. The boy grew afraid that his kayak would capsize should it suddenly find itself on top of the ice. The call for help came in at 6:07 p.m. Thursday with the first responding agency on scene five minutes later. The scene was then cleared at 7:05 p.m. Brush added that the boy was wearing gloves and a hat, but that his hands had become wet. The dive team upon arrival supplied the boy with warm gloves, a new hat, and life jacket. Once divers were properly equipped, the team pulled the boy and his kayak ashore. According to the Sullivan fire department, the boy did undergo a medical evaluation but was released to his mother without further treatment. Mason Point administrator Darin Wall says that Mason Point has two ponds and that signage is posted around each stating that it is private property. Wall added that the boy was stuck in the pond located behind the two-story brick house and that the boy was stuck in an area of the pond estimated to be 2-3 feet deep.