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Okaw Valley Prom Candidates
Okaw Valley High School will hold the 2017 Junior/Senior Prom at Mason Point in Sullivan April 29. Queen and King candidates include (front) Kailyn Boyer, Sydney Hagerman, Madison Uhlrich, Jessica Robison (back) Ty Nichols, Seth Yeakel, Brendon Lane and Taylor Coleman.
Photo by Mike Brothers
Mike Rollins remembers his scouting days and a trip that made him a seasoned traveler. He is seated on the left in his Scout photo from the 1960s.
•April 26, 2017•
By Woody Hills
for the News Progress
When Sullivan Masonic Lodge Worshipful Master Mike Rollins presented Boy Scout Troop 39 a donation from the St. Patrick’s Day corned beef and cabbage fundraiser, it brought back one great scouting memory.
Rollins spent years on the road as a truck driver before retiring to Sullivan, but one road trip while he was a Boy Scout in the mid-sixties made him appreciate traveling as he still keeps a camper and truck at ready in his drive.
“During the sixties our Boy Scout troop was fortunate enough to have some parents connected to the Air National Guard in Springfield,” Rollins said of the beginning of the great Boy Scout Road Trip.
He explained that through those connections the scouts learned that prior arrangements would let them stay at military facilities free of charge on a planned trip west. Read More
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OV Students Attend NJLB Event
Students from Okaw Valley attended the No Job Left Behind business luncheon April 20 at the Sullivan VFW. Students were able to meet with local business personnel and listen to testimonials highlighting a variety of local businesses. Pictured are those who attended along with Sullivan Chamber intern Kristy Burford, who is currently a senior at OVHS, participating in the job shadow program.
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OVHS Helps CORP
Okaw Valley students helped out with the Corps of Engineers at Lake Shelbyville on Monday. The students spread 30 cubic yards of mulch, cleaned up the flower beds at the visitor center and Coon Creek, and trimmed back and cleaned the trials at Coon Creek. It was a beautiful day and a great opportunity for students to give back to the community.
Cautions Politicians About Rumors
•April 19, 2017•
Moultrie County Clerk Georgia England announced her run for reelection, while dispelling “coffee shop talk”, at the April 13 county board meeting.
England, who has been the Democrat County Clerk in Moultrie County since 2001, made the announcement while clearing the air of some political rumors circulating the local circuit.
“I am going to run in 2018,” England proclaimed. “I need to clear the air about some coffee shop talk that has been going around for the past couple of weeks,” she said, addressing the eight Republican/one Democrat board. Read More
Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Lovington Easter Egg Hunt
The annual Lovington Easter Egg hunt was held Saturday, April 8 in the village park. Children from five age groups gathered at the park, hunting for Easter eggs and prizes. Grand prizes included a new bicycle giveaway sponsored by Sparrows of Lovington. Boys’ and girls’ bike winners include Tyler Wulff and Landry Wiley (1-3 yrs); Gavin Wylie and Isabella Black (kindergarten); Owen Hilton and Karah Helmuth (first and second); Zachary Barrett and Kikyo Brent (third and fourth); Colton Taylor and Morgan Walters (fifth and sixth).
OVHS presents “The Addams Family” April 20 -22 at the gym in Bethany.
•April 19, 2017•
Okaw Valley High School Drama Club will present the musical “The Addams Family” from at 7 p.m. April 20-22 in the OVHS gym.
“The Addams Family” (A New Musical) opened on Broadway in April 2010 and was created by Jersey Boys authors Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice and Drama Desk Award winner Andrew Lippa. It tells an original story of the familiar family that is known for all things macabre. Read More
•April 19, 2017•
By Mike Brothers
A budget that is $179,565 in the red and a state $380,420 behind in categorical payments faces the new Sullivan Community District #300 school board when it organizes April 25.
Supt. Brad Tuttle explained the situation to the outgoing school board as well as new members Zak Horn, Tyson Grooms and Erik Stollard who attended the regular April 17 board meeting.
During the full funding agreement reached by the state legislature last year the four categorical payments were guaranteed school districts this year.
“We have only received one categorical payment, which was the fourth one due last year,” Tuttle began. Read More
•April 19, 2017•
Coles-Moultrie e911 is calling land lines to verify data the week of April 17, Arlene Aschermann, announced at the April 13 county board meeting.
The Moultrie Co Public Safety chair, explained telephone customers randomly called in Moultrie County will be given a code to dial back. This will the verify the individual’s information in the 911 database.
In Moultrie County 776 land lines are unpublished and 1936 published. Only the published numbers will receive calls.
People with unpublished land line numbers should call 217/345-2939 to be included in 911 data base. Read More
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State Sen. Chapin Rose, Dave McCabe (Moultrie County Board Chairman), Dan Flannell (Sullivan City Administrator), and Dave Cruitt (Shelby County Board Chairman), State. Rep. Brad Halbook (R-Shelbyville) met at the statehouse April 6 and discussed the future of Eagle Creek Resort.
•April 19, 2017•
By Mike Brothers
Hope is not lost for Eagle Creek Resort. Moultrie County Board chairman Dave McCabe told the board it could be until September before prospective developers will get a chance to submit proposals on the Lake Shelbyville resort.
Shuttered since 2009, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is preparing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Eagle Creek Resort which, according to McCabe, should allow developers enough flexibility to submit plans to rebuild the resort which may not require total demolition. Read More