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Remember When? 2-22-2017

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25 Years Ago This Week

Bethany school district joined Lovington in rejecting an offer to combine with the Sullivan School District. Declining enrollment prompted Bethany schools to cut staff by four and look into ending the high school Mustang football program.

Sullivan residents Lewis and Ruth Holt were married Feb. 29, 1924 (Leap Year Day). They celebrated 68 years of marriage at the Masonic Home.

Bethany basketball Mustangs honored seniors Ben Osman, Greg Dickens, Sean Harshman, Wes Russell, Chris Smith and Dave Snyder prior to the final regular season game with Windsor.

Sullivan Lady Redskins win Regional title in a 66-23 game with Arcola. Tiffinie French, Stephanie Monroe, Angie Sphar, Allyson Glazebrook and Carinna Elder were among contributing teammates. Read More

Celebrate Agriculture Breakfast

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•February 22, 2017•

The fourth annual Celebrate Agriculture Breakfast will be held Saturday, March 18 in Atwood.

The breakfast featuring scrambled eggs, biscuits, gravy, sausage, milk, juice, and coffee will be served 7-10 a.m. at United Church of Atwood, located at 210 N. Main Street.

The breakfast is sponsored by the Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond FFA Alumni Chapter. Donations are encouraged and accepted.

All funds raised help support the agriculture education program and FFA Chapter at ALAH High School.

A Soldier Remembered-The Past Recalled

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Gene Denton next to the new plaque honoring Sgt. Wayne Bathe (inset) at Sullivan American Legion Post #68.

•February 22, 2017•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Out of the blue on June 15, 2015, Sullivan resident Gene Denton received an email from a Daniel Fonner who was researching his grandfather’s WWII experience and was seeking pictures and information.

Fonner’s grandfather, Frederick Allen Fonner, had been close friends with a Sgt. Wayne Bathe of Sullivan, Ill. and knew Wayne’s fiance was Ola Denton - Gene’s sister. Fonner had found Gene’s name in Ola’s obituary.

The unfolding story is one of love, deep friendship, bravery, profound grief and sadness ending with a plaque which Gene Denton has placed in memory of Sgt. Wayne Bathe at the American Legion Hall. Read More

Moultrie Moment of the Week

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Pictured above is Rhodes Moto-cross race track northeast of Bethany in 1972. 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.

Robinson Advances in Shootout

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Photo by Jason Brown
Paige Robinson jumps for the ball to open a Little Okaw Valley Conference tournament game against Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond in which she scored a season high 35 points.

•February 22, 2017•

Okaw Valley guard Paige Robinson advanced to the IHSA Class 1A shootout state finals at Redbird Arena Thursday.

Robinson advanced from a shootout with three other shooters, hitting 6-of-10, after hitting 6-of-15 to get to the shootout in the sectional round.

She is one of 28 shooters left.

The junior guard finished the season with 21.6 points and had a season high 35 points against rival Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond in the Little Okaw Valley Conference tournament.

She finished with four 30-point games and 18 20-point games.

She shot 48 percent from the field and 37 percent from behind the arc.

She made 74 percent of her free throws and averaged 5.3 rebounds per game.

She also totaled 3.1 assists, 3.4 steals and 2.9 blocks per game.

She also made the All-Pana Thanksgiving tournament team and the Okaw Valley Girls’ Holiday all-tournament team.[/s2If]

Obituaries 2-22-2017: Randy Crowe

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Randy Crowe

Randy Lee Crowe, 59, of Flora, formerly of Sullivan, passed away at 7:47 p.m. Tuesday, February 14, 2017 in Carbondale Memorial Hospital.

Funeral services were held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, February 18 in McMullin-Young Funeral Home in Sullivan. Burial with military rites by Sullivan American Legion Post #68 was in French Cemetery in Allenville. Randy was born August 1, 1957 in Mattoon, a son of Hue Tim and Ruth (Moran) Crowe. His family was an important part of his life as was his relationship with Christ. He served in the United States Navy. Read More

Pulitzer Prize Winner Andy Schneider’s Death Touches Best Newspapers

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File Photo
Kathy and Andy

•February 22, 2017•

By David McCumber
Special to the News Progress

Andrew Schneider, an acclaimed investigative reporter and public-health journalist, died Friday. He was 74.

Mr. Schneider, who lived in Missoula, Montana, died of heart failure in Salt Lake City, where he was being treated for pulmonary disease.

For several years, he worked at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and was remembered by colleagues Saturday as a relentless, inspiring reporter who built indelible relationships with people from all walks of life.

Mr. Schneider won two Pulitzer Prizes, journalism’s highest honor, while at The Pittsburgh Press — one for specialized reporting in 1986 and another for Public Service in 1987.

The public service Pulitzer was for “Danger in the Cockpit,” co-written with Matthew Brelis and photographed by Vincent Musi, a story revealing dangerous gaps in airline safety, including that pilots with alcohol and drug issues were not prevented from flying. The 1986 winner, written with Mary Pat Flaherty, detailed violations and failures in the organ-transplantation system in the U.S. Read More

Commissioner Bill Hagen Retires from Sullivan Council

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•February 22, 2017•

By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

“It has been my pleasure to sit on city council and with all the commissioners....I wish the council good luck on behalf of the city residents,” said commissioner Bill Hagen as he announced his retirement, effective March 27, 2017.

Health and Safety Commissioner Hagen began working for the city of Sullivan at the age of 13 and later enlisted in the Army.

After returning from the Army, Hagen returned to work for the city once again. “The city has been very good to me,” he concluded.

Mayor Ann Short and the council thanked Commissioner Hagen for his time on the council and wished him well in retirement.

Other news discussed or acted upon: Read More

Obituaries 2-22-2017: Johnny B. Ralph

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Johnny B. Ralph

Johnny B. Ralph, 91, of Decatur died Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017 in his home.

Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Friday in Brintlinger and Earl Funeral Home in Decatur. Burial with military rites by Macon County Honor Guard was in Friends Creek Cemetery in Argenta. Read More