The Rushville Police Department is rallying around one of their own.

Rushville K9 Officer Handler Nathan Rauch was admitted to Blessing Hospital in Quincy on Monday after a medical episode. Rushville Chief of Police Rick Wright told WGEM that Rauch had taken time off in November and hadn’t been recovering from an illness. Wright says that Rauch is the type of officer that never took time off prior to the ill health. Rauch has previously worked for the Astoria Police and the Brown County Sheriff’s Department.

He was later diagnosed with a form of leukemia and transferred to University of Missouri Health Care Hospital in Columbia, Missouri where he is receiving treatment.

The City of Rushville is currently accepting donations of cash, gas and/or gift cards for the family as they travel back and forth for Rauch’s treatment. Donations can be sent to Rushville City Hall at 111 East Washington Street between the hours of 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday.

WGEM reports that a chili cook-off fundraiser is also being held from 1p.m. to 5p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 29 at the Lipsticked Pig in Rushville to help the family. There is also a GoFundMe set up to help benefit the family. Since it was set up 3 days ago, the fundraiser has raised more than $10,000. The link can be found here.

The Greene County community will benefit directly from the recent bi-partisan infrastructure law from Congress.

Illinois Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin announced on Friday that the Greene County Rural Water District based out of Carrollton will receive $240,000 as a part of the USDA’s Rural Development program included in the infrastructure bill.

The bill is meant to help connect more customers to the rural water district and improve service lines and equipment. The Greene County Rural Water District has been in operation since 1994 and currently serves over 1,200 users who are all rural residents of the county.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included Senator Duckworth’s Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act that is meant to help communities repair and modernize their drinking water and wastewater systems.

The Morgan-Scott-Cass Crime Stoppers finished 2022 up in nearly all of the categories it tracks in keeping crime down in the 3-county area.

Crime Stoppers received 489 tips, resulting in 9 cases being solved, 42 arrests being made, and over $9,600 worth of property being returned to its rightful owner. $5,700 worth of rewards were paid out.

Crime Stoppers Coordinator Loren Hamilton attributes the rise in tips to their new mobile app that came available within the last year: “I can’t tell you that for sure, obviously, where the tips come from. A lot of the cellphone tips were school related, for lack of a better term. When we came out with the cellphone app a couple years ago, that was actually our target focus was the middle schools and the high schools. I think because of the content that came out of some of those tips, it has been successful.”

Hamilton says that he wishes he had statistics on the number of people that are highlighted in their “wanted” posts on social media who turn themselves in. Hamilton believes that 3 to 4 individuals a month come forward after seeing the posts and then speak to law enforcement.

Hamilton says that 2023 will have Crime Stoppers likely returning to schools in the 3-county radius in hopes of helping with crime prevention: “Our new president has been on the board for quite awhile, but she actually got bumped up to president this year is Mackenzie Stewart from Waverly. She actually works in the Waverly School District. That’s actually where we want to focus our attention this year is to get back into the schools. There was a time that we had started doing that and it was rolling pretty well, and then along came this thing called Covid that shut it all down. Hopefully, we’ll get into the schools this year, focusing on more crime prevention.”

Since its inception in the area in 1985, Crime Stoppers has been responsible for over 2,000 arrests and 837 crimes solved. Another milestone that the group hopes to surpass this year is the $1 million mark in property returned.

The 3rd Annual Price is United event to benefit the Prairieland United Way annual campaign is right around the corner.

Prairieland United Way Executive Director Karen Walker says the Price Is Right-themed event is expanding this year: “Anyone who has been to it in the past (this is our 3rd year) is going to be very excited to see it’s bigger and better than before. We’ve got some new prizes and new businesses who are interested in being a part of it, so that’s really exciting. We are actively seeking some more businesses, so we’re not even finished with that piece of it. Based on numbers from last year, we had to choose a new venue because we needed more space. We sold out last year. We’re going to be at the MAC – the Midwest Athletic Center – it’s the old MacMurray College gymnasium on Hardin Avenue.”

Reynolds Consumer Products remains one of the main sponsors for the dinner and game show-themed event. The meal will continue to be catered by Hamilton’s Catering. The event will have a new host this year, but former campaign chairs David & Nicole Meyer will return to assist for the event.

The campaign currently sits at 70% of its goal of $15,000.

The event will give away a share of $3,500 cash and prizes.

The event returns on Saturday, February 11th, with doors opening at 5:30 at the Midwest Athletic Center, formerly known as the Bill Wall Gymnasium, located at 409 Hardin Avenue.

Tickets can be ordered by visiting this link.

The Jacksonville Salvation Army reported on Thursday that it’s well short of its Red Kettle Campaign goal.

The campaign, which ends on January 31st, has raised $117,600 towards the $150,000 goal as of Thursday.

Captain Chris Clarke says: ““The money raised throughout the Christmas Campaign is vital to helping those in need in our community year-round. As the freezing temperatures and harsh winter weather begin to take hold of our area, our services will be highly sought after.” Clarke also says the funds support the social services programs and services such as the food pantry, homeless prevention, emergency assistance, and disaster services throughout the year. Funds raised through the campaign also help provide Christmas food baskets, toys for children, and community holiday meals during the holiday season.

Tax-deductible donations to The Salvation Army can be made by cash, check, charge, calling 217-245-7124, or stopping by The Salvation Army at 331 West Douglas Avenue in Jacksonville. The charitable IRA rollover also provides another way of supporting The Salvation Army.

The Illinois House passed an assault weapons ban bill in the early morning hours of Friday.

Six months after the deadly Independence Day shooting in Highland Park, legislation prohibiting the sale of assault rifles, rapid fire devices, and magazines over 12 rounds passed on the House floor after hours of debate 64-43.

State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer of Jacksonville said in the floor debate that the new law is only aimed at legal gun owners and not aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of criminals or fixing what he sees is the root of the problem: “We continue to give leeway to criminals who break current laws. Is there anything in this bill that enhances gun crime?”

Davidsmeyer was answered and there is no gun crime enhancement penalties in the bill. Davidsmeyer went on: “So, all we are doing here, we are talking about gun crime…we’re talking about urban gun crime…we’re talking about mental health issues, and these are two things we are not combating in this. We are going after legal gun owners who have done nothing wrong. 99.9% have done nothing wrong and we’re going after these individuals.”

Davidsmeyer agrees there is a problem with gun crime in the state, but he doesn’t feel the ban is the solution. He says that resources spent on school safety and mental health would create more gun crime prevention.

Governor J.B. Pritzker was present on the House floor early Friday morning, applauding the passage of the bill and speaking with fellow Democrats who worked on the measure.

Advocates say something must be done to stop violence and wanted to stress to the public that no one was coming to take away their guns. According to the House measure on Friday, those currently owning an assault weapon would have the serial number recorded with their FOID Card information with the Illinois State Police.

On Sunday, the State Senate filed its version of the bill removing the serial number provision. The Senate version also reduced the number of weapons covered by the bill and would grandfather in high-capacity magazines.

Governor J.B. Pritzker and advocates reacted swiftly calling the Senate version watered down: “Every time a weapon of war is used to inflict the maximum amount of damage in the shortest amount of time we mourn for the lives lost and communities shattered. Enough is enough. The people of this state deserve a real assault weapons ban, one that has a real accounting of the weapons currently in circulation and a real chance at ceasing the flow of more weapons of war immediately. We need a bill that meets the urgency of now and the current version in the Senate falls short.”

A vote in the final two days of the lame duck session could come tonight.

UPDATE 1/9/23 9:25AM: The Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office reports Winter has been located in Henderson County, Illinois alive and is being checked by EMT.

The Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office is requesting the public’s help to find a missing and endangered man from the Palmyra area.

The Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office says that 72 year old Craig D. Winter left his home on Goshen Road in rural Palmyra on Saturday in a blue 2006 Honda Ridgeline truck with license plate 19822412B and has not been seen since.

According to the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, Winter suffers from dementia and is believed to be in danger.

Winter is a white male who stands approximately 5’9” tall and weighs about 140 pounds. He is bald and has gray and white facial hair with blue eyes.

Anyone with any information or may have spotted Mr. Winter within the last two days should contact the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office at 217-854-3135 extension 1 or call 9-1-1.

15th District Congresswoman Mary Miller eventually flipped her vote behind embattled California Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy in the bitter party in-fighting for Speaker of the House.

After voting against McCarthy on the first 11 ballots, Miller finally threw her support behind him on the 12^th ballot, joining some, but not all, of the very conservative, “Never Kevin” Republicans who had thrown up roadblocks to his House Speaker bid.

McCarthy edged a victory after a historic 15 rounds of voting, the most ballots its taken to elect a House Speaker since 1859.

Miller tweeted out on Friday that she and her colleagues were negotiating for a “historic conservative victory” to stop what she calls “reckless spending and debt.” She finished the tweet on Friday by saying House Republicans must stop President Joe Biden.

Last night, Miller issued a press release outlining some of the upcoming agenda that she says the 20 Republican holdouts wanted from McCarthy. The agenda includes a mechanism to block the Senate from passing any kind of omnibus spending bill, making cuts to the federal budget, asking for a balanced federal budget within 10 years, and a “Church-style” committee to “investigate the weaponization of the federal government including the Biden justice department,” southern border security, and the ending of federal Covid-19 mandates among others.

The holdouts also received concession from McCarthy’s camp to include the reinstatement of a longstanding House rule that would allow any single member to call a vote to oust him from office.

The fight to put McCarthy in power got vitriolic at times. The AP reports that a few minutes before voting began in the House chamber on Friday, Republicans walked out of the House Chamber when Florida Republican and McCarthy detractor Matt Gaetz railed against the GOP leader. The remarks brought an objection from 12th Illinois District Congressman Mike Bost, who cursed at Gaetz, bringing an admonishment from the House Clerk. A spokesperson for Bost did not immediately respond to a request for comment to the AP on Friday.

McCarthy emerged victorious after Republicans Andy Biggs and Eli Crane of Arizona and Bob Good of Virginia voted “present,” which lowered the threshold of support the GOP leader needed to win late Friday night.

One man was arrested after he fled a traffic stop and then crashed a vehicle in Jacksonville’s west end on Saturday.

Jacksonville Police attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by 28 year old Jessie D. Watson of the 700 block of East College Avenue at 10:57PM Saturday near the intersection of West Morgan Street and South Sandy Street. As police attempted the stop, Watson’s vehicle drove off and police say the vehicle went through at least two traffic control devices as the vehicle fled south and then westbound according to a police report.

The chase came to an end a short time later when police say Watson’s vehicle was traveling southbound on Park Street and drove through the intersection at Hoagland Boulvevard and struck a guardrail. No injuries were reported in the crash.

Watson was cited for fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer, possession of a controlled substance, possession of firearm ammunition by a felon, failure to reduce speed to avoid a traffic crash, and other traffic citations. He is currently being held at the Morgan County Jail.

The Illinois State Police & Sangamon County Coroner’s Office have released more information about a 3-vehicle collision that took a Pawnee woman’s life yesterday in Southern Sangamon County.

According to a State Police report, a 2014 Ford Explorer being driven by 33 year old Cassandra Prindle of Springfield was traveling westbound on Illinois Route 104, a quarter mile east of Interstate 55 near Pawnee. ISP say for an unknown reason, the Explorer crossed the center line and struck a 2019 International semi-tractor trailer driven by 20 year old Fred Fleck of Sherman. The Explorer then spun into the path of a 2004 Toyota Camry driven by 42 year old LaDonna Rude of Pawnee and struck the Camry nearly head-on.

Rude was pronounced deceased at the scene by Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon. Allmon says that Rude died as a result of multiple blunt force trauma injuries sustained in the collision.

Prindle has been cited for improper lane usage and failure to reduce speed to avoid a traffic crash.

The crash remains under investigation by Illinois State Police, Troop 6; the Illinois State Police Traffic Crash Reconstruction Unit; and the Sangamon County Coroner’s Office.