Question of the Week: Why Do People Shop Out of Sullivan?

News Progress Posted on by

•July 25, 2018•

By Mike Brothers

Why do people shop out of Sullivan?
The answer was being sought by Rob Young and a group of about 35 people gathered at Cathrine’s 5 West Thursday, July 19.
The immediate answer was not quite clear, but plans for future growth were presented.
Sullivan Economic Development and Chamber Director Laurrie Minor explained how MAPPING the Future program through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity can help determine the best course for the area’s future growth.
Arthur, Bethany, Findlay and Shelbyville have participated in MAPPING which is multi-year community effort to map attainable goals for future community growth, Minor said, noting EDC is developing the local advisory board. Read More

Don’t Desert the Flock to Chase Stray Sheep

News Progress Posted on by

•July 25, 2018•

Editor’s Note: The logo for this column started with Bob Best’s column and continued with Marion’s version. BB’s reflected the hopes and ambitions of Moultrie County as we hope to continue.

I was sitting in a meeting last week where some concerned business owners were wondering what it would take to get more people to shop in Sullivan.
The Moultrie County News Progress has been in business in Sullivan for the past 160 years and in the process has been a part of every Chamber that has been organized and every group that wanted to improve things so it is an item of interest.
This newspaper has covered the community from life to death since its doors opened. We are there to tell your neighbors about the birth of your child and that child’s growth in the community—everything from participating in preschool activities to sports accomplishments, scholastic achievements, engagements marriages, anniversaries and the last word in life, your obituary. Read More

Illinois Amish Heritage Center Hosts Annual Steam Threshing Show

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Photo courtesy Roberta Porter Brennan
The Amish Heritage Center’s Threshing event west of Chesterville is August 3-4. Above Glendon Herschberger shocks oats for drying prior to threshing.

•July 25, 2018•

The second annual Steam Threshing Show will be held August 3-4 at the new Illinois Amish Heritage Center three miles east of Arthur. Times will be 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
The 2018 show will be centered around harvesting and threshing oats rather than wheat. The oats will be cut and bound into sheaves by a horse-drawn mechanical binder two weeks before the event after which the sheaves will be stacked into shocks for drying in the field. On the day of the event, they will be loaded onto horse-drawn wagons and transported to the threshing machine which will separate the grain from the chaff and straw. The grain will be directed to a bin, and the straw will form a hay stack that will continually grow with each new round of threshing.
The threshing process will be done using antique farming equipment including a 1924 steam tractor and threshing machine made by the Keck-Gonnerman Company of Mt. Vernon, Indiana. Other antique and vintage agricultural equipment will also be on display, including a 1954 Massey Harris model 44 tractor owned by Sam Miller, a 1931 John Deere D owned by George Kauffman, and many other antique tractors. Farm equipment demonstrations will feature a John Deere stationary hay baler, old engines and steam engines, a grist mill, field demonstrations of plowing and disking, with Belgian horses and the old methods of threshing grain by hand with flails and a fanning mill. Blacksmithing will also be demonstrated as well as goat milking and butter churning. All demonstrations will be “learn abouts” as they will be accompanied by explanations of the processes. Read More

New Athletic Facility for Okaw Valley Schools

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•July 25, 2018•

The Okaw Valley CUSD #302 announced the approval of a $1.5 million athletic facility to be built at Okaw Valley High School in Bethany and unveiled its new school logos.
The OV School Board approved the use of existing district fund balance July 19 to construct the facility.
This construction is scheduled to start in the coming weeks and is scheduled to be finished for the 2019 spring sports season.
Included in the new facilities will be an eight-lane synthetic all-weather track, a new softball field for middle school and high school teams and a new baseball field with a synthetic turf infield.
“It is important to note that the synthetic baseball field will have the ability to host high school and middle school softball games in addition to middle school baseball,” said Okaw Valley athletic director Brooks Inman. “This new facility will be the first of its kind in the surrounding area and one of the first for a district our size in the state.”
Saturday, July 21, Okaw Valley unveiled its new logos on Twitter.
Jason Brown

The Sun Will Come Up Tomorrow for Annie

News Progress Posted on by

 •July 25, 2018•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

The great comic actor W.C. Fields had a rule of never performing with children or dogs. If you see “Annie’’ at The Little Theatre you will know why. They steal the show! The children (and dog) are such polished performers and just carry the show in ways you don’t expect.
If you have or know children who have never seen musical theater, please give them the gift of a ticket to “Annie”. You will open a whole new world of wonder and enchantment for them.
Those of a certain age first met Little Orphan Annie with her big zero eyes in the Sunday comic strips. In 1977 she got her own Broadway musical and endeared herself to new generations of fans.
In this episode she is in an orphanage with 12 other girls under the heavy hand of Miss Hannigan. Annie manages to escape but is caught and returned just as Oliver Warbucks’ secretary, Grace Farrell, arrives. She selects Annie to be the only girl invited to Warbucks’ annual Christmas party.
The brusque billionaire cannot resist Annie’s adorableness and soon wants to adopt her. But Annie only wants to find her parents who left her at the orphanage with a note and a locket – important clues later. Warbucks enlists the help of no less than President Roosevelt, Elliott Ness, J. Edgar Hoover and an offer of $50,000 to anyone proving they are Annie’s parents. Read More

Jeepin’ for Jesse

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Photo by R.R. Best
Jeepin’ for Jesse
Volunteers for Operation Secret Santa were ready to roll in the annual Jeepin’ for Jesse fund-raising event. Sign up was 11 a.m. July 14 at the Toy Bar in Sullivan. Operation Secret Santa kicked off at noon followed by silent and live actions with DJ tunes providing music at The Toy Bar to close the evening. Operation Secret Santa has grown to not only help those in need at Christmas but serves those in need around Moultrie County throughout the year.

Bethany Village Board Increases Utility Rates

News Progress Posted on by

•July 18, 2018•

By Ellen Ferrera
for The News Progress

In a regular meeting on July 12 the Bethany Village Board voted unanimously to raise the rates 4% each for water, sewer, electric and gas services.
The board also approved a minimum wage ordinance and an ordinance adding 50 cents to utility bills for recycling.
In other business, Police Chief Chris Nichols reported that a $13,000 grant had been received toward the purchase of a new Ford SUV police car. The village, however, will have to pay for equipping the car with items such as a computer and video camera. Read More

V-Roy, The Master Of Mystery from Bethany

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Photo furnished
Local magician V-Roy in action.

•July 18, 2018•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Virgil Roy Hampton, V-Roy, was born in Lake City in 1906, but his family soon moved to a 42-acre farm in Bethany.
He became enchanted with magic at an early age and was earning such a good living from legerdemain that he quit high school just before graduating. He felt the diploma would not help him in his career.
By the end of that career he was considered the new Harry Houdini, but he actually patterned his act after Ed Reno whom he considered the best.
At just 20 years old, he hit the road in 1926 with the John Robinson Circus doing magic as a side show. He also played cornet in the circus band, and this sparked his interest in show business. A fine musician, he also played with the Bethany Concert Band and the Alfonzo Carnival Band.
In 1928 he made a parachute jump at the Moody airport in Dalton City. Such stunts were rare in those days, and it attracted a large crowd. He continued doing air stunts such as walking on the wings.
During the war he toured with the USO and also with bond rallies for the war. He was famous throughout Canada and central Illinois, and in the 1950s he did a 14-month tour of Europe. In 1943 V-Roy did over 200 shows in Illinois high schools. He did a lot of fairs in the U.S. and Canada, and his one regret was that he never played the Illinois State Fair. Read More

County Board Receives Tourism Report, Approves Reimbursement

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File photo
Lake Shelbyville Operations Manager Jon Summers

•July 18, 2018•

By Mike Brothers

The third time was a charm for Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development with the Moultrie County Board agreeing to reimburse $18,809.26 in expenses at the July 12 meeting.
In this third attempt to get reimbursed for money already budgeted by the county board Chamber executive director Laurrie Minor, Lake Shelbyville operations manager Jon Summers and Matt Condill of the Great Pumpkin Patch explained efforts by the Chamber to improve tourism in all of Moultrie County.
Summers began by explaining the partnership at the Chicago Camping and RV with the Chamber had benefitted the lake and the county by reaching 25,000 potential visitors during the four day event.
He explained the Corp has invested $3.2 million in recreation areas including updates at Sullivan beach and Wilborn Creek.
“The more we can partner with Sullivan Chamber and places like the Great Pumpkin Patch the greater our chances to improve tourism for the whole area,” Summers explained.
He indicated partnerships with Okaw Valley schools and the Fish Habitat Alliance are examples of ways the lake has successfully extended its involvement in the communities that surround it. Read More

Council Learns of Erosion Threat to Tabor Park Trees

News Progress Posted on by

•July 18, 2018•

By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

A comment pertaining to an erosion problem at Sullivan Tabor Park opened the last meeting of the Sullivan City Council. By showing some photographic evidence, it was brought to the attention of the council that about 39 trees are possibly being affected by erosion in the park. Concerned council members noted that they would be looking into the situation.
The East Central Illinois Development Corporation gave a presentation about tax credit housing that could create new housing development for families with lower income.
Tax credit housing is also ideal for transitional housing for those trying to getting started at new jobs. The corporation has been around since 1984 and has shelped with housing issues in 11 different counties within the area: (Christian, Shelby, Effingham , Jasper, Cumberland, Crawford, Moultrie, Douglas, Coles, Edgar, Clark and Crawford). Read More