Photo by Marsha Kirby
Sullivan Homecoming Candidates
Sullivan senior king and queen candidates. Front row from right: Abby Cravatta, Madisyn Dickens, Kaitlynn McClure, Madison Moll, Chloe Riley. Back row: Bryce Hubbard, Isaiah Plank, Zach Sowers, Gavin Sullivan, Jacob White.

•September 13, 2017•

Sullivan High School is gearing up for homecoming the week of September 18. With the theme of Seasons, each class will construct their floats Monday through Thursday.

Students will enjoy a cookout Friday, Sept. 22 and then begin the annual pep assembly, games and Mr. Redskin pageant at 12:30.

The parade will kick off at 4 p.m. with line-up beginning at 3 p.m. in the high school parking lot. The football game against Meridian will kick-off at 7 p.m. with the announcement of the court at halftime.  Read More

Photo by Mike Brothers
State Treasurer Mike Frerichs and News Progress manager Carolyn Collier during newspaper visit Sept. 1.

•September 6, 2017•

By Mike Brothers

Helping people invest in themselves is a commitment for Illinois Treasurer Mike Frerichs. “Investing in people makes life better and our communities stronger.”

Frerichs made a pre-Labor Day weekend visit to Sullivan Sept. 1, stopping by the News Progress office accompanied by his third grade daughter, Ella.

In a state known for having no money Frerichs’ job presents opportunity to generate income for Illinois by managing $12 billion invested in 700 different funds.

Through savings programs for college, people with disabilities and the ICash program the treasurer’s office continues to help people invest in themselves. Read More

Photo furnished
Children of Mason Point- Phoebe Rose Crapp, Laura Marie Crapp, Stephen John and Robert Crapp were the first and only children to live at the Masonic home in Sullivan. They are pictured during the Masonic Home’s 1905 opening ceremony.

Stayed One Year

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Robert A. Miller, a lifelong Mason, owned some 260 acres of farmland east of Sullivan, and when he died, he bequeathed all his land to the Masons. If they refused the offer, then the land was to be given to Moultrie County, and we know how that ended.

The governing board of Masons decided that a retirement home would be built to house 100 residents – indigent Masons, their wives, widows and orphans from Masonic lodges throughout Illinois.

The cornerstone was laid in 1903 and contained a copy of Mr. Miller’s Last Will and Testament, copies of Moultrie City News and the Sullivan Democrat for June 18-19, 1903 and coins of 1903. The building was built by W.F.W. Benson of Peoria at a cost of $36,926.

Most people assume that the large building facing the entrance to what is now Mason Point was the first building, but that is not the case. The first building was actually the Men’s Building or Home Building and is now called the Hart Apartments. Read More

•August 30, 2017•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the news progress

They told me it was a chick-flick, but I really enjoyed it”, said Weldon Brown. Mitch Miller said, “I thought it was really well done” as they exited the Little Theatre after seeing “Steel Magnolias”.

And, indeed,” Steel Magnolias” has a cast of six southern women whose friendships are old as dirt and just as permanent. Their standing Saturday appointments at their she-shack, Truvy’s beauty salon, are never to be missed. “The beauty salon is women’s territory”, says M’Lynn. And, unlike the movie, the male characters are only alluded to and never seen.

The author, Robert Harling, is well-known for his sensitive portrayals of women’s relationships in other movies such as “Terms of Endearment”, The Evening Star”, and “First Wives Club”. “Steel Magnolias” was written about his sister’s death from diabetes and his need to tell her son how very special she was. The title suggests that the female characters are strong as steel but fragile as magnolias. Read More

•August 23, 2017•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

When Mary Lou Kidwell retired some 25 years ago, she was restless so she began Retired Seniors Volunteer Program (RSVP) and set about creating activities that would unite seniors with the youngest elementary school children in the county.

For the past 24 years, the Senior Sewing Club has met and handsewn nap quilts, totes and little pillows for every kindergarten child in Moultrie County. This year nearly 200 of these were delivered to children in Bethany, Sullivan and Lovington the first week of school.

During the year five ladies at the Senior Center, two at Courtyard Estates and seven at the Allenville Christian Church cut out 4”x4” squares of brightly colored material which are pinned together in batches of nine squares. The volunteers then mix and match the solid colors and patterned squares and hand sew them into colorful little quilts that eventually measure 3’x5’.  Read More