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A Look Back…1-21-2026

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2016

Winning has never felt so good. “I haven’t seen the kids smile that big in a while,” said Sullivan girls basketball coach Amanda Glazebrook. The smiles came after the Lady Redskins stopped a 14-game losing streak with a 49-36 victory over Argenta-Oreana Thursday night.

The libraries in Lovington, Bethany, and Sullivan are among four area libraries that have been awarded $4,000 grants under the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). The grant, entitled “Weed and Feed: Knowledge Unlimited,” is administered by the Illinois State Library, a division of the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office, and is funded by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services.

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Public Candidates Forum

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•January 21, 2026•

Residents are invited to attend a public Candidates Forum on Wednesday, February 4th at 6:00 p.m. at The Little Theater on the Square to hear from local officials and candidates and receive important information about issues on the ballot. The agenda includes the following: information on the referendum to change the City of Sullivan’s form of government to a managerial form of government, remarks from Scot Wrighton, former City Manager of Decatur, and City Managers Association Advisor Volunteer, reintroductions from Moultrie County Board members running unopposed for their current seats, remarks from the Moultrie County Treasurer Stephanie L. Helmuth running unopposed, candidate presentations from Moultrie County Sheriff candidates - Gary D. Carroll and Jared Hayes, and candidate presentations from Moultrie County Clerk candidates - Linda S. Qualls and Kristie Russel. 

This event will be live-streamed on the News Progress Facebook page, and the forum, hosted by Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development, is free and open to the public and will be moderated by Sullivan CUSD #300 Schools Superintendent, Dr. Ted Walk.

SHS ‘Mirror Images’: cyberbullying 

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Cast and crew of SHS’s 2026 ‘Mirror Images’ production.

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Mirror Images is a prevention theatre group in its 36th year at Sullivan High School. SHS students write, direct, and perform a play focused on spreading positive messages to students about current issues teens are facing while educating them on the best way to deal with these situations. The show will be performed for the students of Sullivan High School, and then a free community show will be offered on January 30th at 6:00 p.m. at the Little Theatre on the Square.

This year’s show, titled “Anonymous”, is about a group of high school students who find themselves targeted by cruel posts and rumors from an anonymous online account. What begins as digital drama quickly fractures friendships and erodes trust as the group of friends tries to discover the identity of the anonymous poster. The show is directed this year by senior Cora Emel. “We felt like cyberbullying is a topic that all high school students can relate to,” shared Cora. The production is made possible by a grant from the Gary Emel Foundation.

Lake Shelbyville dredging operations – floating pipeline notice

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•January 21, 2026•

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District, is notifying the public of ongoing dredging operations at Lake Shelbyville that will include the installation of a floating dredge pipeline on the lake. The dredge pipeline was originally planned to be submerged; however, due to current winter pool water levels, there is not enough water depth to safely allow watercraft to pass over a submerged line. As a result, the pipeline will remain floating for the duration of this phase of the project.

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Scholarship opportunity available

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•January 21, 2026•

The City of Sullivan and the Illinois Municipal Utilities Association (IMUA) have announced the 2026 IMUA Scholarship for local high school seniors. What is available are four scholarships worth $1,000 each. The eligibility requirement is that applicants must be high school seniors in communities served by IMUA member utilities. The deadline for applications is Friday, March 13th. To apply, submit an application and a short essay (500 words or fewer) on one of four utility-related topics. For details and essay questions, visit IMEA.org/IMUAScholarship.html. 

Sullivan Project Help ‘Preschool Round Up’

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•January 21, 2026•

The Sullivan School District and the Project HELP Preschool program will be offering free developmental screening to provide parents with an opportunity to discover how their child is developing in the areas of speech, language, concepts, and motor skills. Vision and hearing screenings will also be offered, free of charge. It’s time to think about Pre-school and Kindergarten for the upcoming school year for your child. To find out what preschool options are available in your community or to pre-register your child for kindergarten, schedule an appointment to have your child screened.

This screening will take place on Thursday, March 5th, and Friday, March 6th, at the Sullivan First United Methodist Church, 216 West Jefferson Street in Sullivan. For an appointment, call Taylor Eckel at (217) 728-2321. Signed parent or guardian permission is required. Screenings are required for potential enrollment in the Project HELP preschool program. 

2026’s celebratory first born

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Crosby Joseph Graven was born at Sarah Bush Lincoln Hospital on January 1st, 2026, at 4:17 a.m., the first area newborn of 2026, to parents Megan and Tyler Graven. Although 4 weeks early, Crosby weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces, and was 19.5 inches long. He joins the family as their third son, with brothers Gibson, age 6, and Macklin, age 2.

Says mom Megan, “It was definitely a whirlwind start to our new year, having our baby 4 weeks early, and having the delivery end in an emergency c-section, but baby Crosby is happy and healthy, and we are all so grateful for him!”

CEFS receives funds from Spirit Pump program

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Cheryl Coddington, from Fast Stop, recently presented a check to Crystal Edwards, Moultrie County CEFS Coordinator. Those who used Pump 1 or Pump 2 with the Spirit Pump wrap during November and December, with one penny per gallon being raised for a local charity, enabled Fast Stop to donate $418.52 to CEFS. Looking ahead, the January/February Spirit Pump donations will go to Sullivan AMBUCS. 

Redskins add one loss, one win last week

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•January 14, 2026•

by E. Scott England

The Sullivan Redskins had an amazing holiday tournament in Dieterich. After securing three strong wins over the weekend after Christmas, the boys fell in the championship against the host Movin’ Maroons in a close game. They had to shake that off though as their regular season resumed last week.

Unity Christian

The Lions of Unity Christian are a regularly formidable opponent on the basketball court. This year is no different. They have only lost three games this year. Sullivan was hoping to hand them their fourth loss.

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Moultrie County’s new ROSC coordinator: looking forward to a year of positive change

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by DM Williamee

Josh Forbes is the new Moultrie County ROSC (Recovery Oriented System of Care) Council Coordinator, taking the reins from Skylar Miller as of November 3rd, 2025. The Council’s mission is one of collaboration, working with one another to build and empower communities of recovery. Josh is a person with lived experience and applies a program of recovery to his own life, and is extremely passionate about engaging and educating the public about the recovery process. “Recovery is possible!” he shares excitedly.

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