Ellen Feeler
Ellen R. Feeler, 75, of Sullivan, passed away peacefully Saturday, February 28, 2026, at Heritage Woods in Sullivan.
Read MoreObituaries 3-4-2026: Ellen Feeler
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Obituaries 3-4-2026: Mat DeVito
Mat DeVito
Mat DeVito, 68, of Bethany, Illinois, passed away at 3:59 a.m. on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Decatur.
A Celebration of Life reception will be held from 1:00-3:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at Reed Funeral Home in Sullivan, Illinois. All who knew and loved Mat are warmly invited to gather, share memories, and honor his remarkable life.
Read MoreObituaries 3-4-2026: Karen Coe
Karen Coe
Karen D. Coe, 70, of Sullivan, passed away Monday, February 23, 2026 in St. Mary’s Hospital, Decatur.
Celebration of Life services were Monday, March 2, 2026 in the Reed Funeral Home with Jeannie Ruppert officiating. Burial was in the Bolin Cemetery, rural Sullivan. Memorials are suggested to the New Life Pregnancy Center, 1698 E. Pershing Rd, Decatur, Illinois 62526. Online condolences may be sent to the family at reedfuneralhome.net.
Read MoreObituaries 3-4-2026: Michael Copass
Michael Copass
Michael L. Copass, 82, of Dieterich, formerly of Sullivan, IL passed away on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at home surrounded by his loving family.
Funeral services will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, March 6, 2026, at Johnson Funeral Home in Effingham. Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, March 6, 2026, prior to the service at the funeral home.
Read MoreObituaries 3-4-2026: Anthony Adams
Anthony Adams
Anthony (Tony) D. Adams, 79, of Bethany, passed away February 23, 2026 in his home.
Read MoreRemembering Who We Are…….99
Kickapoo Log Cabins
•March 4, 2026•
by Janet Roney
Sometimes genealogists find stories about their ancestors that they want to forget, and then some snoopy, mouthy local historian comes along and tells everyone about it anyway. How Dodge Grove Cemetery in Mattoon got its name is a story like that. It involves the Whitleys (who, the old histories imply, would rather race and bet on horses than eat), their “Dodge filly”, and a lost bet. I know and admire several descendants of the Whitleys, so I’m going to leave the rest of that story alone for now, okay?
Read MoreA Look Back…3-4-2026
2016
Moultrie County Emergency Services and Disaster Management coordinated an Active Shooter Training exercise with Sullivan Schools. Local ESDA coordinator Jim Haegan said the full-size exercise involved radio chatter during the time period. “This is an active shooter attempting to enter the school,” Haegan said, explaining that the radio conversations were identified as a simulation, so the general public would not be alarmed.
Decatur Memorial Hospital celebrated its 100th anniversary. The January date was also a celebration of a Bethany woman who dedicated a significant portion of her time and energy to birthing the establishment a century ago. Sue Hagaman (1841-1919) was known as the “Mother of the hospital” by those who took up the task of finishing DMH’s construction after her.
2006
Can a small-town city council take on a communications giant? Maybe, and then again, maybe not. But for the last few years, the Sullivan City Council had been giving it a go. At Monday’s meeting, Sullivan Mayor Ann Short provided the Council with a timeline of the city’s struggle with the Mediacom cable system since she took office in the Spring of 2003.
Read MoreNarcan: better access can help save lives
•March 4, 2026•
by Angela Hogan
Administrator - Moultrie County Health Department
Across the United States and here in central Illinois, opioid overdoses continue to affect families, workplaces, and neighborhoods. Narcan is one of the most effective tools we have to prevent opioid overdose deaths. This easily administered nasal spray can take effect within minutes, giving someone a second chance at life.
Why Narcan access matters: Opioid overdoses remain a major public health crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 76,500 people died in the 12 months ending April 30, 2025, at a rate of 210 deaths per day. Most of these deaths involved opioids, including fentanyl. Illinois has also been affected, with thousands of overdose deaths each year.
Read MoreSBD’s support Senior Center
•March 4, 2026•
The Sullivan Blue Dolphins partnered with the Mid-Illinois Senior Services to collect items for the center.
This is SBD’s first year helping this organization, titling it, ‘Swimmers Supporting Seniors’. This collection was structured very similarly to the annual ‘Swimmers Supporting Soldiers’ that the Dolphins do every summer.
Mid Illinois Senior Services sent the SBD a list of items that were much-needed. The team collected numerous items such as puzzles, paper towels, bathroom tissue, cups, sweeteners, Lysol wipes, plastic cutlery, and flower arrangement items.
The SBD believes in giving back to the community that has so ardently supported them.
Rick King to perform in Allenville
•March 4, 2026•
Allenville Christian Church will host a concert featuring Rick Alan King from Carmi, Illinois, on March 14th at 6:00 p.m. at the Allenville Christian Church, located at 201 Allen Street in Allenville. Snacks and fellowship time will follow the concert. A free Will offering will be taken.
From his earliest childhood memories, Rick Alan King was in church singing harmony with his mother and looking at the faces in the audience, seeing tears streaming down someone’s face, a smile, a bowed head, or a hand raised in praise. These images speak strongly into his young life. He knew right then, in his heart, that singing Gospel Music, ministering to lives through this powerful medium, was how he was to dedicate his life. He had received a calling and a destiny.
As a teenager, Rick started singing professionally and has shared the stage and performed with many leading artists in Gospel Music. In the 1990s, after many years of performing with other vocal groups, Rick Alan King chose to embark on a solo career. Those many years have allowed him to share a variety of songs, moods, humor, and worship. His purpose is not strictly to entertain, but to entertain for a purpose and to extend the feeling he carries in his calling.