photo furnished
Majors Participate
Okaw Valley Drum Majors Caleb Hildebrandt and Connor Powers participated in the Smith Walbridge Clinic at Eastern Illinois University this past week. OV band camp runs from July 24th-July 28th at OVHS.
Photo furnished
Lovington Legion Family
Recently elected officers of the Lovington American Legion Post #429, American Legion Auxiliary and Sons of American Legion gathered at the Post. Pictured from left standing: Post Commander George Clark, Senior Vice Curt Clough Jr., Vice/Finance Mike Wainscott, Chaplain Neil Owens, Auxiliary Sgt. at Arms Cindy Helton, Aux. Vice Jennifer Mechling, SAL Commander Dennis Fedie, Aux Sec-Treas, Dina Owens, American Legion Auxiliary President Lind Alumbaugh, SAL Sr. Vice Robert Riley and Legion Adjutant Tom Brown. Seated: Post 429 Historian Charlie Dyer.
Photo by Mike Brothers
Fireworks over Wyman
Sullivan American Legion Post 68 ended the Fourth of July celebration in grand fashion with fireworks in the air and on the ground, entertaining the huge crowd gathered around Wyman Park lake. This was the second year Central States Fireworks of Athens lit up the Sullivan skies on the Fourth of July.
Photo by Mike Brothers
Sullivan Rocks! Facebook group members from Moultrie Counseling Center display a few of the rocks you may find around Sullivan. Pictured standing from left: Hollie Atchison, Audrey Mosier, and Katrina Lynn with Penny Arthur kneeling center.
•July 12, 2017•
By Skip N. Stone
for the News Progress
Sullivan rocks! And if you don’t believe it, take a look around the square.
Brightly painted rocks with inspirational messages have been turning up on window ledges and various spots around town. What do you do when you find the rock?
“Either keep it or hide it again and post it on our Facebook page,” explained one of the Sullivan Rocks! founding members Audrey Mosier. It is an idea that grew from a co-worker’s late night FB troll.
“I was trolling Facebook one night, and I saw where this person had found a rock in some town in Iowa and was asking what to do with it,” Katrina Lynn, who works with Mosier at Moultrie Family Counseling Center said.
Lynn explained the Facebook craze is sweeping many areas of the country now, with some of the groups growing to 160,000 members and more. Read More
Photo by Mike Brothers
Chamber Jackpot Winner
Winning the annual Sullivan Economic Development and Chamber Fourth of July Jackpot for 2017 was Barb Dobbs of rural Sullivan. Pictured are Chamber Director Laurrie Minor, $4865 prize winner Barb Dobbs and Chamber Adminstrative Asst. Malinda Calhoun Hurt during the presentation. Dobbs said she has plans to get tires for her car and replace the 1970s shag carpeting in her home.
•July 12, 2017•
Farmers Offered Land Leases
By Mike Brothers
Solar farms may shine a different light on the prairie soon.
Over the past few months farmers in Moultrie, Douglas, Coles, and Edgar counties received packets from solar farm companies interested in locating on the prairie.
Illinois Farm Bureau held an information meeting at Lake Land College June 28 to give interested farmers some direction.
“We have only had two or three inquiries at our office since the packets were sent out,” Tyler Harvey, Moultrie Douglas advisor said.
There were some 75 area farmers attending the Illinois Farm Bureau sponsored session that included Jason Carr of Cypress Renewables, one company that sent the packets. Read More
•July 12, 2017•
By Mike Brothers
Coles-Moultrie 9-1-1 consolidation was recently completed with an open house held at the Dispatch Center across from Sarah Bush Lincoln in Coles County.
The highway 16 facility was open from 3-6 p.m. June 28 with Director Bernie Buttrum conducting tours and explaining the path to completing the enhanced 9-1-1 emergency communication system.
Included in the tour was a look into the dispatch operations located safely in the windowless basement of the building.
Assistant Director Amanda Williamson explained committing to being a dispatcher means giving up a lot since they work from 8-12 hour shifts and can not leave the dispatch center .
“What we try to do in the beginning is explain to the candidate what they are up against,” Williamson began, noting that many applicants have a glorified image of the dispatch job as displayed on television. Read More
Photo by Mike Brothers
Enhanced 9-1-1 Open House
Coles-Moultrie 9-1-1 Director Bernie Buttram and Moultrie County States Attorney Jeremy Richey during the recent open house at 9-1-1 dispatch headquarters.
Alex Menke photo
More Than Knee High
Knee High Fourth of July Luke Clevenger, 5, and Emma Clevenger, 3, illustrate this Moultrie County cornfield is well over knee high.
•July 5, 2017•
By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress
Sullivan City Council members debated the issue of health insurance again at their most recent meeting. The debate was whether the retired employees over 65 and their dependents should share the cost of their health insurance with the city. Insurance carrier Health Alliance has urged a decision with commissioners Jerry Risley and Mike Mossman pointing out the need for further information. Commissioner Mike Kirk felt that they shouldn’t wait another year. “It isn’t fair to the people or to the city,” Kirk noted.
The outcome of their decision would affect about 10-15 people currently on the city’s health insurance plan. Retired city employee Joe Thompson spoke on behalf of the retired city employees, asking that the city stick with the plan that they made several years ago. With the costs of health insurance reaching a million dollars for the city the question is whether they can continue on the “promise” that was made back in the 80’s. Read More