Photo furnished
Shop With Cop Donation
The Harbor Light Yacht Club located at Sullivan Marina and Campground held a gun raffle this summer and presented a check to the Sullivan Police department for their shop with a cop program. Steve Taylor and Gina Koenig presented the check to Officer Andy Pistorius.
Photo by R.R. Best
Flipping Rick
Rick Matthews was kept busy flipping pancakes at the 9th Annual Sullivan Fire Protection District Pancake and Sausage Breakfast held at the firehouse Saturday, Oct. 20.
Photo by R.R. Best
Cookout for First Responders
Sullivan IGA showed its appreciation to area police, fire and first responders offering them free ribeye sandwiches Friday, Oct. 12. Above IGA Meat Dept. manager Barry Golden mans the grill during the 2018 Beef Stampede with the help of Seth Cobb. The parking lot cookout offered visitors freshly cooked ribeye sandwiches plus a chance to guess the weight of the Lehman family’s award winning Hereford.
Photo by R.R. Best
Band in the Rain
The Sullivan High School Marching Band braved a steady downpour to musically liven up halftime at Victory Field in Sullivan last Friday.
Photo by R.R. Best
Fire Safety
Sullivan Fire Protection District visited Sullivan Elementary School Thursday, Oct. 11 as part of Fire Prevention Week activities. Above Captain Chris Wright explains the purpose of rescue equipment to students. He emphasized basic fire safety: Look for places a fire could start, Listen for the smoke alarm and Learn at least two emergency exits. Fire Prevention Week began in 1922 and is observed during the week of the Oct. 9, 1871 Great Chicago Fire.
Photo courtesy Gene Mueller
Habitat Home Blessed
Moultrie County Habitat for Humanity and the remaining Habitat Care-A-Vanners gathered at the Eden Street build in Sullivan on Oct. 12 for the House Blessing. Above MCHFH Board member Gene Mueller presents the keys to the home to Patricia Conklin and her son David.
Photo by RR Best
Sullivan High School Band flutist Joann Mathias plays in the 2018 Homecoming parade Friday, Oct. 4.
Photo by R.R. Best
Head on Crash
Moultrie County Sheriff Chris Sims directs traffic with a demolished GMC dually in the background. A Mattoon man was killed and two Sullivan men injured in the 2:20 p.m. crash on CR800N in Moultrie County October 3. Sheriff Sims’ reported Albert Mokrejs, 20, of Mattoon was traveling east in a Ford passenger car and crossed over the centerline hitting a westbound GMC dually head on. Mokrejs was pronounced deceased on the scene by Moultrie County Coroner Lynn Reed. Driver of the truck, John R. Grooms, 70, and passenger Paul R. Voegel, 76, both of rural Sullivan were transported to Carle Hospital with injuries and later released.
Following impact the GMC truck ended up on its passenger side in the north roadside ditch. The Ford spun around, crossing back over the eastbound lane, ending up on the south shoulder facing west. Both vehicles received extensive front end damage.
Sheriff Sims noted the crash investigation by the Moultrie County Sheriff’s office is ongoing.
Photo furnished
LFD Fields Several Fires
Lovington Fire District had a busy week. On Wednesday October 3 two fires were called in at the same time Lovington Chief Gary Smith explained. Mutual Aid was requested from Bethany and Hammond for a field fire on County Road 700 E. Lovington firefighters responded to a combine fire on 2500N to assist Dora Fire District. Lovington was the first on the scene and the combine was fully engulfed. Darren Powell had been driving the combine and was there and also a past fireman. They helped pull a line while the chief turned on the pump. The wind was blowing hard enough to make it hard to get to the fire. Dora Fire Dept. arrived and started a line from their truck.
Shortly after Mt. Zion and Long Creek departments arrived with three trucks. The airport truck was directed to the field that was burning from sparks off the combine. Jeff Davis contributed a tractor and disk to contain the fire spread. Bethany and Hammond got the first fire extinguished and came over to assist. There were seven trucks and approximately 17 firemen, one tractor and driver on the scene. Mt Zion fireman reported someone called it in, and they responded even though it was out of their district. “With a fire like this and us being a volunteer fire unit, it’s everyone’s district,” Smith said.
As the Lovington firefighters returned to the station and filled the tank with water they received another call of a field fire east of Lovington on 1200N. Lovington responded with Hammond and Arthur on their way to back up. While the Lovington truck started spraying water, Steve Helton, who was disking for Mark Yoder across the road, came over and helped by disking around the border to keep that fire from spreading.
Photo furnished See You at the Pole Over 80 community members gathered Wednesday morning, September 26 at the flagpole in front of Sullivan Middle School for the annual “See You at the Pole” event. At this national event students gather to pray for all of the schools in the nation. The Sullivan gathering was sponsored by the high school and middle school chapters of FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes).