Jacksonville Police have arrested a man in relation to theft of an electric scooter that took place just over a month ago.

According to Jacksonville Police reports from July 19, a caller reported at approximately 1:41 a.m. their electric scooter had been stolen within the past hour from the front of KJB’s Pint Haus on East State Street. The scooter was valued around $3,000.

The owner later reported the scooter was found outside of town abandoned and severely damaged on July 25 after someone reported it to police. Upon further investigation, police were able to distinguish a person of interest in the case with the help of security camera footage among other techniques.

Shortly before 1 p.m. today, officers located the person of interest in the 400 block of Sherman Street and arrested Ashton D. Haley, 41, of the 500 block of West Walnut Street for felony theft. Haley was later released with a notice to appear in court.

Governor JB Pritzker today issued a state disaster proclamation after severe weather and flooding caused extensive damage across Cook, Jersey, and Calhoun Counties from July 25–28th. The proclamation ensures that state resources can be directed to support local response and long-term recovery efforts.

“Illinois families and communities are still facing the impacts of these devastating storms,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “With this proclamation, we are making sure every tool at the state’s disposal is available to support recovery. Our administration will continue working alongside local leaders and federal partners to ensure impacted residents and businesses get the resources they need.”

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS), in partnership with local government entities and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), conducted joint Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDAs) between August 11-17th that confirmed widespread damages to communities.

“The damage assessments confirmed the tremendous strain these storms have placed on our counties,” said IEMA-OHS Acting Director Theodore (Ted) Berger. “This disaster proclamation allows us to expand assistance and keep recovery operations moving forward. Our teams remain committed to working hand-in-hand with local governments to restore essential services and help residents rebuild.”

This severe storm system caused substantial flooding, resulting in significant property damage, widespread power outages, and blocked roadways that impacted homeowners, businesses, utilities, and local governments. The flooding also disrupted transportation networks as flash flooding and debris limited access to roadways, while extended power outages further hindered recovery and response efforts.

The disaster proclamation opens access to additional state resources and personnel that can be deployed to assist with recovery. Governor Pritzker has also directed IEMA-OHS to continue coordinating with federal officials to determine whether Illinois qualifies for federal disaster assistance through FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

The disaster proclamation goes into effect immediately.

Three members of Macoupin County law enforcement have been arrested for an alleged physical altercation that took place inside of a bar in Staunton over the weekend.

According to a press release from the Staunton Police Department today, officers were contacted on Monday by a relative of a victim who had beaten in a bar fight at Skeeter’s Bar in Staunton in the early morning hours of August 16th. The Staunton Police is then said to have initiated an investigation into the incident and contacted and interviewed the victim. The victim is said to have identified 35-year old Joshua D. Revisky, 36-year old Jeffrey W. Schoen and 35-year old Logan J. Hemp as the suspects.

According to the release, due to Hemp and Revisky being employees of the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department, Macoupin County Sheriff Shawn Kahl was contacted; and due to Schoen being an employee with the Bunker Hill Police Department, Bunker Hill Police Chief Zach Girth was also contacted. A press release from Sheriff Kahl says the two sheriff’s department employees have been placed on administrative leave pending their own department’s internal investigation.

After taking statements and collecting evidence, the Staunton Police Department release says that all three men were arrested and booked into the Montgomery County Jail. They have been cited for felony mob action and aggravated battery in a public place. The release says they were booked into the neighboring county’s jail due to their employment conflict.

As of yesterday, all three men have been officially charged and made a first appearance in Macoupin County Circuit Court yesterday. Macoupin County State’s Attorney Jordan Garrison is reported to have recused himself from the case due to the appearance of conflict of interest and the Illinois Appellate Prosecutor’s Office will be used to prosecute the case with a special prosecutor.

The Staunton Police Department thanked the agencies involved with the case in their press release and says that the investigation into the incident remains ongoing. If you have further information, please call the Staunton Police at 618-635-3333.

A Jacksonville man arrested in late June on two sex related crimes has been sentenced to prison.

39 year-old Devontay T. Dunkines, of the 1400 block of Passavant Drive, pleaded guilty on Friday, August 15 to Class 2 felony failure to report annually for the sex offender registry for at least the second time.

Dunkines was arrested on June 26 on the charge along with a Class 2 felony charge of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor. The sex abuse charge was dropped per the open plea.

Dunkines was sentenced by Circuit Judge Chris Reif to 5 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, 1 year of mandatory supervised release and ordered payment of a $500 fine. Dunkines was given credit for 52 days served in the Morgan County Jail.

A recently unsealed federal court case has revealed a Central Illinois man has been charged with sexual exploitation of a child in two counties dating back to 2021.

Charges in the case of Christopher Wagy were unsealed on August 5th in the federal Central District Court of Illinois in Springfield. Wagy faces three counts of sexual exploitation of a child and a single count of possession of child pornography.

According to the indictment document, between November 3-7, 2021, Wagy is accused of exploiting a minor into creating sexual depictions through the use of a computer in both Menard and Pike counties. A complaint was then filed in the court on July 15, 2025 about the incidents. Count 4 accuses Wagy of possessing digital depictions of child pornography on a computer on July 16, 2025. A warrant was executed by federal authorities on July 16, 2025 and he was ordered to be held in federal custody by Judge Colleen Lawless on July 22.

Wagy appeared via video at an arraignment hearing on August 12 in which he pleaded not guilty to all four charges. A pretrial date for the case has been scheduled for September 25.

Email messages to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District Court of Illinois have been sent requesting more information on the case.

The Brown County and Schuyler County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a Hancock County man allegedly involved in multiple thefts and vehicle break-ins that occurred this Spring.

According to a press release from the Brown County Sheriff’s Department, in the early morning hours of April 7, several homes and vehicles were burglarized. Deputies are said to have investigated six different reported locations with 8 separate locations that were unlawfully entered into. Brown County Deputy Aaron Stone took the lead in the investigation and presented information along with the Illinois State Police to the Brown County State’s Attorney’s Office. On June 27, Brown County State’s Attorney Michael Hill filed charges for an arrest warrant for James C. Money, 32, of Hamilton.

The press release says that the Brown County Sheriff’s Office is working with other law enforcement agencies to find Money and arrest him. Money could be also facing charges in Schuyler County for similar incidents that also occurred on April 7. In Brown County, Money has been charged with residential burglary, theft less than $500 (3 counts), possession of stolen firearm, burglary (5 counts), theft control intent $500-$10,000 (3 counts), and criminal damage to property.

If you have any information about Money’s whereabouts, contact the Brown County Sheriff’s Office at 217-773-2011, Crime Stoppers at 217-322-3326 or the Illinois State Police.

Torrential rains that began late Saturday night and continued into Sunday caused severe flash flooding in northern Calhoun, southern Greene and northern Jersey counties overnight.

Illinois Highway 100 between Hardin and Kampsville closed overnight due to water over the road. Intersections at McCauley Rd., Hamburg-Michael Rd., and Churchman Hollow were flooded out with large debris in the road. Crews from IDOT attempted to clear the roadway after a report for a need for EMS in the area near Hamburg and Michael. The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department reported several rescues of people stranded in the area of Michael.

Riverbender reports that several areas throughout Jersey County experienced flooding. Reports so far indicated Brookshire Place in Jerseyville, Bowman Station Road and North Irish Lane, Pump Station Road, and Illinois Route 16 in Fieldon were some of the worst locations. National Weather Service reports indicate that these areas received between 9-10 inches of rain overnight.

UPDATE 4:35PM: The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office gives the following update on road conditions this afternoon:

Illinois Highway 100 between Hardin and Kampsville is back open.

The following roads were affected by the flooding:

• Gresham Hollow Rd. – West End is CLOSED!

• Indian Creek Rd. – Passable with 4WD.

• Pancake Hollow Rd. – Bridge gone; enter from Highway 100 only.

• Irish Hollow Rd. – Sections missing.

• Michael Hollow – Road completely destroyed, passable but not recommended. Entire sections of asphalt missing.

• Godar at Degerlia – Large section missing, approx. 6 feet deep. One lane open.

• Wild Cat Hollow Rd. – Passable but must be entered from Highway 100 only

Please use caution and avoid these areas if possible.

Additionally, please keep the folks in Michael in your thoughts and prayers.

The village was ravaged by flooding and some have lost their homes. There are plenty of photos online to gawk at instead of driving up and down the hollow. Please be considerate.

There is a possibility of additional flooding today; stay alert, stay smart, stay alive.

A former Quincy lawmaker turned lobbyist and former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s closest confidante was sentenced to two years in federal prison on bribery charges linked to Chicago utility giant Commonwealth Edison.

Michael McClain, 77, of Quincy received a considerably lower sentence than what federal prosecutors initially asked for in the now-dubbed ComEd 4 case. Prosecutors had dubbed the former Quincy area State Representative a “fixer” and “henchman” for the now-convicted Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and had asked for McClain to spend 6 years behind bars.

McClain’s attorneys asked for probation citing their client’s advanced age and ongoing health problems, including a recent “cardiac incident,” according to court filings.

Earlier this week, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore was given two years in prison, while John Hooker, the utility’s former top internal lobbyist, received a year and a half behind bars at a hearing last week as party in the same case. Consultant Jay Doherty, the former head of the City Club of Chicago, will be sentenced next month. Prosecutors have asked for Doherty to spend 15 months behind bars.

Federal Manish Shah said that McClain was central in the scheme to curry favor with his former boss and friend, but took into account a refiling request by prosecutors to lower the sentence due to McClain’s current medical state, according to Chicago Sun-Times reporter Jon Seidel on X.

McClain is due in prison October 30th. McClain’s lawyers have asked for him to be free on bond while they appeal the verdict, according to a report from Jason Meisner of the Chicago Tribune on X.