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Recent Obituaries: Darlene Burgess

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Darlene Burgess

Darlene R. Burgess, 87, of Sullivan, passed away at 8:45 a.m. Saturday June 4, 2022 in St. John’s Hospital, Springfield.

Celebration of Life services will be 12:00 noon. Tuesday June 7, 2022 in the Reed Funeral Home, Sullivan with Pastor Don Lusk officiating. Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. until service time on Tuesday. Burial will be in the Greenhill Cemetery, Sullivan. Memorials are suggested to a charity of the donor’s choice. Online condolences may be sent to the family at reedfuneralhome.net.
Darlene was born July 15, 1934 in Moultrie County, the daughter of Delmar and Minnie Kidwell Elzy. She had retired in 1992 from GE in Mattoon. She was a member of the Sullivan Church of God. Darlene married Cecil R. Burgess on October 17, 1953 in Sullivan and he preceded her in death on November 26, 2016.
Surviving are her daughters Shirley (Bill) Lindley, Linda (Richard) Probus and Susie Burgess all of Sullivan; daughter in law Heide Burgess; brothers Kenneth Elzy of Texas, Gale (Charlene) Elzy of Sullivan and Marshall (Kathy) Elzy of Sullivan; sister Inna Pickel of Sullivan; four grandchildren; nine great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, four brothers, a sister, son Ron and Grandson Richie Probus.

Mid-Illinois Senior Services Creates and Sells Memorial Day Arrangements

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Photo by Crystal Reed
Mid-Illinois Senior Services Creates and Sells Memorial Day Arrangements
The Mid-Illinois Senior Services in Sullivan has been making artificial flower arrangements for graves for around ten years. The majority of the requests come in around Memorial Day. They make saddles, baskets, bricks and cones. Around 80% of the artificial flowers that are used are donated to them. Proceeds from the sales of these arrangements go towards Mid-Illinois Senior Services. “We all really love doing this and it’s a group effort,” Nancy Ozee said. Pictured is Nancy Ozee working on a patriotic themed arrangement that was ordered.

OV Middle School State Runners-up and Two State Champions

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•June 1, 2022•
Okaw Valley Middle School track sent 10 student-athletes to the Class 2A state track meet on May 13-14 in East Peoria. All 10 students that qualified, medaled at the state meet. The 7th grade girls team, which also won Sectional 8 in Assumption the weekend of May 7th, took state runner-up honors home with them. Gabby Totten led the way when she won the 7th grade girls long jump with a leap of 16’6”, took 2nd in the 100m dash, and 4th in the 200m dash. Erin Harris solidified the team’s success when she won the 7th grade girls high jump with a height of 5’0”. Payton Booker brought home the 8th place medal for pole vault as a 6th grader. The girls 4x100m relay team of Kyah Calhoun, Keely Collins, Erin Harris, Gabby Totten, and alternate Payton Booker earned 5th place overall. The 8th grade boys 4x100m relay team of Wyatt Hildebrandt, Kwame Calhoun, Byron McCarrey, Braden Montgomery, and alternate Brady McQuilling, took 4th in the state. Kwame Calhoun also brought home medals for the 7th grade boys. Kwame earned 4th in pole vault, 5th in the 200m dash, and 5th in the 400m run. Great day on the track for these students and a great season all around.

GOP Debate: Candidates Address Rising Crime, Texas School Shooting

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•June 1, 2022•
By Jerry Nowicki
Capitol News Illinois

The six Republican candidates for Illinois governor faced off Tuesday night in Chicago, albeit on two separate debate stages, hours after a shooting at a Texas elementary school that dominated a large portion of the debates.
A scheduling conflict between two TV networks – WGN and NBC 5 – had the candidates split into groups of three, with the NBC debate beginning at 6 p.m. and the WGN debate starting immediately after it at 7 p.m.

NBC’s debate included Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, the polling and money frontrunner, along with former Waterloo state Sen. Paul Schimpf and suburban attorney Max Solomon. The WGN debate that followed included Sen. Darren Bailey, of Xenia, Petersburg venture capitalist Jesse Sullivan and suburban paving magnate Gary Rabine. Read More

Car Show 2022

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Photos by Ellen Ferrera. Car Show The Memorial Weekend Cruise was held on Saturday, May 28 on the square in Sullivan. The car show was put on by Sullivan Street Machine Association.

Sullivan First United Methodist Free Little Library

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Sullivan First United Methodist Free Little Library
This past Sunday, May 22nd, the Sullivan First United Methodist Church unveiled a new free community library. This library was purchased with money raised by children during last year’s Vacation Bible School, with the goal to shine God’s light in our community. This free library will hold religious material for all ages.

Tips for Picking and Cutting Watermelon

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•June 1, 2022•
Watermelon is a summertime staple. Each summer, stores and farm stands have an abundance of watermelons on display, and many people feel no picnic or barbecue is complete without watermelon.
Watermelon is a refreshing option on hot days. It’s ideal sliced and served, or can be included in fruit salads, smoothies or even “spiked” cocktails. The key to a tasty watermelon is knowing how to pick one that is ripe, while serving watermelon comes down to understanding some easy cutting strategies.
• Choose a watermelon that has a firm, symmetrical shape. Avoid melons with bumps, dents or cuts. Read More

What to look for in a Family Vacation Spot

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•June 1, 2022•
Summer vacations were once an annual tradition for millions of families across the globe. Warm weather getaways to idyllic beaches and welcoming resorts have long helped families make lasting memories, and revisiting that trend can be good for everyone.
Family vacation plans were put on the back burner during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a survey from IPX 1031®, 40 percent of respondents canceled vacation plans during the pandemic, while an additional 29 percent didn’t plan a vacation at all. But the pandemic alone cannot be blamed for people’s unwillingness to take time off from work, as pre-pandemic studies noted how professionals had increasingly begun to work longer hours and take fewer vacation days. For example, data from the U.S. Travel Association indicates that American workers failed to use 768 million vacation days in 2018. Read More

Poppy Sales 2022

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Photo by Crystal Reed
Poppy Sales
Dave and Marlene Selby were selling poppies for the Sullivan American Legion last week. Here they are posing with the antique fire truck owned by the Sullivan American Legion.

Girl Scout Troop 3087 Donates Items to Moultrie County Baby Talk

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Photo by Crystal Reed
Girl Scout Troop 3087 recently collected items to donate to Moultrie County Baby Talk. From left to right: Olivia Scroggins (Junior), Aubrie Payne (Brownie), Whitley Davis (Junior), and Brittany Payne (Troop Leader). Not Pictured: Klaire Martin (Junior), Karen Szachnitowski (Junior), Emerson Brands (Brownie).

•June 1, 2022•
When Girl Scout Juniors team up to make a difference in their community, they learn important leadership skills, discover new passions, and watch how seemingly small actions make a big difference. It all adds up to the Girl Scout Bronze Award—the highest honor a Junior can achieve. Read More