Vespers at Millikin Dec. 5

News Progress Posted on by

Photo Submitted

Photo Submitted

•December 2, 2015•

Millikin University will present the 57th annual Vespers at Millikin at 3 and 7 p.m. both Saturday, Dec. 5 and Sunday, Dec. 6. Performances will be held at Kirkland Fine Arts Center on the campus of Millikin University.

For more than 50 years Vespers (which means “evening prayer”) has signaled the beginning of the holiday season with a sumptuous evening of carols, choirs and candlelight. Two hundred and fifty musicians join together for this joyous musical feast presented annually on the Millikin campus. Songs from past centuries combine with familiar carols and arrangements to create an evening of seasonal warmth for the whole family.

The theme for this year’s Vespers is “Peace.” Read More

Sign up Time for Master Gardener Training

News Progress Posted on by

•December 2, 2015•

It turns out that Master Gardeners are made, not born – and your opportunity to become a University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener volunteer begins in January.

Applications are now being accepted for the Master Gardener training program, which starts Tuesday, Jan. 26 at the Coles County Extension Office in Charleston. The weekly training sessions, held on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., will continue through April 12.

Once new Master Gardeners have completed their 60 hours of daytime classroom training, they give back to the community by volunteering at least 60 hours to educate area residents about gardening in all its many forms.

“A lot of people think they need to be an expert gardener to enroll as a Master Gardener trainee, but all you really need is an interest in gardening and a willingness to share research-based gardening information with our neighbors throughout the community,” said Kathy Reiser, County Director of the Coles-Cumberland-Douglas-Moultrie-Shelby Extension Unit.  Read More

Remember When? 12-2-2015

News Progress Posted on by

Compiled by Bekki Ferguson-Stevens

25 Years Ago This Week

The Arthur-Lovington Knights received letters and special awards Nov. 9 after completing their first season as a coop team. The most valuable player award went to senior Jason Yeakel, who also received the tackle award. Seniors Darren Powell and Brad Warrior were named honorary captains, and the “most improved Knight” was Shane Webb. Quarterback Ryan Schultz received the spirit award.

Newly elected and re-elected county officials signed their oaths of office during a swearing-in ceremony Monday at the Moultrie County Courthouse.

Lovington sixth, seventh and eighth graders recently brought home seven first ratings and six seconds from the State Literacy Contest held Nov. 17 in White Heath. Firsts were earned in duet acting by Jennifer Elliott and Kara Bolsen, Ryan Casteel and Megan Mechling, Brock Casteel and Jake England, Charlene Muzzy and Carrie Jackson, and Greg Davis and Brad Smith.

Brenda Butt of Bethany was one of 16 November students of the month chosen from the morning program at the Decatur Area Vocational Center.

Lisa A Dwyer of Sullivan is a member of the Southern Illinois University chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America.

Five students from this area are among 110,000 students included in the 13th annual edition of the National Dean’s List recently published by Educational Communication, Inc. in Lake Forest. The area students selected from Sullivan are Paula J. Dolan, Jill A. Flannell, John M. Ruscin and Staci L. Spaw. Tammy Helton of Arthur was also selected. Read More

Sparrows Annual Auction is This Weekend

News Progress Posted on by

•December 2, 2015•

The Sparrows Unlimited Inc. annual auction will be held at Jerry’s East End in Lovington at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, December 5.

Sparrows main objective yearly is to raise money to buy Christmas presents and coats for children of Lovington whose families may be in need of assistance.

This year more than 115 children will receive a better Christmas because of the generosity of the Lovington community. Read More

Harnessing Nature in Medicine at Lake Land College

News Progress Posted on by

•December 2, 2015•

Lake Land College Library to present National Library of Medicine’s traveling exhibit: From DNA to Beer: Harnessing Nature in Medicine and Industry

The Lake Land College Library will host the National Library of Medicine’s most recent traveling exhibit, From DNA to Beer: Harnessing Nature in Medicine and Industry, throughout the month of January.

The exhibit will be housed on the main level of the Judge Learning Resource Center on the Lake Land College campus, 5001 Lake Land Blvd., Mattoon.

This exhibition explores some of the processes, problems and potentials inherent in technologies that use life and how microbes, tiny organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye, have altered human history. Read More

ALAH FFA Members Join 65,000 Others Painting Louisville Blue and Gold

News Progress Posted on by

Photo Submitted National Convention (chapter): ALAH FFA members attended the National FFA Convention for the final time in Louisville, Kentucky. Pictured (front L to R) Katie Gingerich, Adam Hingson, Janette Comstock, and Makenna Green. (Back L to R) Keegan Morfey, Zane Crist, Colton Romine, Josiah Kinert, and Jordan Jent.

Photo Submitted
National Convention (chapter): ALAH FFA members attended the National FFA Convention for the final time in Louisville, Kentucky. Pictured (front L to R) Katie Gingerich, Adam Hingson, Janette Comstock, and Makenna Green. (Back L to R) Keegan Morfey, Zane Crist, Colton Romine, Josiah Kinert, and Jordan Jent.

•November 25, 2015•

By: Keegan Morfey
FFA Reporter

Nine Arthur-L/Atwood-Hammond FFA members traveled to Louisville, Kentucky, joining a record 65,173 FFA members, advisors, and guests from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands attending the annual National FFA Convention.

Janette Comstock, Zane Crist, Katie Gingerich, Makenna Green, Adam Hingson, Jordan Jent, Josiah Kinert, Keegan Morfey, and Colton Romine, along with FFA advisor Wendy Leenerts and chaperone Monica Green, participated in the event on October 28-30.

The opening session included introductions from all six national FFA officers, the national FFA band and chorus performed, celebrating 50 years of the New Farmers of America and FFA merger. Keynote speaker, Dr. Rick Rigsby, a San Francisco native and a former award-winning journalist, gave a hilarious and motivating talk.  FFA members visited the career show and expo where hundreds of colleges, businesses, and organizations were represented.  Read More

ALAH FFA Greenhands Attend U of I Conference

News Progress Posted on by

Photo Submitted Greenhand: Five ALAH Greenhand FFA members attended the U of I Greenhand Workshop. 

Photo Submitted
Greenhand: Five ALAH Greenhand FFA members attended the U of I Greenhand Workshop.

•November 25, 2015•

Five FFA greenhands (first year FFA members) joined more than 400 Illinois FFA members to attend the annual Greenhand Leadership Conference. The conference was organized and facilitated by more than 50 University of Illinois students majoring in agricultural education or members of the Collegiate FFA Chapter.

Students who attended the conference were Veronica Chambers, Adam Day, Katie Gingerich, Makenna Green, and Gage Streible. The greenhands were split into separate groups with other greenhands from across the state of Illinois to attend various workshops.  Read More

ALAH FFA Competes in Land Use CDE

News Progress Posted on by

Photo Submitted Soil: Pictured are ALAH FFA members in a soil judging pit. From left to right: Zane Crist, Madison Klay, Damian Root, Lucas Eastin, Janette Comstock, Bri Smith, Keegan Morfey, Kyle DeHart, Brad Miller, and Colton Romine. 

Photo Submitted
Soil: Pictured are ALAH FFA members in a soil judging pit. From left to right: Zane Crist, Madison Klay, Damian Root, Lucas Eastin, Janette Comstock, Bri Smith, Keegan Morfey, Kyle DeHart, Brad Miller, and Colton Romine.

•November 25, 2015•

The  Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond ag science class, which includes Janette Comstock, Zane Crist, Kyle DeHart, Lucas Eastin, Madison Klay, Brad Miller, Keegan Morfey, Colton Romine, Damian Root, and Bri Smith, attended the Section 17 Land Use CDE in September.

After arriving at the site east of Hindsboro, FFA members judged the practice pit. In the practice pit, soil experts assisted with testing soil and discussed right and wrong answers off the card. After the test pit, FFA members were separated and divided into five groups.

At each pit, FFA members were given 10 minutes to judge. Overall, members judged five different pits. In the 10 minutes, members were asked a variety of question as to finding the slope, judging soil profile, determining color and soil structure, as well as other soil management questions.  Read More

Community invited to Lake Land College Pathways Auction

News Progress Posted on by

•November 25, 2015•

The community is invited to attend the sixth annual Lake Land College Pathways Auction held Dec. 2 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Webb Hall, room 081 on campus.

Pathways to the Future Alternative education program is a an alternative high school program serving Lake Land College’s district students between the ages of 16 to 21 who have dropped out or are at-risk of dropping out of high school. Read More