News Progress

•August 19, 2015•

C.E.F.S. Economic Opportunity Corporation is currently seeking volunteers within their seven county service area to become trained to provide free income tax preparation to low-to-moderate income households ($54,000 or below). C.E.F.S. Economic Opportunity Corporation has Outreach Offices in Clay, Effingham, Fayette, Shelby, Christian, Moultrie and Montgomery counties and has provided Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) for more than 30 years. C.E.F.S. partners with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to provide the free tax preparation services through the VITA program.

Volunteers are a vital part of the VITA program, and C.E.F.S. needs to expand their volunteer base in order to be able to assist more low to moderate income taxpayers.

No experience is needed and the training is free! Volunteers will complete training and then be certified by the IRS and protected by the IRS in case of any errors. Training is offered both online and in the classroom. Volunteers are needed as greeter/screeners, tax preparers and quality reviewers.  Read More

•August 19, 2015•

SBL Lincolnland Home Care and Lincolnland Hospice will conduct a free blood pressure clinic 8:30-9 a.m. Thursday, September 17 at the Senior Center in Sullivan. For more information, call Lincolnland Home Care at 1-800-879-3212.  Read More

•August 19, 2015•

Lake Land College will hold extended registration hours Monday, Aug. 24 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Luther Student Center on campus in Mattoon. This is the last day to register for fall semester before classes begin Aug. 25; late registration will continue through Wednesday, Aug. 26.

Students may contact Counseling Services at 217-234-5232 or counsel@lakelandcollege.edu for additional information regarding the enrollment process or to schedule an appointment to meet with a counselor.

Counseling walk-in hours are 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday through Friday during the week of August 17 through 21.  Read More

•August 19, 2015•

Running a tight ship is a challenge for the Moultrie County Sheriff’s Department, and recent uncertainties in state funding are putting more pressure on a limited staff.

“With eight deputies covering the county 24-7 we are already running pretty close,” Sheriff Chris Sims said, noting that similar sized surrounding counties operate with up to 40 percent more staff.

“We also have lake traffic and marinas adding to coverage,” he explained.

“Now with the pitiful state economy everybody is trying to get by on less.”

In spite of recent cuts in state police coverage and 33 cuts from the conservation officers academy, Sims explained that Moultrie is still in pretty good shape.

“We already cover most of the state highway accidents, so the cut in state police won’t affect us, and it doesn’t look like the conservation cuts will affect existing lake coverage,” he continued. Read More

•August 12, 2015•

Moultrie Country Circuit Clerk Cindy Braden will be seeking re-election in November 2016.

Braden has been circuit clerk since appointed to the post in 2005. The Democrat incumbent first ran for a two year term in 2006. This will be her fourth election.

She is currently president of the Illinois Association of Court Clerks in addition to her duties in Moultrie County with the sixth judicial circuit. Read More