One charge dismissed
•January 20, 2016•
By Mike Brothers
Wade T. Burch, 26, pled guilty to aggravated criminal sexual abuse before Judge Dan L. Flannell in Moultrie County Court January 13.
Burch, from Shelbyville, appeared with attorney Sean Britton in the 9 a.m. proceedings, where he entered the guilty plea on the lesser charged filed against him in April 2015.
Judge Flannell set sentencing for March 7, 2016. Burch has been released on $100,000 bond since April 26, 2015. Read More
•January 20, 2016•
A donation to the Moultrie County Animal Shelter could make adopting a pet easier following Moultrie County Board action January 14.
Arlene Aschermann, chair of public health, safety and welfare presented terms to accept a $10,114 donation from the David A. Woodruff Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust, to be used for animal control.
Aschermann’s moved to accept $10,114 from the David A Woodruff CRAT to expended only for the sole ad exclusive benefit of the Moutlrie County Animal Control Department for the purpose of increasing pet adoptions and decreasing rate of euthanasia including without limitation, costs of spaying, neutering, veterinary care, food and shelter.
In an additional motion the board unanimously approved creating a voucher program for animals adopted from the shelter. Once the pet is spayed or neutered the county will reimburse the owner up to $60 toward that expense. Read More
•January 20, 2016•
Sullivan schools faces funding challenges since the state has failed to meet obligations to local districts, but there is a glimmer of hope that may change.
District #300 superintendent Brad Tuttle told school board members during the regular January 11 meeting that there is a call for fully funding school districts for the first time in five years.
Tuttle explained that the Illinois State Board of Education passed a state budget that called for increased General State Aid (GSA).
State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Tony Smith pointed out since 2010, Illinois schools have lost $3.8 billion. The new state aid budget calls for full funding of GSA plus $2.548 billion for 2017.
Supt. Tuttle cautioned board members that full funding requests have been endorsed by the ISBE in the past and ignored by the legislature.
“Since Dr. Smith was appointed by Gov. Rauner, I have to believe there is hope for fully funding schools this time,” Tuttle said, noting the funding request could mean an additional $321,096 in state aid for Sullivan schools.
One factor improving the formula to $299 per student for Sullivan schools is the 42.7% low income level enrollment. Read More
Tickets printed in the patrol cars around Moultrie County make for easier reading and required some extra training. Sullivan officer Joshua Qualls is responsible for the smooth operaton of the eCitation system within the city.
Tickets You Can Read
•January 13, 2016•
By Mike Brothers
The days of trying to decipher a police officer’s handwriting on a traffic citation are over in Moultrie County.
The Moultrie County Circuit Clerk’s office became the first office in the sixth judicial circuit to implement eCitations.
Circuit Clerk Cindy Braden explained the eCitation program is up and running in Bethany, Lovington and Sullivan police departments as well as the Moultrie County Sheriff’s Department.
She explained the eCitation is not only timesaving for the officer issuing the ticket but improves the process with more accurate and legible information for the courts to process.
“Not only does the eCitation save the officer time but will hopefully get them off the roadside quicker, making stops safer,” Braden said.
An officer with an onboard computer inputs the driver’s information from the state database onto the eCitation, identifies the violation and prints out a ticket inside the patrol car. One copy goes to the driver and another to the circuit clerk for filing.
Sullivan Police Department officer Joshua Qualls has been designated trainer and general IT consultant locally, as officers get acquainted with eCitations.
“One of the biggest advantages is legibility of the ticket,” Qualls began, noting once the information is inputed, three copies will be printed in the car clear enough for the courts and the violator to read. Read More
Photo by RR Best
Moultrie County dive team members Jesse Scribner, Rob Martz and Amanda Farley secure equipment before diving down to hook the submerged car from the drink.
Area Agencies offer assistance
•January 6, 2016•
By Mike Brothers
Moultrie County Sheriff’s Department responded to a 6 a.m. call New Year’s Eve to a car submerged in water off Joe Pound Road east of Sullivan.
Chief Deputy Gary Carroll said when they arrived at the scene by 6:20 the Dodge Magnum was about 80 yards from dry land and another 35 yards off the roadway.
“When we arrived the car was under water and there was no sign of a driver,” Carroll said, explaining they had concerns for the safety of the driver.
That’s when Sullivan Fire Department and the Moultrie County dive team joined Moultrie County deputies at the scene.
Department of Natural Resources and the Shelby County dive team also responded as backup. Read More
Photo by Nick Fiala
Pastor Jill Walker examines one of the original paintings left behind when the structure was built as the Catholic Church in Lovington which remained open from 1915 until the late 1980s.
Pastor Sparks Reconstruction
•December 30, 2015•
By Nick Fiala
For the News Progress
With God, all things are possible. It is not only a Bible verse but the driving force behind efforts to restore a century old Lovington church.
A preservation and remodeling project is taking place at the Revival Church building in Lovington. It is spearheaded by Pastor Jill Walker, former volunteer senior pastor of the Revival Church of Lovington and Mattoon and the head of Jill Walker Ministries.
JWM repurchased the building in mid-October.
Constructed in 1915, the church was first used for worship by the Catholic Church until the late 1980s.
JWM had originally purchased the building from the Catholic Diocese in 1989. Pastor Walker preached there until May of 2010.
JWM gave away the building to a major denomination with everything in it as a gift. But last September, Pastor Walker became determined to get the building back when she found out it had been sold to a third party who planned to use it for something other than ministry.
Despite originally turning down the first offer to sell the building back, the owner reconsidered only eight days later and accepted, allowing Pastor Walker and her ministry to begin remodeling and preserving the century-old church. Read More
College & Career Are Goals
By Mike Brothers
Sullivan District 300 school board members learned high school and elementary school student assessment testing results were good, but some work needs to been done in the middle school.
School psychologist Jessica L. Reeder presented Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers (PARCC) testing results December 14.
Reeder noted this was the first year for PARCC testing for grades 3-8 in English, language arts and mathematics. Juniors at Sullivan High School were tested in English III and Algebra II.
Reeder explained the scoring gap between high school and elementary may be partly explained by the recent curricula changes. “Teaching Common Core is raising the bar of expectations,” she said, noting students achieving past curricula expectation levels are now having to advance.
Superintendent Brad Tuttle noted the staff and students put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears on the PARCC tests, which require up to three weeks at the elementary level and one day at the high school level.
Tuttle did explain that funding for the testing has yet to be determined. The state paid testing expenses in the past, but since there is no state budget, those questions remain.
“I like that we are teaching kids to think outside the box,” Reeder said of Common Core, noting tests are requiring students to think critically, solve problems and explain their answers.
She explained that kind of thinking is essential when preparing students for college and careers.
Scoring was separated into five levels and a point system ranging from 650 to 850. Students achieving levels four and five (scoring 750-850) were at the top of the scale of college and career ready candidates. Read More
Photo by Mike Brothers
Final Food Pantry delivery was made by Hydro Gear to CEFS- Pictured from L to R: Kristy Dawson, CEFS; Kelly Brown, HG Material Handler; Chris Zerrusen, HG Safety Team Leader; Ron Harshman, Chairman of the Board of all Agri Fab Holdings.
•December 16, 2015•
The final Moultrie County Food pantry delivery from Hydro-Gear’s annual drive was made Wednesday, December 9.
Hydro Gear employees not only responded with food donations, but generated substantial cash donations to help the food pantry.
According to Hydro Gear Communications specialist Kathleen Blievernicht, employee collections totaled 1640 pounds of food for 2015.
Hydro Gear’s participation includes contributions from some 800 employees.
Blievernicht explained Hydro-Gear employees rallied to support the Moultrie County Food Pantry while having fun with an NFL theme in 2015.
Employees were players on eight NFL teams. Teams then were scheduled to play each other. Points were given to food items in most need and donations accepted were counted each week. Read More
•December 9, 2015•
By Mike Brothers
A motion to allow Michael Yost an evaluation to see whether he is fit for trial was granted by Judge Dan L. Flannell in Moultrie County court Monday.
Yost, 41, is accused of the March 4 murder of Sheri L Randall in Sullivan.
He was represented in court by public defender Bradford Rau, who presented the motion.
“Our expert exam for fitness focuses on medical issues that could make Mr. Yost unfit for trial,” Rau told Judge Flannell.
State’s Attorney Jeremy Richey explained that he felt there was no reason to doubt Yost’s fitness for trial, but it was the public defender’s right to make the request.
Richey did emphasize the defendant’s right to a speedy trail within 120 days would not be met with the additional time required for an exam. Read More
•December 9, 2015•
By Stu D. Baker
For the News Progress
Moultrie County’s updated Animal Control Ordinance will allow easier enforcement of violations.
State’s Attorney Jeremy Richey presented the changes to the Public Health and Safety committee last week explaining the changes clarify what procedures the sheriff’s department must follow to issue citations.
Sheriff Chris Sims explained that most of the calls of this nature involve neighbor disputes over dogs running at large. Citation violations still carry a $75 fine to the dog owner.
Animals running at large is an issue that has improved over the past few years with animal control director Rick Matthews pointing out that from 2008 through 2013 the animal shelter population was around 136-137 every year.
By 2014 the annual processing number for both dogs and cats at Moultrie County Animal Control dropped to 92, and Matthews said this year 59 is a new low for the annual population.
Matthews explained that Moultrie Animal Control polices stray and animals running at large in the rural areas of the county.
Lovington has an animal control officer for the village with Dalton City and Bethany using the police department to bring strays to the county shelter. Read More