United Way Moultrie County Strengthens the Community

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•July 4, 2018•

For the first time in recent years United Way was able to fund requests for the eight Moultrie County agencies that applied.
United Way Director of Community Impact James Keith pointed out fund-raising efforts increased by 30% allowing all eight agency requests to be granted. Keith emphasized agencies involved such as Moultrie County Counseling Center, Moultrie Beacon and DOVE also work together to make the most effective use of those funds possible.
“One positive impact on the community is the Peace Meal program which uses great local partners to reach out,” Keith said of the kind of agency programs supported by United Way.
He emphasized that one reason United Way is effective is that all the money donated in Moultrie County is decided by a local five person board, assuring what is donated here stays here and used the best way possible.
“We have to give a great deal of credit to our friends at Agri-Fab and Hydro-Gear,” Stan Parks, director of Resource Development for United Way began.
“The employees participating in the United Way campaign have been extremely generous,” Parks said of fund-raising at the industries, as well as other businesses in Moultrie County.
“Even those who aren’t making much money donate because a lot of times they have a relative or know someone receiving help from one of the agencies United Way supports,” Parks continued. Read More

Moultrie-Douglas County Fair Offers Something for Everyone

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•July 4, 2018•

The 2018 Moultrie-Douglas County Fair is July 8-14 at the Moultrie-Douglas Co. Fairgrounds in Arthur.
Headliner for this year’s fair is Tyler Farr, country singer from Nashville, Tenn.
Hear Farr sing his ballads at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 14, on the Main Stage. Opening for Farr is local band Wreckless Whiskey at 7 p.m.
Visit the website for ordering Tyler Farr and rodeo tickets and making online entries. Cutoff date for ordering tickets and pre-registration will be midnight Friday, July 6.
The 4-H Project Auction at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 11, allows the youth to show others their hard work throughout each year and also gives them the opportunity to purchase many of the animals, baked goods, crafts and more.
The queen contests will be held on Monday and Tuesday night. The baby pageant is at 10 a.m. Saturday. Read More

Sullivan Schools Alumni Return to Teach and Coach

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•July 4, 2018•

By Mike Brothers

Sullivan schools welcome back a couple of alumni as teachers, following a special District 300 board meeting Friday, June 29.
With Ann Wheeler replacing the absent president Jeff White, attending members unanimously approved Craig Black as high school head basketball coach and physical education teacher and SHS alumnus Jacob Haegen as full-time elementary school teacher.
Black, a 2007 SHS graduate, replaces Chester Reeder who accepted the Teutopolis head coaching job. Black has coached at Oakwood High School for the past four years with the team named 2018 Vermilion County Tournament Champions.
Haegen, who lives in Sullivan with his wife, son and daughter, has taught kindergarten for 16 years at Stewardson-Strasburg Elementary School. Haegen replaces Cheryl Kramer who submitted her notice of retirement as elementary school teacher. Read More

Musical Night

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Photo by Mike Brothers
Musical Night
Members of the Sullivan Communnity Band gave their inaugural performance Thursday, June 28. Organized by SHS band director Shaun Schaefers the 40 piece band blended the talents of various local musicians for this free concert. In spite of threatening weather that forced the concerts’ move from Wyman Park, the event was well-attended in the Sulliven Middle School gymnasium. It was worth it for the Pink Panther theme, alone!

Knee High Plus 35

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Photo by R.R. Best
Knee High Plus 35
Colleen Zenk is pictured with Boo and Little Theatre Executive Director John Stephens beside Tony Sager’s crop in this year’s annual News Progress Knee High by Fourth of July photo monitoring central Illinois corn yields. Zenk starred in “Hello, Dolly!” at the Little Theatre in 2018. In 1983 she was headlining “They’re Playing Our Song” along with Michael Crouch and was photographed by R. R. Best on Guy Little’s farm south of Sulilvan.

“Hello Dolly” Keeps the Music Flowing At The Little Theatre on the Square

News Progress Posted on by

•June 27, 2018•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Acclaimed actress and Emmy award winner, Colleen Zenk, commands the stage as that scheming matchmaker and compulsive meddler, Dolly Gallagher Levi, in “Hello Dolly” currently playing at the Little Theatre.
The musical is replete with colorful costumes, gorgeous sets and some of the most memorable music in American Theatre. This is a polished and well-chosen cast who will sing and dance their way into your heart.
The plot for “Hello Dolly” originated in an 1835 play, and Thornton Wilder adapted it into a play entitled “The Merchant of Yonkers”, a flop which he revised to “The Matchmaker”. David Merrick turned it into the musical with the late great Carol Channing who made it her signature role. It is one of the longest-running musicals on Broadway and currently in its fifth revival.
The time is late 1900s, and the brassy Dolly Gallagher Levi is in town. She is a meddler – making her living as a matchmaker, dance instructor, mandolin teacher and numerous other sidelines. She is looking for a wife for the grumpy Horace Vandergelder (Gus Gordon), but she makes it clear that she intends to snag Horace for herself. Ambrose Kemper (Luke Rose) wants to marry Horace’s niece Ermengarde (Shannon McEldowney) but Horace opposes the union so Ambrose has enlisted Dolly’s help. Read More

SMS Science Trip – Accidentally Learning While Having Fun

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Photo furnished
It was snorkeling day at Rainbow River for the 24 Sullivan school students taking the Science Trip to Florida.

•June 27, 2018•

By Mike Brothers

The fifth annual Sullivan school science trip was taken to Tampa, Fla. June 11-14 with 24 students attending.
“It was a way for the kids to have four days of fun while accidentally learning something along the way,” said science teacher Troy Rogers who leads the every other year trip for interested middle school students.
He explained the trip is through World Strides and is not a school district function. Rogers and his wife Kari chaperoned along with Aaron Kirk and Kimberly Wallace who had attended the 2010 trip.
Geared for those interested in science and nature, student vacationers dissected squid at Clearwater Marine Aquarium and even got to swim with manatees.
Rogers noted that the group learned about the manatee family with the baby manatee impressing the kids with its playfulness.
“This is a short trip, early in the week so those involved in other summer activities could get back and not miss anything,” Rogers said, explaining that son Drew got back in time for basketball camp. Read More

Summer Refreshment

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Photo by Mike Brothers
Summer Refreshment
These Sullivan entrepreneurs decided to take advantage of extra traffic created this week due to Sullivan Independence Celebration setup across the street at the Sullivan American Legion Post 68. Above Alaina Moore (left) and partner Kendall Penberthy create a special mixture of grape Kool-Aid and lemonade as a signature summer drink. Lemonade, grape Kool-Aid or any mixture of the two is only 75 cents this week on Main Street in Sullivan.

Muddy Good Time!

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Photo by R. R. Best’
Muddy Good Time!
Cody Carlson right and Wesley Bone put forth the true spirit of mud volleyball competition at the Bethany Celebration held this past weekend. The Friday and Saturday events also included three on three basketball and ended with Saturday evening fireworks at Crowder Park.

IDNR Seeks Developer for Eagle Creek

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•June 20, 2018•

Eagle Creek Resort has been closed for nearly a decade, with the state still asking for ideas for the decaying resort along Lake Shelbyville
IDNR officials rejected the one proposal it recently received for the Eagle Creek facility according to IDNR’s Ed Cross. He said the state was still hoping to find a private developer for the facility in Eagle Creek State Park.
He said the department uses a scoring system to determine whether a development plan is viable. The one proposal received last time, from John Fayhee at Sullivan Marina on Lake Shelbyville, didn’t meet the needed score. Read More