News Progress

•November 25, 2015•

Children’s Museum of Illinois will again host an “adults only” party December 3 celebrating ugly sweaters, spiked cider, and party games! CMI Adults Only is a fundraiser series designed to introduce community members to the museum and provide community members an opportunity to get out of the house. The Ugly Sweater Party is a BYOB party; CMofIL will not be selling alcohol, but encourages attendees to bring their own bottle to spike their cups.  Read More

Compiled by Bekki Ferguson-Stevens

25 Years Ago This Week

As quickly as former Sullivan resident Brandon Mitchell paints a portrait these days, it’s sold. The Chicago-area resident, who is a 1984 graduate of Sullivan High School, has sold more than 200 paintings this year after his work captured the attention of of an art agent who noticed some of his pieces while visiting in the home of Mitchell’s cousin.

Ten Moultrie County 4-H’ers are working on applications for state 4-H awards. Those competing include Leslie Seelow and Rachel Casteel, both of Lovington; Lindsay Patrick and Stacey Wise, both of Bethany; Amy Bishop, Susan Shellabarger, Soo DeOrnellas, Kristen Grooms and Elizabeth Livingston, all of Sullivan; and Kara Webb of Dalton City.

Christy Seeley was crowned Miss Merry Christmas during halftime activities Friday night at the boys’ basketball Turkey Tournament at Sullivan High School.

Thirty-five vans, one large farm truck and a horse trailer filled with approximately 2,200 boxes of donated clothes, household items and toys left Sullivan Friday for southeastern Kentucky. Between 75 and 100 local residents made the trip to the impoverished area as part of the annual caravan headed up by Chick and Ilene Morgan of Sullivan. Bil Reedy, Bud Cochran and Charles Hollonbeck were among the volunteers who loaded items last week. Read More

•November 25, 2015•

The “Reading Redbirds” Youth Book Club for 4th-8th graders meets 3:30-4:30 p.m. the first and thirdTuesday of each month. This club plans and assists with events that are held at the library and discussing books.

“Wee Readers Storytime” meets 10-10:30 p.m. Thursday mornings for preschoolers 2 years. and older. Dates and themes are Dec. 3-“Gingerbread Man”, Dec. 10-“Rudolph, Dec. 17-“Christmas Party”, and Dec. 24-No Storytime. Read More

•November 18, 2015•

U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez and Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs on Monday announced sweeping new rules outlining the path forward for state-sponsored retirement savings initiatives. Secretary Perez and Treasurer Frerichs listened to leaders who worry that the looming retirement savings crisis will have a profound impact on lower-income workers’ quality of life in retirement and become an untenable burden on states.

The Department of Labor’s proposed rules will dismantle barriers for state-based solutions to the retirement savings crisis, including Illinois’ Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program. Already, 26 states, including Illinois have taken some type of action to pursue state-based retirement savings solutions that will increase access to employer-based savings programs.

“Secretary Perez’s leadership today will benefit generations of Americans,” Frerichs said. “In Illinois nearly 1.2 million workers are poised to benefit from our Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program. With these new federal rules, my administration can move forward with helping some of our state’s most vulnerable workers. I applaud Secretary Perez and the Department of Labor for partnering with states like Illinois to craft a solution.”

Nationally, only half of working Americans save for retirement, according to the Survey of Income and Program Participation by the U.S. Census Bureau. Of those who do not save, 84 percent work for an employer that does not offer a retirement savings vehicle. A lack of retirement savings increases the likelihood that workers will be over-reliant on social security or retire into poverty, creating significant future burdens on state and federal social safety nets. Read More

•November 18, 2015•

The Moultrie County Health Department will provide a flu shot clinic and blood pressure checks at the Lovington Public Library 12:45-1:15 p.m. Friday November 20. There will be a charge for those not covered under Medicare or Medicaid for the flu shot, but the blood pressure check is free. Read More