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Recent Obituaries: Harold E. Renfro

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Harold E. Renfro

Harold E. Renfro, 91 of Lovington, went to be with the Lord and his beloved wife and son at 2:28 AM Friday, April 25, 2025, at Eastview Terrace, Sullivan.
Services to celebrate Harold’s life will be held at 11 am Monday, April 28, 2025, at the First Church of God in Lovington. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the services at the church. Interment will be in Keller Cemetery, Lovington. Graceland/Fairlawn Funeral Home is assisting the family with the arrangements.  Memorials are suggested to the First Church of God in Lovington. 
Harold was born on March 11, 1934, in St. Louis, MO, a son of Earnest W. and Vera E. (Atkinson) Renfro. He was a retired supervisor for Caterpillar. Harold was an active dedicated member of the First Church of God where he served s a Deacon. He also took great pride in maintaining and scheduling the church’s community building that he helped build. Harold was always busy, ready to drive a group to dinner, going boating, mushrooms hunting and he loved to garden. He also had many rental properties and grew very close to the families he took care of. Harold also served on the Village Board for several years. Harold married Donette A. Grabow on July 3, 1954, in Hillsboro. They celebrate 60 years of marriage before she passed away on January 25, 2015. 
Surviving are sons Skip and his wife Debbie Renfro, Bob and his wife Marylisa Renfro, daughter Bev and her husband Scott Connelly, and daughter-in-law Diane Renfro all of Lovington, brother John (Jane) Renfro of Lovington, sister- Vicki (David) Stadge of Delaware, OH,  and brother Hiram (Rose) Renfro of Donnellson, brother in  law Walter and his wife Mary Grabow of Normal, 8 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren. 
Harold was greeted in Heaven by Jesus, his beloved wife Donette and his son, Gerald “Jerry” Renfro, his parents, brother, Robert “Bob” Renfro and sister, Lydia Collins. 
Condolences and memories may be shared at www.gracelandfairlawn.com. 

2025 SHS Prom Court

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Queen candidates, front row: Zoe Conlin, Shaelyn Ellis, Katilyn Kirby, Mayci Strauf, and Sarina Voegel. King candidates, rear row: Kaden DalPonte, Aian Fryman, Lucas Floyd, Rhett Lehman, and Camden Watkins. The winners will be announced at the dance on May 3rd at 9:00 p.m.

Okaw Valley 2025 Prom Court

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Front Row: Reese Nichols, Ella Roley, Reagan Russell, Annabelle Cheatham. Back Row: Maddox Petrucha, Chase Creviston, Seth Forlines, Grady Sparks. Prom will be held on Saturday, April 26 at the Mt. Zion Convention Center with coronation scheduled for 7:15 p.m. This year’s theme is “A Night in Disguise.”

Egg hunt a big hit

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Despite threatening skies and gusting winds, the Easter Egg hunt sponsored by Sullivan’s First United Methodist Church on Friday, April 18th, was a big hit with a large turnout. Pictured is Amari Tulloch, age 3, who maneuvered the egg hunt like a pro.

ETML Happenings for May: events galore

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•April 23, 2025•

May 1st: Last homeschool meeting.  The meeting will be at Wyman Lake at the park at 2:30 p.m., weather permitting.

Story times: Every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. -May 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th. The bounce house will be available after the story and craft project.

Every Monday at 9:00 a.m.: Memory Café. This is a social gathering for individuals with dementia and their caregivers. Get helpful information and support from others who also have loved ones who struggle with memory loss.

Every Tuesday at 6:00 p.m., the “Crochet Along” group meets.

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ALAH District looking to update phone system, cameras

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Custodian night crew needed

•April 23, 2025•

by Ariana R Cherry

Superintendent Shannon Cheek announced that the school district was in need of a custodian night crew at the most recent school board meeting held on Wednesday, April 16. “We have open positions in each building, and we need those positions filled as we are trying to have a full custodian crew. We have zero applicants at the moment. If it doesn’t come to fruition by next year, we will have to reach out to a few other companies,” he said. 

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SBL Races for all Paces June 7

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Fundraiser for SBL Dental Clinic

•April 23, 2025•

Spring is here, and that means it’s time to prepare for the Sarah Bush Lincoln Races for all Paces event, which is set for Saturday, June 7th, at Eastern Illinois University.

The multi-race event includes a 5K, 10K, one-mile run/walk, toddler trot, and diaper dash and raises funds for the SBL Dental Program. The program provides preventive and restorative care for children throughout the area. A dental team visits schools to provide preventive care while restorative care is provided in the dental clinic at 225 Richmond Avenue East, Suite B, in Mattoon. Volunteer dentists are key partners in the program, providing restorative care in their clinics for children who need additional or further extensive care.

“Races for all Paces is a great event for community members to have fun and exercise, and it garners a lot of support for the SBL Dental Program,” Tracy Haddock, SBL Healthy Communities director, said. “Many children in the community need quality dental care, and this annual event helps us continue to provide essential dental care.”

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Sullivan Fire Protection District hiring

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A career that is different every day; in service to others

•April 23, 2025•

by Denise Williamee

If you are looking for a new career or just starting on your career path, consider joining the Sullivan Fire Department, located in Sullivan, Illinois. It’s a stable, service-driven career path, with earnings that can support a family; each workday will be different, and you will have an opportunity to give back to the community. The starting salary for EMT Basic is $49,787.00, and EMT Paramedic certified at $56,872.00, with an additional $1,000.00 for Basic Operations Firefighter certification, and a generous benefits package. 

Despite the stereotype of firefighters only running into burning buildings, or saving kittens from trees, you will meet people on what could be the worst day of their life, and have an opportunity to mitigate that by making that day better through service and directing them to resources they may not have been aware of. As a paramedic, you will also be responsible for not just life-saving heroics, but important services such as patient transfers and other less publicized duties. The Sullivan Fire Department averages 16 to 17 hundred call-outs per year. Stereotypes aside, it’s an exciting and interesting career that many have found rewarding on multiple levels. Shifts are 24 hours on, 48 hours off, leaving plenty of time for family and other interests.

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SHS Students shine in Art/History project

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Emotionally impactful exhibit provides a learning experience

•April 23, 2025•

High school students from Patricia King, Lori Kirk, and Lisa Bertetto’s classes recently completed a collaborative project inspired by a Moultrie County History Center workshop held last fall.

The student-created artwork is currently on display at the History Center.

King developed the project after attending a history-to-Go presentation about the Education Liaison’s World War II and Depression Era tub that was conducted by Becky Lawson and Connie Dunscomb. She was inspired to teach her students about the Nazi bombing of the city of Guernica by a photo that she saw in a LIFE magazine that was in the tub, the bombing, part of the Spanish Civil War and carried by the Condor Legion and the Italiana “Aviazione Legionaria,” was done through an agreement between Adolf Hitler and Francisco Franco.

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Electronics Recycling Event

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•April 23, 2025•

The City of Sullivan will hold their annual Electronic Recycling Event on Saturday, June 7th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Wyman Park parking lot, south of Wyman Lake.

This event is open to those living within city limits and City of Sullivan utility customers. Bring proof of residency or a recent utility bill to participate, as City police officers will be present to check ID’s. Each household will be limited to a total of ten (10) items weighing 75 pounds or less.