Culbertson Clinics announced on Thursday they have opened a walk-in clinic in Beardstown.

Sarah D. Culbertson Memorial Hospital expanded its healthcare offerings starting today by opening a Walk-In Clinic located inside Elmer Hugh Taylor Clinic in Beardstown, located at 100 West 15^th Street. Heidi Greer, FNP-C will provide convenient treatment for acute, minor illnesses and injuries for patients of all ages on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm with no appointments needed.

Patients of all ages are welcome at the new clinic. Gregg Snyder, Executive Director of Sarah D. Culbertson Memorial Hospital said in a press release that they are proud to add this general healthcare walk-in option to the existing primary care and outpatient specialty clinic services that they already provide. He says the new walk-in services are available to all residents, not just existing Culbertson Clinic patients.

Greer will continue to see her current patients at the Taylor Clinic, to schedule an appointment with her please call (217) 323-2245.

Jacksonville School District 117 officials lost $3 million in expected revenue in February month, putting the district’s finances on alert.

Superintendent Steve Ptacek says the answer lies with Personal Property Replacement Tax (PPRT) paid by the Illinois Department of Revenue: “We are looking at maybe getting 60% of what we got last year, and that’s $2.5 million. Plus, when you do throw in some other reductions in some transportation reimbursements – MCATs this year went from 80% normally to 70% – that’s reimbursables, special education reimbursables. When you throw all of that together, we are talking about a revenue loss of nearly $3 million, and if you add in a property tax revenue gain, it’s approximately $2.5 million. That’s concerning to have that big of a revenue loss at a time when CPI has been pretty high, so our salaries were increasing to match an increasing CPI and cost of living. Fortunately, we are in a very strong position with a very strong fund balance to weather the storm.”

Ptacek says the revenue loss will not affect the district moving forward on the new Murrayville-Woodson project.

PPRT had seen record aggregate revenues for school districts across the state in 2022 and 2023according to the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. Projections for last year showed a funding gap coming according to the state’s Evidence Base Funding Formula. Then, the Illinois Department of Revenue discovered it had miscalculated payments and now all school districts across the state are paying back a penalty due to the state’s own error.

Ptacek says IDOR has been less than transparent on the amount of penalty owed, when the penalty payments will stop, or even when the penalty payments began. He says the reduction in PPRT may be a new norm for school district revenue projections moving forward: “The entire CPPRT funds were overpaid. They didn’t tell us exactly how much. They said they were going to have to take some out to pay back that payment to put it into the proper fund where it was supposed to go. We have been asking for what percentage of our regular expected payments are going to be paid out to that [debt], what’s the length of time of the payment, and more. We have received no confirmation of any of our questions. No answers. In just this last week, to the Department of Revenue…this isn’t ISBE…this is the actual Department of Revenue who is in charge of CPPRT – we asked the question if they had any heads up or thoughts on what’s going to be happening for next year was our first question. Our second question was ‘Can you update us on the status of this repayment that we’ve been paying?’ All we got back from them was ‘We have no idea of what’s happening until August.’ There’s a major funding source for us that we won’t have any idea of what’s happening to it. The rumor mills are that they could get cut another 20%. We don’t know if that’s 20% on top of what we are regularly supposed to get and they’ve been taking out the penalty or whether that’s 20% of what we got this year. We have no idea.”

PPRT payments is allocated in accordance with a school district’s respective collections of Tangible Personal Property Tax revenue in either 1976 or 1977. The allocation formula has never been updated and is no longer representative of where businesses exist geographically in Illinois.

Members of the Morgan County Highway Department opened bids on March 7 for materials on the county’s Motor Fuel Tax Maintenance program.

County Highway Engineer Matt Coultas told the Morgan County Commissioners in late February that the highway department and road districts are mostly focusing on maintenance of the county’s roads this year rather than major projects. With the renewed focus on maintenance, Coultas said he would be doubling the size of the MFT program material requests.

Coultas announced the winners of the lowest bids on the projects on March 10th at the Commissioners’ meeting: “Oil and chip work which is 1A and 1B went to Illinois Road Contractors in the total amount of $830,720. Group 6 went to Asphalt Sales, which is our durapatch oil and chip people that we pick up down in Meredosia at the plant there, at $25,500. Groups 2 & 3 both to Beelman Logistics. Group 2 is the trap rock for the oil & chip work, and Group 3 is the FA6 is the slag finds that we mix with our salt for snow and ice removal. For those two items, it’s $404,151. Group 5 to Callendar Construction is our CA6 or shoulder and base rock for a total of $28,000. Group 7 was Varsity Striping to do our pavement markings. I think we’ve got around 450,000 feet of pavement marking work to do this summer. The total bid was $54,000. The total in all groups was $1,341,921 for maintenance materials.”

Coultas previously said that some bridge work remains to be completed to expend the remaining amount of the county’s Rebuild Illinois funds from the last 5-year period.

An A-C Central High School senior has received top honors in FFA.

Tara Taft was named as the State FFA Proficiency Winner in Equine Science Entrepreneurship. Taft is the president of the A-C Central FFA Chapter of the Illinois Association FFA.  Illinois FFA recognizes students in forty-eight different areas based on their work-based learning, also known as Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE). 

FFA members who demonstrate outstanding agricultural skills and competencies through record keeping, leadership, and scholastic achievement may be considered for this award.  SAEs allow students to learn by doing by either owning and operating an agricultural business, working or serving an internship at an agriculture-based business, or conducting an agriculture-based scientific experiment and reporting results.

Taft was selected as the State Winner by a committee of agriculture teachers, industry friends, parents and volunteers knowledgeable in this work-based area, who reviewed their records online and then conducted interviews at Mt Zion High School on Saturday.

Tara is the daughter of Mike & Tracy Taft of Springfield.

Receiving this honor now makes Taft eligible to compete in the National FFA Awards Selection process in July.  Taft was previously chosen as the Chapter, Section, and District awardee in this area.  

Taft will receive a plaque for her accomplishments and be celebrated for the achievement at the 97th Illinois FFA State Convention in June.  These plaques are made possible by gifts by individuals, businesses, corporations, and organizations through the Illinois Foundation FFA.

The Menard County Sheriff’s Office has announced the arrest of a Springfield man after a high speed chase through the Capital City’s west end on Saturday.

According to a press release, at approximately 9:37PM on Saturday, a Menard County Sheriff’s deputy on patrol traveling on IL-123, east of Petersburg observed a vehicle rapidly approaching him from the rear. The deputy activated his in-car speed radar system and locked the vehicle’s speed at 80mph in a 50mph speed zone. The deputy pulled over, allowed the vehicle to pass him, and then attempted to initiate a traffic stop on the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle refused to stop, and a pursuit ensued.

The driver continued to flee and refused to pull over, traveling at times at speeds in excess of 115mph. The pursuit continued southbound on IL-29 to Andrew Road and then eastbound from Andrew Road to Sherman. In Sherman, the driver turned south on Business Interstate 55 and continued into the City of Springfield. The vehicle continued south on Peoria Road to Veterans Parkway. Near the area of Veterans Parkway and J. David Jones Parkway, the pursuit was terminated by a Menard County Sheriff’s Office supervisor.

Deputies were able to obtain the vehicle registration plate and address for the registered owners of the vehicle. The pursuing deputy went to the registered owner’s address in Springfield and upon his arrival he observed a male subject standing by the suspect vehicle which was parked in the driveway. The individual standing by the vehicle saw the deputy, immediately entered the vehicle, and pulled it into an attached garage. The deputy pulled his squad car into the driveway immediately behind the vehicle parked in the garage to prevent the driver from leaving and from closing the garage door. The deputy approached the vehicle and ordered the driver multiple times to exit the vehicle, yet the driver refused. The driver continuously attempted to close the garage door on the deputy’s squad car. The driver was verbally resistive, refused to follow the deputy’s commands, and became physically resistive. A short time later, a second Menard County Sheriff’s deputy and the Menard County Sheriff Mark Oller arrived at the scene.

The driver, later identified as 54-year old Matthew S. Leonard of Springfield, was removed from the vehicle and taken into custody despite his resistance. Officers from the Springfield Police Department arrived at the scene to assist as well.

A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a large quantity of suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Leonard currently remains lodged at the Menard County Jail awaiting a pretrial detention hearing. He has been cited for aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude police, possession of methamphetamine with attempt to deliver, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting/obstructing a peace officer, 4 counts of speeding, failure to stop at a stop sign, improper lane usage, reckless driving, driving with a revoked license, and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

An unidentified 35-year old New Berlin woman was hit and killed walking along Interstate 72 on Saturday in an alleged hit and run incident.

The Illinois State Police report that at approximately 11:13PM Saturday, troopers responded to milepost 82, just east of the eastbound New Berlin exit on I-72 after a reported two-unit, hit and run. Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon says a 35-year old New Berlin woman was pronounced deceased at the scene.

ISP reports say for an unknown reason, the pedestrian was walking eastbound on I-72 just east of the New Berlin Exit when they were struck. The pedestrian suffered life threatening injuries and succumbed to those injuries. Allmon says an autopsy has been scheduled for Monday.

The decedent’s name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. The eastbound lanes were shut down for an undetermined amount of time into Sunday morning while investigators worked the scene.

ISP says this is an ongoing investigation and there is no further information available at this time. If you have any information concerning this incident, contact the Illinois State Police or the Sangamon-Menard Crime Stoppers if you wish to remain anonymous.

The first of three men indicted by a federal jury in May 2021 for sexual exploitation of a child in Pike County has been sentenced to federal prison on drug distribution charges.

59-year old Michael J. Wallace of Nebo was sentenced by Federal Magistrate Judge Colleen Lawless on Thursday in Springfield to a term of 7 years in federal prison along with 3 years of mandatory supervised release and a $100 special assessment fee.

Wallace pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting distribution of a controlled substance in Pike County on November 18, 2024 in federal court. The charge was a part of a superseding indictment filed by federal prosecutors on November 6, 2024. According to the updated charges, Wallace distributed methamphetamine in Pike County in April 2021.

Wallace was originally arrested by the Pike County Sheriff’s Department on May 14, 2021 after deputies were dispatched to the 300 block of Park Street in Nebo for a domestic disturbance. The domestic disturbance led to the issuance of a court-authorized search warrant at the aforesaid residence and Wallace along with 41-year old Bobby J. Warner were arrested on a variety of charges ranging from domestic battery, criminal damage to property, possession of methamphetamine, and obstructing justice.

A day prior to Wallace and Warner’s arrest, 37-year old Anthony M. Westemeyer was arrested along with a juvenile at a home in the 600 block of Bridge Street in Nebo after a court-authorized search warrant was executed for unlawful possession of methamphetamine charges. The juvenile was placed in the custody of the Adams County Youth Home.

A follow up investigation followed into both incidents and all three men were arrested by federal authorities on charges of sexual exploitation of a child. All three were accused of causing a minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct, which was recorded and stored on a computer. Wallace was arrested in Nebo on September 10, 2021 and Warner was arrested in Pittsfield on September 13, 2021

Agencies participating in the investigation include U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations; the Illinois Attorney General’s Office; the Pike County Sheriff’s Office; and the Pike County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The sexual exploitation charges against Wallace were dropped per a change in plea on November 18, 2024 after the superseding indictment was filed. Wallace pleaded guilty to the drug distribution charges in exchange for the dropped sexual exploitation charges and was ultimately sentenced on Thursday. Wallace and Warner’s Pike County Circuit Court charges were dropped in deference to the federal case on February 25th.

Warner is next due in court for a plea and sentencing hearing on April 2nd. Westemeyer is next due in court for a plea and sentencing hearing on April 9th. Westemeyer still has pending Pike County Circuit Court charges for his arrests on possession of methamphetamine, predatory criminal sexual assault, traffic charges, domestic battery, and violation of an order of protection that remain pending a resolution.

The 76^th annual Kiwanis Pancake and Sausage Day was a major success.

Event chair Luke Worrell says that final numbers are near some of the best the club has seen in a decade for the event: “It was a crazy, crazy day. Thank you to the community for the incredible support. I think our final number was 4,935 meals served. That’s the most in 9 years.”

Worrell says the new set up at the Morgan County Fairgrounds mostly went off without a hitch: “Honestly, I think it would have been silky smooth. We did have one of our old, grizzled veteran sausage cookers go down. So, there in the heat of battle, we were left with 3 instead of 4 sausage cookers, which made us run low on sausage near the dinner time hours. Other than that, I think everything was very well received. I can’t thank the [Morgan County] Fair Board enough. I don’t even want to think about what it would have looked like. I don’t know where else in town we could have done this, and that’s no slight to any other venue here in the community. But just for what we needed, the layout, the fairgrounds were amazing. Of course, we are going to iron out a few kinks but it was a great event.”

Worrell says that the fairgrounds also allowed for greater numbers with the drive-thru. In years past, the Kiwanis could only serve drive-thru customers from 4-7PM to accommodate for the Routt and MacMurray dismissal and dinner schedules. This year, the drive-thru ran all day, and at one point had served more customers than the dine in option.

Worrell says that with the new venue comes the possibility of a new date on the calendar in the future: “In the past, we always had to use Spring Break at Routt and MacMurray as a scheduling time frame. Obviously, out here at our new home at the fairgrounds based on their scheduling, we are not shackled to a school Spring Break schedule anymore. It could conceivably change. What a blessing the weather was this year. That was huge. It was so gorgeous outside so people didn’t mind waiting outside. We can remember a few of these past years where you would not want to wait outside for 30 minutes to get a table. So, the date could change in the future.”

100% of the proceeds from the March 10th event will go right back into the community for initiatives for children.

State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer has been a regular voice of opposition to the Pritzker Administration’s budget proposals and the state’s Sanctuary status and immigrant programs during the current session of the Illinois General Assembly.

Davidsmeyer, who co-chairs the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA), says the the state is facing a significant budget problem both in the current fiscal year with a possible $737 million shortfall, as well as in FY26 which begins on July 1: “[State] Democrats are currently pushing crazy legislation that would make our policies and our budget problems even worse. Let’s start with illegal immigration. Due to the failed Biden Administration open border policies, we have more than 530,000 illegal immigrants in the State of Illinois. Let me be clear that without these open border policies, we wouldn’t be having these ICE raids that are going on right now. The Democrats’ sanctuary state policies and giveaways to illegal immigrants are incentives for them to come. If you build it, they will come; and they have. I have again filed legislation to repeal the TRUST Act and end Illinois’ sanctuary state policies. What are Democrats doing? They are doubling down on their failed immigration policies.”

Davidsmeyer says some of the Democrats’ legislation would further restrict local, county, and state law enforcement’s ability to aid federal immigration authorities to seek illegal immigrants in the state.

Earlier this month, the State Auditor General released a report of an audit on the state’s noncitizen health care plan. The audit showed that the program outstripped its original estimated price tag and cost the state of Illinois $1.6 billion through last summer. The report also found more than 6,000 people enrolled in the state-funded programs were classified as “undocumented” despite actually having social security numbers. Some of those people were green card holders who would have instead qualified for health coverage like Medicaid or traditional insurance. The audit, which was requested by lawmakers in 2023, came a week after Governor J.B. Pritzker’s budget address. The governor’s plan would defund a portion of the program aimed at noncitizens aged 44 to 64, while leaving in place the smaller program for noncitizen seniors aged 65 and older.

Davidsmeyer has accused state Democrats of trying to expand the program despite the price: “House Bill 3780 would provide universal healthcare for all individuals residing in the State of Illinois regardless of immigration status. I can only imagine the tens of billions of dollars that this program would cost. Keep in mind that just last year the cost just for state employee healthcare went up over a billion dollars, and they are expecting it to go up another billion dollars this year. That’s just state employees. Rather than working with Republicans to find relief for hard-working taxpayers and bringing down the cost of living, Democrats are once again looking to raise taxes.”

Davidsmeyer has pointed out that there is little state Republicans can do as far as the policies are concerned due to the super majority that Democrats hold in both chambers of the General Assembly as well as all of the executive offices in the state.

When it comes to Governor Pritzker’s claims of balanced budgets during his time in office, Davidsmeyer says that the governor has been lucky over the past 6 years: “One-time dollar amounts have fallen into his hands that have luckily balanced his budget. We are past that point. COGFA is saying those one-time dollars are not coming in. That is who is telling us that this year we are $500 million short. Next year, we are going to be $775 million short, so the reality is we have to focus on the issues that we are here for and not some of this crazy, crazy stuff like making obesity a protected class or something of that sort. The reality is that we have to pass a balanced budget.”

He says it starts with the state setting the right priorities first: “We’ve got billions in unfunded pension liability that we are paying the bare minimum on. We’ve got the developmentally disabled PUNS list that we are barely making positive impact on. We’re barely keeping up with our court orders to take care of the individuals that can’t take care of themselves. Meanwhile, we are spending $15 billion more today than we were when Governor Pritzker came in. We have to get it under control. This is not a slush fund. We have to focus on the important things.”

PUNS is a database that registers individuals who want or need Developmental Disability Waiver services (i.e. Community Integrated Living Arrangements, Home Based Supports, Child Group Homes) funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Developmental Disabilities. As funding is available, individuals are selected from PUNS and invited to apply for waivers. The court orders Davidsmeyer refers to is the Ligas Consent Decree which went into effect in 2011 and has come under review in the state’s court in recent years.

Davidsmeyer joined State Representative Mike Coffey of Springfield on Tuesday to introduce a package of legislation by State Republicans to stop illegal immigration in the state and to repeal or revise portions of the TRUST Act. The Act, which created Illinois as a sanctuary state in 2017, was signed by former Republican Governor Bruce Rauner. Davidsmeyer says the act is misguided: “I am sponsoring legislation, HB1317, to repeal the Illinois TRUST Act, which was a misguided law that prohibits local law enforcement from working with our federal counterparts on illegal immigration. It’s time to end Illinois’ sanctuary state policy. I’ve also filed House Bill 1456 to end the massively expensive free healthcare for illegal immigrants, the HBIA/HBIS program, with an estimated $1.2 billion budget deficit. We simply cannot afford this budget buster anymore.”

Representative Coffey has also filed legislation that would allow Illinois counties to individually opt out of the TRUST ACT. He says counties would be able to adopt individual resolutions to fit their own needs: “This bill gives individual counties the right to set standards that are best suited for their residents and their businesses. Last year, I visited the [southern] border to see our border problem firsthand and listen directly to border agents and agencies and nonprofits handling the thousands of migrants flooding across the border of Texas. I heard from officials from poor counties on the southern border without the funds or the resources to pay for the influx of migrants, and from organizations helping families navigate the aftermath of human trafficking and drugs. In Illinois, especially in this tight budget year, we need to prioritize resources and offer counties a path to opt out of bad state policy and allow local law enforcement to work with our federal partners to protect public safety.”

The immigration bills sponsored by the GOP are likely not to receive committee hearings or debate as State Democrats have said that repealing rights of immigrants is non-starter for any negotiations on reforms.