Charlotte Anderson
Charlotte A. Parton Anderson, 86, of Sullivan, passed away at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday, November 11, 2025 in her residence.
Read MoreObituaries 11-19-2025: Charlotte Anderson
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Letter to the Editor 11-19-2025
Dear Editor,
I am writing to highlight the vital work of the Sullivan Area Ministerial Association (SAMA) and to ask for the continued generosity of our community.
For decades, SAMA has provided crucial assistance to those in need throughout Moultrie County, addressing a wide range of basic needs such as utility bills, rent, transportation, temporary lodging, food, fuel, and Christmas support. In just a 12-month span, SAMA distributes significant funds to help scores of individuals in our community, offering a lifeline to those facing hardship.
Read MoreA Look Back…11-19-2025
2015
People get ready, the trains comin’, you don’t need no ticket, ya just get on board. That train was bringing Toys for Tots back to Moultrie County, where they were collecting toys at Sullivan, Bethany, and Lovington locations. New Moultrie County coordinator Rick Kenney said he is eager to start working in partnership with Sullivan’s Secret Santa to help distribute toys this holiday season.
The Department of Insurance (DOI), through a constituent complaint, has learned of an inadvertent data disclosure involving health care providers’ Social Security Numbers (SSNs). DOI provided unrelated filings from Blue Cross Blue Shield to the System for Electronic Rate and Form filing (SERFF) database, which posted the information on its publicly available website.
Read MoreOkay Valley celebrates Veterans Day
Sullivan’s Christmas Crew
•November 19, 2025•
The Christmas Crew in Sullivan is gearing up to help local families as the holiday fast approaches. An offshoot of the local “Giving Place” Facebook page created by Elizabeth Houser when she saw the needs of the community and wanted to be able to help bridge those gaps, the Christmas Crew helps local families enjoy the season by meeting the needs of those families during the holidays.
Read MoreGiving Circle announces grant recipients
•November 19, 2025•
Submitted
The evening of November 13th marked the very first gathering of the Moultrie County Impact Giving Circle, where members broke bread at Sweet Vail Cafe before settling in for an evening centered on generosity, collaboration, and community.
One of the most meaningful parts of this giving circle is its member-driven spirit. Any member can nominate a nonprofit serving Moultrie County. After hearing the nominations, members voted for the organization they felt most called to support.
$5,000 was granted, shared by two local organizations. $2,500 was granted to the Sullivan Area Ministerial Association, quietly and faithfully offering emergency assistance, supporting local initiatives, and uniting clergy to care for the community with compassion.
Another $2,500 for the CEFS Outreach Moultrie County Food Pantry, providing groceries, personal care items, and hope to neighbors facing food insecurity.
To learn more about or to join the Impact Giving Circle, go to heartofillinois.org/moultrie-county-impact-giving-circle.
Mid State Tank to host blood drive
•November 19, 2025•
Mid State Tank to host blood drive Mid State Tank will host a Community Blood Drive with ImpactLife, the provider of blood components for local hospitals. The blood drive will be from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 2nd, at 1357 Jonathan Creek Road, inside ImpactLife Donor Bus To donate, contact ImpactLife Urbana at (800) 747 5401 or visit www.bloodcenter.org and use code 71293 to locate the drive. Appointments are requested.
Potential donors must be at least 17 years of age (16 with parental permission form available through www.bloodcenter.org) and weigh more than 110 pounds. A photo ID is required to donate. For questions about eligibility, please call ImpactLife at (800) 747 5401. Donors who last gave blood on or before October 7th are eligible to give at this drive.
Santa’s Little Workshop December 5
•November 19, 2025•
DOVE, Inc., in collaboration with East Central Illinois ROSC, will be holding a “Santa’s Little Workshop’ on December 5th from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Mid-Illinois Senior Services, 113 E Jefferson Street in Sullivan. There will be food, crafts, hot chocolate, and cookie decorating. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted, payable to DOVE, Inc.’s Domestic Violence Program.
Closed for Thanksgiving
•November 19, 2025•
The Sullivan News Progress offices will be closed on Thursday, November 27th, for the Thanksgiving holiday. Due dates for submission for the weekly November 26th edition are as follows: advertising, November 21st at noon; article submissions, November 23rd by noon; Obituaries, November 23rd at 5:00 p.m. The weekly edition of the News Progress will be delivered on Tuesday, November 25th.
Sullivan High School honors Veterans
by DM Williamee
On Tuesday, November 11th, Sullivan High School held its annual Veterans Day celebration at the Sullivan Middle School gymnasium. The event began with a brunch for Veterans, followed by the assembly celebration.
The celebration included the Sullivan American Legion Color Guard, performances of branch songs by the SMS choir and Singers Jr., a reading of the winning Veteran’s Writing Contest held by the American Legion, a performance of TAPS followed by a reverent moment of silence, and a speech by Principal Dan Allen. In his speech, Mr. Allen’s topic focused on how to show appreciation to our veterans, and paralleling the popular movie, “Saving Private Ryan,” he shared the pivotal two words from the movie: Earn This. Mr. Allen continued to emphasize this point by sharing what that meant: thanking Veterans, being a patriot, respecting the rights of others, serving others and not just ones self, being productive and working hard, being grateful, learn how to disagree respectfully, and last but most importantly, not to take freedom for granted- to earn it.
Photos by DM Williamee
