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

Faith Lutheran Church Celebrates 50 years

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•September 11, 2019•
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

The public is invited to celebrate a golden occasional at 10 a.m. Sunday, September 15 at Faith Lutheran Church in Sullivan.
The 50th anniversary service includes retired Pastor Joel Cluver, the first resident pastor at Faith, as the guest speaker. Retired Pastor Paul McGhghy will be in attendance.
Following the service all present and former church members are invited to attend a catered old-fashioned picnic which will include pony rides, a bean bag tournament, a cake walk and entertainment.
In the 1960s when a plan for a large medical complex in Sullivan fell through at the present church’s location the Central Illinois District of the Lutheran Church purchased the six-acre site on Route 32 south of Sullivan for future church development.
During the summer of 1969 representatives and pastors of five neighboring Lutheran congregations met in Sullivan. Grace Lutheran Church of Strasburg agreed to serve as the sponsoring congregation for the Lutheran mission venture in Sullivan and authorized Pastor Marvin Kammrath of Grace Lutheran in Strasburg to serve the group as pastor. The committee entered into an agreement with the Sullivan Church of God to occupy their former church building at Water and Van Buren streets. Read More

Pile Driving

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Droneography by R.R. Best
Pile Driving
Work on the Jonathan Creek Bridge over Hwy. 121 east of Sullivan is underway by Howell Construction of Mattoon. In the above drone photograph support piles were driven in last week.Construction is expected to be completed by the end of October and includes a new and wider deck, new steel and support piers. Moultrie County Hwy. Engineer Jeff Birch indicated the Illinois Dept. of Transportation project will upgrade the bridge width to accommodate buggy lanes.

It’s Not Just a Picnic When County Clerk & Recorders Meet

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Photo by Mike Brothers
Zone Three County Clerk and Recorders -Back Row from left: Mark Sheldon - Champaign Co. Recorder, Michael Gianasi - Christian Co. Clerk/Recorder, Josh Tanner Macon Co. Clerk, Mary Kennedy - Moultrie Co. Deputy Clerk, Dana Smith - DeWitt Co. Clerk/Recorder, Laura Lee - Clark Co. Clerk/Recorder, Dawn Kupler - Woodford Co. Clerk/Recorder.
Front Row: Jessica Fox - Shelby Co. Clerk/Recorder, Mary Eaton - Macon Co. Recorder, Lindsey Light - Vermilion Co. Election Deputy, Cathy Jenkins - Vermilion Co. Clerk, Theresa Moore - Logan Co. Clerk/Recorder, Kristy Masching - Livingston Co. Clerk/Recorder, Judi Pollock - Douglas Co. Clerk/Recorder, Georgia England - Moultrie Co. Clerk/Recorder, Jill Kenyon - Marshall Co. Clerk/Recorder, Bev Howard - Cumberland Co. Clerk/Recorder, Julie Coe - Coles Co. Clerk/Recorder.

•September 11, 2019•

The 3rd Annual Illinois Association of County Clerks and Recorders Zone III picnic meeting was held at Purcell’s Pond located near Decatur August 29.
The meeting this year was hosted by Moultrie County Clerk Georgia England with the meal provided by her election vendor, Liberty Systems LLC. There were 18 clerk/recorders present, along with four deputy clerks, four representatives from the State Board of Elections/ISP-STIC, seven vendors and three guests.
England stated that all Zone meetings consist of a business meeting, legislative review, updates from the State Board of Elections, STIC (Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center), Department of Revenue, and by any vendors attending the meeting.
One of the hottest topics at the August meeting was regarding elections and cyber security.
A couple of Illinois counties have made the news recently regarding Iranian attacks to websites causing concerns to many citizens.
Counties were advised that the best protection of county systems are when county boards recognize the importance of getting all the county offices on board, not just the county clerk’s office. Read More