Master Gardeners Announce Spring Gardening Event

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•January 31, 2018• The Coles County Master Gardeners 2018 “Spring into Gardening” will be held 8 a.m. to noon Saturday Feb. 17 at the LifeSpan Center, located between Mattoon and Charleston. Featured topics and speakers this year include “Continuous Color in Your Garden”: Mary Ann Metz will discuss how to achieve color in your garden year-round. She is an experienced landscape consultant who is passionate about creating beautiful spaces. “Vegetables for the Landscape”: Alicia Kallal will show ways to increase access to fresh vegetables while improving the functionality of the landscape. An experienced horticulturalist, Kallal’s practical approach will provide strategies … Read More

Daddy Daughter Dance to Benefit The Little Theatre

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•January 31, 2018• Once again, The Little Theatre On The Square will hold a Daddy Daughter Dance fundraiser. The dance is 6-8 p.m. Saturday, February 10th at Sullivan Elementary School. This third annual event is expected to be bigger and better than ever. Last year, more than 220 people attended . “We’re holding the dance at SES again this year,” said theatre board member and dance organizer Amanda Standerfer. “The location worked really well for us as we can have different activities in different spaces.” This year’s theme is “The Enchanted Ball,” evoking images of princesses and magical evenings. … Read More

Sullivan Redskins Post Win Over Meridian

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•January 31, 2018• By Jason Brown NP Sports The Sullivan boys’ basketball team finished the week 1-3 with losses to Warrensburg-Latham, Charleston and St. Teresa and a win against Meridian. Against Meridian last Wednesday, which was rescheduled from Jan. 16, Sullivan had to make a second-half comeback to win 54-48. The Redskins were down 21-6 in the first quarter but battled back to cut the lead to 27-20 at halftime. In the third period, Sullivan cut the lead to two points, then pulled away in the fourth quarter 15-7. … Read More

Understanding Illinois: In Search of the American Yeoman Class Replacement

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•January 31, 2018• By Jim Nowlan NP Guest Columnist Politics is played out on the surface of life. It reacts slowly to the tectonic shifts of culture, economics and behavior that roil the vast deep below, sometimes forcing fissures to the surface. I travel in remarkably wide circles. From “workingmen’s” pubs and diners in my rural area (between the once-booming, metal-bending Quad-Cities and Peoria), to the cloistered settings of the Union League Club of Chicago and manor houses on the glittering North Shore of Lake Michigan above the city. This past week, for illustration, I dropped in at a diner … Read More

Sullivan Girls Face Some Tough Opponents

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•January 31, 2018• The Sullivan girls’ basketball team finished 1-2 overall and lost the third place Central Illinois Conference Tournament game to St. Teresa last Thursday and then dropped a home game against Central A&M Monday night. Against A&M, Sullivan fell behind 15-8 in the first quarter but hung around to make a final push in the fourth quarter. Late buckets by Avery Still and Chloe Riley cut the lead to 55-53 with under 20 seconds to play, but Sullivan could not get any closer in the eventual 57-53 loss. “The girls played exceptionally hard the entire game,” said Sullivan … Read More

Strong Showing for ALAH Girls in LSA Game

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•January 31, 2018• By Jason Brown NP Sports The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond girls’ basketball team split a pair of games this past week. The Knights knocked off Decatur LSA last Thursday but lost to Argenta-Oreana Monday night at home. ALAH picked up another Little Okaw Valley NW Division Conference game by defeating LSA 64-25. The Knights jumped up early, 21-11 in the first quarter and then put the game away with a 20-2 second quarter run. Marissa Herschberger scored a season-high 30 points to go with seven assists. … Read More

ALAH Students Sending Care Packages To Hurricane Victims

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•January 31, 2018• By Ariana Cherry for the News Progress Macy Hollingsworth, president of the Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond High School National Honor Society, was the guest speaker at the recent school board meeting. She spoke about care packages that they were putting together to send out to those who have been victims of some of the recent hurricanes. The ALAH students also reached out to other schools within the area encouraging them to join the relief effort. Hollingsworth has asked other students to write encouraging letters that could be included in the packages to help lift the victims’ spirits during such a … Read More

Robinson Sets School Scoring Record

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•January 31, 2018• By Jason Brown NP Sports Senior guard Paige Robinson added another accolade to her high school basketball resume. During the game against Cumberland at home Saturday, Robinson, at the top of the OV’s zone defense, stole the ball with 3:41 left in the first quarter and drove the ball for a layup and scored with 3:36 to set Okaw Valley’s all-time scoring record. “Paige is very deserving of breaking the record,” said OV coach Brad Ackers. “She is the best scorer of the basketball that I have ever been around, male or female.” Robinson surpassed the old … Read More

Sullivan Drive In was the Perfect Family Night Out

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•January 31, 2018• By Ellen Ferrera for the News Progress The Sullivan Drive in opened northeast of town on June 6, 1952 by Lee Norton, who had owned the Grand Theater on the square since 1944. With successful drive in theaters operating in Shelbyville and Mattoon Norton saw a chance to join the trend in Moultrie County. The opening Friday night feature was “At War with the Army” with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, and the Saturday late show was “Murder, My Sweet”.  Prices were 50 cents for adults and children under 12 free. Special favors were given to the … Read More