Local Farmer Selects Food Pantry for Monsanto Grant

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Photo by Mike Brothers
David Smith presents $2,500 check from Monsanto to Moultrie County Food Pantry Director Kristy Dawson at the Interagency meeting held at Mid-Illinois Senior Services in Sullivan.

•November 1, 2017•

Moultrie County Food Pantry received a $2500 grant from the Monsanto American Farmers Grow Communities fund.

David Smith, who farms near Findlay in southern Moultrie and Shelby counties, nominated the local food pantry last season and made the official presentation during the CEFS Inter-agency meeting held at the Mid Illinois Senior Citizen Center in Sullivan.

The Moultrie County CEFS Food Pantry is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization qualifying for the Monsanto Grant. Read More

The Little Theatre on the Square Movie Showings are on the Horizon 

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Ellen Ferrera photo
Silhouette of John Stephens in front of the new movie screen.

•October 18, 2017•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Remember the Grand Theater which once occupied the Little Theatre space?  The glory days of movies in Sullivan will soon return only bigger and better.

“I’m so proud of the community effort that allows us to now use the space for movies during the winter months,” Executive Director John Stephens said of the Little Theatre expansion.

Last week some 12 volunteers, including high school students, struggled to hoist the 14’ tall movie screen into position. The screen has been generously provided by Hydro-Gear. An anonymous donor provided the very expensive projector as was the popcorn machine and concessions.

The Sullivan Education Foundation awarded a generous grant, and a large amount of money has been raised from community contributions.

It has, indeed, been a community effort that enriches us all. Read More

Eulogy To A Church: Sullivan’s Presbyterian Church Holds Last Service

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Photo furnished
Presbyterian church around 1911. Steeple and bell tower were removed.

•October 11, 2017•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

On Sunday, September 29, 2017 the six member congregation and the minister of Sullivan’s Presbyterian Church held its last service. They said their good-byes and then quietly and without fanfare closed their church. On that day a 169- year-old church passed into the ages.

“The church was unable to attract young families to grow the church, and we were faced with very expensive repair work,” Mary Ann Hargis said.

The Cumberland Presbyterians were one of the first groups to start organized religious work in Moultrie County and their Bethany church is believed to be the oldest church in the county. The Sullivan church was organized in 1848 under the auspices of the Bethany Cumberland Presbyterian by the Rev. Joseph M. Bone, Joel Knight and A. M. Wilson with a starting congregation of nine. This was two years before Sullivan incorporated as a village. The church was incorporated as such until about 1911. Read More

McTeachers Donate to SADD in One Night

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McTeacher Night
Connor Powers, O.V.H.S. student and McDonald’s employee, and Bonnie Scott, O.V.H.S. Family and Consumer Science teacher, look forward to serving the next customer at the McTeacher night.

•October 4, 2017•

The Students Against Destructive Decisions (S.A.D.D.) held a fundraiser Wednesday, September 27 in conjunction with McDonald’s of Sullivan. A McTeacher Night was held which allowed teachers of the Okaw Valley School to work behind the counter in exchange for a donation from McDonald’s to help support the work that S.A.D.D. does. This work involves presenting positive lifestyle messages to the students regarding consumption of alcohol and other drugs, the dangers of smoking, and the importance of safe driving habits. Angie Matlock is the owner of the Sullivan McDonald’s.

Teachers who participated in the McTeacher Night were able to handle the ordering counter, the drive-thru windows and did some preparation in the kitchen. Teachers and students of Okaw Valley school gave out attendance prizes including free ice cream treats, cups, pens, ice scrapers, and key chains. This entire experience was not only a fun time, but it will have ongoing benefits when the donated money is used to further the work of the S.A.D.D. organization. Read More

Lake Land College at 50: A Path to Making the Most of Education

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•September 27, 2017•

By Mike Brothers

Learning how to make the most of what you have is a life lesson Rudy Huber brought away from Lake Land College when he graduated in 1976.

And as Lake Land College grows into its second half century to serve the ever-changing needs of today’s students, the lesson is the same.

Huber and his wife Linda run CF&H Insurance Agencies in Sullivan and Monticello while he continues to farm in Tuscola.

His desire to work the family farm prompted him to go to Lake Land rather than nearby Parkland College after graduating from Tuscola High School. Read More

New Children’s Boutique Opens In Sullivan

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Pictured is Jessie Cait LLC owner Jessica Ekiss.

•September 20, 2017•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Jessica Ekiss opened her boutique, Jessie Cait LLC, in her home at 313 N. Hamilton. The shop fills two small rooms, but the racks are overflowing with the most fanciful and colorful children’ clothing you can imagine.

The sizes run from infants to XXs to plus sizes 3 xl. There are limited women’s items.

“I used to sell LuLaRoe clothing,” Ekiss began, “but I wanted to set my own rules and guidelines on running a shop. I did a lot of research on various labels and vendors to select just the ones I wanted and then obtained a license.”  Read More

WW I Army Foot Locker Reveals 99 Year Old Memories

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Pictured is Russell Bauman.

Bauman Dog Tags Included

•September 6, 2017•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

When Russell Bauman returned home from WW I in 1918, he put his Army footlocker in the attic of his home in Sullivan, and there it sat untouched for nearly 99 years.

Recently Russell’s 94-year old son Roy and his great-granddaughter Danielle opened it while doing some housecleaning.

It was like finding a buried treasure chest full of artifacts from a war in France long ago.

Among the items in the locker were a U.S. Army issue fork, two tin boxes, the tattered knapsack for all the items, a Star razor and blades, box of bandages, cardboard box with an unused tourniquet, metal token called the Big 500 which was good for five cents in trade at the bar, copy of the regimental newsletter Direct Fire dated Sept., 1918, and a golden Discharge button.  Read More

Two Sullivan Churches Share History of Stained Glass

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•August 9, 2017•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

When the Sunday morning sun streams through the stained- glass window on the east side of the First Baptist Church and then shimmers on the Swiss-made chandelier hanging from the ceiling, there is a golden aura that fills the sanctuary. It is even more beautiful when the evening sun illuminates the stained-glass window on the west side of the church.

The three large rose or wheel windows in the church have fascinated me for some time, and I was surprised to discover that these beautiful windows are shared by two churches. Read More

Big D’s Dogs On The Move

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Photo by Mike Brothers
Big D’s Dogs was serving hot dogs in Sullivan last Friday. Dennis and Judy Ozier prepare orders for Bill Hagen (left) and Cullen Dyer at the the corner of Hwy.121 and Rte. 32 in Sullivan.

•August 2, 2017•

Big D’s Dogs is on the move in Sullivan with owner Dennis Ozier at the helm of the portable hot dog stand.

You have to keep your eyes open to keep up with Big D’s Dogs. Ozier is serving all beef and regular hot dogs from his hot dog stand all over town.

“It’s a fun way to offer a good deal on a hot dog meal,” Ozier said, emphasizing, “Everybody loves a a good hot dog.”

Big D is serving all beef and regular bun length hot dogs, chips and a drink for just three bucks. Ozier is at the corner of Hwy. 121 and Rte. 32 in Sullivan (across from CVS) every Friday afternoon. Read More

A Place Where Sunflowers Bloom Year Round

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Photo by Ellen Ferrera

•July 26, 2017•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Traveling north through Lovington you can’t help noticing the giant, plastic sunflowers outside a vacant store.  Except, it isn’t empty.  Inside is the workshop of Gary Smith who has made quite a business of making whimsical garden decorations.

He won a large, plastic sunflower in a charity raffle, and the more he looked at it the more of a challenge it became. “I figured I could make one myself so I made a pattern and cut them out of white, 55 gal. plastic drums”, explained Smith. He then custom spray paints them and sells them for $55 ($65 with the post), and he will deliver and install them. “I started making them last fall and have sold 85 so far this spring”.

People from Des Plaines, St. Louis, Springfield and all over have interrupted their journeys to stop and purchase his sunflowers. He has shipped them to Arkansas, Texas and Minnesota – all this without a website! One of his sunflowers sits in the community garden at Mason Point where I live. He hasn’t even had time to name his business. Read More