The President & CEO of Blessing Health system has announced she will retire next year.

Maureen Kahn announced on Friday that she will be leaving her post on October 6^th, 2023. Kahn has been in leadership with the hospital system for the past 22 years, including the last 8 as President & CEO of Blessing Health, according to a press release.

The Blessing Corporate Service Board intends to name Kahn’s replacement in “early 2023.”

Blessing Health owns and operates locations in Pittsfield, Mt. Sterling, Rushville, and Quincy as well as in Iowa and Missouri.

An Auburn man who pleaded guilty in federal court in early September to assaulting a law enforcement officer and members of the media during the January 6th Capitol Riot has been arrested in connection with a fatal accident on Interstate 55 Tuesday.

The State Journal Register reports that 44 year old Shane Jason Woods, also known as Shane Castleman, has been taken into custody by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department for reckless homicide, aggravated driving under the influence, driving under the influence and fleeing/eluding police. He is currently lodged at the Sangamon County Jail on $2 million bond.

Woods’ GMC Sierra is said to have entered Interstate 55 northbound in the southbound lanes from exit ramp 88 at mile marker 89, approximately 1 mile south of Toronto Road. It then hit two other cars, a Mercury Sable and a Toyota Corolla, just north of Exit 88 before overturning. A fourth vehicle, a semi, drove through the crash scene immediately after the impact of the three cars.

The driver of the Mercury Sable, 35 year old Lauren Wegner of Clayton, North Carolina was pronounced deceased at the scene Tuesday by Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon.

Woods along with a passenger in the Toyota Corolla, a 54-year-old female from Granite City were taken to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Corolla, a 61-year-old Granite City man, was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The Illinois State Police report on the crash said the semi truck driver, a 37 year old man from Spring, Texas, refused medical attention at the scene. Traffic was backed up and diverted for several hours.

The State Journal Register says that Sangamon County State’s Attorney Dan Wright has been working closely with ISP to investigate the crash and formal charges against Woods are expected early this week.

In the January 6th, Woods is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on January 13, 2023. He faces up to eight years in prison.

Jacksonville Police were called after a man allegedly stole a vehicle from a school yesterday morning.

The Illinois School for the Deaf security detail reported to police that one of the school’s dark green utility vehicles had been taken around 9:30 yesterday morning.

The unknown suspect at the time had arrived at the school on a bicycle and left it in the grass before taking off with the vehicle. Officers located the UTV near the intersection of Massey Lane and West Morton Avenue at 12:36 PM and arrested the driver, 30-year-old Luke T. Adams of the 700 block of East Douglas Avenue.

Adams was cited for felony theft, an outstanding Morgan County warrant, and resisting a peace officer. At 1:19 PM, police also cited Adams for burglary from a motor vehicle in the 1700 block of West Morton Avenue after video evidence allegedly showed Adams taking items and an undisclosed amount of cash out of the vehicle, and officers are said to have observed him with the stolen objects.

Adams remains held at the Morgan County Jail without bond.

A vehicle was destroyed by fire Thursday night after striking a deer in Scott County.

Illinois State Police reports that an unknown make and model vehicle struck a deer on westbound Interstate 72 near milepost 45 at the Bluffs-Illinois Route 100 exit.

Damage to the vehicle caused a gas line to the engine to ignite causing the vehicle to become fully engulfed in flame. The Winchester Volunteer Fire Department and North Scott Fire Department responded. Fire crews were on the scene for approximately 45 minutes. The vehicle has been deemed a total loss.

No injuries were reported. ISP says no further information about the incident is available.

Morgan County Court sentenced a multiple traffic offender on Thursday to time in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

33 year old William J. Sanders of Alexander pleaded guilty to felony driving on a revoked license causing personal injury on Thursday in court. The charge stems from a string of traffic arrests dating back to January 28^th of last year.

The felony charge in question dates to August 24, 2021 when Sanders was arrested by Morgan County Sheriff’s Deputies in Waverly after being involved in a 3-vehicle crash on Illinois Route 104 that sent two women to Springfield hospitals. Sanders posted bond and was released. He was apprehended for driving on a revoked license in arrests again on September 24, 2021; August 28, 2021, December 26, 2021, and September 15^th of this year.

Sanders was sentenced yesterday to 1 year in the Illinois Department of Corrections, up to 1 year of mandatory supervised release, fined $1,300 plus fees and court costs. Sanders was given credit for 3 days served in the Morgan County Jail.

A Southern Sangamon County business is giving money to ensure veterans get a chance to visit and be honored at the nation’s capital.

Springfield Plastics, Inc. of Auburn donated $2,000 to the Lincoln Land Honor Flight. Springfield Plastics’ Wesley Foreman, Andrea Schroll, and Steve Harbour presented the check to Joan Bortolon, President of the Land of Lincoln Honor Flight program, on October 25^th.

Vice President of Springfield Plastics, Inc., Jennifer Furkin says the company understands the importance of showing veterans how grateful we are for their service to the country.

Lincoln Land Honor Flight had 5 flights this year. More flights are being planned for next year. The volunteer operation takes 30 or more veterans on each flight from Springfield to Washington D.C.

Applications for an honor flight can be found at the Land of Lincoln Honor Flight website by email at JMB4604@aol.com or by calling (217)-585-1219 or (217) 652-4719.

Jacksonville Police arrested a Jacksonville man yesterday morning after a nearly two-week investigation into a string of criminal damage to property incidents occurring at a single residence.

28 year old Ethan E. Thornley of the first block of Catalina Court was arrested at his residence without incident at 9:51AM Thursday on five counts of criminal damage to property.

Jacksonville Police reports say that Thornley was a person of interest in five separate criminal damage incidents that occurred in the first block of Book Lane dating back to October 24th.

On October 24th, police responded to a residence after the homeowner discovered their garage door had been defaced with graffiti by spray paint.

On October 28th at 3:25AM, police responded to a possible break-in at the same home, after the homeowner said someone had attempted to make entry by breaking out a window.

On October 31st at 1PM, Jacksonville Police were called back to the home after the homeowner came home and found a brick landscaping paver had been thrown through a window.

On Monday, police were called to the same street after a homeowner discovered a vehicle had been defaced with spray paint.

Police also were called to the location yesterday for a reported incident but did not provide any details.

Jacksonville Police say that they were able to pinpoint Thornley as the primary suspect in these cases after viewing video surveillance footage from the neighborhood. Police detectives believe the motive behind the incidents are linked to a family dispute.

Thornley remains held on bond at the Morgan County Jail.

The MacMurray Foundation & Alumni Association has announced that the closing ceremony, Hail to MacMurray: A Fond Farewell, is now available on the Foundation’s YouTube channel.

The ceremony, held June 18^th served as a celebration of the college as well as providing an outlet for alumni to share in the sadness of the college’s closing in May, 2020. The ceremony was delayed because the first gathering of alumni since the college closed was rescheduled due to COVID.

The full program runs about one hour and 45 minutes, with 13 smaller segments surrounding the ceremony also featured on the YouTube page.

Individuals can access the full ceremony or other segments by going online to YouTube and entering “MacMurray Foundation” in the search bar.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a Hillsboro man in connection to a criminal sexual assault of a child.

Montgomery County authorities are searching for information leading to the whereabouts of 34 year old Michael J. Ralston of Hillsboro. Ralston is wanted for a single count of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child.

Ralston is believed to have connections in the WLDS/WEAI listening area. He stands approximately 6’1″, weighs around 175 pounds, and has short brown hair and blue eyes. He also wears a beard or goatee. He has a neck tattoo. Montgomery County authorities say not to approach Ralston or attempt to apprehend him.

If you have information in regards to Ralston’s location, contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at (217)532-9511, your local police department, or you can contact Macoupin/Montgomery Crime Stoppers at 1 (800)-352-0136. Tips can also be submitted on Crime Stoppers P3 mobile app.