Category Archives: News Section

BREAKING: Sullivan Teacher Struck by Vehicle While Jogging Tuesday

News Progress Posted on by

Submitted Pictured are emergency personnel meeting with a Life Flight helicopter, which transported Christina Sanders from Arthur to Carle Hospital Tuesday evening after she was stuck by a vehicle in rural Sullivan.

Submitted
Pictured are emergency personnel meeting with a Life Flight helicopter, which transported Christina Sanders from Arthur to Carle Hospital Tuesday evening after she was stuck by a vehicle in rural Sullivan.

Woman in critical condition

July 1, 2015

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com
A Sullivan elementary school teacher is in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle Tuesday evening.
Shortly before 7:13 p.m. Tuesday, Christina Sanders, 30, of Sullivan was struck by an automobile while jogging in rural Sullivan according to a press release from the Moultrie County Sheriff’s Department.
The release further adds that the automobile was being driven by Kali Forsyth, 18, of Sullivan. Read More

Lovington Man Stabbed by Son Sunday Night

News Progress Posted on by

Taken to St. Mary’s, man in fair condition

June 24, 2015

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

A 24-year old man was arrested after he allegedly stabbed his father at a home in Lovington Sunday night.
Matthew Archer-Newberry, 24, of Lovington was arrested after he stabbed his father Randy Newberry, 54, twice according to a probable cause affidavit by Lovington police officer Jay Clark.
The affidavit explains that Randy Newberry was transported to St. Mary’s hospital for a stab wound to the chest and cuts to his left arm. According to Clark’s statements, Newberry told the Lovington officer that he and his son Matthew were watching television prior to the incident. Archer-Newberry then allegedly went to the kitchen and returned with a knife, which he shoved into the upper left chest area of Randy Newberry. After managing to stand up from the recliner he was in, the 54-year-old was then stabbed again in his left inner forearm. Read More

The Bakery is Back

News Progress Posted on by

Photo by RR Best JoBeth Risley is seen boxing up fresh glazed doughnuts early Friday morning. After first opening last Thursday, the Sullivan Bakery has sold out of its goods every day since.

Photo by RR Best
JoBeth Risley is seen boxing up fresh glazed doughnuts early Friday morning. After first opening last Thursday, the Sullivan Bakery has sold out of its goods every day since.

By heavy demand, a Sullivan favorite re-emerges

June 24, 2015

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

Last Thursday just before 3:45 a.m. Drew Zbinden walked a block west to 112 East Harrison and began making doughnuts.
But not just any ordinary doughnuts.
Sullivan Bakery doughnuts–and 40 dozen of them.
The bakery then flipped round its open sign at 5:30 a.m.
Two hours later, all 480 of the cake and round yeast-raised rings, 96 of which were glazed, were gone.
Not to worry right? The bakery still had cookies, brownies, and six dozen muffins.
Gone.
In fact, if you walked into the newly opened bakery Thursday after 9 a.m., it appeared as though they hadn’t opened at all as their three pastry cases sat empty.
Still unbeknownst to the public the mad rush earlier that morning, patron after willing patron continued to come to the bakery in anticipation of a morning pastry.
“You’re only about three hours too late,” said Jerry Risley, Drew’s father and part owner.
“How about 5:30 a.m. tomorrow?” said JoBeth Risley, Drew’s mother (also part owner).
“We’re sold out,” said Zbinden to another customer. “Sorry.” Read More

Harner Interns

News Progress Posted on by

Submitted Harner Interns Lovington native, Maddison Harner (right) interned this spring and summer in the Communications Office of the Illinois Senate Republicans. She worked alongside Republican Senators, like State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) (left), helping the Senators with their communications to the public and media.

Submitted
Harner Interns
Lovington native, Maddison Harner (right) interned this spring and summer in the Communications Office of the Illinois Senate Republicans. She worked alongside Republican Senators, like State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) (left), helping the Senators with their communications to the public and media.

Boy Drowns in Nearby Pool Last Tuesday

News Progress Posted on by
June 24, 2015

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

A four-year-old boy was pronounced dead last Tuesday after he was found unresponsive in a residential pool.
According to a press release by the Macon County Coroner Michael Day’s office, Seth A. Hilton, 4, of Lovington was pronounced dead at 8:25 p.m. Tuesday, June 16 in St. Mary’s Hospital in Decatur.
Hilton had actually been reported missing shortly after 7 p.m. Tuesday according to chief sheriff deputy Gary Carroll. A press release by the sheriff’s department states that Hilton was discovered at 7:35 p.m. in a pool located near his home. Carroll added that the pool was located two houses down from Hilton’s residence and that no one was at the residence at which the pool is located at the time of the incident.
CPR was conducted on Hilton prior to being transported to the hospital. Read More

Sullivan Baseball Awards 2015

News Progress Posted on by

Submitted Sullivan Baseball Awards Earlier this month the Sullivan high school baseball team held their awards banquet, recognizing the following individuals, pictured left to right: Nick Frerichs-offensive award and first team all-Central Illinois Conference; Matt Sparrow-Redskin award and second team all-CIC; Drew Harris-most improved; Zach Hrvol-pitching award and second team all-CIC; Dylan Hart-offensive award and first team all-CIC; and Jacob Piper-defensive award and all-CIC honorable mention. Not pictured is Levi Nadler-Redskin award and all-CIC honorable mention.

Submitted
Sullivan Baseball Awards
Earlier this month the Sullivan high school baseball team held their awards banquet, recognizing the following individuals, pictured left to right: Nick Frerichs-offensive award and first team all-Central Illinois Conference; Matt Sparrow-Redskin award and second team all-CIC; Drew Harris-most improved; Zach Hrvol-pitching award and second team all-CIC; Dylan Hart-offensive award and first team all-CIC; and Jacob Piper-defensive award and all-CIC honorable mention. Not pictured is Levi Nadler-Redskin award and all-CIC honorable mention.

Sullivan Woman in Critical Condition After Collision

News Progress Posted on by

Victim of aggravated DUI wreck in Warrensburg Wednesday

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

A Sullivan woman endured life-threatening injuries Wednesday evening following a collision near Warrensburg.

According to a press release by the Macon County sheriff's department, a call came in at approximately 6:35 p.m. regarding the two-vehicle wreck. Once on scene, responders had to extricate a 69-year-old Sullivan woman  from her 2011 Chevrolet after it collided with a 2009 Ford pickup truck, driven by Ryan M. Maurer, 41, of Harristown.

The release says that the preliminary investigation "indicates the Ford was northbound on Glasgow Rd and the Chevrolet was westbound on Park Rd.  The driver of the Ford indicated he stopped at the stop sign and upon pulling into the intersection collided with the Chevrolet.  The north-south traffic on Glasgow Rd. is controlled by a stop sign, while the east-west traffic on Park Rd. is not required to stop." Read More

Sullivan Couple Rescued from Kaskaskia River Near Allenville Last Week

News Progress Posted on by

After falling out of kayak, couple clings onto tree

June 18, 2015

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

A week ago Thursday Illinois Conservation Police rescued a Sullivan couple after they became stranded in the Kaskaskia River near Allenville.
According to Captain Jim Mayes with the Illinois Conservation Police, around 1:47 p.m. Thursday, June 11, the Moultrie County Sheriff’s Office received a call from an 11-year-old boy reporting that his grandparents, William and Madeline VanKeuren, had become stranded on the Kaskaskia river after they along with the boy, himself fell out of their kayaks. The boy was able to make it to the shoreline, but the VanKeuren’s could not and instead held onto a tree due to strong currents. Read More

Coles-Moultrie Sponsorship

News Progress Posted on by

Submitted Coles-Moultrie Sponsorship Coles-Moultrie Electric Cooperative and CoBank recently donated $6,000 in sponsorship funds to Sarah Bush Lincoln’s 26th annual golf benefit scheduled for Friday, June 12, at Meadowview Golf Course. Net proceeds from the event will benefit the construction of Sarah Bush Lincoln’s new Regional Cancer Center. “We are delighted to support Sarah Bush Lincoln in its efforts to enhance cancer care for community members with a new modern facility,” Coles-Moultrie President and CEO Kim Leftwich said. “Coles Moultrie’s $3,000 donation was matched dollar-for-dollar by CoBank, as part of its ‘Sharing Success’ program designed to benefit cooperatives and the charitable groups they support throughout rural America,” Leftwich said. Coles-Moultrie Electric Cooperative has been a sponsor of the SBL Golf Benefit since 1990, with donations totaling more than $76,000 over the 25-year period. For more information or to register for the golf benefit, please contact Kim Lockart in the SBL Foundation office at 238-4765. Pictured are: (front, left to right) SBL Golf Committee members Patty Hedges and Linda Neeley; (back, left to right) Mary Bovard, Becky Taylor, Sam Adair, Coles-Moultrie President and CEO Kim Leftwich, Tim Kastl and Kim Lockart.

Submitted
Coles-Moultrie Sponsorship
Coles-Moultrie Electric Cooperative and CoBank recently donated $6,000 in sponsorship funds to Sarah Bush Lincoln’s 26th annual golf benefit scheduled for Friday, June 12, at Meadowview Golf Course. Net proceeds from the event will benefit the construction of Sarah Bush Lincoln’s new Regional Cancer Center.
“We are delighted to support Sarah Bush Lincoln in its efforts to enhance cancer care for community members with a new modern facility,” Coles-Moultrie President and CEO Kim Leftwich said. “Coles Moultrie’s $3,000 donation was matched dollar-for-dollar by CoBank, as part of its ‘Sharing Success’ program designed to benefit cooperatives and the charitable groups they support throughout rural America,” Leftwich said.
Coles-Moultrie Electric Cooperative has been a sponsor of the SBL Golf Benefit since 1990, with donations totaling more than $76,000 over the 25-year period. For more information or to register for the golf benefit, please contact Kim Lockart in the SBL Foundation office at 238-4765.
Pictured are: (front, left to right) SBL Golf Committee members Patty Hedges and Linda Neeley; (back, left to right) Mary Bovard, Becky Taylor, Sam Adair, Coles-Moultrie President and CEO Kim Leftwich, Tim Kastl and Kim Lockart.

Motorcycle Pursuit Ends in Crash in Allenville

News Progress Posted on by

Suspect wrecks, suffers minor injuries

June 17, 2015

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

A 23-year-old man was arrested in the early morning hours last Wednesday after he fled police on a motorcycle.
Chris Tomasello, 23, of Decatur, was arrested last Wednesday morning for not only driving on a suspended license and operating an uninsured vehicle, but for also exceeding the speed limit by as much as 35 miles per hour.
According to Sullivan police officer Adam Collins’ report, at approximately 12:53 a.m. June 10, county deputy Clint Walker advised Sullivan PD that a motorcycle traveling at a high rate of speed was not pulling over and was headed westbound into Sullivan. Collins began to make his way east on Jackson and as he approved Madison Street observed a single headlight approaching. The officer then activated his radar and heard a “loud pitch.” Shortly thereafter, the radar then clocked the motorcycle at 98mph before the suspect turned north onto Calhoun. Read More