Category Archives: Top Stories

For Those Who Served Before Them

News Progress Posted on by

Photo by Mike Brothers Sullivan American Legion Post 68 Color Guard from left: James Darnell, George Selby, Bob Sims, Ed Riley, Charles Bragg, Mike Gross, (the Memorial) then Mike Black, Mac Bond, Mike Keown, Jon Garvin, Marty Reynolds, Richard Murphy and Nathan Selby.

Photo by Mike Brothers
Sullivan American Legion Post 68 Color Guard from left: James Darnell, George Selby, Bob Sims, Ed Riley, Charles Bragg, Mike Gross, (the Memorial) then Mike Black, Mac Bond, Mike Keown, Jon Garvin, Marty Reynolds, Richard Murphy and Nathan Selby.

•April 13, 2016•

By Mike Brothers

They perform their duty, then return to daily routines: the Sullivan American Legion Post 68 Color Guard has always been there.

Since January 1, the Color Guard has put on their uniforms, grabbed their rifles and gathered their flags to perform military rites for 11 of their brothers and sisters in arms who have passed away so far this year.

What is becoming a challenge for the American Legion Color Guard now, with 23 active members, is getting others to join the group,

Nathan Selby is a 27-year-old father of a three-year old daughter, who works for ADM in Decatur and is a volunteer with the Sullivan Fire Dept.

Selby is an Army veteran of Afghanistan who has found the time to be a Color Guard. “I remember how those who came back from Vietnam were mistreated,” Selby said, noting when he returned from his Army tour, he wanted to get involved.

“What military rites show is respect for those who came before us,” he concluded.

Marty Reynolds is 75 and retired from the Air Force along with his wife who is an active American Legion member. He is responsible for flag presentation to the survivors, which signals the 21 gun salute. Read More

ALAH Schools Turn to the Internet for Curriculum

News Progress Posted on by

•April 13, 2016•

By Ariana Cherry
For the News Progress

The way students learn keeps changing through the years-especially as technology advances and other opportunities become available.

While staff and administrators have felt the effects from the financial distress, they have learned how to be more creative when it comes to learning and how to take advantage of resources that are already out there.

The teachers of Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond School district looked to the internet for new learning materials that meet the new Common Core standards. Atwood-Hammond first grade teacher Vanessa Davis was part of the literacy committee that helped the district find curriculum so all of the schools could align curricula when the consolidation took place.

“When we began our search, there weren’t a lot of reliable and affordable resources out there,” Davis began. “With declining funding from the state, teachers were left to sort of “figure it out” on their own, and that meant finding or creating our own materials.”

A website that ALAH elementary and junior high teachers are taking advantage of is EngageNY.org. EngageNY offers kindergarten through grade 12 curriculum in English language, arts and mathematics. All of the learning materials on the website are free to use; although some of the teachers have purchased other accessories and books to enhance the lessons.  Read More

Broken Down Springfield Bus Leads to Sullivan Pizza Party

News Progress Posted on by

•April 13, 2016•

What looked like a long boring wait for a busload of students from Springfield turned into a pizza party at Sullivan Civic Center last week.

It all started when a charter bus carrying 35 students from Grant Middle School broke down about 3 p.m. next to Jim Warren Auto Sales.

“Jim Warren called me when he saw those kids waiting around the broken bus,” Sullivan police chief John Love said. “Officers sent to the scene learned it could be several hours before another bus could be sent for the students.”

Love said he made two calls; the first to Sullivan school district where director of transportation Kevin Landrus immediately sent a Sullivan School bus for the students.

“The replacement bus was coming from Jacksonville, and there was going to be about a 4 hour wait/delay,” Landrus began.

“I sent Michael Puyear, employee within the transportation department of Sullivan Schools out to pick them up and we shuttled them to the Civic Center.”

“I can’t imagine trying to keep 35 middle school aged kids occupied for four hours, let alone on a bus sitting on the side of the road. We were glad to do our part and offer assistance to the kids and adults on board,” he concluded. Read More

Beacon Looks For Outside Funding Sources

News Progress Posted on by

Photo by Mike Brothers Above Joe Ellis and David Cornwell load the box crusher, preparing cardboard collected from area businesses for recycling. At right Executive Director Susan Rauch checks photo display strip which helps consumers with autism deal with schedule changes.

Photo by Mike Brothers
Above Joe Ellis and David Cornwell load the box crusher, preparing cardboard collected from area businesses for recycling. At right Executive Director Susan Rauch checks photo display strip which helps consumers with autism deal with schedule changes.

•April 6, 2016•

By Mike Brothers

The Moultrie County Beacon’s annual benefit auction at the Otto Center in Arthur April 15 is more than a place to get the best fried pies and donuts anywhere; it has become a financial lifeline for the local non-profit agency.

Located in Sullivan the Beacon is a community-based not for profit, offering a wide range of services to the developmentally disabled and mentally ill residents of the area.

“We were resistant to outside fund-raising until the state got three months behind on funding,” executive director Susan Rauch said of the decision to follow up on a suggestion from board member Dannie Kuhns that the Beacon approach the Otto Center about a benefit.

Since that time, state funding reached a crisis for community agencies when the state failed to come up with a budget. That lack of funding for programs to help people who need it the most has forced the Beacon to focus as much on fund- raising and training just to maintain existing services.

David Kaufman of the Otto Center was not eager to help a Moultrie County agency since he was in Douglas County, but Rauch encouraged him to tour the Beacon facility in Sullivan.

“Once he saw the services we provide at the Beacon he agreed, and that brought a host of help from the Amish community which has been essential to the success of the annual benefit,” she continued. Read More

News Sidewalks Around Sullivan Square

News Progress Posted on by

Photo by Mike Brothers Penhall Company started early Monday sawing away the old sidewalk in preparation for removal. Traffic was rerouted and the noise level on the square increased as the city project includes new accessible walks and resurfacing the street around the square.

Photo by Mike Brothers
Penhall Company started early Monday sawing away the old sidewalk in preparation for removal. Traffic was rerouted and the noise level on the square increased as the city project includes new accessible walks and resurfacing the street around the square.

After A Few Noisy Days of Demolition

•April 6, 2016•

The city of Sullivan sidewalk renovation project started Monday April 4.

It will involve removing the sidewalk and curb around the inside of the square and replacing it with new ADA compliant  walk and crosswalks. The north and east sides of the square will be closed first.

Then closings will occur as needed after the new is installed. The plan is to saw cut the sidewalk all the way, but only the north and east sides will be closed to parking. Workers are using water to cut so the dust will be minimum, but soupy. They will be removing the entrance by the fountain at the northwest corner and leaving the southwest entrance until the north side is complete.

The second phase is to mill the roadway around the square and adjoining streets to prepare for new asphalt. This part will be very noisy but should only last three or four days. Parking will be at a premium during this construction period, and all who can are encouraged to park off the square. There are a few parking places beside the dive shed to the south, as well as the parking lots around the area. No work is scheduled on Washington St. from Jefferson to Water and Jefferson from Washington to Worth.  Everything else around the square will be in the construction zone.  All construction is weather dependent.

Ariana Cherry looks into the costs of the project in her Sullivan City Council story on page 12 of today’s newspaper.

Local Travelers Find Cuba Under Renovation

News Progress Posted on by

Sullivan’s Joe Pound kneels at entrance of Hotel Nacional in Cuba

Sullivan’s Joe Pound kneels at entrance of Hotel Nacional in Cuba

•March 30, 2016•

Reported by “Jose” Pound
For the News Progress

Imagine a lush, tropical island in the Caribbean Sea (just 200 miles south of Miami and 90 miles south of Key West, Fla.), about the length of Florida (700 miles), with so much natural beauty, warm & friendly folks plus delightful local food. Only in the last few years have Americans been allowed legally to visit this island to meet and greet these engaging, energetic, creative Cuban people.

This largest island in the Caribbean Sea is one of about 30 major islands, many of which (26) my wife and I have visited over the past 40 years, but never to Cuba. This void was due to our government’s restricted travel embargo policies. Fortunately for us, these past restrictive travel policies now are being relaxed by our government. Recently five adults from Sullivan were part of a flood of new visitors from the US taking advantage of this new freedom to travel to Cuba. It proved to be a great experience for me like none of the other islands of this tropical sea I’ve visited earlier.

Our touring company…Road Scholar (part of Elderhostel based in Boston) has been doing these tours to Cuba for a short time. Elderhostel has been around for 40+ years. It is a well regarded not-for-profit travel agency. Our small group (five) from Sullivan made this trip to Cuba in the middle of March. We were accompanied by 17 other persons from all over the country…from upper Wisconsin to Texas from Ohio to west coast. What a diverse group. This is my report of that experience. The program was called Havana and the Countryside.

This particular Road Scholar group seemed to coalesce well, as we toured the western part of this large beautiful, green tropical island for eight days (March 13-20, 2016). About half of us were singles and about half couples…a diverse group of explorers. All of us from Sullivan were singles.

This experience in the middle of March immediately preceded President Obama’s recent three day visit to Republic of Cuba. It’s been 88 years since a US President visited the island. Our small group departed Cuba on Sunday the March 20 just one hour before the President and his family arrived at Jose Marti International AP near Havana, Cuba. We were delighted to not be there during the President’s visit. One neat fact, our stay in Havana was at the huge Hotel Nacional, where the President stayed. There were all kinds of preparation activities preceding the President and his family’s arrival in the Cuban capital. Read More

Yost Defense Takes a Twist

News Progress Posted on by

•March 30, 2016•

By Mike Brothers

Judge Dan L. Flannell granted Michael Yost until April 4 to produce evidence that involuntary intoxication be a reasonable defense in the death of Sheri Randall on March 4, 2015.

Yost, 41,  appeared in Moultrie County Circuit Court March 29 with public defender Brad Rau requesting expert witness expenses. This is to help prove Yost’s diabetes condition combined with alcohol contributed to his amnesia.

State’s Attorney Jeremy Richey objected to Rau’s request for an additional expert evaluation of Yost.

“As for the involuntary intoxication, it was not involuntary if it was caused by his own failure to take care of his condition,” Richey said, after pointing out he didn’t see the link to an insanity plea and the involuntary intoxication issue. Read More

Injured Bald Eagle’s Captor Sought

News Progress Posted on by

Photo by RR Best

Photo by RR Best

Damage forces euthanization

•March 30, 2016•

A bald eagle in a severely weakened state due to being kept illegally in captivity, was euthanized March 17.

Illinois Conservation police officers Jason Moody and Brandon Barnes responded to a call about an injured eagle in a field near the Lake Shelbyville Wildlife Management Area in Moultrie County.

The eagle made several attempts to fly but was unable to fly more than 20 yards. After several attempts, the officers were able to capture the bird and deliver it safely to the Illinois Raptor Center in Decatur.   Read More

Left Over Clothing Here, Helps Overseas

News Progress Posted on by

CAM Schrock_0283•March 23, 2016•

By Nick Fiala
For The News Progress

A non-profit organization called Christian Aid Ministries, or CAM, has a small operating branch right here in Sullivan.

Ray Miller, a Mennonite from the community of Bourbon, has been assisting with the donations for the past five years. He voluntarily picks up donated or overstocked clothes from thrift stores and churches in the county and drives them out to a collection building rented out by CAM, near Arthur, where they are packaged and eventually shipped overseas.

“I donate my time picking them up,” Miller said. “It’s a really unique deal. Everybody’s doing a little something to help somebody.”

CAM, which is based out of Ohio, orders large containers from a third party company that go to each collection site across the country. The process for transporting the clothes is very thorough.

At the rural Arthur collection facility various church groups gather in shifts to sort through the mountains of donated clothing. For three months volunteers sort, clean repair and prepare the clothing for bales that are shipped overseas.

But since 1981, volunteers have been running it as a well-oiled machine, turning out two large containers per group, to be carried overseas on a barge every year by March. In fact, Miller’s group has already finished their first one this year, and they’re well on their way to finishing the second.  Read More

Leak Free Roofs for Sullivan Schools

News Progress Posted on by

•March 23, 2016•

By Mike Brothers

Sullivan students should enjoy leak free roofs and better climate inside following Sullivan Community Unit District #300 school board action March 14.

At that meeting the board approved bids to replace the roofs and HVAC systems for the elementary, middle and high schools. The bus garage will also be included in the roof replacement project.

Mike Zellers of Graham and Hyde Architects explained coordination will be the key to accomplishing the HVAC and roofing replacements during the course of the summer when students are away from school.

Bids were received from six companies for the roof replacement. Top Quality Roofing of Mt. Zion submitted the lowest overall bid at $1,350,000.

Zellers noted a 30 year Firestone rubberized surface was manufacturer backed, and the bid came in 18% under the estimated cost.

Kevin Landrus, district maintenance director, reported on past projects from Top Quality. He noted the company had replaced roofs at several area schools with the most recent involving Mattoon School District which gave excellent ratings for the completed project.

Upon administration recommendation the board approved the Top Quality bid unanimously. Read More