Photo furnished
Saturday Voting Encouraged
Moultrie County Clerk Georgia England and Deputy Clerk Penny Landrus marched the Sullivan square on Saturday, April 1 encouraging passersby to take advantage of early voting at the courthouse. By noon April 4 some 251 voters had cast ballots at the clerk’s office.
Photo by Mike Brothers
National Excellence in Partnership award winner Okaw Valley High School was honored with the first place national U.S. Corp of Engineers recognition during ceremonies March 31. Pictured accepting the award are OVHS ag instructor Wes Wise, OVMS principal Ross Forlines, OV dist. supt. Kent Stauder, U. S. Corp Maj. General Michael Wehr, OVHS principal Matt Schoaff, and Lake Shelbyville director of operations Jon Summers.
•April 5, 2017•
By Mike Brothers
Okaw Valley Community #300 received the National Excellence in Partnership Award from the U.S. Corp of Engineers last week.
Chief of National Resources Management at the Corps Mary Coulombe made the announcement at a school wide assembly held in the Bethany High School gymnasium on March 29.
Coulombe, who travelled from Washington, DC, explained the joint partnership with the U.S. Corp of Engineers and Okaw Valley Schools at Lake Shelbyville placed the project in the top 10 nationwide.
She went on to note the total school participation, creativity of the project and the accomplishments made the Okaw Valley School/U.S. Corp project the top choice in the nation. Read More
Photo furnished
SES Gold Slip Awards
Students who go above and beyond expectations at Sullivan Elementary School are awarded a Gold Slip. The Gold Slip recipients for the month of March are: (left to right) Alex Fultz took it upon himself to take care of several classroom tasks each day. After watching Mrs. Drollinger greet students at the door each morning, he asked if he could do it. He greets each student by name as they come to class and has been reliable and responsible every day this school year. Peyton Swarthout helped pick up a kindergarten student’s school books and papers when they fell from her backpack after school. Elira Halili noticed a first grade student’s backpack was too heavy for the student as it was falling off her shoulder so she took the student’s backpack and carried it down to her classroom for her. Jennifer Lofland (not pictured) and Kaylee Smith have helped other students complete challenging work in a patient, helpful, and kind manner in class. Landon Willoughby and Natalie Stinson helped with the weekend food bags; they pick up and pass out the bags which help children in our community.
Photo by RR Best
Circuit Judge Sworn In
Bradford A. Rau, Sr. of Sullivan was officially sworn is as a resident judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit in Moultrie County Friday, March 31. Pictured during the ceremony: From left to right: the Honorable Judge Gary A. Webber, the Hon. A. G. Webber, the Hon. Richard L. Broch, the Hon. Hugh Finson, and the Hon. Bradford A. Rau.
•March 29, 2017•
By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress
City council members weighed in the options for building another water tower at the most recent council meeting.
After conducting a few tests, it was found that building a water tower north of Hydro-Gear would be the city’s best location option. A tower at this location would increase water distribution ability throughout the city.
Sullivan uses more than 400,000 gallons per day. The current tower holds 500,000 gallons – increasing the capacity by another 250 – 500,000 gallons would better prepare the city if emergency usage was required or the city experienced growth. Currently tower water storage is enough for Sullivan’s current usage.
The council noted it would be beneficial but was also was a large financial investment- an estimated million dollars. Read More
•March 29, 2017•
By Mike Brothers
NP Managing Editor
I am not very good with heights; my palms start sweating when I hear someone talking about mountain climbing or looking over a cliff’s edge.
So when it was time to move the clocks forward an hour for spring, I have no idea what got into me.
Maybe it was curiosity as I looked out my apartment building and the clock on the Moultrie County Courthouse had not yet leaped forward.
I called Rick Matthews who is responsible for all things related to the 1904 building that houses the giant clock tower.
From north, south, east or west of the Sullivan square the time shines night and day. Except this one day the four faces needed to gain an hour.
Rick explained that since it had snowed Sunday night, he needed to clear access to the courthouse for the public before attending to the time change. Read More
•March 29, 2017•
Moultrie County has been issued a final property assessment equalization factor of 1.0000, according to Constance Beard, Director of the Illinois Department of Revenue.
The property assessment equalization factor, often called the “multiplier”, is the method used to achieve uniform property assessments among counties as required by law. This equalization is particularly important because some of the state’s 6,600 local taxing districts overlap into two or more counties (e.g. school districts, junior college districts, fire protection districts). If there were no equalization among counties, substantial inequities among taxpayers with comparable properties would result.
Under a law passed in 1975, property in Illinois should be assessed at one-third (1/3) of its market value. Farm property is assessed differently, with farm homesites and dwellings subject to regular assessing and equalization procedures, but with farmland assessed at one-third of its agriculture economic value. Farmland is not subject to the state equalization factor. Read More
Photo by Mike Brothers
Daycare Diggers broke ground at the Agri-Fit garden in Sullivan last week. Pictured from left: James Conlin, Brooklynn Clark, Elijah Crosier, Agri-Fab president Mike Cohen, Addi Heaton, Savannah LaDew, Hope Conner, and Brinnley Hobbs.
•March 29, 2017•
Children from the Agri-Fab daycare center gathered on a cloudy March 22 morning for a growing experience.
As part of the growing Agri-Fit wellness program for Agri-Fab families, ground was broken behind the daycare center for an organic garden.
This is part of the ongoing effort by the Sullivan garden equipment manufacturer to give back to the community by donating a portion of the harvest to the local food bank.
Plant IT manager Neal Ozier came up with the idea and presented it to the Agri-Fit team, and it gained a life of its own from there. Read More
Photo by Mike Brothers
Interested citizens gathered at the First United Methodist Church in Sullivan May 23 for the Sullivan Education Association/Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development sponsored school board candidate forum.
•March 29, 2017•
By Mike Brothers
Sullivan School Board candidates revealed a universal support for seeking alternative revenues during a candidates’ forum held in Sullivan Thursday, March 23.
Sponsored by the Sullivan Education Association and Sullivan Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development, interested citizens attended the 6:30 p.m. forum at the First United Methodist Church.
SEA president Don Lockwood explained the format of the forum following a power point presentation by county clerk Georgia England explaining the complexities of the consolidated election.
The Sullivan Unit 300 power point may be viewed at www.escottengland.com with England offering to answer questions during office hours at the courthouse. Read More
Photo by Madison Uhlrich
Tulip Time
Variegated tulips begin to bloom at Tabor Park in Sullivan giving the prairie a hint of the spring to come.