Land of Lincoln Honor Flight to Washington Included Sullivan Veteran

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Vet Johns Ruscin

John D. Ruscin

•May 18, 2016•

Land of Lincoln Honor Flight (LLHF) of Springfield flew with 80 veterans of World War II, Korean and Vietnam War eras on their Honor Flight trip to Washington, DC Tuesday, May 17. They departed Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport shortly after 6 a.m. on board a chartered 737 jetliner, then were met by three coach buses in DC.

John D. Ruscin of Sullivan was on board the jetliner. Ruscin joined the Navy and spent the end of World War II in the Pacific in preparation for the invasion of Japan, which was averted by dropping the atomic bomb.

Ruscin went on an Landing Ship Tank (LST) sweeping the waters around Japan for underwater mines.

After the war, Ruscin came to Sullivan to teach and coach at Sullivan Junior High School. That is where he met his wife Anna who was an art teacher.

Included during the day were stops at the World War II, Korean and Vietnam War National Memorials, the Air Force and Marine (Iwo Jima) Memorials and Arlington National Cemetery. They visited the cemetery, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers and witnessed the changing of the guard. During the day the veterans had the opportunity to tour the National Air & Space Museum that houses aircraft from WWI to the Superfortress bomber Enola Gay of WWII all the way up through the retired Space Shuttle Discovery. They also had the chance to view the Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln memorials, the Pentagon and much more prior to departing back to the Springfield airport.

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County Board Approves Tech Upgrades

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•May 18, 2016•

The Moultrie County Board approved a $13,874.34 bid from Quality Network Solutions of Sullivan to replace three older servers with one bigger unit.

Building and grounds chair Gary Smith made the motion with members approving the purchase unanimously.

Board chairman Dave McCabe explained the county’s computer systems have experienced capacity and speed issues for some time. He noted QNS agreed to defer payment until the county is satisfied the problems are fixed with the new server.

Planning and zoning committee chair Todd Maxedon moved that a special use permit be approved for Vickie Kinnaman allowing a mobile home in Gays. The motion passed unanimously.

Mike Brewer and Arlene Aschermann were reappointed to the Board of Review. Board chair McCabe was approved as chairman pro temp of the personnel committee in the absence of Roger Glazebrook. McCabe explained  the retirement of Supervisor of Assessments Cindy Kidwell will require meetings as her replacement is sought. Read More

Good Weather for Graduation in Sullivan

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Photo by Mike Brothers Pomp and Circumstance-Sullivan High School seniors Evan Baker holding the flag and Ben Berner line up during the processional Sunday. It was the 138th high school commencement held at 5 p.m. May 15 on the high school football field.

Photo by Mike Brothers
Pomp and Circumstance-Sullivan High School seniors Evan Baker holding the flag and Ben Berner line up during the processional Sunday. It was the 138th high school commencement held at 5 p.m. May 15 on the high school football field.

•May 18, 2016•

The weather blessed Sullivan High School with outdoor graduation ceremonies at 5 p.m. Sunday with 83 seniors receiving diplomas.

District 300 board president Steve Poland announced the salutatorian Zane Uphoff and valedictorian Emily Stutzman.

In her valedictory address Stutzman recalled arriving at Sullivan High School as a new student.

“When I arrived here three years ago, I was amazed how quickly news travels,” she began, “I wasn’t used to everyone knowing everyone.”

She explained the dread she felt in the beginning was relieved when unfamiliar classmates quickly became friends. “Now I’m not quite ready to leave.”

“How we see others is a reflection of how we see ourselves,” Stutzman said, pointing out the friends and memories of high school are priceless.

“Ours is a bright, untouched future, where the possibilities are endless,” she continued, encouraging her classmates to work for their dreams. Read More

Progress on the Square

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Photo by RR Best Progress on the Square Traffic around the Sullivan square has been challenging lately. Sidewalks are completed and resurfacing the streets downtown are underway. Ne-Co Asphalt of Charleston was awarded the $919,122.30 contract with the city of Sullivan.

Photo by RR Best
Progress on the Square
Traffic around the Sullivan square has been challenging lately. Sidewalks are completed and resurfacing the streets downtown are underway. Ne-Co Asphalt of Charleston was awarded the $919,122.30 contract with the city of Sullivan.

WHS Prom 2016

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Photo furnished Windsor Prom Court The Windsor High School prom was held in April. Prom Court: Back Row (L to R): King Candidates Tristan Warner and Tyler Kemper, 2015 King Devin Deremiah, 2015 Queen Paige Woolard, Queen Candidates Breana Wiltermood and Raquel Jackson. Front Row (L to R): Crown Bearer Grayson McCray, 2016 King Zach Caywood, 2016 Queen Autumn Bennett, and Crown Bearer Emma Hickman.

Photo furnished
Windsor Prom Court
The Windsor High School prom was held in April. Prom Court: Back Row (L to R): King Candidates Tristan Warner and Tyler Kemper, 2015 King Devin Deremiah, 2015 Queen Paige Woolard, Queen Candidates Breana Wiltermood and Raquel Jackson. Front Row (L to R): Crown Bearer Grayson McCray, 2016 King Zach Caywood, 2016 Queen Autumn Bennett, and Crown Bearer Emma Hickman.

A Twist of Fun Followed by the Sound of Laughter

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Photo By Mike Brothers Deb Joy Hart brought the WorldLaughterTour to Mason Point as part of National Nursing Home Week activities.

Photo By Mike Brothers
Deb Joy Hart brought the WorldLaughterTour to Mason Point as part of National Nursing Home Week activities.

•May 18, 2016•

National Nursing Home Week brought a variety of activities to area facilities May 8-14. The sounds of laughter arrived when Mason Point residents in Sullivan met Deborah Joy Hart.

Hart, a laughter therapist, is part of the WorldLaughterTour and stopped by Mason Point May 10 for…you guessed it…a few laughs.

“Laughter has psychological and physiological benefits for the body, mind and spirit.” Hart of St. Joseph, Ill. has spread laughter therapy all over the world.

“I was the class clown in school, and while I was a nurse I saw the positive effect humor had in healing and health,” she said of her start in applied and therapeutic humor. Read More

ALAH District Board Reviews School Lunch Programs

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•May 18, 2016•

By Ariana Cherry
For the News Progress

Last school year after experiencing rising costs in services with Aramark, Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond questioned the possibilities of finding alternatives. The new 2016-2017 contract with a 2.6% increase (due to cost of living) was brought to the table at the last ALAH board meeting.

“With new regulations and menus that have come about in the last few years, it would be a huge undertaking to find other companies,” commented superintendent Kenny Schwengel .

“High school lunch numbers have gotten bigger since there is an open menu. More kids eat here,” noted principal Buck Condill.

“The menu has changed drastically since last year,” said Lindsay Blickenstaff, Atwood-Hammond elementary principal. “Some complaints I have heard are portion size—some students may not be getting enough to eat. Although our breakfast numbers are large, there are a lot of people who eat breakfast,” she added.

At Lovington Elementary School, the story was a little different. “Our lunch numbers are down,” informed principal Brandon Stone. “The main complaint heard in Lovington is the variety. Variety is lacking. Even the students who receive free and reduced lunches are bringing their own lunch. That is rare,” he said.

Sage Hale, principal of Arthur Elementary School reported little change in numbers served. After some discussion among the administrators and school board, the 2016-2017 contract was approved unanimously. Read More

Moultrie County Looks into Improving Courthouse Technology

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•May 11, 2016•

Moultrie County Courthouse computer systems have grown slower and older, prompting the county board building and grounds committee to recommend an upgrade.

County Clerk Georgia England reported Quality Network Selutions findings at the regular meeting May 4. Slow access and crash problems prompted QNS to look further into the problems within the courthouse system.

QNS discovered servers from 2001, 2003, and 2006 in use beyond their capacity. Average server life expectancy is five-seven years.

County board chairman Dave McCabe explained the county will have to start looking toward more frequent system updates. He explained the out-of-date servers are not useable, and the county will need to start from scratch on rebuilding new servers. Read More

Holocaust Survivor Shares His Story

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Photo courtesy Jessica Voyles Sullivan High School English teacher Rebecca Lawson left introduces Holocaust survivor Jerry Koenig, who gave his account of Poland under the Nazis during World War II.

Photo courtesy Jessica Voyles
Sullivan High School English teacher Rebecca Lawson left introduces Holocaust survivor Jerry Koenig, who gave his account of Poland under the Nazis during World War II.

•May 11, 2016•

Eleven people hidden in a hole under a barn in Poland lived in fear of death for 22 months during World War II.

Jerry Koenig, Holocaust survivor of that ordeal, told Sullivan students what life of a persecuted group was like under the Nazi reign of terror. Only 10 percent of the Jewish population in Poland survived the Holocaust.

Sunday, May 1 was Yom Hashoah (Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust), making Koenig’s presence historically significant for those gathered in the Sullivan High School gymnasium.

“After Germany took over Poland in 1939, they forced Jewish people to wear a white arm band with the Star of David,” Koenig, who was nine years old then, recalled. “Then they started rationing food to give the army first priority.”

Koenig and his middle class family lived in Pruszkow but were soon trucked to Warsaw ghettos where the Nazis were starting the starvation process to exterminate the Jews.

“There were 300,000 people crammed into a walled neighborhood and survival depended on how much food we could buy from the black market,” Koenig, said, recalling his father arranged an escape to the country for his mother, younger brother and himself. Read More