Oh Brother: The Right Person at the Right Time Made the Difference

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•September 25, 2019•
By Mike Brothers

There are miracles and there are miraculous events.
What happened to Kaye Webb of Sullivan last week may be a little of both.
Most everyone around knows Kaye for her talents with genealogy through her work with the Moultrie County Historical and Genealogical Society.
Kaye is also one of the select readers of the Moultrie County News Progress who picks their newspaper at the office as soon as it comes off the press on Wednesday.
Circulation guru at the News Progress, Carolyn Collier has a constant stream of fresh newspaper visitors on Wednesday afternoon from about 1:00 p.m. when the paper comes off the press until closing time. Read More

ALAH Board Approves Budget, Discusses Apptegy Advantages

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•September 25, 2019•
By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

Arthur Lovington Atwood Hammond school board members learned more about, Apptegy during a regular meeting where the annual budget was approved.
A live meeting with one of its techs, Casey, via Google, revealed information about how the app could benefit the district.
The Apptegy tech demonstrated a live working app that the Arcola School District had in place.
Presently, Apptegy has 100,000 districts in the U.S using the app and an estimate of 128 school districts in Illinois. The main purpose of the app is to promote stories and events that are happening in the school district. Apptegy is designed to make it simple for parents and students to navigate all in one place, creating a much more streamlined appearance.
It will be free to download for anyone who has a smart phone or tablet device. Board members noted that there were already high school staff that are interested in integrating some students in with the app to start helping out with it and promoting events and various organizations. Read More

OVHS Selects Homecoming Royalty

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OVHS Selects Homecoming Royalty
Okaw Valley High School in Bethany hosted annual homecoming festivities with a “Small Town USA” theme last week.
The Homecoming King Ethan Bartimus and Queen Madalyne McPheeters coronation was at 7:45 p.m. Saturday in the Bethany gym.
Freshmen attendants were: Riley McPheeters and Carmine Brown; sophomore attendants Emma Bush and Kaeden Primmer; junior attendants Autumn Burns and Kobi Weaver.
The week included dress up days, float and hallway decorating, a “pack the place” volleyball game, plus the homecoming parade Friday afternoon.
Photo courtesy Jeni Yantis

Yellow Ribbon Sign

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Photo furnished
Yellow Ribbon Sign
Jessica Williamson, a senior at SHS this year completed 10 weeks of basic at Fort Leonard Wood, MO over the summer. Willliamson is with the 1- 58th Infantry Regiment and will complete her AIT after graduation May 2020. Jessica is an American Legion Junior Auxiliary member and Sullivan American Legion Post 68 Auxiliary sponsored her sign. Pictured during the sign presentation at Sullivan Post 68 were Junior Auxiliary members: (left to right) Ryann Kelley, Brooklynn Clark, Addison Daily, Jessica and Sydney Williamson.

Annual Senior Expo In Sullivan Draws Over 300 Visitors

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Senior Services Exec Dir Kathi Garvey(l), Assistant Vonnie Lee and Counselor Kim Adamson at Senior Expo.

•September 18, 2019•
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Every last table in the Sullivan American Legion Hall was commandeered for seating and most of the vendors ran out of promotional items as over 300 senior citizens converged for the annual Senior Expo sponsored by the Mid-Illinois Senior Services September 13.
Griffin’s Catering prepared the free lunch of BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, cole slaw and chocolate cake. The lunch was provided, as it has been for several years, by State Senator Chapin Rose and State Representative Brad Halbrook.
Some 20 members of the SHS Student Council volunteered to serve the meals so the seniors would not have to stand in a long lunch line.
Thirty vendors ringed the hall and offered an array of free promotional items such as umbrellas, hats, pill cases, note pads, key chains, plastic shopping bags and coin purses. The vendors also had drawings for many door prizes which are always favorites of the attendees. Read More

Patriot’s Day: Life is Short, No Time for Hate

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Photo by Mike Brothers
The Patriot’s Day ceremony at Sullivan High School on Wednesday, Sept. 11 honored all area first responders and military personnel. The 18th annual observation was coordinated by Rebecca Lawson’s Career English and Mirror Images students.

•September 18, 2019•
By Mike Brothers

The Sullivan High School Patriot’s Day observation Wednesday, Sept. 11 emphasized from tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate.
Kelsie Allen, from the host Mirror Images class, reminded the student assembly of the words of the wife of the pilot of Flight 93 that went down Sept. 11, 2001.
A strong reminder of how fragile life is and the importance of Scott’s Law was relayed by Illinois State Police District 10 Commander Louis Kink.
Dillon Wallace of Rebecca Lawson’s Mirror Images group introduced ISP Social Media Coordinator Tracy Lillard and Commander Kink who recalled a tragic day after Thanksgiving in 2012.
Lillard told the audience she became physically ill when she heard about Trooper Kyle Deathrages accident on Interstate 55 that morning. “My heart was broken for his wife and two children,” Lillard recalled. Read More

County Board To Take Up Issue Of Recreational Marijuana In Moultrie County

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•September 18, 2019•
High Tax for Getting High

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

At the regular board meeting on September 12 chairman Dave McCabe reminded the Moultrie County Board that they will need to take up the issue of legalized recreational marijuana in Moultrie County.
The new Illinois law, Cannabis Regulation Tax Act (CRTA), takes effect January, 2020. The comprehensive 610-page bill sets forth rules and regulations by which counties and municipalities will tax and regulate the sale of recreational marijuana. Read More

Sullivan Spark Gets Helping Hand from Peace Corps Volunteer

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Peace Corp volunteer Kathleen Preising is helping with Sullivan Spark.

•September 18, 2019•
Long Winding Road

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Kathleen Preising’s parents were both Peace Corps volunteers in Ecuador. Her father later took a job with the United Nations and she completed her high school education at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy.
It is Sullivan’s MAPPING program that brings her here. Sullivan’s program was renamed SPARK so people wouldn’t think it was a geography project.
SPARK was to ignite economic development in Sullivan. She is here for the next year assigned to the Chamber of Commerce to help SPARK develop and implement community economic development programs.
Kathleen has been here only a week but she says of her assignment, “I am excited with what is going on here in Sullivan with so many people actively engaged and ready for change. I have been to a few of the shops and am just very excited about my year here.” Read More

Flower Pot 2019 Fall Celebration

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Photo by Sonya Best
Flower Pot Fall Celebration
Lindsey Barnard greets customers and hands out special offers during the Flower Pot Florals and Boutique Fall Open House celebration Sept. 6 and 7 at the 1109 S. Hamilton, Sullivan location. Visitors enjoyed the complimentary coffee bar while winning gifts and checking out new fall fashions and merchandise over the weekend.

Matthew Smith and Indelible Grace Perform at Elim Springs

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Matthew Smith writes new melodies for old hymns

•September 11, 2019•

Matthew Smith and Indelible Grace return to Elim Springs Church of Jesus Christ for a concert Wednesday, Sept. 18.
This third appearance by the Nashville based musician and his band kicks off a nationwide tour in Sullivan which ends up in Bremerton, Wash. on Nov. 9.
“We have been to Elim Springs twice before and were well received,” Smith said, noting he reached out to church pastor Vanessa Patient and asked whether they were interested.
In addition to the 7 p.m. concert Smith will once again conduct a hymns seminar at 5 p.m.
“We have enjoyed the approach to hymns taken by Matthew Smith and Indelible Grace,” Elim Springs Pastor Vanessa Patient said of the return engagement.
“The richness of the old texts with the freshness of new tunes deepens our understanding of the ways we interact with musical worship of God,” she continued. “We look forward to hosting them again!” Read More