News Progress

•December 21, 2016• Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White announced that poets from St. Joseph, Harrisburg and Des Plaines are this year’s winners of the Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Award in the twelfth annual Illinois Emerging Writers Competition. Jeanne Genis of St. Joseph was awarded first place for her poem “Finch (For Brigit in Illinois).” Whittney Jones of Harrisburg received second place for her poem “The Price of Coal.” Rochelle Zappia of Des Plaines is the third place winner for her poem “Don’t Ever Let Them Sing.” The winners read their poems and received their awards during a ceremony … Read More

•December 21, 2016• The American Red Cross Central and Southern Illinois Region will offer a special Zero to Hero disaster volunteer training in Charleston, IL on January 13-15, 2017. Zero to Hero is a unique opportunity for people to fast track the required training to become a Red Cross disaster volunteer. In just one weekend, Zero to Hero participants will go through a concentrated training session to complete all the initial training to become a Red Cross disaster volunteer. The Red Cross encourages anyone who has considered becoming a Red Cross disaster volunteer to attend the Zero to Hero event. … Read More

Youth Bingo and other games are at the library 2-4 p.m. Tuesday, January 3 •December 21, 2016• Reading Redbirds Youth Book Club for fourth-eighth graders will meet at 3:45-4:45 p.m. Jan. 3 and 17. Children in this club enjoy planning and assisting with library events and talking about their favorite books. “Wee Readers Story Time” is held on Thursday mornings from 10:45-11:15 a.m. Preschoolers 2 yrs & older enjoy a story, song & dance, learning games and more! Themes are: Jan: 5: “Gingerbread”; Jan. 12: “Mittens” ; Jan. 19: “Snowmen”; Jan. 26: “Bird Feeders”. Learn to program with Disney’s newest … Read More

•December 21, 2016• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources will place discarded Christmas trees into Lake Shelbyville to enhance the fisheries for years to come. Donated Christmas trees are bundled together in small groups and submerged in the lake at select locations. These structures provide fish with breeding areas and escape cover, proving invaluable to not only the fisheries but to anglers as well. New trees are added to sites each year to maintain suitable cover. … Read More

•December 21, 2016• The Sullivan Civic Women’s club met December 12, and rather than a gift exchange, each member made a monetary donation to the Food Pantry and Moultrie County Interagency to be divided equally. Funds donated to the Moultrie County Interagency will be used to assist with hotel stays, prescriptions, car repairs, utility bills, rent and groceries.  … Read More