Pictured above is the annual event of moving Santa’s house to the Sullivan square in 1957. Helping to get it located were George Harchous, James Rhoades, Paul Romano, Al Golden, Russell Slover and Glenn Lundy. Please submit photos to the News Progress for future consideration. Originals will be saved for return or forwarded to Moultrie County Historical Society. If you have any other information, please contact the Moultrie County Historical Society at 217-728- 4085.
Photo by Mike Brothers
Christmas Hams Donated
Christmas dinner will be much better for families served by the C.E.F.S. Moultrie County Food pantry thanks to one couple who takes the spirit of Holiday giving seriously. Sullivan IGA provided 100 hams to go along with Christmas dinners prepared for county families in need. Delivering the hams to the Food Pantry located in Sullivan from the Sullivan IGA meat department on Friday, December 20 were from left: Mason Harner, Emmalee Hortenstine, Meat Dept. manager Barry Golden, Julie Delpino, Seth Cobb and Blake Eller.
Photo furnished
Voice of Democracy Winners
Blake Thompson receives his award for winning the local Voice of Democracy contest from the VFW. Larry Gregory of the Sullivan VFW is presenting him with the award at the Veterans Day assembly at SHS. He is one of four district finalists and will learn if he advances to the next level on January 5 at the VFW in Decatur. Seventh grader Olivia Leigh Cordes is the local post winner for Patriot’s Pen and receives a $100 award. Jennnifer Hobbs at SES coordinated the contest, and Rebecca Lawson was Thompson’s sponsoring teacher. He also won the Career English VOD contest as well.
•December 25, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor
The Sullivan boys’ basketball team picked up its first win of the season Friday but lost its first game in the Eureka College Shootout Saturday.
The Redskins completed a huge comeback in the fourth quarter to defeat Decatur Lutheran 45-44 on the road.
Sullivan fell behind by ten points, 29-19, in the first half.
After a close third quarter, the Redskins outscored Lions 18-8 in the fourth to pull off the comeback. Read More
Gail Wolfe
Gail E. Wolfe, 76, of Lovington, passed away at 5:47 p.m. Tuesday December 17, 2019 in St. Mary’s Hospital, Decatur.
Celebration of Life services will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday December 21, 2019 in the Archie L. Sanders Chapel in Thomason Cemetery in Wayne City with Pastor Rodney Houser officiating. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Friday in the Reed Funeral Home, Sullivan and from 10:00 a.m. Saturday until service time in the Archie L. Sanders Chapel in Wayne City. Burial will be in the Thomason Cemetery in Wayne City. Memorials are suggested to the Lovington Community Ambulance Service.
Gail was born on February 22, 1943 in Wayne City, the son of Clarence and Estes Bailey Wolfe. Gail had worked at Firestone in Decatur for thirty years and was a proud union member.
He had been a Moultrie County Republican Precinct Committeeman and had served as the chairman for the Moultrie County Republican Central Committee for several years; had served on the Moultrie County Board and had been a trustee for the Lovington Community Ambulance Service. Gail was Past President for the Illinois Draft Pony Association and the Lincolnland Carriage Club. Gail loved ponies and he enjoyed raising, training and showing his ponies and using them for parades, wagon rides and anywhere others could enjoy seeing his ponies. He especially enjoyed having his carrousel in parades. Gail married Carolyn Finley on May 27, 1961 in Wayne City.
Surviving are his wife Carolyn of Lovington; daughters Teresa O’Kelley of Mattoon and Deborah Wolfe of Danville; son Robert (Lori) Wolfe of Chatham; sister Verna Woodward of Collinsville and granddaughter Sydney Wolfe of Chatham.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Dale, Delmar and John and sister Yvonne Lathrop
Sondra Daily
Sondra J. Daily, 87, of Sullivan, passed away at 11:41 a.m. Wednesday, December 18, 2019, at St. Mary’s Hospital, Decatur.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, December 21, 2019, at McMullin-Young Funeral Home, Sullivan. Visitation will be held an hour prior to the services Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Greenhill Cemetery, Sullivan. Memorials may be made to the First Christian Church of Sullivan.
Sondra was born June 7, 1932, in Sullivan; the daughter of Carter and Olive (Taylor) Stonecipher. She married Lowell Daily on August 1, 1949, in Champaign; he preceded her in death in 1978. She later married Dan Taylor on April 5, 1980, in Sullivan; he preceded her in death in 1994. She married Robert Daily on January 15, 2000, in Arizona; he preceded her in death in 2015. Sondra was a member of the First Christian Church in Sullivan and the Moultrie County Home Extension. She enjoyed playing cards in the numerous Card Clubs she belonged too. Sondra loved spending time with her children, grandchildren and friends.
Sondra is survived by her sons, Timothy (Janet) Daily and John Daily both of Sullivan; daughters, Pam (Mike) Bone of Sullivan, Paula (Jim) Perkins of Sullivan and Jane Seaman of Arcola; grandchildren, Bobbi Bone, Melissa Demkov, Tiffany Bone, Dallas Bone, Kayli Olvera, Kollin Seaman and Daniele Daily; great-grandchildren, Waylon Demkov and Aliyah Moran.
Sondra was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, 3 brothers, Floyd, Bill and Charlie.
Condolences may be offered to the family at www.mcmullinyoung.com
•December 18, 2019•
Photo furnished
The Sullivan Blue Dolphins hosted a Time Trial Sanctioned Swim Meet for their team of 88 swim athletes, of which 77 swimmers competed.
This was the first home meet in 11 years for the team. Previously, SBD has been unable to host meets in Sullivan due to the lack of equipment needed to accommodate traveling swim teams, such as a scoreboard, touch pads and adequate seating, according to Head Coach Jason Drury. Even so, SBD continues to make record breaking impacts in swim athletics with the continued growth of athletes from around Central Illinois joining the team and parent volunteers achieving Meet Official certification.
High Point Winners for the event are as follows. Read More
•December 18, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor
The Okaw Valley girls’ team lost a close Lincoln Prairie Conference game against Argenta-Oreana 59-53 Thursday.
In a back-and-forth game, OV fell behind four points at halftime, but cut the lead to two by the fourth quarter.
In the final period, AO outscored OV 18-14 to pull away for the victory. Read More
•December 18, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor
The Okaw Valley boys’ basketball team defeated rival Sullivan 54-38 last Tuesday in its only game of the week.
Sullivan took the lead 11-9 after the first quarter, but OV gained the lead in the second quarter with a 19-6 run.
In the second half, the Timberwolves held off Sullivan for the 54-38 win. Read More
•December 18, 2019•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor
The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond boys’ basketball team split a pair of games this past week.
The Knights knocked off Arthur-Okaw Christian in Arthur Friday, 67-40.
ALAH jumped out to a five-point lead in the first quarter, then added to that lead each every other quarter.
The Knights overwhelmed AOC with a balanced offense. Three Knights scored in double digits.
Freshman Kaden Feagin led the team with 12 points and seven rebounds to go with two assists. Read More