Halloween Decorations A Family Tribute

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Photo by Ellen Ferrara
Michelle Campbell (right) and daughter Amanda pose with their Halloween decorations.

•October 21, 2020•
By Ellen Ferrara
NP Writer

Going in and out of Sullivan on Route 121 one cannot help noticing the imaginative and fantastic Halloween display in the yard on the corner of Eastlawn Drive. Every inch of the lawn is decorated in skeletons, witches, graveyards, spiders and much more.
Michelle and Roger Campbell and their family are the creators of this Halloween fantasy land loosely organized around this year’s theme of Sleepy Hollow and the Headless Horseman. Read More

Raffle Winner

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Photo submitted
Raffle Winner
Raffle Winner Carol Meadows, winner of the AMBUCS raffle, was presented her new Green Mountain Grill and $200 IGA certificate by Jason Drury (left) and Gene Bryant (right). Thanks to all who purchased tickets in recent weeks.

Candidate Forum 2020

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•October 16, 2020•

The Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development and the News Progress are hosting a candidates forum on Wednesday, Oct 21 at 6 pm at the Little Theatre On The Square. Join us to hear from candidates running for office.

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

Fall Revue 2020

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Photo submitted by Heather Casteel
Fall Revue
The Sullivan Show Choirs held their 2020 Fall Revue on the high school football field this past weekend. About 425 people attended the shows.

Churches Adapt To COVID-19

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Photo by Ellen Ferrara
Shirley Rodgers checks the temperature of her husband Don at First Baptist Church.

•October 14, 2020•
by Ellen Ferrera
NP Writer

Fifty years from now today’s generation will recall 2020 as the year of the great pandemic. They will talk of the masks, the plastic shields, the marked standing spaces in stores and speak reverently of those who died alone in hospital beds. They will remember the creative ways in which we were forced to adapt.
Science tells us that adaptation is the first law of survival. Covid-19 has required that we very social humans greatly alter the ways in which we interact with each other. This has placed a great burden on schools, nursing homes and, especially, churches where our one foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord but weekly offerings pay the bills.
A recent Sunday was devoted to visiting several local churches to see what protocols they had instituted to protect the congregations and how the pandemic had altered their Sunday services. Read More

City Council Approves Motions For Eastview Subdivision and Sidewalk Program

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•October 14, 2020•
by Crystal Reed
NP Writer

During Monday night’s Sullivan City Council meeting motions were passed to proceed with the Eastview Drainage project and to implement a sidewalk program. The motion for the Eastview Drainage project was to pursue solutions to the drainage issues in the Eastview Subdivision.
Commissioner Peggy Hargis asked that they not do this at this time. “I think this is my job to put this on the agenda,” she said. The motion was passed with Commissioner Hargis voting no.
The next motion was to implement a sidewalk program. The motion was to pursue a funded citywide sidewalk replacement and construction program. Commissioner Hargis said that according to ordinances that the homeowner has to pay for that. The motion passed with Commissioners Abbey Sherwood and Peggy Hargis voting no. Read More

Flight School

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Photo by John Broux
Flight School
Don Gherardini of Sullivan shows Easton Barnes, Assumption, the ins-and-outs of airplane flying at the Young Eagles event held at the Shelbyville airport on Saturday.

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

Reflective Signs Make it Easier to Find Addresses

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Photo by Crystal Reed
Sullivan firefighters Rob Young and Kaleb Randol with an example of the reflective signs that Sullivan Fire Department makes for residences or businesses to help their addresses be more visible.

•October 7, 2020•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer
When it’s an emergency locating a person’s address on their home or business is critical to getting assistance to a person in an emergency. Sullivan Fire Protection has the ability to help your home or business be more visible with signs that display the address number using reflective numbers.
According to Sullivan firefighter Kaleb Randol, the signs are made at the fire department all that they need to make them is a person’s address. He recommends that those who live in the country get one of the signs but also stresses the importance of those who live in the city to have visible their numerical address number. Read More