Category Archives: Features

A Valentine’s Day Gathering Shines For Sullivan Seniors

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Photo submitted
Pictured is poetry contest winner Norma Hickenbottom.

•February 14, 2018•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

A sea of fashionable red couture flooded Courtyard Estates as more than 150 senior citizens converged for the 10th annual Valentine’s Day Luncheon and Poetry Contest Friday, Feb. 9. The event is sponsored by the Mid-Illinois Senior Services and hosted by Courtyard.

Tables were beautifully decorated with white tablecloths, red placemats and centerpieces of red rose arrangements in crystal vases.

Red and gold balloons floated above the tables. Ellen Ferrera presented a program of piano selections that included “ Be My Love”, “My Funny Valentine”, “Let It Be Me”, “My Own True Love”, and “The Nearness of You”. Read More

Plans for a Modern Theater with a Stage Emerge

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•February 7, 2018•

By Eden Martin
NP Guest Columnist

Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of three columns on movie theater history in Sullivan by former resident and author Eden Martin.

VIII. The Illinois Theatre

Almost immediately after the Jefferson burned, talk began about what would replace it. J.H. Ireland, once a manager of the Jefferson, contemplated opening a new theater on the east side of the square. Art Palmer also looked for a room somewhere he could operate as a movie theater. Sullivan Progress, January 9, 1925.

Then in late January Blaine Maxwell announced that he would open a new movie theatre in the I.O.O.F. building on the south side of the square on February 1. The new theatre had a seating capacity of about 360. Advertisements for the new theatre began to run in early February. Read More

Daddy Daughter Dance to Benefit The Little Theatre

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•January 31, 2018•

Once again, The Little Theatre On The Square will hold a Daddy Daughter Dance fundraiser.

The dance is 6-8 p.m. Saturday, February 10th at Sullivan Elementary School.

This third annual event is expected to be bigger and better than ever. Last year, more than 220 people attended .

“We’re holding the dance at SES again this year,” said theatre board member and dance organizer Amanda Standerfer. “The location worked really well for us as we can have different activities in different spaces.”

This year’s theme is “The Enchanted Ball,” evoking images of princesses and magical evenings. Read More

Pathways Chapel in Gays Holds Family Living Room Services

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Elizabeth Brown holding Wyatt and Pastor Nick Brown holding Adam.

•January 17, 2018•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

From the time he was four years old Nick Brown knew he wanted to be a pastor and share his love of God with others.

On October 1, 2017 he and his wife Elizabeth opened Pathways Chapel in Gays on First Street across from the Christian Church.

“My parents were married in the Christ Tabernacle Church in Herrick, and I grew up in the church. No one in my family was in the ministry, but I felt the calling early,” Pastor Brown recalled.

His wife is originally from Gays, and they met in the Herrick church. When they moved to Gays, Nick met with Dr. Andrew Robinson of Eastern Illinois University about opening a church. Dr. Robinson headed the Christ Ministries and the School of Divinity where Brown obtained his BA and Masters in Divinity. He is also an ordained minister. Read More

Year End Review

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Continued from our December 27, 2017 edition

•January 3, 2018•

May 31, 2017

Sullivan city is receiving a $445,980 block grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The grants are designed to stabilize neighborhoods and provide affordable housing.

Susan Rauch, Joe Keller, Dave Cole, Bill Highland, Dan Fultz and Brad Pullen plant the first tree donated by Sullivan Rotary to the Habitat subdivision in Sullivan. Sullivan Rotary received a $1500 grant from District Rotary to help with the project.

Angie Ward was honored by a reception at First Christian Church in Sullivan. Ward, also a Prairie Winds participant, has been a member of the choir for 58 years.

Sullivan Township cemeteries records have been updated through the Gravediscover website. Judy Sumner and Alex Menke worked together to complete the Sullivan township project.

Members of the Sullivan High School band performed at Memorial Day services in Greenhill Cemetery with Post 68 American Legion Honor Guard leading the salute and veteran Paul Stone presenting the keynote address. Read More

“White Christmas” Sparkles at Little Theatre

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•December 13, 2017•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

The time is 1945 at war’s end and a group of soldiers are bidding farewell to their beloved General Waverly. Two soldiers, Phil and Bob, return home and quickly become stars in radio and on Broadway. Their former mess sergeant invites them to view his sisters’ act. Phil and Judy hit it off immediately; Bob and Betty do not.

Little Theatre tickets in Sullivan are flying out so fast that an extra performance has been scheduled for Friday, Dec. 15 at 2:00 p.m.  Sat. and Sun. performances are sold out except for single seats.  Call  217-728-7375.

With some subterfuge and finagling, they are all on a train bound to Vermont where the sisters are performing for the holidays at the Columbia Inn. Upon arrival, Bob and Phil learn that the inn is run somewhat poorly by their former commander General Waverly. With no snow many have cancelled reservations at the inn which is piling up debt. Even the general’s request to rejoin the army has been denied. Read More

Centennial Farms – A Proud Moultrie County Heritage in Central Illinois

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Brad(l) and Gary Emel display centennial recognition at the Coon Creek farm.

•December 6, 2017•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

When the first settlers arrived in central Illinois, they were greeted by waves of tall prairie grass as far as the eye could see, vast herds of bison and native Indians.

The Kickapoo Indians were among the first settlers, and they were skilled hunters and farmers – the latter skill they taught to the first white settlers.

Today the prairie grass is gone, the nearly 60 million bison hunted close to extinction and the Indians driven out by the military by 1834. But the land-the land remains and has been handed down from generation to generation since about 1815 in Moultrie County.

In 1972 the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDA) began setting up programs to honor these heritage farms and the contribution agriculture has made to the state.

Centennial farms are those that have been in the same family for 100 years. Sesquicentennial farms (150 years) are the second program, and in 2016 the Bi-Centennial program to honor 200- year- old farms in the same family was instituted. Read More

Release Through Jesus Prison Ministry Serves Thanksgiving To County Jail

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Photo by Gerald R. Wood
Delivering Thanksgiving dinner to Moultrie County Detention Center inmates are Beth Wood and Jim Helton.

•November 29, 2017•

This Thanksgiving many people were sitting in their homes with family and friends.  They enjoyed turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and maybe some pie. There were a group of people who could not go home for this holiday or any holiday.

These are the men and women being held in the Moultrie County Detention Center.  Normally most people in Moultrie County overlook them. This Thanksgiving the founder of Release Through Jesus Prison Ministries wanted a special dinner for those connected with the Moultrie County Detention Center. Working with churches and local businesses from Dalton City, Bethany, Lovington and Sullivan the inmates were able to serve dinner not only to the inmates, but to the sheriff’s deputies and the Sullivan police.   Read More

Last Mason Resident Weds at Mason Point

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Pictured is Jeffrey Lyn Anderson dancing with wife June Brown.

•November 8, 2017•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Jeffrey Lyn Anderson, a third degree Mason, retired to the Illinois Masonic Home in 2002 shortly before it was purchased by Petersen Health Systems and became the public retirement facility of Mason Point.

He became the last Mason to take up residence at the Illinois Masonic Home.

In January 2017 June Brown came to Mason Point and, as they both say, “It was love at first sight.”

“We hit it off immediately,” June confessed, “What I love most about Jeffrey is his smile”.

“She is just a super lady with a heart as big as Alaska,” Jeffrey added. Read More

Local Farmer Selects Food Pantry for Monsanto Grant

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Photo by Mike Brothers
David Smith presents $2,500 check from Monsanto to Moultrie County Food Pantry Director Kristy Dawson at the Interagency meeting held at Mid-Illinois Senior Services in Sullivan.

•November 1, 2017•

Moultrie County Food Pantry received a $2500 grant from the Monsanto American Farmers Grow Communities fund.

David Smith, who farms near Findlay in southern Moultrie and Shelby counties, nominated the local food pantry last season and made the official presentation during the CEFS Inter-agency meeting held at the Mid Illinois Senior Citizen Center in Sullivan.

The Moultrie County CEFS Food Pantry is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization qualifying for the Monsanto Grant. Read More