Category Archives: Top Stories

Mid-Illinois Senior Services Inc. Hosts Drive-Thru Senior Expo October 23

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Photo by Crystal Reed
Mid-Illinois Senior Services, Inc. held their annual senior expo on Oct 23. This year’s event was a drive-thru expo and they served 160 people. From left to right: Kiley Rodrick, Kathi Garvey, director of Mid-Illinois Senior Services Inc., Tawnya Marshall and Kathy Hawbaker of Green Gardens.

•November 4, 2020•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer

The Mid-Illinois Senior Services Inc. held their annual senior expo on Oct 23 but it was a little different due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s event was a drive thru experience where those who had registered drove down the alley between the Senior Center and Thrifty Boutique. Read More

Food Pantry Candy Fundraiser Makes Changes

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Photo by Crystal Reed
Devon Flesor Story and Ann Flesor Beck pictured with some of the baskets that can be purchased as part of the candy sale to benefit the Moultrie County Food Pantry.

•October 28, 2020•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer

Flesor’s Candy Kitchen will be accepting Christmas candy orders from Sullivan, Moultrie County, and surrounding county residents this year from now through November 16. Usually the fundraiser is held at Cathrine’s Gallery but due to COVID-19 they are taking mail orders instead of holding an in-person event. All Christmas candy orders will be delivered to Cathrine’s Gallery for pick up on December 16th. Read More

City of Sullivan Designated A P.O.W.-M.I.A City

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Photo by Crystal Reed
Mayor Richard Glazebrook holds a proclamation and sign that the City of Sullivan received for earning the designation of being a P.O.W.-M.I.A. City.

•October 21, 2020•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer

The city of Sullivan was awarded a special designation by Jefferson Barracks during the most recent City Council meeting. Pat Freesh, co-chair of the P.O.W./M.I.A. Cities, Counties and Campus Program of Jefferson Barracks, declared Sullivan a P.O.W./M.I.A. City.
Freesh said that P.O.W. means prisoners of war and M.I.A. stands for missing in action and that there are currently still more than 80,000 prisoners of war and those missing in action. He presented Mayor Richard Glazebrook with a proclamation and signs that will eventually be placed at the entrances to Sullivan depicting the city as a P.O.W./M.I.A. City. Read More

Former Congressman Brings Non-Violent Message To Moultrie County

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Photo by R.R. Best.
Former Congressman Glenn Poshard leads a silent non-violent march around the Moultrie County Courthouse last Friday. In late September Poshard began visiting the courthouses in all 39 counties of the two congressional districts he represented in Congress carrying signs of non-violence and respect for people and our democracy.

•October 14, 2020•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer

Former State Senator and U.S. Congressman Glenn Poshard visited Sullivan last Friday as part of his non-violent marches tour. Starting September 28, Poshard began visiting the courthouses in all 39 counties of the two congressional districts he represented in Congress carrying signs of non-violence and respect for people and our democracy.
Poshard’s march drew twenty people to the sidewalk around the Moultrie County Courthouse. Moultrie County was the 20th out of 39 counties that Poshard will be visiting.
Carrying signs that displayed messages of “United We Stand, Divided We Fall” and “Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You, But What You Can Do For Your Country” Poshard and other made multiple trips marching around the courthouse quietly.
Paul Feist of Sullivan attended the march because he said Poshard is a good friend of his. “He is an outstanding person,” he said. Poshard spoke of the unbelievable anger and hatred that has people divided politically in this country.
He noted that violence isn’t just disturbing the peace by rioting and looting but also voices of disrespect and violence that can be seen on social media. “The voices of disrespect and violence completely cover even the smallest voice for respect and unity among our people,” Poshard said “The chasm has grown so wide among us, one must wonder if any bridge of reason or love can span the divide?” Read More

Mattoon Woman Has Signed Speech From When Nixon Appeared in Sullivan

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Photo by Crystal Reed.
Shirley Watkins of Mattoon with a six page speech of Vice President Nixon’s that she has saved from the day he came to Sullivan for the buffalo barbecue 60 years ago.

•October 7, 2020•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer

On September 22, 1960, a buffalo barbecue was held in Wyman Park where the Vice President Richard Nixon spoke. A few weeks ago marked the 60th anniversary of that event.
We wrote a story about Steve Jenne’s buffalo barbecue sandwich that he managed to save that day but he isn’t the only one who has a souvenir from that day. Shirley Watkins of Mattoon, who grew up in Sullivan ended up having a souvenir fly out the car window of Nixon’s motorcade that day. Read More

Buxton’s Garden Farm Hosts Market

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Photo by Crystal Reed
Sophia and Hannah Grandon pick out pumpkins during the Buxton's Garden Farm Harvest Field Market last Saturday.

•September 30, 2020•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer

The harvest spirit was alive at Buxton’s Garden Farm this past Saturday and people packed the property for the business’s Harvest Field Market. The event was in its fourth year and it included food trucks, pumpkins, crafts, home décor and much more. According to Paula Buxton there were 2,000 people in attendance at this year’s market.
Buxton said that compared to previous years this was their biggest market due to COVID-19 and having more vendors. Read More

Steve Jenne Details Adventures of Nixon’s Buffalo Barbecue Sandwich in New Book

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Photo by Crystal Reed
Steve Jenne with his book “The Sandwich That Changed My Life” which he wrote with Scot England.

•September 23, 2020•
Steve Jenne, formerly of Sullivan, remembers when Richard Nixon visited Sullivan 60 years ago. Jenne’s boy scout troop was tasked with being security for Nixon as he sat at the picnic table at the buffalo barbecue that was held in Wyman Park on Sept 22, 1960.
Jenne doesn’t just have memories he actually was able to take the sandwich that at that time Vice President Nixon had taken a bite out of when no one was looking. He recalls his memories of Nixon’s visit to Sullivan and how the sandwich he obtained that day has changed his life in a book titled “The Sandwich That Changed My Life!” by Steve Jenne with Scot England.
According to a previous article in the News Progress a bunch of wild eyed 20 and 30 somethings sitting at a barbecue 50 years ago came up with the idea of trying to get presidential candidates Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy to come to Sullivan and debate. The debate was to be reminiscent of the historical Lincoln-Douglas debates, dreamed the young Moultrie County residents. Read More

County Board Approves Variance

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•September 16, 2020•

By Crystal Reed
NP Writer

The Moultrie County Board approved an application from Shady Crest Market for a variance to build 25 feet from the west property line for an addition to the existing business last week. According to Wilbur Gingerich, the expansion will be 13,000 square feet and will allow them to add on more deli, bakery and store space.
The board heard guest speakers Laurrie Minor and Cassie Yoder talk about Economic Development and COVID-19. Minor said that it looks different how they market the county now with Covid.
The Illinois Department of Tourism recently released some figures for the county. According to Minor, the travel expenditures went up by 3.7% and the local tax revenue went up by 4.8% but none of these correlate to camping, that is just what the hotel to motel tax generates. Read More

Science Hallway at SMS Gets Facelift

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Submitted photo
Teachers painting the mural in the science wing of Sullivan Middle School. From left to right: Crystal Allen, Nicole Garrett, Marissa Wright and Troy Rogers.

•September 9, 2020•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer

This summer the second floor science hallway at Sullivan Middle School received a facelift. A 50 foot mural was designed, traced and painted on the wall from floor to ceiling.
The mural was the idea of teacher Troy Rogers and parent volunteer Megan Harden. The two stated that the project took about 43 hours total including sketching, planning and the actual application of paint to the wall. Read More

Colonel Golinghorst Visits Chip’s Marine to Learn More About Shelbyville Cubes

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•Septe

Photo by Crystal Reed
From left to right: Lee R. Mitchell, Environmental Stewardship Lead with the Army Corps of Engineers, Chip Christensen and Colonel Kevin Golinghorst with a Shelbyville cube. The cubes are placed in Lake Shelbyville by the Lake Shelbyville Fish Alliance.

mber 2, 2020•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer

Members of the Lake Shelbyville Fish Habitat Alliance received a visit from Colonel Kevin Golinghorst last week at Chip’s Marine in Sullivan. Golinghorst is the new commander in charge of the St. Louis District Army Corps of Engineers.
While in the area he toured the Bo Woods Campground, Lake Shelbyville Water Trail and other areas around Lake Shelbyville. While at Chip’s Marine, owner Chip Christensen talked to Colonel Golinghurst about the Lake Shelbyville Fish Habitat Alliance and showed examples of the Lake Shelbyville cubes which are structures placed in the lake to help develop fish populations.
The goal of the Alliance is to place several thousand of the habitat promoting structures in the lake to help restore sport fishing habitat.The cubes are 4 feet square and 5 feet tall and give small fish cover in the lake. Read More