News Progress

Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Mrs. & Mrs. Larry Baker celebrated their 30th anniversary on Valentine’s Day.

•February 15, 2017•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Courtyard Estates was the place to be last Friday, Feb 10 for the most anticipated party of the year for area seniors - the annual Valentine’s Day luncheon and poetry contest sponsored by the Senior Center.

Over 100 seniors were greeted by the sight of clusters of pink balloons on the tables festooned with pink placemats and candy dishes overflowing. Most of the ladies had chosen to wear either a red blouse or sweater and some gentlemen sported red plaid shirts.

The traditional meal of beef tips, mashed potatoes, and green beans was served with a dessert choice of coconut, strawberry or chocolate pie.

Seven people submitted or read poems, and the winners were first place - Marilyn Leonard for “Living the Dream”; second - Pamela Mann for “The Golden Years?” and third - Ed Dixon for “I’m Old”.  Read More

•February 15, 2017•

Sullivan High School presents The Burden of Silence at 7 p.m. Friday

Feb. 17 at the Little Theatre on the Square in Sullivan.

This original script prepared and performed by Rebecca L. Lawson’s Mirror Images class explores the theme: “If you don’t speak up when you see things that are wrong, you may suffer ‘the burden of silence’ for the rest of your life.”

“We had a lot of ideas for the title and narrowed it down to this one because it fit perfectly,” Colleen Miller said. “Lots of characters in the play were silent and some were for too long.”

Lawson explained that all class members helped with the writing. “ We started writing in October and finished most of the play by December. Read More

•February 8, 2017•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Abraham Lincoln is celebrated on President’s Day in February but also on his birthday Feb. 12. He is remembered locally for his years as a circuit court rider and for the many clients he served.

What is less known is that he was the first corporate lawyer for the Illinois Central Railroad when it was one of the largest corporations in Illinois. To properly tell this story we have to begin at the beginning with Land Grants.

Land Grants were started in the U.S in the 16th century for the purpose of establishing settlements. There were several kinds of land grants - for veterans, universities, etc. and the Land Grant of 1851 granted 2.5 million acres of Illinois public land to the Illinois Central Railroad - ICRR. This was the first railroad to receive a land grant and when finished, it was the longest railroad line in the world. But there were restrictions and financial burdens with the land grant so the ICRR received a charter from the state of Illinois which freed it from all the responsibilities of the land grant - but were required to pay seven percent of gross earnings annually as a charter tax to run from Galena through Springfield to Cairo.
Read More

Photo by Mike Brothers
State Treasurer Michael Frerich visited a Sullivan Chamber round table at Cathrine’s 5 West Feb 3. John Hindman of Mattoon (right) was among interested citizens attending.

•February 8, 2017•

State treasurer Michael Frerichs gave visitors to the Sullivan Chamber of Commerce round table a chance to find out how he does his job in a state with no money.

“As the chief investment officer for a state without money, we were able to generate $68 million in interest for Illinois last year,” Frerichs explained to community leaders gathered at Cathrine’s 5 East Feb. 3.

He explained that if the state had a balanced budget, that would have grown another $30 million.

“We try to help provide tools for families to help invest,” he continued, noting programs such as the College Savings has grown to include 440,000 participants.

“A new investment program involving 14 states now allows people to save on behalf of persons with disabilities or blindness without jeopardizing federal disability benefits,” Frerich said.

He reported that the National Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Alliance allows for tax free investments when funds are used for the person with disabilities utilizing a pool involving 14 states. Read More