Veterans: Thank You For Your Service!

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•November 21, 2018•

Sullivan Schools observed Veterans Day on Monday, Nov. 12 with the high school program organized by Rebecca Lawson’s Career English class seniors.
Following the school assembly lunch was provided by students, members of the Baking Brigade of Sullivan, and staff members for the 40 veteran guests who attended.
“I appreciated the cooperation and support of the Sullivan High School staff, especially Mr. Wilson and Mr. Schaefers,” Lawson began. “Without the help of my co-corkers  this program could not happen.”
“I am proud of my students. Many of them stepped out of their comfort zones to organize and hold the assemblies we do, and that is not easy,” she continued.
“They also made gifts for the veterans, designed t-shirts, made food, drew up layout plans, organized and ran the program, etc..”
“This is a learning experience for them and an opportunity for them to serve our community,” Lawson concluded. Read More

County Board Gives, Then Takes Away

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•November 21, 2018•

By Mike Brothers

The Moultrie County Board took away $500 earmarked for the CEFS Interagency and gave $50,000 to the Sullivan Chamber Economic Development for tourism promotion at the regular meeting Nov. 15.
In reaction to the County Board’s removal of its annual support for the Interagency group which directly helps Moultrie County people in need, County Clerk Georgia England announced courthouse employees would immediately start collecting food and donations to help make up the $500 taken away from the Food Pantry and other groups helped through the Interagency.
“The Interagency helps people with the greatest needs and the least ability to pay; we will collect donations to make up the $500 gap,” England said.
County Board chairman Dave McCabe noted State’s Attorney Tracy Weaver reviewed the Interagency request and said it was “probably not appropriate to make that donation” prior to moving to rescind the previously approved motion. The board voted unanimously to rescind the $500 contribution. Read More

Masonic Lodge Presents Community Builders Award Makes Community Donations

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Laurrie Minor received Community Builders Award.

•November 14, 2018•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Laurrie Minor, Executive Director of the Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development, was honored with the Community Builders Award by Sullivan George A. Sentel Masonic Lodge #764.
She received a plaque in recognition of her work with the Chamber at the Past Masters dinner and awards ceremony held Friday, Nov. 9 at the Masonic Lodge.
Worshipful Master, Ron Chenoweth, welcomed the members and guests and offered an opening prayer.
“Our golf outing and other fundraisers were very successful this year.” He reported “We provide three scholarships to high school students in Windsor, Sullivan and Okaw Valley each year. Excess funds are then given to community organizations.” Read More

County Dive Team is Underwater on Funding

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File photo
Dive team members Jesse Scribner, Rob Martz and Amanda Farley make do with outdated equipment.

•November 14, 2018•

By Mike Brothers

Members of the Moultrie County Public Health and Safety committee learned how underfunded the County Dive Team is and will make recommendations for the county board to help.
Moultrie County Dive Team coordinator Clay Brush appeared before the committee recently to explain changes in public safety diving standards and how it affects the ten-member dive rescue team.
With a budget of $5,000 per year the team isn’t able to cover the cost to equip a diver with full dry suits and face masks as required under new standards. The cost is about $7,800 to fully equip and certify one diver.
A separate department of county Emergency Services and Disaster Agency, Brush pointed out the dive team has two of the dry suits, which have a life expectancy of five years, that were purchased in the early 1990s with three others purchased around the turn of the century. Read More

Flesor’s Candy Kitchen Sale Sweetens Food Pantry

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Photo by Mike Brothers
Flesor’s Candy Kitchen is set up at Cathrine’s Gallery in Sullivan Nov. 17. Devon and son Paul will help visitors select from the variety of holiday treats with 20 percent of sales on Saturday helping the Moultrie County Food Pantry. A sweet deal all around.

•November 14, 2018•

By Jimi Candy
for the News Progress

Saturday, November 17 is a sweet time in Sullivan.
The annual Flesor’s Candy Kitchen candy sale for the Moultrie County Food Pantry will be held at Cathrine’s Gallery from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Sullivan.
With 20 percent of all sales donated to the food pantry, Devon Flesor Story and son Paul, a fourth generation candy maker, will be on hand providing delicious hand dipped chocolates, original gift designs including a variety of the Flesor signature candies and the traditional chocolate turkeys just in time for Thanksgiving.
Devon noted visitors to the candy sale Nov. 17 may still make special orders for Christmas gifts.
With Flesor’s prices remaining the same, the value of the custom made gifts increases. “If a customer wants to make a custom order, we can do that,” Devon said of the flexibility of the candy kitchen in Tuscola.
In addition to the favored candy tins and assorted treats, Devon is introducing a larger gift basket just in time for the Sullivan sale this year.
Innovative packaging is part of the creative side of the team of Devon and sister Anne Flesor Beck’s resurrection of their grandfather Gus’s Candy Kitchen. Read More

Fall Color for Parks

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Photo by Mike Brothers
Fall Color for Parks
Thanks to the generosity of My Garden owner Tina Krigbaum Sullivan parks received fresh fall colors for October. Park Supt. Herb Bricker emphasized this was the second year My Garden has donated plants to the parks, and Richard Glazebrook volunteered to help with the plantings. Bricker noted the park entrances are getting a new look, and the donated plants will initiate a “Wow” factor for patrons. Since 1993 Krigbaum has grown My Garden to include six greenhouses at the Hamilton Street location where 90% of her plants are grown in-house. From maintaining planters downtown every other year to donating plants to the city park district Krigbaum’s love for plants spreads throughout the community for everyone to enjoy as they visit Sullivan parks this fall.

Pie in Face Inspires Sullivan Schools’ Day of Giving Competition

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•November 7, 2018•

Sullivan Elementary School and Sullivan Middle School have a challenge for who can collect the most food and monetary donations for the Eastern Illinois Food Bank Day of Giving.
The winning school’s principal gets to throw a pie in the losing principal’s face!
What better way to give to the local food bank while competing for someone to get pie faced?
Also helping with the efforts toward the November 27 Day of Giving celebration are the Sullivan IGA, Sullivan VFW, Sullivan Eyecare, Oakwood Apothecary, The Sullivan First United Methodist Church, and The Sullivan Vineyard Church. Read More

Republicans Sweep Moultrie County Offices

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Photo by Mike Brothers
Family affair Chris and Jenny Ripple brought the family to witness voting at Marrowbone precinct polls in the Bethany Fire Protection Dist.

•November 7, 2018•

Moultrie County Republicans swept the Nov. 6 General Election taking circuit clerk, treasurer and all county board seats.
Competing for a two year circuit clerk term, former employee Christa Helmuth received 3,299 votes over Democrat Beth Pruitt who received 1,813.
Pruitt, a court reporter since 1992, was appointed circuit clerk in May replacing Democrat Cindy Braden.

County election official Dee Elder checks in Sullivan precinct 2 ballots from election judge Lori Harbaugh.

Republican Stephanie Helmuth, a bank officer from The First National Bank of Mattoon, is the new county treasurer receiving 3,220 votes over Diane Waggoner.
Waggoner, also a banker, is a lifelong Moultrie County resident born in Bethany. Read More

Toys for Tots

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Photo furnished
Toys for Tots
Toys for Tots collection locations are cropping up to help the less fortunate in the area have a better Christmas. Honono is the Manager of the El Paso Mexican Restaurant in Sullivan and a long time Toys for Tots collection location. He is pictured with the signature Walt Disney designed the copyrighted “Trains” Logo for Toys-For-Tots. For more information on how to help contact Eric Kenney at 217/728-7409 or email elk9theg@frontier.com

Pacesetter Award for Moultrie County Relay for Life Team

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Moultrie County Relay for Life committee members with the Pacesetter flag award from left: Jan McReynolds, Shelby Ray, Adam McReynolds, Tony Holly, Rob Young, Heather Dendy, Michelle Young and Angie Ray.

•November 7, 2018•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Every person, organization and business in Sullivan that participated in or in any way supported the recent American Cancer Society Relay for Life should be extremely proud.
The odds of reaching the $50,000 goal were seriously stacked against such an achievement, but Moultrie County prevailed for the first time in its relay history.
At the Relay for Life awards ceremony held at Vineyard Church in Sullivan on Nov. 3 Senior Community ACS Manager, Jeremy Harken, detailed the incredible achievement.
At the end of the regular campaign the team was $9,000 short of goal. But they had a 30-day grace period and decided to go back out raising an additional $18,000 in just 30 days.
“This has never been done in all my years of fund-raising,” Harken emphasized.
“Relay for Life is the largest fund-raiser in the world bringing in an average of $250 million each year. Read More