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Sullivan Softball Has Three Big Wins

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Photo by R.R. Best
Morgan Wallace gets the win.

•March 27, 2019•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Sullivan softball team finished the week 3-2 with wins against Mulberry Grove, Pana and Cerro Gordo and losses to Argenta-Oreana and St. Anthony.
Last Tuesday, Sullivan exploded for a 20-5 win over Cerro Gordo/Bement to open its season.
Irie Dulin was 3-for-3 with two doubles and a stolen base.
Katie Honchell also was 3-for-3 with a double, and Addison Darush was 2-for-3 with a triple.
Alexis Britton was 2-for-4, and Caprice Smith was 2-for-3.
Morgan Wallace got the win in the circle.
Thursday Argenta-Oreana dropped Sullivan 14-4.
Argenta-Oreana scored two runs in the first inning, but Sullivan battled back to take the lead in the top of the fourth with three runs.
AO answered with four runs in the fourth inning and eight runs in the sixth to put the game away.
Irie Dulin went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, and Alexis Britton, Caprice Smith and Destiny Mills each recorded a hit.
Alyssa Shriver took the loss. She allowed one hit and one earned run in the first third of an inning. Read More

Tabor Park Erosion Continues as Long as the Water Flows

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Photo by Mike Brothers
Asa Creek is a powerful force during spring rains with water eroding the banks of the waterway that runs through Tabor Park.

•March 27, 2019•

By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

Tabor Park has been a favorite site to visit to both residents and out-of-town visitors in Sullivan.
Its beautiful scenery, the calming path along the creek and forest-like setting is like a “mini-getaway” within the city. So it was only natural when a resident of Sullivan showed concern about erosion in the park and brought it to the attention of the city council.
With Tabor Park being such a vital part of Sullivan, it is important that the park be maintained as nature attempts to take its course.
To begin dealing with the erosion issues at Tabor Park, Herb Bricker, met with Wayne Kenney, a Stream Specialist of Midwest Streams from Oakdale, Illinois on February 12.
The two also met with park commissioner Mike Mossman and a contractor who was employed to remove unwanted vegetation from the stream corridor. Most of the unwanted vegetation consisted of bush honeysuckle. Read More

Three Wins for ALAH Softball Team

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•March 27, 2019•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond softball team defeated Shelbyville, Heritage and Meridian and lost to Cumberland.
Against the Hawks, Knight Makenzie Brown pitched a one-hit shutout to help the Knights knock off the Hawks Monday night 2-0.
Natalie Frederick knocked in a run, and Marissa Hershberger and Reagan Miller each scored a run and had a hit.
The Knights shellacked Heritage 21-3 in four innings at Heritage.
Miller was 3-for-5 with two doubles and six RBIs, and Mackenzie Brown was 1-for-4 with four RBIs.
Kirsten Corum was 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Read More

Ribbon Cutting Celebration Open for 1225 Building in Sullivan

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•March 27, 2019•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

The 1225 Building at 1225 S. Hamilton in Sullivan and Second Chance Gym will have their official ribbon cutting ceremony at 1 p.m. March 31. The public is cordially invited to attend the afternoon festivities.
Pastor Jim Plank of the Vineyard Church, 1225 Building owner, said of the venture, “Our church was a launching pad to engage the community, and it was a leap of faith for us. Our next step was to figure out how to invest in the community, and this building represents that investment.” Read More

Collecting Milkweed Pods to Help Make Lifejackets for the Navy

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•March 27, 2019•

By Evelyn Burtcheard
for the News Progress

During World War II the schools and any boys’ or girls’ organizations, scouts and 4-H kids were asked to search and collect milkweed pods.
The fluffy white inside the seed pods was used to make lifejackets for the Navy. Milkweed contents replaced something called kapok which grew on trees in the East Indies but was lost to the Japanese during the war.
Uncle Ray, Mom’s youngest brother, was in Germany so all his nieces and nephews joined in the effort to collect the milkweed pods.
Mom cut burlap sacks in half, stitched the bottoms and tied the tops together leaving a small opening for us to put the pods through. If an overripe pod burst, the white fluff inside went everywhere.
At first we gathered the pods on foot, and then we started riding our roan mare Queen to collect pods faster and easier. Dad showed us how to hang the bags over our horse’s withers or flank which we did, and off we went to gather pods. Read More

Knights Sweep Double Header at Home

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•March 27, 2019•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond baseball team finished last week with a 3-1 record with wins against Neoga and Central A&M and a close loss to Monticello.
The Knights swept Neoga in a double header at home Saturday.
ALAH won the first game 4-3 by scoring a run in the first two innings, then tacking on a needed two more runs in the fifth.
Neoga scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning but could not plate the tying run.
Dario Ayala picked up the win for the Knights. He pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed no runs. He walked one and struck out five.
Logan Brough pitched in relief for 2 2/3 innings.
At the plate, Brough was 1-for-1 with a double, and Luca Otto went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Nik Miller, Cody Miller and Kade Hershberger each scored a run, and Kolby Schable was 1-for-1. Read More

Obituaries 3-27-2019: David Smith

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David Smith

David James (DJ) Smith of rural Lovington passed away at Carle Foundation Hospital in Champaign Wednesday, March 20, 2019.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 23 in Lovington United Methodist Church with Pastor Larry Bricker officiating. Burial will be at a later date. McMullin-Young Funeral Home is in care of the arrangements. Read More

Obituaries 3-27-2019: Ray Shafer

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Ray Shafer

Raymond L. Shafer, 71, of Sullivan, passed away at 1:18 p.m. Sunday, March 24, 2019 in his residence.
Celebration of Life services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday in Reed Funeral Home in Sullivan. Visitation will be one hour before the service. Ray’s request was for casual attire. Read More

Obituaries 3-27-2019: Janice Tusing

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Janice Tusing

Janice A. Tusing, 83, of Decatur, formerly of Lovington, passed away Thursday, March 21, 2019, in McKinley Court in Decatur.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 26 in McMullin-Young Funeral Home in Lovington. Burial will be at a later date in Hewitt Cemetery in Lovington. Read More

Construction Before Dawn

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Photo by R.R. Best
Construction Before Dawn
Construction at the new Dollar General location on Jackson St. in Sullivan got an early start as concrete finishing crews were floating floors at 6:30 a.m. last Tuesday. This Tuesday the steel frame is going up.
Overland Corp of Missouri is developing the $1.4 million property for Dollar General Stores. The property is the former location of Jackson Chevrolet which had been abandoned for a decade.
According to Dollar General completion of the 106 N. Main St. store is expected in the fall of 2019.
The store is the Dollar General Plus format. The Plus format is the traditional store with an additional 2000 sq. ft. additional sales space to include expanded cooler and freezer space.
Dollar General has not sought TIF financial relief.
Sulllivan has upgraded electrical service, and developers have paid for gas line relocation.