Photo by Mike Brothers
SHS Senior Night
Held between the junior varsity and varsity basketball games on February 19, seniors from the SHS pep band, cheerleading squad, basketball team and their parents lined the gymnasium end to end. Prior to the senior recognition Ty Molzen (second from right) was recognized for scoring 1000 points by head coach Chester Reeder.
•February 24, 2016•
Mid Illinois Senior Services representatives Alicia Moyer and Director Deb Groendal enjoyed a record crowd at the Valentine’s Day Poetry Contest held at Courtyard Estates. They were incorrectly identified as CEFS representatives in a page 8 photograph of the February 17 News Progress. Our apologies for the error.
•February 24, 2016•
By Ariana Cherry
For the News Progress
Sullivan’s city website has a couple new apps which are available to residents.
One, a citizen problem reporter, allows citizens to report animal, park or utility problems from their computer or cell phone. They may sign in via Twitter or Facebook.
Green Hill Cemetery also has its own app. Currently it shows about 9,000 different spaces not including the old part of the cemetery. Users may click on different plots to see who is buried in a particular space or if it is available for sale. It also presents details such as who is cremated or is a veteran. Plots may be searched by location number or name.
The city of Sullivan is looking to purchase new time clocks for all of their employees. One package plan they are looking into has a $2,600 one time set up fee plus the purchase of the software.
The city may have the company host it on their site which would cost $3 per employee or Sullivan may host it themselves.
The council is also planning to get quotes for computer login software. Clerk Monte Johnson informed the council that there were three commonly used time keeping systems- pin numbers, card swipes and thumb prints. Employees may login remotely or onto a computer at their job site. Council members discussed the positives and negatives of both logging in remotely and on a nearby computer. Read More
Ray Reed at 23
•February 24, 2016•
Ray Reed of Sullivan is a Leap Year child, and this Monday, February 29, Ray will turn 23 years old.
“Or 92 if you’re counting,” Ray quipped. “You know I have done just about everything there is to do in life.”
He started reeling off some of the things he has done.
“I’ve sold about everything a person can sell from cars and real estate to appliances and paint.”
At one point Reed rebuilt carburetors and generators at the local auto dealership in Shelbyville. “You know cars don’t even have carburetors and generators any more,” he said of the changing times.
He spent 21 years working as an electrician for the railroad, but not before he got a serious lesson about electricity.
“I got hold of a saw with a short in it and grabbed a steel bar,” Ray recalled of his first experience.
“It almost killed me so I decided I better learn how to deal with this stuff.”
He even spent a few years as a television repair man, making house calls with a bag full of replacement tubes. Read More
New Health Courses from Lake Land Community College offered
•February 24, 2016•
By Ariana Cherry
For the News Progress
All funds are in the black, but the transportation fund is a concern, Superintendent Kenny Schwengel told board members at the last Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond meeting.
“We spend about $80,000 a month. I think we will at least get one more mandated payment. We have only received one so far,” informed Schwengel.
“In order to cover the transportation fund, we may have to transfer money from the education fund,” he added. It was also noted that the Douglas County sales tax is coming in at what the district expected, as well as Piatt County. Last October, the district received $60,000.
ALAH junior and senior students interested in health occupations will have a chance to take courses offered by Lake Land College at Sarah Bush Lincoln. They will earn high school and college credit. Students would attend every day by choosing a morning or afternoon session. They would complete their regular courses at school and then provide their own transportation to Sarah Bush for the health occupational classes. Read More
Photo by Mike Brothers
Leaky Chimney Comes Down
Masons Masonry Restoration workers cut through the cap on the abandoned courthouse chimney which had recently allowed water into the state’s attorney’s office. Short order was made of the removal during some of the coldest and windiest days of the year. Cost to the county was not to exceed $18,500.
Photo by Mike Brothers
Best Moultrie County Spellers: front from left: Zach Kursell, Alternate Brett Johnson, Carson Gillis, Sophie Floyd; second row: Natalie Lambdin, County Champion Reagan Crouse, Josie Hale, Aastha Patel; back row: Kenli Nettles, Robby LeCates and Alyssa Thompson.
•February 17, 2016•
Xenophobic was the word Reagan Crouse spelled correctly to win the Moultrie County Spelling Bee February 10.
Crouse edged fellow Sullivan seventh grader Brett Johnson after his attempt at “Guttural”. Johnson is alternate when Crouse competes in the Regional Bee March 19 in Decatur.
The County Spelling Bee was held at the Little Theatre in Sullivan, with 4-8 grade students from Lovington and Sullivan schools competing, after each had proven themselves the best spellers at their respective schools.
Sullivan schools Nichole Hendry read and pronounced the words for each of the 12 participating students. The county bee championship was decide in the 11th round of elimination.
The first round eliminated half of the field: Tarmac -Carson Gillis of Lovington; camaraderie - Sophie Floyd of Lovington; philharmonic - Natalie Lambdin of Lovington; esoteric - Kenli Nettles of Lovington; molasses-Lara Herschberger; resilience-Robby LeCates of Lovington. Read More
•February 17, 2016•
The village of Lovington January board action included approval for the village to spend $6000 toward July 3 fireworks.
This motion was approved following discussion to include Jake Kamm, representative of the fireworks company, was requested by trustees Dennis Garmon and April Daily to be on the agenda.
Village president Jim Minor said discussions with Shelly Martina and trustee Pam Anklam indicated about $3500 could be raised to help fund the fireworks.
Julie Kinert appeared on behalf of the Miss Lovington Scholarship. She said the contest will be held at 7 p.m. May 19 and the village had donated $500 toward the scholarship in the past. Read More
Das Clubhaus License Approved
•February 17, 2016•
by Mike Brothers
Following an executive session discussion Moultrie County Board members ratified a three year contract with county corrections officers.
Included in provisions for the new agreement was a three percent salary increase over the contract period.
An additional provision was if a corrections employee left county employment before one year of service, 100 percent of the training cost would be reimbursed the county. If the employee leaves before two years, they will be responsible for half their training cost.
The county board approved a Class B liquor license that allows Don Frevert to open Das Clubhaus at the Sullivan Country Club.
Action was taken during the February 11 county board meeting to approve the license following recommendation of the Liquor Commission. Chairman Dave McCabe noted that Frevert is from Sullivan and is planning to reopen the clubhouse at the country club in April. Read More
Photo by Mike Brothers
City of Sullivan Street Department crews scoop the piles of snow left over following the Valentine’s Day weekend accumulation.