Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Fair displays a water jug from the Monk’s Mound in Cahokia. Small arrowheads on wall behind him.

•December 4, 2019•
By Ellen Ferrera
For the News Progress

Randy Fair’s grandmother was a full Cherokee Indian.
His grandfather had a drawer full of Indian axes and arrowheads that fascinated Randy at an early age. He believes that his love of collecting Illinois Indian artifacts was in his blood from the beginning.
It all began as a youth. “I was into hunting, fishing, trapping and finding Indian artifacts. In the 1980’s farmers were still deep plowing and I could find 20-25 pieces in a field a day. Now I’m lucky to find 2 or 3.”
Fair would spend at least 200 days a year walking the fields covering some 8 miles a day in search of arrowheads ancient clay trading pipes and other items.
Fair decided to specialize in the pottery of Illinois Indians from what is known as the Mississippian Era when Indians began to populate both sides of the Mississippi in Southern Illinois and the lower Ohio River valley.
The greatest settlement of this period from 700 AD to 1600AD was Cahokia Downs near St. Louis which, at its peak, had a population of 20,000.
The Native Americans chose the fertile flood plains to raise most of their food which consisted of maize, beans, pumpkins and squash.
They needed vessels in which to store and serve their food. Read More

•November 27, 2019•
The Lovington village board met Oct. 14 with Pastor Mike Carriger of Maranatha Church on North Broadway, Lovington offering to get involved in community events.
Pastor Carriger explained the church offered hot dogs, chips, a drink and a treat as a drive thru project for Halloween. Trustee Pan Anklam, who is an officer in Sparrows, offered to get with the pastor to let him know the needs in the community.
In the absence of President Roger Walker, trustee Dennis Garmon reported that the sidewalk project is nearing completion.
Trustee Gary Clem noted the good price the village received from Brad Eaton allowed additional sidewalks on High Street.
Garmon reported the village could clean up the burned house on State Street and attach a lien to the property.
Roots that clogged the storm sewer on the Rte. 32 curve will have to be removed and the drainage tile replaced with Trustee Clem reporting President Walker was working with several people on the project. Read More

Photo furnished
Members of Sullivan Rotary Club Derek Righter and Rudy Huber helped prepare Thanksgiving baskets for the Moultrie County Food Pantry last week.

•November 27, 2019•
Flesor’s Candy Kitchen fund raiser for the Moultrie County Food Pantry at Cathrine’s Gallery Saturday was big!
“The crowd was great on Saturday,” CEFS Outreach Coordinator Mariah White-Landrus said. “We’ve had people coming in all morning to pick up Thanksgiving boxes.”
From 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday in Sullivan more than a hundred of Flesor’s signature Holiday baskets were sold, along with a variety of gift boxes making the single day fund raiser the largest since its beginning.
Saturday winners of a one pound box of candy and a $15 gift certificate from Flesor’s were: Karen Dwyer, Lori Shasteen, and Lois Shuman.
The Food Pantry receive a record delivery of more than 130 turkeys from Sullivan IGA Monday.
Volunteers from the Sullivan Rotary helped prepare Thanksgiving boxes last week. Sparrows of Lovington donated fruit baskets toward Thanksgiving dinner following their Fruit basket Thanksgiving community delivery. Read More

Street Dept. Gets Bucket Truck

•November 27, 2019•
By Mike Brothers

Sullivan City Council approved the purchase of $273,500 in ultrasonic water meters from Mueller Systems at the Nov. 12 meeting.
In Public Health and Safety commissioner Chuck Woodworth’s recommendation for bid waiving he explained the Mueller meters provided functions required for the Nextgrid meter conversion of the city’s utility metering systems. The bid was approved unanimously.
Competitive bids for a Small Wheel Loader for the department were opened with Commissioner Woodworth reserving a vote until a review of the bids which ranged from $59,650 to $99,700.
Street and Public Improvements commissioner Peggy Hargis proposed purchasing a 2009 bucket truck with a winch which could be used for the street dept. as well as the Parks Dept. and Public Health and Safety. Read More

•November 20, 2019•
By Mike Brothers

The crowd packed into the Sullivan American Legion Friday, Nov. 15 saw the Winifred Titus Sentel Trust farms sell for $10,971,883.
Busey Farm Brokerage managed the sale of seven tracts totaling 928.1 acres of land north of Sullivan city limits.
The city of Sullivan did not bid on any of the tracts of farm land, although the city council did purchase the Titus Home located at the south end of Wyman Park earlier.
“An unbelievable crowd attended the sale,” Mayor Richard Glazebrook said of the event which drew some 150 people. “This is a tremendous blessing for the city of Sullivan. Winifred Titus Sentel demonstrated extraordinary vision when she made her decision in 1960.” Read More