News Progress

•March 27, 2019•

By Peter Hancock
Capitol News Illinois

The Illinois Senate is poised to take up a bill that would make it easier for some seniors to access a state program that limits property tax increases on their homes.
Under current law, people age 65 and older with incomes up to $65,000 can claim the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption, which effectively freezes the taxable valuation of their homes so that their tax bills cannot go up simply because the market value of their home rises.
Senate Bill 1346, which cleared the Senate Revenue Committee on Wednesday, would expand that slightly, starting in the 2019 tax year, by allowing seniors to deduct from their income whatever money they spend on Medicare premiums. That would allow some people with incomes just above the $65,000 cap to claim the exemption. Read More

•March 20, 2019•

Moultrie County has four school districts that elect board members by Congressional Townships.
They are Arthur CUSD No. 302, Mattoon CUSD No. 2, Sullivan CUSD No. 300 and Windsor CUSD No. 1.
Board membership is restricted to a maximum of three members from any one Congressional Township, with the board member serving for a term of four years.
Those elected in 2017 will serve until April 2021. Slots available in a township for the 2019 election are, therefore, determined by how many are currently serving from the 2017 Consolidated Election. Read More

•March 20, 2019•

By Ellen Ferrera
For the News Progress

The 2019 Candidate Forum convened to a nearly full house at The Little Theatre March 14 which indicates a keen interest in the April 2 election.
Sponsored by the Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development (SCED) with the Moultrie County News Progress providing a live FB video, the candidates were introduced by SCED Executive Director, Laurrie Minor, who also monitored the time. Sullivan Community Unit School Dist. Supt. Ted Walk selected and read the questions for the candidates.
The format for the program was that each candidate would have one minute for introduction, three minutes to answer each of three questions and a final minute for closing statements. The questions were drawn at random from seven questions that had been prepared for the candidates.
Abbey Buxton Sherwood and Mike Mossman, both running for Commissioner of Accounting and Finance, were the first speakers. The first question posed to them was: Five city departments are represented by a Union. Do you feel comfortable with the negotiation process? Also, how should compensation be managed for those employees not in the union?
Sherwood: I believe that all city employees should be treated fairly and compensated fairly to keep morale high.
Mossman: I am comfortable in negotiating those contracts.
Question 2: Sullivan is one of the few Mayor/Commissioner forms of government left in Illinois. Many have changed to Mayor/Alderman or other forms. What is your opinion on such a change? Read More

Testing After Spring Break

By Mike Brothers

Sullivan Community Unit District #300 school board met March 11 voting to continue existing sports cooperative programs.
The football coop between Okaw Valley and Sullivan and the swimming coop between Shelbyville, Okaw Valley and Sullivan were approved for two years.
Supt. Ted Walk recommended changes to the kindergarten screening tool and report card. He explained kindergarten teachers had collaborated with first grade teachers to improve the transition by giving teachers a better gauge of progress.
Ali Elzy, senior in Cami Badman’s AP language and composition class, read her NPR radio “This I Believe” contest winning essay to the board. Read More