Photo by R.R. Best
At the senior walk before Sullivan High School graduation Sunday students displayed their art work. Left to right: Bryce Hubbard, Tate Fultz, Andrew Matlock, Alyssa Dingman and Sky Cooley.

•May 23, 2018•

Three words expressed the feelings of 81 Sullivan High School seniors during commencement exercises held in the gymnasium at 2:30 p.m.  Sunday, May 20.

Class president Winchester Phelps reminded classmates that the dumbest ideas make the best memories and that with the help of school and family: “We did it!”

Salutatorian Trevor Elder said starting high school was like random pieces of a puzzle and that each year those pieces started to fit into a plan for the future. “You may fall down, you will make mistakes,” Elder said. “Pick yourself up and move forward.”

Valedictorian Laine Cameron contrasted the urgency for seniors wanting to finish their last year of high school with what it took to actually get it done. Read More

154 year old Spinning Wheel Displayed

Photo by Mike Brothers
Bernadine Yoder displays the spinning wheel made by E.J Miller in 1864 and found in the attic of the Moses Yoder home. The oldest home in the Amish community is on display at the Illinois Amish Heritage Center near Arthur. Inset photo shows spinning wheel parts that will also be on display June 2.

•May 9, 2018•

By Shag Wooley
for the News Progress

As the spinning wheel turns the history of Illinois Amish Heritage is revealed in a Sheep to Clothing event Saturday, June 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There is no charge for the event, but donations will be accepted at the Illinois Amish Heritage Center on Route 133, east of Arthur.

The fascinating process behind spinning wool fibers into thread will be demonstrated live that day as the Amish family histories revealed in the patchwork of the quilts.

A spinning wheel made by E.J. Miller in 1864, traveled from Somerset Co., Pa. with the founding three families of the Amish settlement in the Arthur area.

It was recovered from the attic of he Moses Yoder home and will be on display during the Sheep to Clothing event.

That spinning wheel spent many years in the attic of the oldest home in the community, the Moses Yoder home, and will be on display.

“It’s a wonder it’s together at all,” Ervin Yoder, grandson of Moses said. “When we were kids, we used to play with it all the time.”

Ervin’s father Abraham was one of nine children in the Moses Yoder family and his wife Bernadine has joined Wilmer Otto, Brian Karrick, Troye Kauffman, Beth Elgelbrecht Wiggans, Karen Miller, Myrna Madigan, Merle Gingerich and Marie Kuhns to make the spinning event possible at the Illinois Amish Heritage Center. Read More

•April 25, 2018•

Jalon Warren, 18, of Sullivan was released from Moultrie County jail after his bond from $100,000 to $40,000 in circuit court Thursday, April 19.

Honorable Judge Hugh Finson reduced the bond which allowed the family to post $4000 for his release that afternoon.

Charged with making a terrorist threat at Sullivan High School on March 23, Warren appeared with attorney Phillip Tibbs, who asked the court to release the defendant on recognizant bond, called two witnesses and submitting letters from teachers on Warren’s behalf. Read More

Photo by Mike Brothers
New Moultrie County Circuit Clerk Beth Pruitt, County Democrat Central Committee Chairman Stuart Wade and outgoing Circuit Clerk Cindy Braden following the county central committee selection of Braden’s replacement last Friday. Following county board approval Pruitt takes office May 1.

•April 11, 2018•

by Mike Brothers
for the News Progress.

Mary Beth Pruitt moved across the courtroom as she accepted appointment as Moultrie County Circuit Clerk on Friday.

The Democrat Central Committee, selected Pruitt to replace outgoing Circuit Clerk Cindy Braden.

Braden begins her new position May 1 as court operations analyst with the Court Services Division of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Court in Springfield.

Pruitt of Sullivan is a court reporter and has spent her career keeping track of the verbatim records of the courts; now she moves across the courtroom to handle the public side of court record keeping.  Read More

•March 28, 2018•

By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

The release of longtime football and basketball head coach Dale Schuring from coaching brought an expressive crowd to the Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond District School Board meeting.

Close to 100 attended the meeting with former and current high school students, parents and teachers in the crowd. They all came together to speak on behalf of Coach Dale Schuring.

Coach Schuring began coaching basketball and football at Arthur High School in 2003. He had 11 winning seasons. Schuring also went on to win five Little Okaw Valley Conference regular season titles, LOVC Northwest Division titles and four LOVC tournament titles. He also led the ALAH Knights to four class 1A regional championships and two Sweet Sixteen appearances in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. Read More