Lovington fire displaces family, days before Christmas 

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•December 24, 2025• by DM Williamee   In what can only be described as heartbreaking, a Lovington family was displaced last week, the week before Christmas, after their home was destroyed by a fire on the afternoon of December 15th.  Local support efforts began immediately to assist them, with a call to action by the community of Lovington. A Facebook post shared that clothing items were the immediate need of the family. In addition, gifts were accepted for the family at the ‘Breakfast with Santa’ event, allowing the family to have a Christmas celebration.   A “GoFundMe” page was set … Read More

Letter to the Editor 12-23-2025

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To the Editor, The News Progress I read the recent article regarding water levels, drought conditions, and strain on Sullivan’s water supply. What was missing from that discussion was not data, but honesty. I live in Sullivan Township. I do not receive Sullivan city water. I pay my water bill to Moultrie County Rural Water, and the water delivered to my home comes from Lake Mattoon, a surface water source known for algae blooms and recurring boil advisories that township residents are not always clearly or promptly notified about. This matters because while township residents are being told there are … Read More

Remembering Who We Are……….89

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Log Jams and Sandbars •December 24, 2025• by Janet Roney The old man fishing from the Kaskaskia River bridge at Vandalia said, “It’ll be smooth sailing from here to the Mississippi, boys! There’s no more logjams for the rest of the river.” This was good news to my three older brothers (teenagers at the time) and my father in the summer of 1952. They had lost track of the number of logjams they had portaged around since leaving Findlay a few days before. Every portage meant unloading their fourteen-foot wooden outboard motor boat, Ida, dragging the boat, motor, and supplies … Read More

A Look Back…12-23-2025

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2015 Shawnee Communications (Shawnee) and MultiCorp, Inc., announced that Shawnee, a rural provider of telephone and high-speed internet and other telecommunications services in five southern Illinois counties, acquired MultiCorp, Inc., the holding company of Moultrie Independent Telephone Company (MITC) and MITC’s affiliated companies, including One-Eleven Internet Services and Moultrie Telecommunications. When inclement weather struck, the Sullivan School District delayed school opening by two hours. In an effort to accommodate parents with morning obligations, the district opened the Sullivan Elementary School Gym at 8:00 a.m. The Sullivan High School Gym was opened with supervision for middle and high school students who … Read More

Redskins go 2-1; Big OT win against rivals

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•December 24, 2025• by E. Scott England The Sullivan Redskins are still looking to find their groove. And they did so this past week with a big conference win against Blue Ridge and a nail-biter against Shelbyville. The final game of the week did not go as planned against a tough Monticello squad. First conference game The Redskins have had a tough non-conference schedule to date. But they got the opportunity to show off their skills in their first conference matchup on the road against Blue Ridge. Shooting was above par from the onset for Sullivan, netting 24 points in … Read More

IDNR collecting discarded Christmas trees for fish habitat

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•December 24, 2025• Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) fisheries biologists are collecting live Christmas trees to be used as fish habitat in local lakes after the holidays. The collected trees will be bundled together, weighted, and submerged at lakes, providing critical habitat for multiple fish species and promoting algae growth for insects that attract fish for anglers. The trees will naturally decompose over time. … Read More

Moultrie-Douglas 4-H clubs unite for ‘Ainsley Acts of Kindness Birthday Bag’ project

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•December 24, 2025• This holiday season, every Moultrie-Douglas 4-H Club came together for a heartwarming community service initiative: the Ainsley Acts of Kindness Birthday Bag collection. Youth across the two counties assembled special bags filled with everything a child needs to celebrate a birthday—cake mix, icing, a present, and festive decorations. … Read More

C.H.I. Overhead Doors helps bring Christmas joy to Moultrie Co. families

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•December 24, 2025• Photo by Brian Beachy Submitted by CEFS Christmas is meant to be a season of joy, laughter, and togetherness—a time when families gather to celebrate and create cherished memories. But for some families in Moultrie County, the holidays can look a little different when financial hardships make it hard to provide even the basics. That’s where the community steps in to make a difference. … Read More