Jacksonville Man Arrested Twice on JDC Grounds For Alleged Theft, Burglary

By Benjamin Cox on September 8, 2024 at 2:08pm

A Jacksonville man was arrested twice on Saturday for allegedly stripping metal off of the buildings. Jacksonville Police received a call just before 7:30AM Saturday from a complainant saying that a man was stripping objects off of the old power plant roof on the southwest side of the grounds. Upon arrival, officers located and arrested […]

JWCC to Host Special 9/11 Film Viewing

By Jeremy Coumbes on September 8, 2024 at 7:00am

John Wood Community College will honor local and national first responders and the freedoms they protect in a special presentation this week. JWCC has received permission from the 9-11 Memorial and Museum to be a viewing site for the organization’s annual anniversary film on Wednesday, September 11. This year’s film honoring the sacrifice of first […]

Scott County 911 Now Offers Text-to-911, Medical Profile Capability

By Jeremy Coumbes on September 7, 2024 at 3:45pm

Scott County residents now have a new way to contact 911 during an emergency. As of Friday, 911 call centers in Scott County began accepting text messages via the Text-to-911 service. A push by the Illinois State Police is pushing county emergency systems across the state to upgrade to enhanced Next Gen 911 service. Scott […]

Morgan County HD Reminding of the Dangers to Young Children from Lead Paint in the Home

By Jeremy Coumbes on September 7, 2024 at 3:25pm

The Morgan County Health Department is reminding residents to be alert to the dangers of lead poisoning in the home. Any building constructed prior to 1978 likely still has lead paint lying under the surface of the current finish which can be harmful to children if they are exposed. Deanette Schwanke with the Morgan County […]

Main Street Celbrates 25th Anniversary With Daylong Event

By Jeremy Coumbes on September 6, 2024 at 3:12pm

Jacksonville Main Street is giving attendees the chance to make their mark on the downtown during Saturday’s anniversary celebration. Jacksonville Main Street is celebrating its 25th Anniversary this weekend with a bevy of activities on the Downtown Plaza. Executive Director Judy Tighe says one such activity will let the public help literally paint the town. […]

South Jax Board Holds Public Hearing Only, Hears Update on Village Water Plant

By Benjamin Cox on September 6, 2024 at 9:23am

The Village of South Jacksonville Board of Trustees held their public hearing last night and could do little else for their scheduled monthly meeting. Village Treasurer and de facto City Clerk Mindy Olsen admitted to not issuing the regular scheduled board meeting’s agenda on time this week to be in compliance with the Open Meetings […]

Morgan Co. Highway Department Tackling Three Major Bridge Projects

By Benjamin Cox on September 6, 2024 at 9:10am

Morgan County Highway Department will be busy in the design phase for 3 bridges in the near future. Morgan County Highway Engineer Matt Coultas says the first bridge on priority with the help from the Illinois Department of Transportation is in Road District #10 and is needing upgraded to handle heavy truck traffic: “The bridge […]

“No Surprises” in FY25 Budget for Morgan Co. Commissioners

By Benjamin Cox on September 6, 2024 at 8:58am

The Morgan County Commissioners received good news with the Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations budget last Monday. The budget shows higher revenues for the county this year and the commissioners all agreed that the budget was considered balanced. Commissioner Chair Mike Wankel says that outgoing commissioner Ginny Fanning is fulfilling a long-time promise of maintaining a […]

Winchester Post Office Closed Until Further Notice After Storm Damage

By Benjamin Cox on September 6, 2024 at 8:42am

Winchester residents with a post office box will have to drive a little further to get their mail for the time being. Last Friday’s straight line wind storm damaged the roof of the Winchester Post Office on the downtown square. Residents on Tuesday found themselves locked out of the building with a sign on the […]

Crime of the Week: BMW Crashed & Abandoned on Eastgate Drive

By Benjamin Cox on September 6, 2024 at 8:32am

The Morgan, Scott, Cass Crime Stoppers are seeking information to assist the Jacksonville Police Department in their investigation in a recent property damage car crash incident in Jacksonville. At 9:15am on August 26th, officers were called to an abandoned vehicle on Eastgate Drive, behind Pallet Repair Services. A Black BMW had left the roadway after […]