OV Musical Starts Thursday

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Photo by Jeni Yantis
OV Musical Starts Thursday
The Okaw Valley High School Drama Club will present Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis’s “Urinetown: The Musical,” winner of three Tony Awards. Performances will take place at 7 p.m. April 19, 20 and 21 in the OVHS gym.
When a 20-year drought leads to a severe water shortage, the government responds with a ban on private toilets. The citizens must fight the manipulative and sinister Urine Good Company to regain their right to use toilets for free. Their unlikely hero, Bobby Strong, finds himself thrust into the revolution by a beautiful young woman named Hope who fills him with, well, hope.
Included in the cast are seniors Hannah Landreth, Natalie Jeffers, Lexi Roe, Grace Harlin, Hope Ruppert; juniors Gavon Hargrove, Shelby Hagerman, Kaylee Taylor, Bella Benning; sophomore Kate Jeffers and freshmen Haven Caulfield, Julia Hildebrandt and Hannah Durbin.
For ticket information contact the OVHS office at 665-3631.

2018 OVHS  Prom Court

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Photo by Jeni Yantis
2018 OVHS  Prom Court
The Okaw Valley Junior-Senior Prom will be held at Mason Point at 7 p.m. Saturday April 28. Coronation will begin at 7:45.  Pictured front row - Hope Ruppert, Natalie Jeffers, Grace Harlin, Hannah Landreth. Back row - Hayden Francisco, Hutson Dickens, Austin Hill, Trey Yarnell.

Sullivan Board Sets Graduation, Hires Teachers

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Scholarships Presented May 2

•April 18, 2018•

By Mike Brothers

Sullivan Community Unit 300 school board learned that 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 20 is high school graduation on the football field if weather permits.

High school principal Erik Young also reported that awards presentations will be split between an evening session Wednesday, May 2 for scholarship presentations and in school student recognition day Wednesday, May 9.

Supt. Ted Walk presented the amended tentative budget which will be available for viewing until the public hearing on June 11. He noted removing contingencies and shifting some fund designations have all areas of the budget in the black with an anticipated $84,000 surplus.

Personnel actions include Craig Toler employed as high school physical education teacher due to the resignation of William Manning. (BS+0) He is currently special education aide and volunteer assistant basketball coach. Read More

Jury Trial Sought in SHS Bomb Threat Case

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•April 18, 2018•

The student accused of making a terrorist bomb threat at Sullivan High School will be allowed a bond reduction hearing Thursday, April 19.

Jalon A. Warren appeared before the Hon. Judge Hugh Finson in Moultrie County court along with defense attorney Phillip Tibbs who made the request to reduce the $100,000 bond which has held the defendant in county jail since March 23.  Read More

OVES/OVMS Enjoy Maker Day

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OVES/OVMS Enjoy Maker Day
OVES and OVMS recently participated in Maker Days. A Maker Day is a facilitated event that requires participants to thoughtfully and fully engage in design thinking and creative problem solving and experience hands-on activities. Lara Macklin, OVHS media specialist, made the day possible with creative planning and help from OVHS students.

County Dems. Select New Circuit Clerk

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Photo by Mike Brothers
New Moultrie County Circuit Clerk Beth Pruitt, County Democrat Central Committee Chairman Stuart Wade and outgoing Circuit Clerk Cindy Braden following the county central committee selection of Braden’s replacement last Friday. Following county board approval Pruitt takes office May 1.

•April 11, 2018•

by Mike Brothers
for the News Progress.

Mary Beth Pruitt moved across the courtroom as she accepted appointment as Moultrie County Circuit Clerk on Friday.

The Democrat Central Committee, selected Pruitt to replace outgoing Circuit Clerk Cindy Braden.

Braden begins her new position May 1 as court operations analyst with the Court Services Division of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Court in Springfield.

Pruitt of Sullivan is a court reporter and has spent her career keeping track of the verbatim records of the courts; now she moves across the courtroom to handle the public side of court record keeping.  Read More

Lovington Board Prepares for Clean up Day

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•April 11, 2018•

The Lovington Village Board met in special session March 26 discussing issues  regarding the village water leak adjustment calculator.

The regular meeting on March 12 included clean up day and townwide garage sale discussions.

President Roger Walker noted he has a problem with leak adjustments from unoccupied homes when pipes freeze and burst. “Because of the water leaks we have had, we need to do something that will help us,” Walker told the board. Read More

Findlay’s Distinguished Alumni Award 

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Chris Tippit and Christmas shoe boxes for children.

Reflects Love of Children and Community 

•April 11, 2018•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

The Findlay High School Alumni Association bestowed its Distinguished Alumni Award to Chris Eadie Tippit for her work with children and in community service.

“I never wanted or expected recognition for my work. I have simply done what God called me to do,” Tippit said,

She was born and raised in Findlay and has always had a love of children and people. After graduating from Eastern Illinois University, she taught for 37 years in Beecher City/Shumway, Pana, Tower Hill and Findlay. She and her husband, Fred, have a blended family of nine children and are further blessed with 24 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

The story doesn’t end there, however. Chris started bringing home struggling children to tutor them individually. The Tippit family became foster parents to 42  children over a 20 year period. Read More

Quarter Auction to Raise Funds for Moultrie Co. Fair

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•April 4, 2018•

This month’s annual quarter auction at the Sullivan American Legion starts at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 11.

All ages are welcome to attend and this month’s charity is the Moultrie-Sullivan Fair. The fair board is raising funds for needed improvements to the fairgrounds. Check out Moultrie-Sullivan Fair on Facebook for more information about the fair.  Read More

“The Truth Will Set You Free” Wins NPR Contest

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera Sullivan High school English teacher Cami Badman and NPR Illinois essay winner Katie Webb with copy of her essay.

•April 4, 2018•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

If ever anyone has spun gold cloth from the frayed threads of their life, Katie Webb is that person.

Webb, a Sullivan High School student, was recently chosen one of 10 state winners in the Illinois National Public Radio essay contest. From 200 entries, 10 were selected, each receiving a $100 prize for their composition on the topic “This I Believe.”

Cami Badman, Webb’s high school English teacher, assigned her class the task of writing the 500-word essay for NPR. “ I told the class that, as long as they had written the essay, they should enter the contest.”

Webb’s story strikes close to home—her parents were drug addicts. Her mother was rarely home, and her weekends growing up were spent visiting her incarcerated father. She realized at a young age that this was the reality of her life, and she has never shied away from openly discussing these circumstances. Believing having a truthful and open approach to life is the best policy, she conveyed that in her essay. Read More