Category Archives: Top Stories

75 years for Booths For Murder Attempts

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•June 24, 2020•

Alvan Booths was sentenced to 75 years with the Illinois Dept. of Corrections by Judge Hugh Finson in Moultrie County Circuit Court Tuesday.
Booths was previously convicted of two counts of attempted first degree murder and home invasion with a 15 year firearm enhancement.
State’s Attorney Tracy Weaver pointed to the great bodily harm suffered by victim Otha Phillips during the Feb. 4, 2019 home invasion, which helped Judge Finson decide on consecutive sentences for Booths.

State releases new guidelines for return to in-person education

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Schools told to prepare for return to remote learning in case of surge

•Tuesday, June 23, 2020•

(This story has been updated to include more details on yesterday's developments.)
By JERRY NOWICKI
Capitol News Illinois
jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com
 
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois released new guidelines for schools, colleges and universities to return to in-person learning in the fall, but leaders warned those plans could change if health metrics related to the COVID-19 pandemic stop improving.
 
“This fall will not be business as usual, and we will update our guidance as needed,” State Superintendent of Education Carmen Ayala said during a news conference Tuesday in Chicago. “In response to challenging and changing public health conditions, schools and districts must be prepared to return to remote learning if the virus surges again.”
 
Students and teachers will be required to wear face coverings if they are medically able, gatherings in one place will be limited to no more than 50 people and schools must adhere to stricter cleaning and disinfecting guidelines as well as conduct regular symptom checks.
 
Gov. JB Pritzker said at the news conference every district must develop its own plan based on those guidelines. Ayala added districts and individual schools will soon send additional information to parents and students.
 
Pritzker said the Illinois Emergency Management Agency will provide public K-12 districts in Illinois with 2.5 million cloth face masks, allowing schools to provide one to all students and staff.
 
Universities and community colleges will have similar guidelines for a fall reopening, including social distancing and physical spacing requirements, hand sanitizing stations, face covering requirements and symptom monitoring. Schools are also developing policies around traffic flow, cleaning of public spaces and staggered schedules for the use of laboratories, auditoriums and other group facilities, according to guidelines.
 
At this time, the governor’s office said, colleges expect dormitories, cafeterias, libraries, bookstores and other amenities to be available to students provided they meet approved guidelines.
 
If someone in a school tests positive, those who were in close contact with them — that is, within six feet for 15 to 30 minutes without a face covering, according to Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health — would be expected to quarantine for 14 days.
 
Pritzker said local and county health departments will play a major role in deciding a path forward when such a positive test occurs.
 
Pritzker first ordered all public and private schools, including colleges and universities, to close for in-person instruction on March 13 and on June 4, schools were allowed to offer limited in-person instruction and summer school programs as part of Phase 3 of the reopening plan.
 
Ezike said the reopening being allowed this fall is the result of significant declines in new cases, deaths and hospitalizations since the peak of the pandemic in Illinois.
 
Those declines, she said, are the result of the vast majority of Illinoisans following basic safety guidelines that include frequent hand-washing, wearing face coverings when in public and practicing social distancing.
 
The fact that the state reports about 20,000 to 30,000 test results daily helps as well, she said. Nearly 1.4 million tests were completed in Illinois since the pandemic began, including 20,507 over the previous 24 hours.
 
Those yielded 601 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 — a 2.9 percent positivity rate. There were another 38 virus-related deaths over the previous 24 hours, bringing the statewide totals to 137,825 cases and 6,707 deaths. Ezike said the state has had five consecutive weeks of declining new cases and fatalities, and the statewide positivity rate from June 16-22 is 2 percent.
 
As of midnight Monday, there were 1,648 patients hospitalized for the disease including 424 in intensive care units, 236 of whom were on ventilators. While those all represent sharp declines from the peak of the pandemic in April and May, the total hospital beds in use increased by 20 from the previous day, and the total intensive care unit beds increased by five from the previous day while ventilators used continued to decline.
 
In advance of schools reopening, Ezike strongly encouraged parents and guardians to make sure their children are up to date on their vaccinations and that all Illinoisans get caught up on basic wellness procedures, including cancer screenings. She noted there have been steep declines in those procedures since the pandemic began.
 
“We need to make sure that the kids get checked out by their providers and get their life-saving immunizations,” she said. “Yes, there could be another surge of COVID-19 in the fall or perhaps earlier, but let's make sure we take this opportunity now to get to our doctors, let's get our immunizations, let's get our health screenings, let's get as healthy as we can. Your baseline health status affects how you fare against this virus.”
 
Pritzker also said the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES, Act, provided $510 million in relief directly to school districts to address local needs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
“Dr. Ayala and I are encouraging all districts to use this funding to close the digital divide by providing devices and internet connectivity and are directing the majority of the remaining funding to purchasing laptops, tablets, virtual coaching for new teachers and internet connectivity to advance a vision of equity for our schools and keep our kids on track for success,” the governor said.
 
Pritzker’s office said the Illinois State Board of Education will use another $54.1 million in CARES act funding to provide funding to schools in six categories: laptops and tablets, internet connectivity, virtual coaching for teachers, professional development, and support for entities that cannot receive direct funds.
 
Peter Hancock contributed to this report
 
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

County Board Rejects Car Lot, Kennels and Chicago

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•June 17, 2020•
By Mike Brothers

A car lot across from the 4-H Center on Jonathan Creek Rd. attracted a number of neighbors to the Thursday, June 11, Moultrie County Board meeting.
Roger Tice represented the group and presented a 100-name petition asking the county board to deny the request by Janusz Toczydlowski to rezone 1404 Jonathan Creek from AG-1 to C-2 for a car lot.
Planning and zoning committee chairman Todd Maxedon explained the committee recommendation was to deny the rezoning request by Mr. Toczydlowski. The county board rejected the rezone request.
Two special use permits for dog kennels also ran into rejections from the county board.
For the past few years Special Use Permits for dog kennels have passed the county board routinely.
Planning and Zoning director Karen Cody explained the two requests before the board received some negative responses when she notified neighbors of the requests for kennel permits. Read More

Moultrie County Adds 15th Positive COVID-19 Case

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•June 15, 2020•
The Moultrie County Health Department (MCHD) has confirmed the 15th case of the novel coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) in Moultrie County. The patient is a male in his 50s and is recovering at home in isolation. Public health officials are contacting all close contacts.
To date 577 Moultrie County residents have been tested for COVID-19. Of those tests, 15 have been confirmed positive for COVID-19. Of the 15 Moultrie County citizens affected by this virus, 12 have been released from isolation.
Symptoms associated with COVID-19 include: Fever, Fatigue, Dry cough, Chills, Body aches, Headache, Sore throat, Loss of smell or taste.
Individuals should immediately seek medical attention if they experience difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, confusion, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, or a bluish color in the lips or face.
If an individual is ill with symptoms associated with coronavirus and needs medical or emergency care, they should notify their physician or emergency medical service providers of their symptoms prior to arrival.
For more information on the Moultrie County Health Department’s news, events and services, please visit www.moultriehealth.org and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/moultriecountyhealth.

Jibby’s is Coming Down

News Progress Posted on by

•June 10, 2020•
By Fred MacMurray
for the News Progress

Jibby’s Restaurant was the place to go in Sullivan, but that was long ago.
Now the famous building on Main Street where you could have a peppercorn steak and rub elbows with the stars playing at the Little Theatre on the Square has seen better days.
Vacant and deteriorating since Doug Wilson tried to revive the popular gathering place, Sullivan was faced with a future expensive demolition problem outside city hall’s back door. Read More

County Graduates Receive Captured Moments

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Photo by Mike Brothers
The Moultrie County Historical and Genealogical Society officer Paul Stone presents Sullivan High School Principal Dan Allen with one of more than 200 Captured Moments donated to all Class of 2020 graduates in the county. The pictorial coffee table book covers 175 years of Moultrie County history.

•June 3, 2020•
By Mike Brothers

Moultrie County graduates received a special gift this year - 175 years of county history.
Captured Moments, the pictorial history of Moultrie County 1843-2018, was given to some 225 graduating seniors from Arthur Lovington Atwood Hammond, Sullivan and Okaw Valley high schools.
Moultrie County Historical and Genealogy Society representative Paul Stone explained the pictorial history can give the graduates some insight into the county’s history.
Stone noted that the early settlers faced obstacles and, as the county grew, the people faced physical and health challenges which may help put the current pandemic in perspective. Read More

MCHD Confirms 12th Positive COVID-19 Case

News Progress Posted on by

•June 3, 2020•

SULLIVAN, IL, June 3, 2020 – The Moultrie County Health Department (MCHD) has confirmed the 12th case of the novel coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) in Moultrie County. The patient is a male in his 40s and is recovering at home in isolation. Public health officials are contacting all close contacts.

To date, 429 Moultrie County residents have been tested for COVID-19. Of those tests, 12 have been confirmed positive for COVID-19.

As public organizations and businesses reopen, it is important that everyone continues to use precautions to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19 infection.

To help contain the spread of COVID-19, the MCHD recommends that individuals:

  • Wash their hands routinely
  • Bypass nonessential trips into the public
  • Keep children at home
  • Maintain a physical distance of six feet from others
  • Wear a mask in public when physical distancing is not possible.

Symptoms associated with COVID-19 include fever, fatigue, a dry cough, chills, body aches, headache, sore throat and loss of smell or taste. Individuals should immediately seek medical attention if they experience difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, confusion, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, or a bluish color in the lips or face.

If an individual is ill with symptoms associated with coronavirus and needs medical or emergency care, they should notify their physician or emergency medical service providers of their symptoms prior to arrival.

For more information on the Moultrie County Health Department’s news, events and services, please visit www.moultriehealth.org and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/moultriecountyhealth

SHS Graduates Challenged to Make Bitter Ending a Sweet Beginning

News Progress Posted on by

Photo furnished
SHS seniors can look back on the 2019-20 school year and still recall a time when it was okay to get together as a group. That all changed in March, but this class is looking forward to a better tomorrow.

•May 27, 2020•

Sullivan High School Class of 2020 made history as the first class commencement under stay-at-home restrictions.
On Sunday May 17 those graduates got an opportunity to walk across the stage as their names were announced to receive their diploma.
High School principal Dan Allen explained that during the afternoon, seniors participated in a car parade with the audio of the ceremony playing on WTIM (107.7).
The broadcast started with the playing of “Pomp and Circumstance,” then included announcements of students who were Eagle Scouts, students who were joining the military, and the academic top ten. Those students included co-salutatorians Seth Mayberry and Shyanne Hunter and valedictorian, Adalee Nichols, with their speeches aired during the parade. Read More

Moultrie County Has 11 Positive COVID-19 Cases

News Progress Posted on by

•May 23, 2020•

SULLIVAN, IL, May 23, 2020 – The Moultrie County Health Department (MCHD) has confirmed the eleventh case of the novel coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) in Moultrie County. The patient is a male in his 60s and is recovering at home in isolation. Public health officials are contacting all close contacts.

To date, 307 Moultrie County residents have been tested for COVID-19. Of those tests, 11 have been confirmed positive for COVID-19.

As public organizations and businesses reopen, it is imperative that everyone use precautions to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19 infection.

To help contain the spread of COVID-19, individuals should routinely wash their hands, keep a physical distance of six feet from others and avoid large gatherings. The MCHD also recommends bypassing nonessential trips into the public, keeping children at home and wearing a mask in public when social distancing is not possible.

Symptoms associated with COVID-19 include fever, fatigue, a dry cough, repeated shaking with chills, body aches, headache, sore throat and loss of smell or taste. Individuals should immediately seek medical attention if experiencing difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, confusion, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, or a bluish color in the lips or face.

If an individual is ill with symptoms associated with coronavirus and needs medical or emergency care, they should notify their physician or emergency medical service providers of their symptoms prior to arrival.

For more information on the Moultrie County Health Department’s news, events and services, please visit www.moultriehealth.org and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/moultriecountyhealth.

 

Moultrie County Health Department Announces Confirmed 10th COVID-19 Case

News Progress Posted on by

•May 22, 2020•
SULLIVAN, IL, May 22, 2020 – The Moultrie County Health Department (MCHD) has confirmed the tenth case of the novel coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) in Moultrie County. The patient is a female in her 50s and is recovering at home in isolation. Public health officials are contacting and verifying all close contacts. To date, 297 Moultrie County residents have been tested for COVID-19. Of those tests, 10 have been confirmed positive for COVID-19.
To reduce the risk of infection and help contain the spread of COVID-19, everyone should use effective hand washing, keep a physical distance of six feet from others, avoid large gatherings and keep children at home. The MCHD also recommends bypassing nonessential trips into the public and wearing a mask in public when social distancing is not possible. Symptoms associated with COVID-19 include fever, fatigue, a dry cough, repeated shaking with chills, body aches, headache, sore throat and loss of smell or taste. Individuals should immediately seek medical attention if experiencing difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, confusion, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, or a bluish color in the lips or face. If an individual is ill with symptoms associated with coronavirus and needs medical or emergency care, they should notify their physician or emergency medical service providers of their symptoms prior to arrival. For more information on the Moultrie County Health Department’s news, events and services, please visit www.moultriehealth.org and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/moultriecountyhealth.
Contact: Glenda Plunkett
Public Health Services Coordinator
Glenda@moultriehealth.org
217.728.4114