News Progress

•September 19, 2018•

By Mike Brothers

Moultrie County Board members approved a plan for a new website which could provide online forms as well as the ability to accept online payments.
At the Thursday, Sept. 13 meeting website adhoc committee chair Neil Bryan recommended approving the $10,900 website update proposal from government website developer Revize.
Bryan and committee member Mike Barringer noted Revize. presented a professional proposal of a branding website for Moultrie County and, with a staff of 20, provides 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. support seven days a week.
Bryan noted in addition to development cost, Revize. would charge $2475 annually for maintaining the site. He moved the proposal be accepted and work start immediately since it is a project that will take several months. Motion was seconded by Tim Rose with unanimous approval of Moultrie County Board members attending.
Chairman Dave McCabe reported on personnel committee recommendations for salary increases in the absence of committee chair Billy Voyles. Read More

Photo by Mike Brothers
The rebar sculpture of an Eagle holding on to a fish while perched on a branch is located at the entrance of Tabor Park in Sullivan. St. Joseph Sculptor Tim Summerville (left) set the Eagle up at its new home with some help from Park Supt. Herb Bricker Jr. and City Commissioner Mike Mossman. Not only did the sculptor deliver and set up the Eagle, he has agreed to wait for the $4000 payment until the next city budget year.

•September 12, 2018•

Tabor Park has a new sentry with impressive credentials.
An American Eagle sculpture was placed in the center lawn at the entry of the park on August 30.
Park Supt. Herb Bricker Jr. explained he was planning a feature for the entrance to Tabor and local sculpture Tim Summerville had the rebar constructed eagle sitting on a branch with fish in talons on display in a downtown Champaign museum.
“Tim was best man at my wedding so we’ve known each other a while,” Bricker began. “We were discussing plans for Tabor while having dinner with our wives, and he mentioned the sculpture in Champaign might be what we were looking for.”
Summerville explained he had just completed a rebar sculpted bison commissioned by the city of Decatur for the Sculpture Park near Scovill Musuem.
“He took me over to Scovill to see the rebar bison sculpture which fit the look I was after,” Bricker continued.
So he went to Champaign to check out the eagle perched on a tree branch with the fish in its grip. Bricker noted it was like a scene you could see from the Findlay Bridge on Lake Shelbyville.
An artist all his life, Tim Summerville’s rebar sculptures are standing in central Illinois because of a vacation to North Dakota where he first saw a rebar Buffalo. “While everyone else was admiring the art, I was busy looking inside to see how it was put together.” Read More

•September 12, 2018•

Moultrie County Board personnel committee approved recommended salary increases to to the county board for consideration at the Sept 14 meeting.
Board chair Dave McCabe chaired the meeting in absence of chair Billy Voyles with members Kevin McReynolds, Gary Smith and Neil Bryan agreeing on proposed increases for county office chief deputies, courthouse staff and remaining department heads.
Neil Bryan moved that a $1500 stipend for chief deputies be approved; Kevin McReynolds seconded. Chief deputies for elected department heads currently receive a $1200 annual stipend for the extra duty assignment.
Courthouse employees’ proposed increase of $1500 annually was approved unanimously for recommendation to the board on a motion by Gary Smith and seconded by Kevin McReynolds. Read More