Recent Obituaries: Karon Lawson

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Karon Lawson, 88, of Decatur, passed away on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at her home. Graveside services will be held 1:00 p.m. Saturday, January 31, 2026, at Keller Cemetery, Lovington. Memorials may be made to American Red Cross: PO Box 37839 Boone, IA 50037-0839. McMullin-Young Funeral Home is in care of the arrangements. Karon was born on February 25, 1937; the daughter of Allen and Jean Taylor (Gay) Wilke. She married LeRoy Lawson on May 8, 1954, in Union City, TN; he preceded her in death on January 13, 2018. Karon was a retired surgery tech and OB tech at … Read More

Recent Obituaries: Crystal R. Harl

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Crystal R. Harl, 65, of Sullivan, passed away on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, in Sullivan. Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m. Monday, February 2, 2026, at McMullin-Young Funeral Home, Sullivan, the family request casual attire. Visitation will be held an hour prior to the services, Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Greenhill Cemetery, Sullivan. Memorials may be made to The Life Center: PO Box 11, Sullivan, IL 61951 Crystal was born on November 14, 1959, in Mattoon; the daughter of Lewis F. and Pauline (England) Harl. Crystal worked in the kitchen at the Masonic Home for … Read More

Recent Obituaries: Janet Crandall

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Janet Wise Crandall, 96, of Cerro Gordo, IL, passed away peacefully at 6:30 a.m. on January 27, 2026, at Heritage Woods, Sullivan, IL. Born on January 21, 1930, in Decatur, IL, Janet was the beloved daughter of Ralph and Gladys Wise. Janet married Keith Crandall on June 2, 1949, beginning a beautiful partnership that lasted until his passing on May 13, 1993. Together, they built a loving home filled with warmth and laughter. Janet was a devoted mother to her son, Lester Crandall, and daughters Linda (Larry) McCoy, Dianne (Bill) Petersen, Seema (Shahob) Imam, and Karen (Gail) Allen; as well … Read More

Bethany Celebration chili cookoff winners

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On Saturday, January 17th, at the Bethany American Legion Post No. 507, Bethany Celebration hosted a chili cook-off, with a great turnout. The Bethany Celebration’s 2026 Chili Cookoff winners were: 1st Place Traditional- Ryan Whitten (not pictured), 1st Place Unique – Annie & Bill Blackwell, 1st Place Spicy – Troy Stockdale, and People’s Choice – Ryan Whitten. … Read More

Mid-Illinois Senior Center events

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•January 28, 2026• The Mid-Illinois Senior Center is located at 113 E. Jefferson Street in Sullivan. The Peace Meal Senior Nutrition program lunch is served weekdays (except holidays) at 11:30 a.m. Call (217) 728-8521 for more information on the events below or the Peace Meal. We are a SHIP site and can assist you with Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, VA, and other insurances. Call to schedule an appointment. 2nd: Pedicures by Robin- by appointment only. Call (217) 728-8521. … Read More

SBDs compete in Circle City Classic despite harsh weather

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Twenty SBD swimmers earned the opportunity to compete at the Circle City Classic in Indianapolis last weekend. Making the cut for this meet is no small feat; approximately 1,500 swimmers from across the nation were scheduled to attend, despite the storm that moved through the area, causing delays and schedule changes on Saturday, and ultimately the cancellation of Sunday’s events. Regardless of whether swimmers dropped time or added time, this meet was an experience like no other. Olympians compete in this pool. Sometimes experiences shaped by circumstances outside of our control teach the hardest — and most meaningful — lessons. … Read More

Peace Meal menu – Mid Illinois Senior Services

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•January 28, 2026• 2nd: Ham and beans, copper carrots, tropical fruit, and cornbread. 3rd: Shepherd’s pie, hot fruit crisp, 3-bean salad, and a biscuit. 4th: Chicken Cordon-Bleu, garlic vegetables, maple-glazed Brussels sprouts, pea salad, and bread/roll. 5th: Meatloaf, sour cream and chive mashed potatoes, stewed tomatoes, peaches, and bread/roll. 6th: Tuna casserole, peas, cinnamon-glazed carrots, cottage cheese salad, and bread/roll/ 9th: Hamburger and bun, tater tots, baked beans, and a mandarin orange.  … Read More

Two wins for Redskins; LPC Tourney underway

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by E. Scott England The Sullivan Redskins have been on a roller coaster of late, their consistency looking to breakthrough to show everyone what they are really made of. They took steps in doing just that this past week.  Arcola The Purple Riders of Arcola are a very similar team to Sullivan. A similar record and consistency, it was a perfect stage set for a great performance. It was not a high scoring game, but it was a close game.  … Read More

Lady Redskins LPC Champs, again

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by E. Scott England For the second straight year, the Sullivan Lady Redskins came out victorious in the championship game of the Lincoln Prairie Conference tournament. Seeded number one, Sullivan also was the tournament host in their new gym. The three tournament wins has brought the Lady Redskins record to 15-6 with a still perfect 6-0 conference record. Unity Christian Sullivan has faced Unity Christian earlier this season. The result of that first game was a win for Sullivan, 68-30. A lot can be said for consistency as the Lady Redskins easily advanced in the tournament with yet another win … Read More

Windsor teacher receives grant

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On January 5th, Windsor High School teacher Tammy Helm was awarded a Shelby County Retired Teachers’ Association (SCRTA) mini-grant. The Shelby County Retired Teachers’ Association mini-grant is a program that provides small grants to active K-12 teachers to fund innovative classroom projects, supplies, or technology not covered by regular budgets, easing teacher financial burdens and enhancing student learning through local fundraising by retired members.  Pictured L-R: Jamie Martin, Dean of Students, Tammy Helm, and James Sparks, SCRTA President. … Read More