•December 16, 2020•
Gingerbread cookies and houses are one of the many symbols of the holiday season, alongside Christmas trees and twinkling lights. In fact, few confections symbolize the holidays more so than gingerbread.
Many a child (or a child at heart) has spent hours carefully trying to create decorative gingerbread houses. Although gingerbread recipes span various cultures, gingerbread houses originated in 16th century Germany. The fairy tale ÒHansel and GretelÓ helped solidify the popularity of gingerbread, which became part of Christmas traditions. Read More

25 Years Ago This Week

Veteran Moultrie County State’s Attorney Paul Lee Stone is seeking to return to the office he held for 13 years. Stone announced that he will seek the Democratic nomination for State’s Attorney. Public defender Tim J. Willis has filed for the GOP nomination as Moultrie County state’s attorney. Gale Coil, a first term Democrat has not yet announced whether he will seek re-election.
The Lovington school board approved a $1,033,925 tax levy, representing a 6.4 percent revenue increase. The levy for taxes payable in 1996 includes revenue generated by increased assessed valuation and new construction.
The Little Theatre was preparing to present “A Starry Little Christmas”, the first holiday show in years at the theatre. The Little Theatre veterans that comprise the cast are Chuck Bell, Michael Ancheta, Shelley Jackson, Whit Reichert, Maria Jagger-Taylor, Aimee Eckhardt, Michael Haws and Tari Fitch.
The Lovington and Bethany boys basketball teams played going toe to toe. The Panthers beat the Mustangs 74-54.
The Redskins boys basketball team was beaten by Casey Westfield 59-57.
The Bethany Mustangs were defeated by Deland-Weldon 78-73.
Sullivan girls basketball hosted Normal U-High. Sullivan lost 49-38.
The home of Bert and Shirley Caspary was named first place holiday lighting winner. Other winners were second place-Dave and Cathy England and third place-Barb Wickline.
A local Amish family was featured in the Chicago Tribune in a page one feature story. The story focuses on Oba and Lorene Herschberger and their 13 children, a family which has opened its home near Sullivan to “wordly people”--the non-Amish—in order to help pay for their son Samuel’s large medical bills.
The Bethany Fillies girls basketball team was defeated by Cumberland 41-36.
The Lady Reds were defeated by St. Teresa 67-35.
Sullivan’s Genny Sutton was recently honored at Hezzy’s Bowl for 50 years of bowling.

50 Years Ago This Week

The Moultrie County farm, a 212 acre county property which is no longer used to house destitute persons, again became the battleground on which the Moultrie County Board of Supervisors, the Sullivan City Council and the Sullivan Chamber of Commerce conferred in seeking an airstrip in Moultrie County. Meeting with the Board of Supervisors at that latter’s regular session, a representation from the Sullivan City Council and the Chamber of Commerce sought to negotiate a lease on some 30 acres of the farm for the construction of an airstrip which would be operated by the city.
In a contest held at Windsor, the Sullivan High Redskins took their third defeat in a row at the hands of the Windsor Blue Devils by a 66 to 59 score.
Whether Moultrie County should continue a civil defense program was discussed by the Board of Supervisors in their regular meeting. After hearing Mrs. Darrell A. Maguire, Lovington civil defense director, tell of the program established in Lovington, the board referred the question to the legislative committtee. Mrs. Maguire told the board that through the program at Lovington, the village was able to purchase emergency equipment and supplies from government surplus at considerable savings. She cited a portable generator, which could be used when ice storms or other disasters cut off normal electrical resources as an example of equipment the village had procured.
Fredricka Webber, daughter of Mrs. Iris Webber and a niece of Jack Anderson, will be guest champagne lady on the Lawrence Welk tv show Dec. 17. She is a novelty vocalist and at present is appearing at the Black Pub at the Sheraton Towers in Chicago.
Final population counts of the Bureau of the Census show that there are 13,635 residents in Moultrie County, a 1.4 percent increase of 194 persons from the 13.441 recorded in the 1950 census. Population of the City of Sullivan for 1960 is listed as 3,946 a 10.3 percent increase of 506 persons from the 3,440 recorded in the 1950 count. The 1950 figure showed a 9.9 percent increase of 340 over the 1940 count of 3,100.
Paul Rauch’s herd of 14 registered Holstein cows led Moultrie County Dairy Herd Improvement Association for the month of November, according to the report of Tester Emerson Miller. The average monthly production per cow was 1,125 pounds of milk and 42.3 of butterfat. All of the Rauch cows were in milk during the month.[/s2If]

•December 16, 2020•
The importance of shopping locally has been emphasized with increasing urgency in recent years. Events like Small Business Saturday and Plaid Friday have brought some much-needed attention to the importance of shopping local, which is even more crucial now as so many small businesses try to survive the pandemic.
A poll from the trade group the National Federation of Independent Business reported that about half of all the businesses in the survey reported a 25 percent drop in sales since the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, and roughly one in five businesses have seen sales decline by more than 50 percent. If the economic climate does not radically improve, 20 percent of small businesses won't survive. Read More

•December 16, 2020•
by Jim Baumann
Do you have an Advent calendar at home with a door or window revealing a Bible verse or a puzzle or a tiny picture each day until Christmas?
We had them when I was a kid, though I don’t remember if there was a theme. I recall being envious of a friend whose Advent calendar wasn’t a sheet of cardboard but rather a heavy box that sat on a table. Behind every door was a nook, and in every nook was a chocolate or a caramel or something, well, caloric and desirable.
He was an only child, to boot, and he would take advances on Christmas Day, always depleting his supply long before the celebration of Jesus’ birthday.
Santa didn’t seem to care that he was naughty, either, because he was rewarded with a mini bike. Read More