“Foodmobile” Food Giveaway In Gays March 21

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March 11, 2015 The Eastern Illinois Foodbank will distribute a truckload of food to hungry area families at Gays City Hall at 815 Front St. 10 a.m. to noon March 21. All Moultrie County residents who meet income eligibility criteria are welcome (see below). Those attending are asked to bring bags or boxes to transport food. A representative from Eastern Illinois Foodbank will be present to assist families and individuals interested in applying for SNAP benefits. … Read More

Understanding Illinois: Child Care Agency Under Fire, Again

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March 11, 2015 By Jim Nowlan Outside Columnist Ida Mae and I were classmates in our rural high school, decades ago. Ida Mae often came to school in worn, dirty clothes, but she was attractive underneath it all. I liked her, though we came from different sides of the track and didn’t mix much. Many years later I received a long, wrenching letter from Ida Mae, in which she spilled her guts about her high school years. She was horribly abused by her stepfather, she wrote. Life was absolutely wretched. … Read More

OV Post Prom Fundraiser Saturday

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March 11, 2015 Okaw Valley’s post prom committee is hosting a St. Paddy’s Day fundraiser event this Saturday, March 14 at the Hired Hand Winery & Saloon in Bethany. Doors open at 6 p.m. with live music by Fat Finger from 8-10 p.m. There will be a cover fee. Also featured will be a mega raffle drawing  as well as 50-50. Mega raffle tickets are still available. There will be one grand prize winner of $1000 and a second prize of $200. For more information call Karen Jeffers at 217-972-7167. … Read More

Public Reminded of CIPT Services in Moultrie County

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March 11, 2015 Public transportation in rural communities differs greatly from the public transportation that is seen in the big cities. When most people think of public transportation, they think of waiting at a bus stop in all weather elements for a stuffy, over-crowded bus. That is not the case with Central Illinois Public Transit (CIPT). CIPT is a demand response, door to door service. This means after a rider schedules a trip with a dispatcher, a bus will pick them up at the requested location and take them to their desired destination. … Read More

Obituaries 3-11-2015: Sheri Randall

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Sheri Randall Sheri L. Randall, 43, of Sullivan, passed away at 11:50 a.m. Wednesday, March 4, 2015, in her residence. Celebration of Life services were held at 10:30 a.m. today (Wednesday) in Reed Funeral Home in Sullivan with Ron Thomas officiating. Burial was in Oak Grove Cemetery in Bethany. … Read More

Knights Season Ends with 58-56 Sectional Battle

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March 11, 2015 ALAH comes up one basket short By Matthew Kracht NP Sports Reporter The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond Knights had their season end in Danville last Wednesday night, falling to the Ridgeview Mustangs in a highly entertaining class 1a sectional semifinal contest. The Knights had the ball with a chance for the win in the final seconds, but a last second 3- point attempt sailed long. After what has been a remarkable four year run head coach Dale Schuring said he had no complaints following the hard fought season and game. “The kids followed the game plan well; we executed when … Read More

CCC Camps Left Mark in East Central Illinois

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March 11, 2015 by Tom Emery Few federal government programs today are viewed as efficient and popular, with long-lasting results. The Civilian Conservation Corps, the enormously successful Depression-era program of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, was all that and more. The CCC put unemployed, impoverished young men to work in forestry, soil conservation, drainage, and public parkland. Known for its quality of work, the imprint of the CCC remains in parks, forests, and farmlands today. Decatur was home to three CCC camps, with a fourth near Macon. Other area communities with CCC camps include Shelbyville, Charleston, and Tuscola. … Read More

Cassady’s Project Receives Ag in the Classroom Grant

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March 11, 2015 Will purchase digital microscope for student use by Joash Tiarks Bethany Reporter The Illinois Agriculture In The Classroom(IAITC) program constantly seeks teachers who inspire their students, and the program is able to accomplish this by partnering with local teachers, specifically in the area of agriculture. Recently it found a partner in Okaw Valley ag teacher Aspen Cassady. Each year, under the oversight of the Illinois Farm Bureau, the IAITC raises funds through the Illinois Agriculture Association(IAA), making more than $700,000 available to the teachers and classrooms throughout the entire state “to fund education, research, and charitable activities … Read More

Lake Land College hosts 8th Grade Career Conference

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March 11, 2015 In an effort to introduce and expose local students to a variety of career and occupational choices, approximately 1,600 eighth grade students will assemble in the Lake Land College Field House April 9 and 10 for the 23rd annual Eighth Grade Career Conference. Together, Lake Land College and Eastern Illinois Education for Employment System (EIEFES) will co-sponsor the 23rd annual Eighth Grade Career Conference, an event in which more than 40,000 students have participated over the years. … Read More