Moultrie County Sunshine Draws Solar Farm Interest

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Local Farmers Contacted

•May 17, 2017•

By Mike Brothers

Solar farm interest in Moultrie County prompted the county planning and zoning committee to look into regulating the possible growth in this area.

Planning and zoning director Jan Haegen reported a single solar farm company had made about 400 contacts in 15 area counties.

Farm advisor Tyler Harvey noted that some 150 landowners had been contacted in Douglas and Moultrie counties and some of the contacts were about 40-60 acre parcels.

Director Haegen reported that, of those counties where contacts were made, none had active resolutions to regulate solar farming. He explained he was reviewing information concerning where the farms could be located, financial protection to cover possible removal of equipment and a number of issues relating to neighboring property owner concerns. Read More

SES Wax Museum

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SES Wax Museum
It was a chance to view a variety of celebrities and historic figures at the annual Sullivan Elementary School Wax Museum May 11. Sarina Voegel (fourth grade) is dressed as Dolly Parton and Karson Robinson (first grade) is viewing her display.

WHS Prom Royalty

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WHS Prom Royalty
Windsor High School held their Junior-Senior Prom May 6 at the Knights Hall in Sullivan with the theme Fire and Ice. A coronation was held, and the new royalty was crowned. Pictured front row (left to right): Crown bearer Addison Montgomery, 2017 prom queen Desirae Milligan, 2017 prom king Sterling Howard, crown bearer Jackson Hartman. Back row: 2016 prom queen Autumn Bennett, queen candidates Jodie Harris and Bailey Fleshner, king candidates Nic Hutchinson and Zack Van Hyfte, and 2016 king Zach Caywood.

OV Council Attends Convention

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OV Council Attends Convention
Student Council members from Okaw Valley High School attended the state convention in Lombard this past weekend. The students were able to experience a variety of activities including breakout sessions, speakers, and team building activities. Two OV students lead discussion groups, and the group was awarded a plaque for their honor book. Mrs. Bonnie Scott and Mrs. Jeni Yantis are the Okaw Valley Student Council sponsors.

Sullivan Rotary Honored

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Sullivan Rotary Honored
The Sullivan Rotary Club recently received two awards at the District Conference in Champaign including the Youth Service Award for the sponsorship of the One Book One Sullivan Program and the Star Club Award for giving at least $100 per member for the Rotary Programs throughout the world such as clean water and medical equipment programs. David Cole is shown accepting these awards for the club.

Top Land Use

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Top Land Use
At the FFA Section 16 Annual Banquet, Okaw Valley senior Laine Crawford was recognized for her top individual finish in Land Use (Soils), and Okaw Valley’s soil judging team also received a first place plaque.

Bicycle Safety at OVES

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Bicycle Safety at OVES
Okaw Valley FCCLA students presented bicycle safety to OVES May 4. FCCLA(Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) is a nonprofit national career and technical student organization for young men and women in family and consumer sciences education. Everyone is part of a family, and FCCLA is the only national career and technical student organization with the family as its central focus. Since 1945, FCCLA members have been making a difference in their families, careers, and communities by addressing important personal, work, and societal issues through family and consumer sciences education. Bonnie Scott is the Okaw Valley FCCLA sponsor.

Sullivan Honors Students on Awards Night

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At Sullivan High School Awards night Bryce King sits with family and friends. Vocal music director Jeff Thomas announced that King and Tatum Ellis were Vocal Music Award winners.

•May 10, 2017•

Sullivan High School Honors and Awards night was May 3 in the high school commons with more that $40,000 in scholarships awarded, along with a variety of honors for attending students.

Lake Land Community College Foundation scholars: Jonathan Gavin, Devin Warren, Shelby Freeman, Cassandra Freese, Bretton Crouse, Blake Pistorius.

LLC Presidential scholars: Anne Hogan, Shelby Freeman, Colleen Miller, Alexis Elder, Grace Mauck, William Nolen, Cassandra Weber.

Eastern Illinois University Commitment to Excellence award winners: Ashlynd Risley and Parker Whitaker.

Business student of the year: Bretton Crouse. Band student of the year: William Nolen.

Vocal music students of the year: Bryce King and Tatum Ellis.

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Sullivan: When Broom Corn was King

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Pictured is Sullivan’s Broom Corn Palace in 1907. It was located in the northwest corner of the square next to the Titus Opera House.

•May 10, 2017•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Nearly 50 years before Arcola claimed the distinction, Sullivan’s own Broom Corn Palace welcomed visitors in 1907. Sullivan was staking its claim as the broom raising center of the country.

The “Palace” was a festival feature, which included a street carnival and other attractions. The structure was built from broom corn grown around Sullivan. It was located in the northwest corner of the square next to the Titus Opera House which was located above the  Burton Enslow Clothing store at street level.

The Bristow and Ellis broom corn barn was located at the corner of N. Market and W. Jackson and was in business in the early 1900s. Most broom corn is now grown around Arcola, but before WWI it was big business in Sullivan.  Read More

ALAH National Honor Society

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Photo by Kelsi Stutzman.
ALAH National Honor Society
The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond National Honor Society inducted 15 new members during the April ceremony. The 2017 ALAH induction class is (back left to right) Taylor Powell, Logan Hall, Liz Shipman, Marcus Vanausdoll, Kara Yoder, Emma Harris, Riley Cochran, Nisa Asghar; (front) Katie Gingrich, Meredith Schrock, Makenna Green, Hannah Wallen, Marissa Herschberger, Cassandra Adams, and Andrea Witbeck.