75 years for Booths For Murder Attempts

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•June 24, 2020• Alvan Booths was sentenced to 75 years with the Illinois Dept. of Corrections by Judge Hugh Finson in Moultrie County Circuit Court Tuesday. Booths was previously convicted of two counts of attempted first degree murder and home invasion with a 15 year firearm enhancement. State’s Attorney Tracy Weaver pointed to the great bodily harm suffered by victim Otha Phillips during the Feb. 4, 2019 home invasion, which helped Judge Finson decide on consecutive sentences for Booths. … Read More

State releases new guidelines for return to in-person education

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Schools told to prepare for return to remote learning in case of surge •Tuesday, June 23, 2020• (This story has been updated to include more details on yesterday’s developments.) By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com   SPRINGFIELD — Illinois released new guidelines for schools, colleges and universities to return to in-person learning in the fall, but leaders warned those plans could change if health metrics related to the COVID-19 pandemic stop improving.   “This fall will not be business as usual, and we will update our guidance as needed,” State Superintendent of Education Carmen Ayala said during a news … Read More

Student Athletes’ Conditioning Regiment Adjusted for COVID 19 Safety Concerns

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•June 17, 2020• By Jason Brown NP Sports The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors announced guidelines that provide the first step in IHSA student-athletes returning to participation. Monday, June 15th, Sullivan coaches implemented those guidelines into a new conditioning regiment for Sullivan athletes. The football, boys basketball, volleyball and girls basketball began conducting voluntary in-person strength and conditioning workouts for the high school students that are interested in participating in those sports. The football and boys basketball groups will workout on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 7-8 a.m. The volleyball and girls basketball groups will work out … Read More

Obituaries 6-17-2020: Kent Emel

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Kent Emel Raymond “Kent” Emel, 79, of Sullivan, passed away at 6:05 p.m. Tuesday, June 9, 2020, at Mason Point in Sullivan. Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Monday, June 15, 2020, at McMullin-Young Funeral Home in Sullivan with military rites by the Sullivan American Legion Post #68. Burial will be at a later date. … Read More

2020 Redskin Achievement Awards Presented by SHS Class of 68

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•June 17, 2020• By Lou Ann Soper for the News Progress Tuesday, June 9th, the SHS Class of 1968 proudly presented the Second Annual Redskin Achievement Award to this year’s deserving recipients. The surprised recipients were Aubrey Tate, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Keith Tate and Terrance McRill, son of Bethanie McRill and Shawn McRill. Aubrey will be a sophomore this coming school year and Terrance will be a senior. The first Redskin Achievement Awards were presented last year to Katherine Kite and Zane Gardner. Both students were juniors when the Awards were presented at the Decision Day Assembly last … Read More

15th COVID-19 Case in County

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•June 17, 2020• The Moultrie County Health Department (MCHD) has confirmed the 15th case of the novel coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) in Moultrie County. The patient is a male in his 50s and is recovering at home in isolation. Public health officials are contacting all close contacts. To date, 577 Moultrie County residents have been tested for COVID-19. Of those tests, 15 have been confirmed positive for COVID-19. Of the 15 Moultrie County citizens affected by this virus, 12 have been released from isolation. … Read More

Lovington Board Correction

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•June 17, 2020• In the June 10 edition of the News Progress a mistake was made in the Lovington Village Board story entitled: Lovington Plans on Summer Park Recreation Program. That is incorrect. In fact the village board decided not to have clean up days or a summer recreation program. Our apology for the mistake. … Read More

My Father Lives on in a Legacy Money Can’t Buy

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•June 17, 2020• By Sarah Hudson Pierce, NP Guest columnist My Father, Roy Earnest Hudson, a native of Bethany, Illinois, an only child, born in 1895, the son of George Washington McClellan Hudson, a circuit riding minister who met and married my namesake, Sarah Alice Ritz, while on a revival in Licking, Missouri. What a treasure trove of information in the first paragraph! I knew so little about our daddy because he was so sick during my childhood up until he died, from congestive heart failure, at home in bed in what was then called the front room on March … Read More