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Letter to the Editor 2-6-2019: A Corrected Version of the Titus Manor Story

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•February 6, 2019•

Dear Sir:

In the January 30, 2019 issue of the News Progress it was reported in the article regarding the Titus Home that “...the first resident, Anita Gritzmacher, was welcomed February 6, 1967 by first administrator Erma Ferguson.”
That statement is incorrect. The first administrator of the Titus Home was my mother, Mrs. H. 0. Dick, who was hired in 1965. Please see attached article from, I believe, your newspaper.
I wouldn’t take issue except that I remember how honored Mother was to be offered the position and the long, dedicated hours she spent getting the house ready for occupancy. As a daughter, I seek only her rightful place in Sullivan’s colorful history. Read More

Hard Work Turns Christian 40 into Home

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•February 6, 2019•

By Evelyn Burtcheard
NP Guest Columnist

As soon as they could get the house livable to Mom’s standards we moved in. She painted walls and woodwork starting in the kitchen first, then she and Dad papered the bedrooms and living room of our home.
One weekend Mom’s brothers Uncle Buck, Uncle Charlie and Uncle George helped move the remainder of our belongings into our new home. Donny and I never tired of exploring and dreaming of all the animals we would have.
When Mom finished in the main house, she started on the big summer kitchen and porches. Dad worked at repairs on the outside while Mom worked inside. There was a lot of work to be done.
Two weeks after we moved to Christian 40, a large truck delivered two milk cows, and one had a baby calf. The truck left and returned bringing us a team of work horses Dad bought. A strawberry roan mare named Queen I claimed, and a bay mare named Molly Donny claimed (I think because she was acting silly).
A man Dad worked with said his father had to quit farming. Dad bought several things including the cows and the team. Oh how I wanted that truck to return with more horses. Read More

Sullivan Girls Basketball Clinches CIC Championship

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Photo by R.R. Best
Josie Orris shoots underneath the basket.

•February 6, 2019•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

After a hiccup in the Central Illinois Conference Tournament in Decatur last week, the Sullivan girls’ basketball team clinched the regular CIC championship by defeating Tuscola on senior night Friday.
To avenge the upset loss in the semifinals of the CIC tournament to the Warriors, who eventually won the tournament, Sullivan had to wait an extra day because inclement weather Thursday postponed the game until Friday.
“We had such a fun and exciting night for, not only our seniors, but our entire team,” said Sullivan coach Sheri McCain. “We had such an amazing crowd and student section tonight. These girls played with such intensity. They were on a mission and that was to avenge the loss from the tournament and win the conference outright. I am so very proud of these young ladies.”
Sullivan took advantage of a 12-1 second-quarter run to squash any ideas of another upset.
After the 22-9 halftime lead, Sullivan tacked on four more points to its lead in the third.
In the fourth quarter the Redskins blew open the game with a 21-6 run and the 56-24 win.
“It was a great way to end our regular season on senior night,” McCain said. Read More

Obituaries 2-6-2019: Jared Schrock

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Jared Schrock

Jared L. Schrock, 20, of rural Sullivan died at 12:10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019 at his residence.
Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 7 in the HCK West Building, south of Arthur. Interment will follow in the Gingerich Cemetery in rural Sullivan. Edwards Funeral Home in Arcola is assisting the family. Read More

Understanding Illinois: Another ‘Con-Con’ Might be Good but Won’t Happen

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•February 6, 2019•

By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist

Twenty-nineteen is the golden anniversary of the last Illinois Constitutional Convention, in 1969. This year also notes the half-century mark in elected office for Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, whose served as a delegate to the convention.
I think it may be time for another convention. Thomas Jefferson felt constitutions such as our deified US charter should be reviewed from time to time. Indeed, our state constitution, ratified by the voters in 1970, calls for a vote every 20 years on whether to call a new convention. Voters rejected such a call in 2010, but the present dire state of our state induces me to think it might be high time to revisit our state charter.
The 1970 constitution was considered at the time to be a relatively modern, forward-looking piece of work. For example, municipalities were accorded home-rule authority, the governor was given four veto powers, and the personal property tax was abolished.
The document also empowered the voters to amend the legislative article by initiative and referendum, but the Illinois Supreme Court subsequently interpreted the proviso so narrowly that the power is basically inoperative. Read More

Home Explodes Killing Rural Sullivan Man

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Photo by R.R. Best
Sullivan Firefighters were joined by area police searching debris for victims of the Feb 1 home explosion and fire in rural Sullivan.

•February 6, 2019•

By Mike Brothers

A rural Sullivan home explosion Friday evening claimed the life of 20-year-old Jared Schrock and left a 16-year-old girl in a Springfield burn center.
Sullivan Fire Chief Mike Piper said the 9:53 p.m. call to 1416 CR 1700N reported an explosion and two missing people.
When firefighters arrived, debris was scattered some 200 feet from the burning family residence.
“We located the girl under debris outside the structure within about five minutes,” Piper said, noting she had severe trauma and has been transferred to Springfield Memorial Hospital for burn treatment.
Jared Schrock was found in the crawl space of the destroyed home directly below his second story bedroom. Read More

Records Slashed With Monumental Cold Conditions

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•February 6, 2019•

Illinois has been experiencing some of the coldest weather that has been seen in decades and, in some locations, ever.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration cooperative weather observer at Mt. Carroll in northeastern Illinois reported a temperature of -38 degrees on the morning of Jan. 31.
“The temperature in Mt. Carroll may be a new state record, if officially confirmed,” said Brian Kerschner, spokesperson for the Illinois State Climatologist’s Office at the Illinois State Water Survey. Read More

Sullivan Shooting Leads to Mattoon Man’s Arrest

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•February 6, 2019•

Alvan Booths, 32, of Mattoon is in custody following an 11 p.m. shooting in Sullivan.
Sullivan Chief of Police James Waggoner explained SPD and the Moultrie County Sheriff’s Dept. responded to the home invasion with shots fired at a residence in the city.
Police arrived to discover Otha Phillips had been shot in the neck. He was transported by Sullivan Ambulance Service to the Decatur Memorial Hospital emergency room. Read More

Remember When? 2-6-2019

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25 Years Ago This Week

A Sullivan youth phoned in a bomb threat to the sheriff’s department reporting a bomb in the high school office. Sullivan police chief Joe Thompson reported that help from the school, sheriff’s department, the local radio station and modern technology helped the police track down the youth.
An estimated 750 people attended the Sullivan Singers dinner theatre. The guests were treated to two special performances by Sullivan Singers Combo and Sullivan Singers Crew. This year’s members are Brian Agge, Tony Armstrong, Jenny Bates, Brianne Bolin, Mike Book, Steve Book, Casey Davis, Brian Elder, Mindy Ernst, Jill Farris, Joe Freese, Casey Golden, Cory Golden, Jake Haegen, Krishna Haney, Cristina Harris, Ben Havens, Christy Kracht, Nikki Larkin, Tim Lowry, Angela Mossman, Sara Mossman, Austin Pearl, Bobbie Pound, Molly Reeder, Micah Ray, Matt Risley, Nick Rodgers, Joey Schaljo, Jed Shasteen, Lindsey Standerfer, Tim Sides, Michael Thomas, Kevin Towle, Adam Uhlarik, Leslie VanKeuren, Craig West, Jennifer Weber, Joni Wickline, Carrie Wildman, Micki Winskill, Heather Wood, Eric Yoder and Greg Yoder. The crew members are Doug Binder, Jesse Carlock, Robbie Dean, Mitch Eberhardt, Rob Feeler, Tom Lowry, Patrick Sanders, Andrew Stone, Kory Wiley and Steve Yoder.  Some of the parents serving the dinner were Gary Wood, Mindy Winskill, Sue Sides, Ellen Feeler, Mike Shasteen, Sharon Lowry and Phil Armstrong. Kristy Sims, SHS alum, gave a guest performance during the Sunday afternoon show. Read More

ALAH Girls Take Okaw Valley on Senior Night

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Photo by Jason Brown
Knight Emma Harris boxes out Kate Jeffers for one of her four rebounds on the night.

•February 6, 2019•

by Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond girls’ basketball team defeated Okaw Valley on senior night to place each team tied for second place in the regular season Little Okaw Valley Conference Northwest Division in Arthur Saturday.
The Knight’s 44-28 win set each team’s LOVC regular-season record to 5-1, behind undefeated Kansas/Shiloh/Oakland in the LOVC.
The Knights took an early lead when Marissa Herschberger stole the ball and converted in transition, then scored again on another layup in transition to make the score 8-2 with just less than three minutes left in the game.
After a 15-5 lead, ALAH Marcy Petersheim hit a jumper to make it and a Knight steal and score push the lead to 19-5 with 2:56 left in the second quarter, forcing OV to take a timeout. Read More