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Mode Soldier Retires After 34 Years in the Illinois Army National Guard

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Lt. Col. Stacey Walker presents Patty Kessler, spouse of Master Sgt. Tim Kessler, with a Certificate of Appreciation signed by the Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley thanking her for more than three decades of supporting Master Sgt. Kessler’s military service.

•October 3, 2018•

Master Sgt. Tim Kessler of Mode, Illinois, has retired from the Illinois Army National Guard after 34 years of service in which he attained seven different military jobs, deployed to Afghanistan and to Germany, earned the Soldiers Medal for saving a woman from a toxic gas leak and served on multiple state activations including the Great Flood of 1993.
Kessler has been a mainstay in the 634th Brigade Support Battalion, said Lt. Col. Stacey Walker, Commander of the 634th Brigade Support Battalion based in Sullivan.
“When I first joined this unit as a platoon leader many years ago, there was Master Sgt. Kessler. Then, years later, when I came back as Commander, there was Master Sgt. Kessler.”
Kessler’s knowledge and expertise with the 634th BSB and with his previous unit, B Co., 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment based in Effingham, was invaluable to the officers of those units as well as the hundreds of soldiers he mentored over the years, Walker said. Read More

Obituaries 10-3-2018: Richard Collins

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Richard Collins

Richard L. Collins 72, of Bethany went to be with his Lord and Savior Thursday afternoon, September 27, 2018 in Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Mo.
Funeral services were held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 2 in the First Church of the Nazarene in Shelbyville with the Rev. Greg Breeden officiating. Arrangements were by Howe and Yockey Funeral Home in Shelbyville. Read More

Redskins Golfers Roll on Through as Conference Champs

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Central Illinois Conference Champions.

•October 3, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports

Not only has the Sullivan boys’ golf team finished the season with an undefeated 21-0 record but the Redskins also rolled right through the Central Illinois Conference meet at Ironhorse Golf Course in Tuscola last Tuesday.
“We have been conference champs three-out-of-four years and with our current roster we should see that continue for the next few years,” said Sullivan coach Ben Richter
In the second year in a row as CIC champions, four Redskins earned all-conference honors and placed golfers in each spot from second to sixth.
The Redskins combined team score was 317.
Caden Ellis finished second with a score of 77, and Leyton Ellis followed in third with a 78. Read More

Habitat House Blessing Friday

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•October 3, 2018•

The Sullivan Habitat for Humanity house blessing for Patricia and David Conklin in the Moultrie County Habitat subdivision on Eden Street will be at 5 p.m. Friday, October 12.
The national Habitat for Humanity Care-A-Vanners finishing crew will be on hand along with Moultrie County Habitat and family volunteers for the key presentation and blessing program.

Obituaries 10-3-2018: Gene Denton

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Gene Denton

Floyd Eugene “Gene” Denton, 91, of Sullivan, passed away at 1:40 a.m. Tuesday, October 2, 2018 in Sullivan Rehabilitation & Health Care Center.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, October 6 in McMullin-Young Funeral Home in Sullivan. Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home in Sullivan. Burial with Military Rites by Sullivan American Legion Post #68 will be in Marrowbone Township Cemetery in Bethany. Read More

Benefit for Injured Player

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•October 3, 2018•

A benefit will be held for Keegan Collins Oct 6 and 7 at Wyman Park in Sullivan.
Keegen suffered a massive concussion during a JFL game August 11. He was taken to Shelby Co. Hospital and later air lifted to Springfield.
He is undergoing physical and speech therapy to help regain what he has lost from the accident.
To help raise funds for the Collins family a co-ed slow pitch softball tournament and home run derby, a three on three basketball tournament, silent auctions, raffles, and family games for all ages are set for the two days at Wyman Park.
First game of the co-ed softball tournament starts at 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, and the first three on three basketball tournament begins at 8 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 7.
For questions contact Ross O’Dell for softball and basketball info at 217-714-5670; other questions may be directed to Chrissy O’Dell at 217-663-1691.

WSS Volleyball Keeps Winning

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•October 3, 2018•

The Windsor-Stewardson-Strasburg volleyball stayed undefeated at 6-0 in the National Trail Conference winning over Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City last Tuesday.
WSS won in straight sets, 25-12, 25-4.
Megan Schlechte collected eight kills, two aces and two digs, and Mackenzi Tabbert had four aces, six digs and 19 assists. Read More

Early Voting Gains Momentum

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•October 3, 2018•

Early voting gained popularity with numbers doubling according to Moultrie County Clerk Georgia England.
“September 27 was the first day of early voting, and comparing the number who voted Thursday to the number on the first day in November 2016, we doubled,” England said.
In November 2016 15 people voted on the first day of Early Voting. Read More

Knights Volleyball Team Knocks Down Four Wins for the Week

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ALAH Volleyball team won their eighth straight match for 16-6 record.

•October 3, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports

The Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond volleyball team won its eighth straight match this weekend to improve its record to 16-6 overall and 4-1 in the Little Okaw Valley Conference.
The Knights knocked off four teams this past week alone.
ALAH defeated Bement last Tuesday, Argenta-Oreana Thursday, Blue Ridge and Sangamon Valley/Tri-City in the LOVC tournament Saturday.
In the LOVC tournament at Argenta Saturday, ALAH knocked off Sangamon Valley/Tri-City in straight sets, 25-7, 25-18.
Taylor Powell finished with three aces, five kills and eight digs, and Kara Yoder had two aces, two kills and three digs.
Marissa Herschberger dished out 12 assists, and Makenzie Brown hit four kills.
In the second game of the LOVC tournament, ALAH defeated Blue Ridge 25-22, 25-14.
Powell totaled a game-high 14 kills and 13 digs, and Yoder finished with six kills and six digs. Read More