Mo.-Do. County Fair brings exciting entertainment to fairgoers   

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Submitted •July 23, 2025• The 94th annual Moultrie-Douglas County Fair is stacking up to be one of the best in a long time. Fair dates this year are a little later than usual, July 25-August 2.  A lot of effort has gone into finding a carnival, which was very hard to obtain. This year the fair is fortunate to have Swyear Amusements of New Athens, IL., celebrating 67 seasons in business in 2025. There will be marvelous rides available for all ages, little ones to adult. Wristbands are available for pre-sale by going to the fair’s website www.moultriedouglascountyfair.org.   For … Read More

Missing boater found deceased; investigation ongoing

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•July 23, 2025• Photo by R.R. Best On Saturday, July 19th, at approximately 11:18 a.m., CECOM dispatched the Moultrie County Sheriff’s Office to the Coal Shaft Bridge area of Lake Shelbyville for a report of an unoccupied boat. Moultrie County then requested assistance from the Moultrie County Dive Team, the Shelby County Dive Team, the Sullivan Fire Department, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Illinois Department of Conservation Police to locate a missing boater.  The missing boater was Billy J. Briscoe of Hidalgo Illinois. He was recovered by divers at 9:16 p.m. and pronounced dead at the … Read More

Moultrie-Douglas Fair Queen Contestants

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Photo Submitted 2025 “Junior Miss” Moultrie-Douglas County Fair Queen Seven young ladies will compete for the title on Monday, July 28th, at the fairgrounds in Arthur starting at 7:00 pm. Pictured are Sofia Reifsteck (Villa Grove), Quinn Chapman (Villa Grove), Charlotte Franklin (Tuscola), Kierah Kiesel (Villa Grove), 2024 Jr. Miss Moultrie-Douglas Julianne Steffens, Nora Bernius (Sullivan), Ava Warren (Sullivan), and Brooklyn Bates (Sullivan). Photo Submitted 2025 “Little Miss” Moultrie-Douglas County Fair Queen Twelve adorable little girls will compete for the title on Monday, July 28th, at the fairgrounds in Arthur starting at 6:00 pm. Pictured are Everleigh Allen (Tuscola), Myla … Read More

Remembering Who We Are….68

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Same Road, different view •July 23, 2025• by Janet Roney I have a 180-year-old couch sitting in my basement. My great-great-grandparents brought it from Kentucky to Moultrie County in a covered wagon over the Charleston Road. It was in the parlor of their “Kentucky T” house, southeast of Sullivan, forty years, where they seated guests visiting their two sons who were home on leave from the Civil War, participants in their frequent neighborhood “sings”, and mourners at the wakes of four of their children. It spent the next sixty years in the parlor of the great-grandparents’ big red brick house … Read More

Obituaries 7-23-2025: Roger Maxedon

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Roger Maxedon Roger D. Maxedon, 88, of Effingham, passed away peacefully on July 20, 2025, at Willowbrook Memory Care in Effingham. Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m. Friday, July 25, 2025, at McMullin-Young Funeral Home, Sullivan. Visitation will be held an hour prior to the service Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Oak Grove Cemetery, Bethany. Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association: 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17Chicago, IL 60601 or to the American Heart Association: PO Box 840692, Dallas, TX 75284-0692 … Read More

Obituaries 7-23-2025: Fern Marshall

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Fern Marshall Fern Marshall, 89, of Sullivan, passed away 1:25 a.m. on Friday, July 18, 2025, at the Odd Fellow-Rebekah Home, Mattoon. As per her wishes, no services will be held. Memorials may be made to the Sullivan Senior Center. McMullin-Young Funeral Home is in care of the arrangements. … Read More

Obituaries 7-23-2025: Randall Harris

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Randall Harris Randall Lane Harris, 71 of Peoria, formerly of Sullivan, passed away on July 17, 2025, with his family at his side. He was born to William “Bill” Floyd and Lorene (Lane) Harris in Decatur, IL. He married Mary Sue Potter Theinert in 1989 in Socorro, NM. … Read More

Obituaries 7-23-2025: Martin “Marty” Harbaugh

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Martin “Marty” Harbaugh Martin W. “Marty” Harbaugh, 68, of Sullivan passed away 9:25 p.m. Saturday, July 19, 2025, after a short battle with lung cancer. Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Thursday, July 24, 2025 at McMullin-Young Funeral Home in Sullivan. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, at McMullin-Young Funeral Home, Sullivan. Memorials may be made to The Little Theatre On The Square or to the Sullivan AMBUCs. … Read More

Obituaries 7-23-2025: Michael Cruit

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Michael Cruit Michael Paul Cruit, 78, of rural Bethany died on July 16, 2025, in St. John’ s Hospital in Springfield following a series of strokes.    Graveside services were held Sunday, July 20, 2025, at Locust Grove Cemetery, Pickaway Township, with Rev. Ron Dickinson officiating and military rites by the Clarence Bixler American Legion Post #409 of Findlay, IL. Arrangements by Howe & Yockey Funeral Home, Shelbyville.  … Read More

LLC hosting ‘Fast track to Fall’ registration 

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•July 23, 2025• Lake Land will be hosting a Fast Track to Fall registration event on Wednesday, August 6th, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the College’s new Effingham Technology Center.  The event will serve as a one-stop shop for students to enroll at the college, register for classes, and apply for scholarships. Lake Land College staff members from Admissions, Counseling, Perkins, TRIO, and Financial Aid will be present to answer questions and guide students through the onboarding process.  “If you’re planning on joining us this fall, or even just considering taking a class or two, we definitely recommend you … Read More