Obituary 7-4-2018: Jim Matthews

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Jim Matthews James Elliott ‘Jim’ Matthews, 82, of Sullivan, passed away at 3 a.m. Friday June 29, 2018 in his residence. Mass of Christian Burial was 10 a.m. Monday in St. Columcille Catholic Church in Sullivan with Fr. John Titus, Celebrant. A Prayer Service was at 4 p.m. Sunday in Reed Funeral Home in Sullivan. Rite of Committal and Burial was in Arthur Cemetery. Jim was born September 22, 1935 in Glen Dean, Kentucky, a son of Elliott Z. and Sylvania M. Berry Matthews. He married Ruth C. Taylor June 12, 1954 in Decatur. Jim retired from Illinois Masonic Home … Read More

Recent Obituaries: James Matthews

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James Matthews James Elliott ‘Jim’ Matthews, 82, of Sullivan, passed away at 3:00 a.m. Friday June 29, 2018 in his residence. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 a.m. Monday in St. Columcille Catholic Church, Sullivan with Fr. John Titus, Celebrant. Visitation will be 4-6 p.m. Sunday with Prayer Service at 4:00 p.m. in the Reed Funeral Home, Sullivan. Rite of Committal and Burial will be in the Arthur Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to St. Columcille Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus or to Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants. Online condolences may be sent to the family at reedfuneralhome.net. Jim was born September … Read More

Obituaries 6-27-2018: Edwin Kirkwood

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Edwin Kirkwood Edwin Robert Kirkwood, 94, of Sullivan, passed away at 9:58 a.m. Tuesday, June 19, 2018 at his daughter’s home in Sullivan. Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 23 in McMullin-Young Funeral Home in Sullivan. Burial with military rites by Sullivan American Legion Post #68 were in Greenhill Cemetery in Sullivan. … Read More

Getting Your Kicks on Route 66

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The Mother Road offers amazing sights as it winds through Illinois •June 27, 2018• By The State Journal-Register staff Perhaps it is the yearning for yesteryear that endears so many to Route 66. Who wouldn’t want to jump into a classic car and explore the United States, stopping at shiny new service stations to pump gas into your vehicle, or sip a cold drink from the soda shops that dot the roadway? Such sepia-toned wishes of driving the Mother Road in its heyday could prompt many of us to start packing for a trip. Ford had been mass-producing vehicles for … Read More

“Hello Dolly” Keeps the Music Flowing At The Little Theatre on the Square

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•June 27, 2018• By Ellen Ferrera for the News Progress Acclaimed actress and Emmy award winner, Colleen Zenk, commands the stage as that scheming matchmaker and compulsive meddler, Dolly Gallagher Levi, in “Hello Dolly” currently playing at the Little Theatre. The musical is replete with colorful costumes, gorgeous sets and some of the most memorable music in American Theatre. This is a polished and well-chosen cast who will sing and dance their way into your heart. The plot for “Hello Dolly” originated in an 1835 play, and Thornton Wilder adapted it into a play entitled “The Merchant of Yonkers”, a … Read More

A Matter of Balance Coach Training

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•June 27, 2018• Catholic Charities of Decatur is offering A Matter of Balance: Coaches Training on Monday, July 23, 9 a.m.-5.p.m. at Mid-Illinois Senior Services in Sullivan. The class is free and lunch provided. A Coaches Manual will be provided to all completing the class. Chances are everyone knows someone who has fallen or who is afraid of falling. A Matter of Balance is a proven program designed to help people manage concerns about falls and increase physical activity. Decatur Catholic Charities is looking for volunteers to help provide this program in Moultrie County. A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns … Read More

Understanding Illinois: Illinois School Finance and the Struggle to Educate Equally

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•June 27, 2018• By Jim Nowlan NP Guest Columnist When I was Gov. Jim Thompson’s aide for education in the late 1970s, there was an adage that only six people in Illinois understood the state school aid formula—and they weren’t allowed to fly on the same plane. There is a new formula today, just as complicated. And state senators Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill, Macoupin County) and Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) would be among those six experts today. Andy and Jason are highly capable, earnest Eagle Scout types. Over five years of hard work, they have taken the lead, along with scores … Read More