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Recent Obituaries: Sandi Wirth

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Sandi Wirth

Sandi Wirth, 81, of Sullivan, passed away at 6:28 p.m. Friday, May 10, 2019 in Mason Point, Sullivan.
Celebration of Life services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in the Reed Funeral Home, Sullivan with Bob Vail officiating. Visitation will be from 5 - 7 p.m. Tuesday. Burial will be in Resthaven Cemetery in Mattoon. Memorials are suggested to the Mason Point Chapel Fund. Online condolences may be sent to the family at reedfuneralhome.net.
Sandi was born March 13, 1938 in Mattoon, the daughter of Verlis Robert and Veda Corinne Henderson Sefton. She had been a school bus driver for the Sullivan Public Schools. Sandi was a member of the Allenville Christian Church where she had been a Sunday school teacher and a bible study facilitator. Sandi had also been a VBS director for the Sullivan Church of God and had started a bible study group at Mason Point. Sandi was also a long time member of the Prairie Winds. She married Gene Wirth on October 16, 1958 in Mattoon.
Surviving are her husband Gene of Sullivan; daughters Theresa (Scott) Clarkson of Lovington and Julia (Jeffrey) McFarland of Worden, Illinois; sister Sherry (Starr) Adams of Elizabethtown, Kentucky; grandchildren Robert (Cecilia) Clarkson, Craig (Lindsey) Clarkson, David (Sara) McFarland, Kelsey (Matthew) Assel and great grandchildren Blake Clarkson, Landon Clarkson, Joey Clarkson and Alyssa McFarland.
She was preceded in death by her parents and a grandson Kyle Clarkson.

OV Bass Fishermen Win Pins

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OV Bass Fishermen Win Pins
Okaw Valley High School bass fishermen Isaac Tipsword and Eric Boomer finished fourth and received pins in the Shelbyville Bass Fishing Sectional. Their fourth place finish qualifies them as alternates for the State Series if a top three team is unable to compete. They finished just ounces behind third place.

Eagle Scout Completes Project for Sullivan Gun Club

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Eagle Scout Christian Hopper and his Sullivan Gun Club project.

•May 8, 2019•
By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

An Eagle Scout is the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America program. Once a scout has reached this rank, they are to help train scouts under them within their area.
A scout has spent years within the program, usually from the time they are very young until they reach early adulthood. Since the Eagle Scout level was created in 1911, only about four percent of scouts have reached such a rank after a very lengthy review process. The Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2.5 million youth.
Eagle Scout Christian Hopper has taken his duty very seriously through his time spent in the Boy Scout program for the last 12 years.
“I started as young as you can start and stayed the course the whole way through. It was a great part of my growing up. I started as a Tiger Cub,” Hopper said.
A very important part of being an Eagle Scout is completing an Eagle project. The project must benefit the surrounding community and involve 100 hours of volunteer time to create and carry out. Once the project is completed, it has to have a sustaining impact and also continue to benefit the community for years to come. Read More

Lovington CTBT Show is Saturday

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•May 8, 2019•

A ‘Car, Truck, Bike and Tractor Show’ will be held Saturday, May 18 in downtown Lovington.
Sign-up will be from 10 a.m. to noon in the middle of town with the fee being a new unwrapped toy to be given away to a child this Christmas. Vehicles will line State Street, and several local vendors will be lined up on Broadway Street showcasing what Lovington has to offer.
Delicious food will be available from Possum Lodge 812, music will be pumped throughout downtown by DJay’s DJ Service and the Masonic C.H.I.P. program will be done by George A. Sentel Lodge 764 in Zancha’s building.
“Sparrows Organization provides assistance to families in need, primarily at Christmas providing warm coats, hats, gloves, boots/shoes if needed along with new clothing and toys,” explained current Sparrows’ president Pam Anklam.
“In addition we have provided support and assistance to families displaced by fire, tornado, etc. Sparrows delivers fruit baskets to the elderly as a way of saying thank you for being part of our community, and we also hold fund-raisers for various organizations and individuals when needed. I believe Sparrows is a fundamental tool/organization for our community,” Anklam said.
Sparrows Unlimited is a non-profit 501c3 organization in Lovington.
For more information visit sparrows-unlimited.com.

Obituary 5-8-2019: Bettie Davis

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Bettie Davis

Bettie P. Davis, 87, of Decatur, formerly of Sullivan, was born March 24, 1932 and passed away 11:15 a.m. Monday, April 29, 2019 in Decatur Memorial Hospital surrounded by her family. Bettie was the daughter of Paul and Mary Wilson. She married Kenneth K. Davis, Sr. January 14, 1955, and they enjoyed over 64 years together. Read More

Remember When? 5-8-2019

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25 Years Ago This Week

A 14-member steering committee has been appointed to discuss re-organization of the Bethany-Sullivan school districts. Rich Voltz, Sullivan Supt., and Marilyn Bayley, Bethany Supt., will act as advisors to the committee throughout the process. Members of the committee from Bethany are Carol Gregory, David McCabe, Paula Clark, Becky Sinclair, Bill Brush, Cheryl Martin and Jack Scott Jr. Representing Sullivan are Greg Sanders, Paul Feist, Matt Kracht, Dennis Hutchings, Jody Holt, Mike Mossman and Jon England.
After auditioning with approximately 800 people, Mike Book’s wish came true. Book, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Book of Sullivan, will be working as a Disney character at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Read More

Knights Softball Team Score Two Big Wins

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•May 8, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond softball team dropped Champaign Central on senior night Monday and Villa Grove in a Little Okaw Valley Conference matchup Friday.
Against the Maroons, the Knights plated five runs in the sixth inning and held on for the 5-1 win.
Against Villa Grove, the Knights had to come from behind late in the game.
Down 2-0, ALAH scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning for the 4-2 win. Read More

State Director of Agriculture Visits Okaw Valley Ag Lab

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Photo by Mike Brothers
Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture John Sullivan learns about Okaw Valley’s ag facilities from Wes Wise’s agriculture class May 6.

•May 8, 2019•
Okaw Valley High School agriculture students showcased the Ag lab to Illinois Director of Agriculture John M. Sullivan Monday.
“You don’t know how lucky you are to have a facility like this,” the new state ag director told Wes Wise’s students.
Sullivan, who lives on a grain and livestock farm in Schuyler County, asked the students questions about the the operation learning that lambs, pigs and calves have been birthed since the ag facility opened in January 2019.
Wise went on to explain that the 5000 sq. ft. ag facility is a smaller version of the University of Illinois facilities. The pigs being raised will be available for sale to help the program generate some revenue. Wise also told the director students are planning to serve pork burgers as part of the ongoing program expansion. Read More

Blue Dolphin Awards

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Photo courtesy Jami Crosier
Blue Dolphin Awards
The Sullivan Blue Dolphins Swim Team held their annual 2019 Awards Banquet for the 2018/2019 swim season. The following athletes received awards: Madalyn Booker: Dedication Award by Age Group; Elijah Crosier: Dedication Award by Age Group; Emily Crosier: Girl’s High Points Award ; Natalie Drury: Legacy Award, and Blue Dolphin of the Year Award; David Eaton: Newcomer Award; Mackenzie Erixon: Girl’s Sportsmanship Award; Kennedy Fultz: Dedication Award by Age Group; Addison Graham: Boy’s Sportsmanship Award; Addy Hendry: Dedication Award by Age Group; Johnathan Iacobazzi: Boy’s High Points Award; Jessica Renfro: Achievement Award – Emerson Risley: Girl’s Most Improved Award; Ethan Schmohe: Goggle Award; Gabrielle Spain: Dedication Award by Age Group; Ethan Tice: Newcomer Award; Matthew Wesselman: Boy’s Most Improved Award; Anna Wooters: Hall of Fame; Blaine Zbinden: Dedication Award by Age Group; Laynie Zbinden: Newcomer Award.

Last Inning Surge Falls Short for Redskins Baseball Team

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•May 8, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

Sullivan dropped a Central Illinois Conference game and a non-conference game this past week.
Monday night Tuscola scored eight runs in the third inning to bust the game open 10-0.
Sullivan answered with two runs in the top of the fourth inning, but the Warriors tacked two more on in the bottom of the inning for the eventual 12-2 win in five innings.
Drew Rogers, Dalton Rogers, Kanin Elder and Tim Lawyer each were 1-for-2 at the plate.
Dalton Rogers also scored a run and had two RBIs while Drew Rogers scored a run. Read More