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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

Obituaries 3-27-2019: Ray Shafer

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Ray Shafer

Raymond L. Shafer, 71, of Sullivan, passed away at 1:18 p.m. Sunday, March 24, 2019 in his residence.
Celebration of Life services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday in Reed Funeral Home in Sullivan. Visitation will be one hour before the service. Ray’s request was for casual attire. Read More

Obituaries 3-27-2019: Janice Tusing

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Janice Tusing

Janice A. Tusing, 83, of Decatur, formerly of Lovington, passed away Thursday, March 21, 2019, in McKinley Court in Decatur.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 26 in McMullin-Young Funeral Home in Lovington. Burial will be at a later date in Hewitt Cemetery in Lovington. Read More

Construction Before Dawn

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Photo by R.R. Best
Construction Before Dawn
Construction at the new Dollar General location on Jackson St. in Sullivan got an early start as concrete finishing crews were floating floors at 6:30 a.m. last Tuesday. This Tuesday the steel frame is going up.
Overland Corp of Missouri is developing the $1.4 million property for Dollar General Stores. The property is the former location of Jackson Chevrolet which had been abandoned for a decade.
According to Dollar General completion of the 106 N. Main St. store is expected in the fall of 2019.
The store is the Dollar General Plus format. The Plus format is the traditional store with an additional 2000 sq. ft. additional sales space to include expanded cooler and freezer space.
Dollar General has not sought TIF financial relief.
Sulllivan has upgraded electrical service, and developers have paid for gas line relocation.

Goss is All-Area Swimmer

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•March 27, 2019•

The Champaign News Gazette announced its all-area swim and dive teams this past week.
Brodie Goss was selected First Team All-Area in boys swimming.
Goss broke the Sullivan High School 100-meter breaststroke record with a time of 59.61 and placed 24th in the IHSA State Swimming Meet at New Trier High School in Winnetka.
During the season he also broke the 100-yard butterfly school record with a time of 53.13.

Sullivan High School Spanish Students Host a Blast to the Past

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Photo by Señora King
Karoake came alive at Mason Point when SHS Spanish students visited recently.

•March 27, 2019•

On February 20 some of the Spanish III students of Sullivan High School visited Mason Point nursing home in Sullivan for a game of bingo, trivia, karaoke, and music. Famous celebrities of the 1950s and 60s with whom the residents were familiar were the topic of the evening.
After the game of bingo, juniors Aaron Garvey, Gary Herschberger, and Seth Mayberry, (who were dressed up as Johnny Cash, Paul McCartney, and Buddy Holly respectively) read facts about the person they were representing for a game of trivia.
Juniors Adalee Nichols and Kaitlyn White helped with the planning of prizes and trivia questions about Elvis Presley as well.
Following the trivia games, the floor was open for anybody wanting to sing their favorite song from the 1950s and 60s. A few residents sang songs like Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.” Read More

Morrisonville Tops OV

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•March 27, 2019•

The Okaw Valley softball team dropped its third straight game to Morrisonville Thursday.
Morrisonville scored three in the third inning and tacked on another run in the fourth to answer OV’s lone run.
Each team recorded five hits. Read More

Moultrie Moment of the Week

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Pictured above is the men’s Sunday school class at the 1st Methodist Church in Lovington in March 1910. Please submit photos to the News Progress for future consideration. Originals will be saved for return or forwarded to Moultrie County Historical Society. If you have any other information, please contact the Moultrie County Historical Society at 217-728- 4085.