•July 23, 2025•

On Saturday, July 19th, at approximately 11:18 a.m., CECOM dispatched the Moultrie County Sheriff’s Office to the Coal Shaft Bridge area of Lake Shelbyville for a report of an unoccupied boat. Moultrie County then requested assistance from the Moultrie County Dive Team, the Shelby County Dive Team, the Sullivan Fire Department, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Illinois Department of Conservation Police to locate a missing boater. 

The missing boater was Billy J. Briscoe of Hidalgo Illinois. He was recovered by divers at 9:16 p.m. and pronounced dead at the scene at 9:21 p.m. by Moultrie County Coroner Lynn Reed. The drowning is being investigated by the Illinois Department of Conservation Police, the Moultrie County Sheriff’s Office, and the Moultrie County Coroner.

Same Road, different view

•July 23, 2025•

by Janet Roney

I have a 180-year-old couch sitting in my basement. My great-great-grandparents brought it from Kentucky to Moultrie County in a covered wagon over the Charleston Road. It was in the parlor of their “Kentucky T” house, southeast of Sullivan, forty years, where they seated guests visiting their two sons who were home on leave from the Civil War, participants in their frequent neighborhood “sings”, and mourners at the wakes of four of their children.

It spent the next sixty years in the parlor of the great-grandparents’ big red brick house in Sullivan; then, it was sent to the garage where Grandpa used it for his afternoon naps. In the 60s, it was back at the old farm in my brother’s garage where the dog slept on it, and a decade of kittens were born in its springs. In the 1970s, my brother heard me say, “You can’t burn that!” …and it was mine. 

2015

Windsor’s yard of the month winner was Noel and Gloria Helton. Making good use of perennials and annuals in their flower beds made this a favorite drive by spot of many in Windsor, and the new log siding on their home has been a long awaited goal. The WHAT group, Windsor’s Happenings Around Town, is a mapping group that was working on beautification of Windsor. 

Children who participated in the park recreation lemonade stand raised $1,000 and donated it to the Sanders’ family following the tragic passing of Sullivan first grade teacher Christina Sanders.

•July 16, 2025•

by Angie Hogan

Moultrie County Health Department

Dementia Friendly Moultrie County invites the community to participate in its Dementia Friendly Summer Series. This free three-part series is designed for caregivers, healthcare providers, family members, concerned neighbors, or anyone interested in learning more about this topic. Participants will hear from experienced professionals and can ask questions in a welcoming and accessible environment. Each session will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library, located at 2 West Water Street in Sullivan.

No claim needed; simply cash the check

•July 16, 2025•

This summer will bring $45 million in cash to a record-breaking 600,000 people who will receive money they didn’t even know they had from the state’s missing money program, and the only thing they must do is cash the check. The checks are part of the latest round of the Enhanced Money Match program, which takes the “claim” out of unclaimed property. Treasurer Frerichs’ office helps get the check in the mail by leveraging technology to return money to individuals through I-CASH, the state’s unclaimed property initiative.