•June 8, 2016• Amanda McClain, a Sullivan-Okaw Valley track standout, was featured on the Illinois State Redbird women’s 4×400 relay team at the NCAA West Regionals. The team finished 19th in 3:38.26, just .06 off the school record. McClain is a freshman at Normal and finished 24th in the long jump at 19-2 and 3/4 feet. … Read More
•June 8, 2016• Illinois State Police District 10 announced that during the month of May 2016, troopers handled 2213 incidents. Four hundred fifty-four of those incidents were calls for service and assistance. Of these calls, 308 were to help motorists whose vehicles were disabled on area highways. Troopers handled 86 crash reports, four of which were fatal crashes resulting in five deaths. Criminal activities during the month included 37 arrests for criminal offenses. Troopers had 17 subjects arrested for Wanted on Warrant. Troopers also issued nine citations for drug violations. … Read More
•June 8, 2016• By Jim Nowlan NP Guest Columnist In recent years I have been on the outer fringe of the periphery of Illinois politics and government. To refresh myself, I spent the last two days of the recent legislative session haunting the corridors of our stately capitol. I talked with former college students of mine who are now senators, reps, lobbyists and agency officials throughout the bureaucracy. Frustration isn’t a big enough word to capture their overall mood. Despondency, with all hopes for a better day slipping away, says it better. Everyone in the capitol except for Gov. Bruce … Read More
Office Input Encouraged •June 8, 2016• By Stu D. Baker for the News Progress Moultrie County employees could be facing increased health coverage costs if a plan presented by the county board insurance committee is approved. Dave McCabe, committee chair, pointed out a spike in 2015 claims that reached $900,000, teamed with the changing health care industry, prompted the committee to look into ways to save on health coverage for the 55-60 county employees. “The county can not sustain spending 25 percent of the total general fund budget for coverage, and we are concerned about keeping employee premiums unchanged,” McCabe … Read More
•June 8, 2016• The Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library has added “Learning Express Library,” a powerful learning resource to its online programs. Featuring nearly 1,000 tutorials, practice tests, and e-books, this database helps students and adult learners prepare for the GED, ACT, SAT, or career certification tests such as the NCLEX-RN. The Job and Career Accelerator provides specialized content and tools to help people find jobs. It also includes occupational profiles, a real time job search engine, resume’ and cover letter builders and more. … Read More
•June 8, 2016• By Brynna Sentel For the News Progress Kick off your Summer with Shrek the Musical. Shrek the Musical is showing in Sullivan’s The Little Theatre on the Square through Sunday, June 12. This delightful spin off of the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film is a must see for the whole family. Shrek the Musical follows a rare duo of a humorous donkey and an angry ogre. This long and difficult journey to ultimately save their swamp will leave the audience thinking, “What the Shrek Just Happened?”. … Read More
•June 8, 2016• At the request of several alumni, the Lovington High School Alumni Association will host two homecomings this year. The summer homecoming kicks off at Tom Conn Park Friday, June17 during the Community Club Junefest fish fry from 4:30-7 p.m. Entertainment including Steve Fleming, Dennis Garmon, and others will start at 5. Anyone wishing to help with the fish fry may contact Pam Workman at 217-358-3936 or pworkman49@yahoo.com. Saturday morning starts with the firemen’s pancake breakfast and a bake sale at the firehouse. The bank, telephone company and library will be open so alumni may see LHS memorabilia. … Read More
Project Makes Progress •June 8, 2016• County Highway engineer Jeff Birch reported Wilborn Creek road is reopened following culvert replacements as part of the overall $1.8 million improvement project. Birch told members of the Moultrie County Road and Bridge Committee last week that preparations to recycle should take up to four days in early July. Target date for project completion, which includes a new transition curve on the road south of CR1150N, is August 15. The Moultrie County Highway Department road rehabilitation project to improve the roadway smoothness and safety on (Wilborn Creek Road, CR 625E) began on May 2. … Read More