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Sullivan Fire Department Cadet Program Celebrates First Graduates

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Photo by Crystal Reed
Konnor Randol and Landry Still graduated from the Sullivan Fire Department Cadet Program on Wednesday, September 28. The next session of the cadet program will start in January with the application process opening in November or December.

•October 5, 2022•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer

The Sullivan Fire Department Cadet Program celebrated its first graduates on Wednesday, September 28. Konnor Randol and Landry Still were given helmets with new shields bearing their last names and certificates of graduation. They also signed the back of their cadet shields that will be used on the helmets of future cadets. Read More

First Responders Appreciation Cookout

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•October 5, 2022•

Sullivan IGA will be having a First Responders Appreciation Cookout on Thursday, October 6 from 11 am to 1 pm. Menu is thin sliced rib eye sandwich $6.00, tenderized pork chop sandwich $4.00, coke or bottled water $1.00, 2 bags of chips $1.00. All local police, fire, paramedics and Moultrie County Dive Team get a free sandwich, chips and drink.

Local Candidate Forum

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•October 5, 2022•

A local candidate forum will be held on Tuesday, October 11 at 6 pm at the Little Theatre On The Square in Sullivan. The Moultrie County News Progress will be streaming the forum on our Facebook page.

Moultrie Douglas County Meeting

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•October 5, 2022•

The annual Co-County meeting will be held on Thursday, October 13 at Arthur United Methodist Church, 128 E. Illinois, Arthur. Registration begins at 1 pm with the program starting at 1:30 pm. Jodi Davis will be the speaker for the afternoon program on Italy. This is the country for the year for the Prairie Association for Home and Community Education. There is a big parking lot behind the church with an easy entry into the fellowship hall with no steps. Refreshments will be served. The public is invited to attend.

Sullivan Show Choirs Fall Revue

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•October 5, 2022•

The Sullivan Singers and Singers Jr. will present their Fall Revue on Saturday, October 15 at 7 pm and Sunday, October 16 at 2 pm in the SHS gymnasium. Tickets can be purchased at the door. General admission is $10, students and seniors $5 and free for children ages 5 and under.

Blood Drive

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•October 5, 2022•

Agri-Fab Inc. will host a community blood drive on Tuesday, October 18 from 9 am to 2 pm in the meeting room located at 809 S. Hamilton St in Sullivan. To donate contact ImpactLife Urbana at (800) 747-5401 or visit www.bloodcenter.org and use code 71025 to locate the drive. Masks and appointments are required.

Recreation Area Closings at Lake Shelbyville

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•October 5, 2022•

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will hold a youth deer hunt at Lake Shelbyville on October 8 & 9, 2022. The hunt will be conducted in portions of recreation areas previously closed for the season. As a safety precaution Lone Point Campground and Whitley Creek Recreation Areas, excluding the boat ramps and all of Wilborn Creek, Sullivan Beach, and Opossum Creek Recreation Areas will be closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic from 2:00 p.m. October 7, 2022 to 8:00 p.m. October 9, 2022.
These closings include boat ramps located within Opossum Creek and Wilborn Creek Recreation Areas. Ramps remaining open during this period include those in Dam West, Lone Point, Lithia Springs, Whitley Creek and Bo Wood Recreation Areas, Wolf Creek and Eagle Creek State Parks and all secondary ramps.
For more information contact the Lake Shelbyville Environmental Stewardship Department at (217) 774-3951 ext 7049.

Recent Obituaries: Lazan Harshman

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Lazan Harshman

Lazan Harshman, age 70, of Sullivan passed away Thursday (September 29, 2022) at St. Mary's Hospital, Decatur, Illinois.

Visitation will be held from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 4th at the Reed Funeral Home in Sullivan. Celebration of Life services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, October 22nd at the Elim Springs Church of Jesus Christ in Sullivan, Illinois with Vanessa Patient and Brigham Hagerman officiating. Memorials are suggested to the Sullivan Ambulance Service.  Online condolences may be sent to the family at reedfuneralhome.net.
Lazan was born July 29, 1952 in Decatur, Illinois, the daughter of John D. and E. Joyce Misenheimer Poland. Lazan graduated from Sullivan High School in 1970 and attended Lakeland College before marrying her high school sweetheart, Bruce Harshman on December 12, 1970. They raised two children together, Carrie Perry of Sullivan and John Harshman of Bethany.
Having been voted "most polite" by her graduating class, it's no surprise that Lazan was known for her immense kindness and bubbly personality. She never once met a stranger, making all who met her feel special and important. Lazan was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She was a homemaker for the majority of her life, but had many hobbies and interests outside of the home. She never encountered a crossword puzzle that she couldn't solve, a jigsaw puzzle that she couldn't piece together or a species of bird or tree that she couldn't identify. Both Carrie and John extend their appreciation to her for doing their freshman year "leaf project". More than a wife, mother and grandmother, she was our best friend, our traveling companion and our heart. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

She was preceded in death by her husband of fifty years and both parents. Survivors include her daughter, Carrie Perry of Sullivan; son, John Harshman of Bethany; grandson, Samuel Perry of Sullivan; and brothers, Steve (Theresa) Poland and Jim (Mary Lou) Poland both of Sullivan.

Recent Obituaries: Mary Margaret Dolan

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Mary Margaret Dolan
Mary Margaret Dolan, 96, of Sullivan, went to be with the Lord, 5:00 a.m. Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at Sarah Bush Lincoln Hospital, Mattoon.

Funeral services will be held 3:00 p.m. Saturday, October 1, 2022, at New Life Church, Sullivan. Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Saturday at the Church. Burial will be in Greenhill Cemetery, Sullivan, at a later date. Memorials may be made to The Life Center Food Pantry.

Mary was born October 11, 1925, in Orange County, Paoli, IN. Mary is the oldest child of William and Effie (Lashbrook) Morris. She graduated from Bethany High School in 1944. She married Stanley M. Dolan on May 7, 1950, in Bethany, IL; he preceded her in death on September 3, 2016. Stanley and Mary were the owners of the Resale Shop in Sullivan for eight years and they were the administrators of The Ministry Center at New Life Church for 28 years. Mary was employed as a telephone operator in the old Standard Oil Building in Decatur. Later she worked as an Administrative Secretary in the purchasing department at Houdaille-Hershey in Decatur. Houdaille-Hershey was the war plant that manufactured parts for the Atomic Bomb. When the plant closed Mary went to work as an Administrative Secretary to Purvis Tabor at Tabor Grain Company in Sullivan. During her life she was a soloist for graduations, funerals, weddings and she sang with Wilma Wilhelm and Marsha Righter in the Jonathan Creek Church Trio.

She is survived by her sons, David (Debra) Dolan of Sullivan, Daniel (Barb) Dolan of Mattoon and Robert Dolan of Sullivan; sister, Jeannette Cochran of Saratoga Springs, NY; brother-in-law, Bob Primmer of Shelbyville; grandchildren, Jenn (Eric) Crouse, Liz Dolan, Jonathan (Kaela) Dolan, Aaron (Tiffany) Dolan, Rachel Dolan, Becca (Aaron) Wilhelm, Faith Dolan, Timothy Dolan and Christian (Kristen) Dolan; great-grandchildren, Bretton (Hattie) Crouse, Reagan Crouse, Anderson Crouse, Hudson Dolan, Isabel Dolan, Elliot and Remi Dolan, Ayden Dolan, Brooklyn and Jaxon Davis, Madelyn and Emersyn Wilhelm; great-great-grandchildren, Alyric Collins, Josie Crouse and baby Crouse in February.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, sisters, Emma Lou Primmer and Genell Keown; brother, Bill Morris; brother-in-law, Leon Cochran; sister-in-law, Erna Morris.

The family would like to give a special thanks to her son Robert Dolan for more than 20 years of loving care for Stanley and Mary.

A special appreciation to our best friends for more than 60 years, Charlie and Bernadine Casteel and Estel and Roberta Freese.

A special thanks to Becky Morgan of Help at Home, Jayne Stewart and Jeannie Brown who helped with Mother.

Condolences may be offered to the family at www.mcmullinyoung.com