52 Gun Raffle/Fundraiser to Benefit Not for-profit Lake Volunteers Association

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January 28, 2015 The Lake Volunteers Association (LVA), a not for-profit volunteer based group of individuals serving the Lake Shelbyville and Carlyle Lake communities, will host a 52 gun raffle/fundraiser for 52 weeks. Starting Saturday evening, July 4, the first three numbers drawn in the pick three game from the Illinois Lottery (excluding the Fireball) is the winning number for that raffle. You must be 21 to play and to legally be able to own a gun in Illinois as all laws apply. Only 1000 tickets will be sold. Each ticket has 52 chances to win. … Read More

Understanding Illinois: Lags in D.C. Power Game, Can Do Much Better

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January 28, 2015 by Jim Nowlan Outside Columnist Politics is largely about who gets what and is a game of debits and credits amassed over the years by political power players. In the 1950s, U.S. Senate minority leader Everett Dirksen of Pekin would on many a late afternoon saunter over to the hideaway Capitol office of legendary Senate majority leader Lyndon Baines Johnson. Over a bourbon-and-branch water, or two, these political powerhouses would shape the national policy agenda for the coming week and beyond – while taking care of home state priorities. In the 1990s, Speaker of the U.S. House … Read More

Hagerman Headed to Olney Central on Scholarship

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January 28, 2015 OV senior slated to pitch for Blue Knights by Keith Stewart keith@newsprogress.com For Okaw Valley senior Peyton Hagerman, when the time came to choose a college to go to play baseball, there was one adjective he wished to avoid in describing his decision: Crazy. “I wanted to play for Dennis Conley, first and foremost. I’ve heard nothing but great things about him. I’ve had people tell me that if I passed him up I’d be crazy. I don’t want to be crazy.” So the OV senior signed off on his, say, logical choice, last Thursday to go … Read More

Lilly, Durbin Recognized by Alumni Association

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January 28, 2015 Sam Lilly, a 1958 graduate of Sullivan High School and now a resident of Downers Grove, is the 2014 recipient of the Hall of Fame award presented by the Sullivan Alumni Association. Johnny Bill Durbin of Sullivan, a 1959 graduate, received the Who’s Who award. A graduate of Eastern Illinois University, Lilly was a high school teacher, principal, assistant superintendent and community college and university instructor before earning his Ph.D. During that time he was active in the organization and passage of the Illinois Community College Act which established the system we have today. Lilly co-chaired a … Read More

Obituaries 1-28-2015: Donette Renfro

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Donette Renfro   Donette A. Renfro, 79, of Lovington, went to be with the Lord unexpectedly at 2:19 a.m. Sunday, January 25, 2015 in Decatur Memorial Hospital. Services to celebrate Donette’s life will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, January 29 in Lovington First Church of God. Visitation will be held from 4-7 today (Wednesday) in the First Church of God Family Center in Lovington. … Read More

Obituaries 1-28-2015: Archie Bathe

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Archie Bathe Funeral services for Archie Logan Bathe, 77, of Sullivan were held at 2 p.m. Sunday in McMullin-Young Funeral Home in Sullivan. Burial with military rites by Sullivan American Legion Post # 68 was in French Cemetery in Allenville. He passed away at 6:20 a.m. Friday, January 23, 2015 in Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center in Coles County. … Read More

Bethany Nears End of Expensive Multi-Year Water Treatment Project

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January 28, 2015 New water filters pass EPA tests by Derek Pope Bethany Reporter This month marked the ending point of a multi-year water treatment project for the village of Bethany. The sizeable undertaking, a replacement of the decades old drinking water filters housed at the town’s water treatment plant, had been in development since 2012. A bid was awarded for the sand filter replacement in December of 2013, and after nearly a year of work, the dual filters were given the green light by federal regulators. Utilities manager Steve Sowers told the News Progress that this week the village … Read More

LTE: 1.28.15

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Apologize for Quote In regards to the article in  the News Progress two weeks ago about Paul Craig, I want to apologize for the stupid saying I made — “I remember when Il. Route 121 was a dirt road”. … Read More

ALAH’s LOVC Tourney Capped Off with Win

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January 28, 2015 Lady Knights take third place By Matt Kracht NP Sports Reporter After falling to tournament champion Arcola 52-38 in the LOVC Northwest championship game, the Lady Knights bounced back to claim third place by defeating the Tri-County Titans 56-43.  Kimberly Davis led all scorers with 15 points going 10-of-11 from the foul line, and Meagan Fifer put forth her best shooting performance of the tourney hitting 3-4 from the field including two crucial 3-pointers. “For three quarters we definitely did a good job bouncing back,” said head coach Craig Moffett. “It showed a lot about a young … Read More