ALAH FFA Members Compete in District 4 Proficiency Awards

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ALAH FFA Members Compete in District 4 Proficiency Awards
Janette Comstock, Makenna Green, and Colton Romine traveled to Sullivan March 8 to compete in the District 4 Proficiency Awards. Comstock was previously chosen as the Chapter and Section winner in diversified crop Production.
Romine was the Chapter and Section winner in vegetable production and
Green the Chapter and Section winner in grain production.
At the district level, FFA members are interviewed, not only by agriculture teachers, but by community members as well. Members compete against the section winners in the other four sections in District 4.
Romine and Green were selected as the District Four winners by a committee of agriculture industry representatives and teachers knowledgeable in this work-based area.
Receiving this honor made them eligible to compete in the State FFA Awards Selection process in Urbana-Champaign March 25. They will receive plaques which were made possible through gifts from individuals, businesses, corporations and organizations through the Illinois Foundation FFA.

ALAH FFA attends Ag Legislative Day

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ALAH FFA attends Ag Legislative Day
ALAH FFA members attended the annual Agriculture Legislative Day. Front (Lto R) Janette Comstock, Taylor Powell, Makenna Green, and Katie Gingerich. Back (L to R) Zane Crist, Colton Romine,and Adam Day.

SHS Students Conduct Research at Booth Library

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SHS Students Conduct Research at Booth Library
Students from Sullivan High School visited Booth Library on the campus of Eastern Illinois University March 24.
The students were conducting research for AP English papers. They took a tour of the library and were given a demonstration on finding resources both on the bookshelves and through the library’s online database. During the spring semester, Booth Library’s regular hours are 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 1 a.m. Sunday.
For more information on the library, visit the website, www.library.eiu.edu, call 581-6072 or find the library on Facebook or Twitter.

Sen. Rose Hosts Agents

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Sen. Rose Hosts Agents
State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) met with independent insurance agents from across his 51st Senate District March 29 at the Statehouse. The group was in Springfield for the Insurance Industry Legislative Day. Pictured from left to right: Dave Harby – Country Financial in Danville, Jay Peterson – Peterson Insurance Services, Inc. in Clinton, Dustin Peterson – Peterson Insurance Services, Inc. in Decatur, Brenda Niederbrach – Arlington/Roe in Decatur, Todd Henricks – Chapman-Henricks Insurance Agency, Inc. in Cerro Gordo, State Sen. Chapin Rose, Vicki Bishop – Country Financial in Tuscola, Elizabeth Houser – Country Financial in Sullivan, Rick Rotramel – Country Financial in Danville, Gary Mickle – New Horizons Financial Group in Mahomet, Scott Crawford – Country Financial in Georgetown.

Warren wins State FFA Proficiency Award

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Warren wins State FFA Proficiency Award
Sullivan High School FFA member Devin Warren has won the State FFA Diversified Crop Placement Proficiency Award.
FFA members considered for this award must demonstrate outstanding agricultural skills and competencies through record keeping, leadership, and scholastic achievement.
Specifically, students competing in this proficiency award area must show records of working for a crop producer who produces two or more different crops. Warren began learning about managing a successful crop enterprise at an early age as he started riding in the combine with his grandfather Frank Warren at the age of three.
Years of working alongside his grandfather has provided Devin with a wealth of experience which was showcased in his interviews at the section, district, and now the state finals.
As the state winner Warren, who is the son of Sherry Warren, will now represent Illinois in the National FFA Proficiency Award Semifinals this summer.

ALAH FFA Student Competes in the State Dairy Handlers CDE

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ALAH FFA Student Competes in the State Dairy Handlers CDE
The Illinois State FFA Dairy Handlers and Judging was held March 31 at Kaskaskia College. Katie Gingerich of ALAH FFA competed in the Dairy Handlers CDE. While competing in the contest, she led a Gurnsey and a Holstein heifer around a ring while being judged on appearance, poise, and her ability to set up the animal.
The contest is held in conjunction with the State Dairy Cattle Judging CDE.

Coles-Moultrie e911 to be Calling Land Lines

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Coles-Moultrie e911 will be calling land lines to verify data the week of April 17. Those randomly called will be given a code for call return. 776 land lines are unlisted. Those people should call 217/345-2939 to be included in 911 data base.

Sullivan’s Brown Shoe Company Left Lasting Impression

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
First pair of shoes from Sullivan’s Brown Shoe factory.

•April 5, 2017•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

She sits in faded glory on Hamilton St. between a gas station and Habitat for Humanity. Some windows are broken and boarded, the interior is crumbling. She was an architectural beauty in her day bustling with workers coming to make shoes for the Brown Shoe Company. But, if she could talk - the stories she could tell.

Sullivan during 1929 was the worst of times, and there were no best of times. People were desperate for work and manufacturers such as Brown Shoe were also desperate for cheap labor to expand their factories. So they devised a plan to exploit rural communities, women and children.

By 1900 Brown Shoe Co. was growing at the rate of one million dollars a year. By 1928 the five largest St. Louis shoe companies had plants in 56 small towns within a 200 mile radius and over 30,000 employees. In order to build new $300,000 plants and guarantee wages, Brown demanded that Sullivan and other communities raise $125,000 of the cost, provide the site, electric and sewer connections, build the plant to Brown’s specifications and give them a 10 year tax free agreement.  Read More

Celebrate National Library Week With Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library

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•April 5, 2017•

By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

All patrons who have overdue library books will have a chance for redemption. Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library will celebrate National Library Week April 9 -15.

Sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries across America in April, the observation allows patrons to celebrate the contributions of libraries and librarians as well as promoting library use and support.

During National Library week, there will be no fines for any overdue books that are returned. Read More

Greenhill Cemetery: Two Decades of Memories for One Man

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Photo by Madison Uhlrich
Kurk Grohler is digging his last grave at Greenhill Cemetery in Sullivan along with Kyler Lane (right). Kyler is grandson to Kurk’s first boss Mayor Leon Lane. Kurk will concentrate on his landscaping business while Kyler stays on with the Greenhill crew.

•April 5, 2017•

By Mike Brothers

Kurk Grohler has been working at Greenhill Cemetery in Sullivan for the past 24 years. Next week Grohler steps down to allow the new cemetery superintendent Herb Bricker to take over maintaining the 35 acre city cemetery.

“I’ve had three bosses, Leon Lane, Rick Dunscomb and Ann Short, and they have all been great to work for,” Grohler said, noting Leon Lane first gave him a chance to work for the city.

One thing for which Grohler is glad is that Lane’s grandson, Kyler, joined Grohler at Greenhill three years ago and will get to continue working under Supt. Bricker.

“Kurk has been more than a great boss; he has been like a second father to me,” Kyler Lane said of Grohler.

As Grohler prepared to dig what could be his final grave, he noted that most people think all there is to taking care of a cemetery is mowing. Read More