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Sullivan softball player earns championship game MVP honor

News Progress Posted on by


•July 22, 2026•

by Jamie Crosier

Kylie with her grandma, Donna Fowler.

Fourteen-year-old Kylie Wickline is bringing home more than a championship as she prepares for her freshman year of high school.

Wickline, who plays for the Mattoon Pride 14U SG travel softball team, was selected as the Championship Game MVP by the opposing team during the USSSA Fastball Fireworks & Freedom tournament over the Fourth of July weekend.

The recognition came after opposing coaches selected one player for the honor. Wickline said she was surprised when her name was announced.

“I didn’t think it was going to be me at first because all of my teammates did great that game,” Wickline said. “When my name was called, I was very excited and happy that everybody was supporting me when I got it.”

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Remembering Who We Are………

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Isaac Waggoner, Moultrie County Patriot


•July 22, 2026•

by Janey Roney

Moultrie County can be proud that we have Revolutionary War veterans buried in our soil, even though our first pioneers did not arrive until five decades after we declared independence from England. Isaac Waggoner, from South Carolina, was one of those Revolutionary War veterans.

Isaac’s service may have been inspired by his own father, Hans, who was an immigrant from either Holland or Germany. Hans had fourteen children by five different wives. He was a man of action who fought Cherokee Indians and built Wagner Fort in 1760 where Isaac was born a year later.   

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Mid-Illinois Senior Services celebrates America’s 250th birthday

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•July 22, 2026•

Photo by Jamie Crosier

by Jamie Crosier

Patriotic decorations, American flags and familiar songs welcomed guests Thursday, July 16, as Mid-Illinois Senior Services Inc. hosted a celebration honoring America’s 250th birthday.

Mid-Illinois Senior Services serves as the Aging and Disability Resource Center and Coordinated Point of Entry for the East Central Illinois Agency on Aging. The celebration featured guest speaker Becky Lawson, followed by a free lunch of Blackstone-grilled hamburgers, sides and dessert. Entertainment was provided by the American Patriots Band.

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IAHC Steam Threshing Days set 

News Progress Posted on by


•July 22, 2026•

Steam Threshing Days will be held on Friday, July 31 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, August 1 from 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the Illinois Amish Heritage Center on Illinois Route 133, six miles west of Arcola and three miles east of Arthur.

The purpose of this event is to show attendees how crops were grown and harvested during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Amish continue using many of these methods in their farming operations today. This event continues to expand each year and the 2026 event promises to be the best and biggest show yet.

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Sparrows Unlimited auction brings Christmas spirit to Lovington in July

News Progress Posted on by


•July 22, 2026•

by Jamie Crosier

Christmas trees, holiday decorations and live music may seem out of place in the middle of summer, but that’s exactly what visitors might find when Sparrows Unlimited hosts its annual Christmas for the Kids Auction on Saturday, July 25, in the grassy lot outside East End Tavern in Lovington. The daylong fundraiser combines entertainment, food, family activities and a silent auction, with proceeds benefiting local children and families.

For Pam Anklam, president of Sparrows Unlimited, the event represents much more than a fundraiser.

“The first thing I would want people to know is that Sparrows Unlimited is made up of ordinary, hardworking people who simply want to make a difference in the lives of others,” Anklam said. “We aren’t a large organization with paid staff—we’re volunteers who care deeply about our community and are committed to helping local children and families.”

That volunteer spirit has carried the organization for 32 years.

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