News Progress

•November 11, 2015• With cold temperatures on their way, the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal encourages residents to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning by ensuring their homes have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas byproduct of burning fossil fuels. At elevated levels, carbon monoxide causes sickness and, if not detected, death. Simply having working carbon monoxide detectors in your home and regularly testing them may prevent awful consequences. Fossil fuels such as natural gas are used to heat the vast majority of American homes, and faulty heating equipment accounts … Read More

•November 11, 2015• Two hundred forty area students participated in Manufacturing Week tours this year. The tours were promoted and coordinated by “No Job Left Behind (NJLB)” a regional initiative that is bringing together educators and industry to discuss the need for a more skilled work force. Started in 2013, NJLB decided that the poor image of manufacturing jobs was one of the deterrents for job applicants and that it would be worthwhile to open the doors and show people that factory jobs can become successful careers. Students from Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond, Humboldt TLC, Okaw Valley, Shelbyville, Sullivan, Tuscola and Windsor toured … Read More

•November 11, 2015• Millikin University presents the 13th annual Literary Festival and High School Writing Contest Nov. 13-14. The 2015 Literary Festival is open to high school and college students and the general public. The festival includes workshops, readings and sessions with featured writers. The event gives students the opportunity to work directly with professional writers and receive feedback. The 2015 Literary Festival will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13 in Pilling Chapel with a prose reading from featured writer Tony Bedard and a special collage reading. The festival will continue Saturday, Nov. 14, from 10 a.m. – 6 … Read More

•November 11, 2015• The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond FFA chapter went to its first Career Development Event of the school year. Darian Hays, Katie Gingerich, Kayley LaGrou, and Isaac Ashenfelter left at 5 a.m. to travel to Black Hawk College in Kewanee to judge eight classes of horses in the State Horse Judging Contest with 214 other students. The ALAH FFA Chapter was part of the 63 schools that did the non-reasons classes. Other students who were in the reasons classes later gave a presentation about how they judged the horses. The ALAH students judged four riding classes and four halter classes.  … Read More

•November 11, 2015• The US Army Corps of Engineers at Lake Shelbyville is currently in the process of updating its Master Plan. Lake Shelbyville, along with Carlyle Lake and Kaskaskia River Project, are updating their plans simultaneously. The Master Plan addresses outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship activities at each project. The updated Master Plan will provide a current inventory and assessment of land and water resources and physical improvements, any changes to resource use objectives and an evaluation of current and future needs required to protect the natural and cultural features of the lake. Emphasis will be placed on increasing … Read More