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Recent Obituaries: Michael J. Wildman

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Michael J. Wildman
Michael J. Wildman, 58, of Monticello, passed away Monday evening, April 1, 2019 at Kirby Medical Center, Monticello.

Mike was born June 17, 1960 in Decatur, IL the son of Roger L. and Phyllis (Huffmaster) Wildman. He married Dawn Vannice in August of 1982 and she passed away in November of 1988. He married Ann Power on June 16, 1990 at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Champaign, IL.

Mike is survived by his wife, Ann Power Wildman of Monticello, formerly of Franklin Grove; children, Patrick of Springfield, Katherine and Brandon both of Monticello; mother, Phyllis Wildman of Sullivan; and brother, Chris Wildman of Dalton City. He was preceded in death by his father and grandparents.

Mike was a 1978 graduate of Sullivan High School where he participated in golf, baseball, football, and basketball. His senior year he participated in the IHSA State basketball tournament in Champaign. He is a 1982 graduate of Purdue University. Mike was a department head for The Home Depot and was elected Monticello Township Supervisor. He was a member of the NRA, Purdue Alumni Association, Piatt County Republican Party, and a parishioner at St. Philomena Catholic Church of Monticello. He enjoyed golfing, building models, watching old Westerns, and was an Illini Fan along with being a sports fan and a history buff. He coached all his children in youth sports and enjoyed watching them grow in whatever they did. Mike was a wonderful and loyal person, husband, father, son, brother, boss, and friend.

A visitation will be held from 9:00-11:00 a.m., Friday, April 5, 2019 at the Mackey-Wright Funeral Home, Monticello. Funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, April 5, 2019 at the Mackey-Wright Funeral Home with Fr. Bruce Lopez officiating. Interment with cremation rites will be held in Monticello Township Cemetery at a later date.

Memorials may be made to the Monticello Area Education Foundation.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.mackey-wrightfuneralhome.com

 

ALAH Track Teams Compete at Meet

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•March 27, 2019•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond boys’ and girls’ track teams competed in the Illinois Top Times meet at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington March 22-23.
For the girls’ team, Kenli Nettles placed in four events, including three first places.
She won the 400-meter run in 58.74 and the 6-meter hurdles in 8.94.
She high jumped 5 feet 6 inches for first place and ran the 60-meter dash in 8.01 for fourth place.
For the boys’ team, Layton Hall ran the 3,200 in 9:52.95 for ninth place. Read More

Dr. Dust Speaks Dine with a Doc

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•March 27, 2019•

Senior Education Ministries, Inc. in partnership with the Sullivan community has scheduled Dine with a Doc ® -Sullivan on the first Tuesday of every month from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Max J. Knight Community Building Banquet Hall Mason Point) located at One Masonic Way in Sullivan.
This month Dr. Glen Dust MD with Sullivan Family Care is the presenter.
Dr. Dust was born in Rockford and raised in Effingham. He attended St Anthony schools and graduated in 1974. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology at Eastern Illinois University in 1977 and his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Illinois in 1981. He completed his Family Medicine Residency in Grand Rapids, Michigan and became Board Certified in 1984. He became a Fellow in the American Academy of Family Practice in 1988.
Dr. Dust has been a medical director at nursing homes and a home for the developmentally disabled. He was a clinical associate professor at SIU Decatur Family Practice Residency Program for more than 15 years and was twice awarded ‘Teacher of the Year’. He has enjoyed helping to train nurse practitioners, physician assistants, medical students and family physicians. He has been a physician for Physician’s Choice Wellness, a medically monitored weight loss program. He is currently President of the Board of the Moultrie County Health Department.

Sullivan Softball Has Three Big Wins

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Photo by R.R. Best
Morgan Wallace gets the win.

•March 27, 2019•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Sullivan softball team finished the week 3-2 with wins against Mulberry Grove, Pana and Cerro Gordo and losses to Argenta-Oreana and St. Anthony.
Last Tuesday, Sullivan exploded for a 20-5 win over Cerro Gordo/Bement to open its season.
Irie Dulin was 3-for-3 with two doubles and a stolen base.
Katie Honchell also was 3-for-3 with a double, and Addison Darush was 2-for-3 with a triple.
Alexis Britton was 2-for-4, and Caprice Smith was 2-for-3.
Morgan Wallace got the win in the circle.
Thursday Argenta-Oreana dropped Sullivan 14-4.
Argenta-Oreana scored two runs in the first inning, but Sullivan battled back to take the lead in the top of the fourth with three runs.
AO answered with four runs in the fourth inning and eight runs in the sixth to put the game away.
Irie Dulin went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, and Alexis Britton, Caprice Smith and Destiny Mills each recorded a hit.
Alyssa Shriver took the loss. She allowed one hit and one earned run in the first third of an inning. Read More

Tabor Park Erosion Continues as Long as the Water Flows

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Photo by Mike Brothers
Asa Creek is a powerful force during spring rains with water eroding the banks of the waterway that runs through Tabor Park.

•March 27, 2019•

By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

Tabor Park has been a favorite site to visit to both residents and out-of-town visitors in Sullivan.
Its beautiful scenery, the calming path along the creek and forest-like setting is like a “mini-getaway” within the city. So it was only natural when a resident of Sullivan showed concern about erosion in the park and brought it to the attention of the city council.
With Tabor Park being such a vital part of Sullivan, it is important that the park be maintained as nature attempts to take its course.
To begin dealing with the erosion issues at Tabor Park, Herb Bricker, met with Wayne Kenney, a Stream Specialist of Midwest Streams from Oakdale, Illinois on February 12.
The two also met with park commissioner Mike Mossman and a contractor who was employed to remove unwanted vegetation from the stream corridor. Most of the unwanted vegetation consisted of bush honeysuckle. Read More

Three Wins for ALAH Softball Team

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•March 27, 2019•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond softball team defeated Shelbyville, Heritage and Meridian and lost to Cumberland.
Against the Hawks, Knight Makenzie Brown pitched a one-hit shutout to help the Knights knock off the Hawks Monday night 2-0.
Natalie Frederick knocked in a run, and Marissa Hershberger and Reagan Miller each scored a run and had a hit.
The Knights shellacked Heritage 21-3 in four innings at Heritage.
Miller was 3-for-5 with two doubles and six RBIs, and Mackenzie Brown was 1-for-4 with four RBIs.
Kirsten Corum was 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Read More

Ribbon Cutting Celebration Open for 1225 Building in Sullivan

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•March 27, 2019•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

The 1225 Building at 1225 S. Hamilton in Sullivan and Second Chance Gym will have their official ribbon cutting ceremony at 1 p.m. March 31. The public is cordially invited to attend the afternoon festivities.
Pastor Jim Plank of the Vineyard Church, 1225 Building owner, said of the venture, “Our church was a launching pad to engage the community, and it was a leap of faith for us. Our next step was to figure out how to invest in the community, and this building represents that investment.” Read More

Collecting Milkweed Pods to Help Make Lifejackets for the Navy

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•March 27, 2019•

By Evelyn Burtcheard
for the News Progress

During World War II the schools and any boys’ or girls’ organizations, scouts and 4-H kids were asked to search and collect milkweed pods.
The fluffy white inside the seed pods was used to make lifejackets for the Navy. Milkweed contents replaced something called kapok which grew on trees in the East Indies but was lost to the Japanese during the war.
Uncle Ray, Mom’s youngest brother, was in Germany so all his nieces and nephews joined in the effort to collect the milkweed pods.
Mom cut burlap sacks in half, stitched the bottoms and tied the tops together leaving a small opening for us to put the pods through. If an overripe pod burst, the white fluff inside went everywhere.
At first we gathered the pods on foot, and then we started riding our roan mare Queen to collect pods faster and easier. Dad showed us how to hang the bags over our horse’s withers or flank which we did, and off we went to gather pods. Read More

Knights Sweep Double Header at Home

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•March 27, 2019•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond baseball team finished last week with a 3-1 record with wins against Neoga and Central A&M and a close loss to Monticello.
The Knights swept Neoga in a double header at home Saturday.
ALAH won the first game 4-3 by scoring a run in the first two innings, then tacking on a needed two more runs in the fifth.
Neoga scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning but could not plate the tying run.
Dario Ayala picked up the win for the Knights. He pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed no runs. He walked one and struck out five.
Logan Brough pitched in relief for 2 2/3 innings.
At the plate, Brough was 1-for-1 with a double, and Luca Otto went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Nik Miller, Cody Miller and Kade Hershberger each scored a run, and Kolby Schable was 1-for-1. Read More

Obituaries 3-27-2019: David Smith

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David Smith

David James (DJ) Smith of rural Lovington passed away at Carle Foundation Hospital in Champaign Wednesday, March 20, 2019.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 23 in Lovington United Methodist Church with Pastor Larry Bricker officiating. Burial will be at a later date. McMullin-Young Funeral Home is in care of the arrangements. Read More