Council Votes Down Square Repavement Project Amid Concern

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Frustrations flare up in special meeting

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

The Sullivan City Council effectively postponed plans to repave the square and nearby side streets a week ago Monday amid concerns over the project’s bid specs.

After raising questions in their March 24 regular meeting, from which Streets and Public Improvements commissioner Monty LeCrone was absent, a special meeting was then held on April 4, so as to have LeCrone clear up the supposed deficiencies in his bid proposal.  Read More

Elementary Student Goes Missing Tuesday

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Photo by Keith Stewart Sullivan school administrators and staff leave the high school Tuesday morning and head north on Main Street in search of a female student who had gone missing around 10 a.m. The student was later found safe by a resident volunteering in the search effort.

Photo by Keith Stewart
Sullivan school administrators and staff leave the high school Tuesday morning and head north on Main Street in search of a female student who had gone missing around 10 a.m. The student was later found safe by a resident volunteering in the search effort.

Found within two hours by local resident

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

A female student at Sullivan Elementary School went missing briefly Tuesday morning before being found on the west end of town.

According to Sullivan police chief John Love, the approximately 10-year old girl was originally seen running out the east doors of the school around 10 a.m. Tuesday. Sullivan PD were then contacted by the school to help in locating the child. Officer Andrew Pistorious was then dispatched. The girl’s father, who lives near the school, was contacted by both Pistorious and Sullivan superintendent Brad Tuttle. Love then notified all city utility workers, providing a description of the girl, in the event they came across a similar child. Read More

Okaw Valley FFA Alumni Association in the Works

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Organizational meeting held two weeks ago, Wednesday

by Joash Tiarks
Bethany Reporter

Two weeks ago Wednesday, a small group of parents, staff, and students gathered in the Okaw Valley High School Ag classroom to initiate the process of forming an FFA Alumni Association.

Aspen Cassady, now in her second year as the ag instructor at the high school, had planned this meeting since her first day on the job. The National FFA Organization and the National FFA Alumni Association have played a pivotal role in her own career development in the agricultural field, and Cassady says she wanted to see the same opportunities made available to as many students as possible in the community.  Read More

Busterball Winners

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Submitted by Don Rousser Busterball Winners Pictured is the first grade first place trophy winners from the Sullivan Blue Dolphin Busterball Tournament held March 29: Addison Stollard, Mason Booker, Claire Welch, Rhett Lehman, Gareth Coffer, and Elise Fleming. For full tournament results, click here.

Submitted by Don Rousser
Busterball Winners
Pictured is the first grade first place trophy winners from the Sullivan Blue Dolphin Busterball Tournament held March 29: Addison Stollard, Mason Booker, Claire Welch, Rhett Lehman, Gareth Coffer, and Elise Fleming. For full tournament results, click here.

Central Illinois Public Transit Services to Go Unchanged Despite Decrease in Budget

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Funding from area counties to remain the same

by Barry Featheringill
Sullivan Reporter

At the monthly Moultrie County Board meeting Central Illinois Public Transit Program (CIPT) Director Dennis Shiley, spoke to the board regarding the intergovernmental agency agreement and annual ordinance to fund CIPT in Moultrie County.

“Our budget is down by $75,000 from last year,” noted Shiley. “Unfortunately the state and federal government did not give us (CIPT) any increase, but the funding from each of the six counties in the Shelby grantee area will remain the same and there will be no changes in service.”  Read More

Central Illinois Public Transit Services to Go Unchanged Despite Decrease in Budget

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Funding from area counties to remain the same

by Barry Featheringill
Sullivan Reporter

At the monthly Moultrie County Board meeting Central Illinois Public Transit Program (CIPT) Director Dennis Shiley, spoke to the board regarding the intergovernmental agency agreement and annual ordinance to fund CIPT in Moultrie County.

“Our budget is down by $75,000 from last year,” noted Shiley. “Unfortunately the state and federal government did not give us (CIPT) any increase, but the funding from each of the six counties in the Shelby grantee area will remain the same and there will be no changes in service.”  Read More

Arthur-Lovington Update to Handbook in Line with Concealed Carry Law

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Policy 8.30 to allow concealed firearms in school parking lot

by Ariana Cherry
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

In March, the Arthur-Lovington school board tabled further discussion regarding policy 8.30 and how it was effected regarding the Concealed Carry Law, but last Wednesday the board moved forward, passing an update.

In the current handbook, Policy 8.30 states, “Arthur-Lovington District 305 has established a policy that prohibits guns, ammunition, knives and any other weapons from school property.”  Read More

Two Ejected in Wreck Off Van Gundy Curve Saturday

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Photo by RR Best Moultrie County Deputy Sheriff Aaron Thomas calls in the license plate of a 2002 Mazda van after it flipped three times after exiting route 32 between Sullivan and Lovington Saturday evening. Two occupants were ejected from the vehicle. Both were life flighted to Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana.

Photo by RR Best
Moultrie County Deputy Sheriff Aaron Thomas calls in the license plate of a 2002 Mazda van after it flipped three times after exiting route 32 between Sullivan and Lovington Saturday evening. Two occupants were ejected from the vehicle. Both were life flighted to Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana.

Alcohol involved as car flips three times, almost 700 feet

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

Two South Carolina women were ejected from their vehicle after failing to reduce speed and negotiate a curve on Route 32 between Sullivan and Lovington Saturday night.

Stephanie Anglin, 31, of Liberty, S.C. and Ashley Garren, 22, of Pickens, S.C. were heading northbound Saturday at around 7 p.m when their 2002 Mazda van lost control near what is better known locally as the Van Gundy curve. A call came in at 7:04 p.m. with first responders on scene at 7:09. Read More

Lion’s Club Donation

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Photo by Keith Stewart Lion’s Club Donation Last month the Sullivan Lion’s Club donated $500 to the American Legion Post 68 Color/Honor Guard, who in turn was able to purchase several parkas and bomber jackets so that members could be adequately dressed when conducting ceremonies, including military rites. Pictured left to right are: Lynn Elder of the Lion’s Club, Mike Keown and Mike Grose (both of the color guard), Lynn Reed, president of the Sullivan Lion’s Club, and Bob Sims (also color guard).

Photo by Keith Stewart
Lion’s Club Donation
Last month the Sullivan Lion’s Club donated $500 to the American Legion Post 68 Color/Honor Guard, who in turn was able to purchase several parkas and bomber jackets so that members could be adequately dressed when conducting ceremonies, including military rites. Pictured left to right are: Lynn Elder of the Lion’s Club, Mike Keown and Mike Grose (both of the color guard), Lynn Reed, president of the Sullivan Lion’s Club, and Bob Sims (also color guard).

Finding Orianna

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Photo by Keith Stewart Moultrie County Historical Society family researcher Kaye Webb sorts through files at the heritage center in Sullivan.

Photo by Keith Stewart
Moultrie County Historical Society family researcher Kaye Webb sorts through files at the heritage center in Sullivan.

One man’s genealogical search to find long-lost great-aunt brings surprise discovery

by Jake Dilley
Reporting in Sullivan

Peter Strandberg was in search of his great aunt, Orianna. He had never met her, but now he was in search of her. He had a birth certificate and knew that she had passed away in Sullivan. But that was about it.

Unable to locate an obituary for her, the Scottsdale, Ariz. resident reached out to the newspaper in Sullivan and contacted managing editor Keith Stewart, asking if they could locate Orianna’s record in their archives. To Strandberg’s misfortune, none could be found. But all was not lost yet. He was then directed to Kaye Webb, a local family researcher in Sullivan, who would end up helping Strandberg unearth the ultimate genealogical discovery. Read More