•August 3, 2016•

By Ariana Cherry
For the News Progress

The city of Sullivan signed a four-year contract with the Illinois Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 51 at their most recent meeting.

The contract begins August 1, 2016 and will end July 31, 2020 and includes a 2½ percent raise, sick time which may roll over and accumulate up to 21 days and giving workers Christmas Eve and Christmas day off.

The council also voted to move forward with a bid from Johnco Construction to build a garage for the gas department for the amount of $33,000. The bid covers the construction of a basic garage with three windows, no insulation and one light bulb with a light switch. It will be for the use of storing small vehicles.

Other news that was discussed or acted upon: Read More

•July 27, 2016•

By Derek Pope
For the News Progress

Bethany’s village board gave a nod to nature enthusiasts this month by approving TIF funds to expand and improve Crowder Park’s walking trail. According to the Township Investment Fund chairman Greg McLain, the park district had envisioned alterations to the existing trail that would expand its “most visible, top portion” westward “down by the batting cages or skate park”.

While modest in scope, the cost of the project was the motivating factor for Marrowbone Park District to seek outside funding for the renovations.

The park district is itself a taxing body, levying a portion of village residents’ yearly property taxes for funding, but McLain said that the park board reported only around $16,000 in on hand money when they submitted their proposal to the TIF committee.

Although the TIF committee has been somewhat deterred from funding major projects for other taxing bodies in the past, McLain said that the relatively small cost of the proposal influenced the TIF’s final decision.

“We have helped private businesses with a lot more money than what they were asking for so the committee recommended to grant them the entire $6,840.” McLain also mentioned the village’s 2013 decision to provide a much more sizable TIF grant to Marrowbone Public Library, another taxing body in the village, as precedent for the committee’s recommendation.  Read More

Photo by Mike Brothers
Passports are available at the Sullivan Post Office. Postmaster Cindy Temple explained the forms may be completed in advance to save time in processing.

•July 27, 2016•

With national political conventions stirring things up, some folks may be looking to leave the country for a while.

Moultrie County residents have new hope in that direction, with the addition of passport services at the Sullivan Post office.

“We are glad to provide this additional service to our patrons,” Sullivan postmaster Cindy Temple said.

A year ago the Moultrie County Circuit Clerk’s office discontinued passport service, and by April 2016 Sullivan Post Office was approved by the U.S. State Department to process passport applications.

“First we went through the State Dept. approval process, then all our clerks were trained, tested and certified on the specific requirements for passport applications,” Temple explained, noting Sullivan Post Office has averaged four passport applications per week since April. Read More

•July 20, 2016•

By Cheryl Murphy
NP Columnist

If you’re a true Elvis fan, you’ll have fun. Even if you’re not, as several patrons expressed, you’ll still have fun as this is NOT a showcase for an Elvis impersonator.

True, “All Shook up” is inspired by and features the songs of Elvis Presley; it’s a jukebox musical full of 50’s and 60’s hit songs from ballads to blues to rockabilly. Some of Presley’s biggest hits are performed such as “Jailhouse Rock,” “Love Me Tender,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” and the title’s song. But you’ll find quite a diverse group, too; these come from Presley’s soundtracks and LPs that would be unfamiliar to non-Elvis fans.

Amongst all this vintage singing and dancing there is a story that has a host of characters all searching for love. It is set in the 1950’s, somewhere in the Midwest where one girl’s dream and a surprise visit from a leather-jacketed, guitar-playing, motorcyclist helps a small town discover the magic of romance and the power of Rock N Roll.

One critic commented the dialogue seems to just set up the next song, 24 in all, and it’s too much music to make it on Broadway or with the general theatre audience. I disagree; I saw a complex plot to completion with lots of amazing singing and dancing in the normal time frame. Read More

Photo by Darian Hays
Hunter Kamm returned to Lovington with a mission. He not only designed but also shot the fireworks return for Central State Fireworks during the rescheduled event July 9.

•July 13, 2016•

By Mike Brothers

Hunter Kamm’s childhood love of fireworks turned into a full time job, designing shows for Bethany, Arthur, Sullivan and Lovington this Independence celebration season.

Kamm, who works for Central States Fireworks in Athens, is in the busiest of the fireworks season.

“I always dreamed about being able to design and shoot a display,” Kamm said, noting this year he was happy to lead the new Sullivan fireworks program.

At 19, the Lovington native is an assistant pyrotechnist, which allows him to design and set displays but not shoot. Fortunately, his father Jake is lead pyrotechnist with Hunter taking care of design and set up for the Sullivan show as well as others in the area.

Last weekend Hunter brought fireworks back to his hometown of Lovington in a big way.

Gene Clark created a series of ground fireworks displays that were the hallmark of the village fireworks for years. When Clark passed away eight years ago, Hunter began the process of restoring some of those displays and was able to bring “The Chief” back for the rescheduled July 9 Lovington fireworks show.

“He had some unique ground displays over the years, and my goal is to eventually get them restored and returned to service,” Kamm said of Clark’s memorial.

Lovington fireworks followed the spectacular show in Sullivan on July 4. Read More