An organization that recognizes people for their significant contributions and leadership in Jacksonville has been revived after a decade.

The Jacksonville Area Hall of Fame was established in 1990 and has previously inducted 65 people into the Hall. The honoree plaques currently hang in the Jacksonville City Council chambers at the Municipal Building.

Revived by John Buchanan, another group of community leaders will be added to the hall next year, marking the first inductions since 2012. According to a press release, due to the passing of several members of the Hall’s original board of directors, the organization had become inactive. Earlier this year, Buchanan gathered a group of people with the goal of reviving the awards.

Buchanan said in a press release that Jacksonville has a large number of individuals to choose from to honor for their service to the community: “Our community has been and continues to be fortunate to have many strong community leaders who give of their time and energy. The Hall of Fame is an opportunity to provide well-earned recognition of their many contributions to the Jacksonville area.”

The organization plans to begin accepting nominations for the 2023 inductees in January and to host an induction event in early June 2023.

One small pocket of students along Jacksonville’s east end may be at a new school next year.

Jacksonville School District 117 Superintendent Steve Ptacek says that South Elementary is becoming overcrowded and students from that district need to shift elsewhere to alleviate the burden: “The main goal of looking at the boundaries once again is to look at the high numbers at South and Washington low numbers, even since we implemented the new boundaries in the Fall 2018. There’s been a drastic change in the numbers since then. I analyzed multiple different ways we could address both of those issues. That area of Rolling Acres and Green Acres across the street on [East] Morton was an area in question about whether to send those kids to South or Washington even back when we originally re-did the boundaries. That seems to be the easiest transition, both transportation-wise, geographic-wise. I also think with there being a brand new school at Washington, I think that could be an attractive thing for those families. They would also be going to a school with lower class sizes.”

Ptacek says the shift in the 1000 block of East Morton Avenue would effect about 42 students: “Now, we will talk about the boundary change at the next board meeting with a potential final vote on that in December. In the meantime, I will reach out to those families and talk about that change with those families. 42 K-5 students would be moved from South to Washington.”

Using enrollment data from Skyward, South Elementary’s enrollment would fall to 281 with the move and have an average of about 28 kids per class per grade level. Currently, South averages about 32 kids per classroom with a currently enrollment of 323.

Ptacek also presented other proposals that would have shifted some students out of Eisenhower to North, as well as other students out of South into Murrayville-Woodson that had less of an impact on South’s current enrollment overcrowding.

Parents in the effected area will be afforded the opportunity to speak with Ptacek privately or during the next school board meeting on November 16^th.

The Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation has announced the arrest of an Arkansas man in Cass County this week on child pornography charges.

In April 2022, ISP DCI Zone 4 Agents initiated an investigation after learning a subject, later identified as 19-year-old Taylor Rainwater of Batesville, Arkansas, was soliciting child pornography from a juvenile residing in Cass County. During the investigation, ISP Agents assigned to the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force gathered evidence supporting the arrest of Rainwater.

Last Wednesday, the Cass County State’s Attorney’s Office filed 5-count information, charging Rainwater with two Class X and three Class 1 Child Pornography charges. Circuit Judge Timothy J. Wessel issued an arrest warrant for Rainwater, setting bond at $200,000, 10% to apply.

On Friday, the Batesville, Arkansas Police Department arrested Rainwater and he was extradited to Cass County. On Monday, Rainwater was transported by the Cass County Sheriff’s Department to the Morgan County Jail. A first appearance date for Rainwater in Cass County Circuit Court has not yet been set.

The ISP encourages anyone with additional information concerning this case to contact ISP DCI Zone 4 Investigations at (217) 782-4750.

Two co-defendants from an armed robbery in Rolling Acres trailer court from January were sentenced on separate charges in Morgan County Court yesterday.

25 year old Lillian D. Gaines of the 700 block of East Chambers Street admitted to a petition to revoke probation from an August 10, 2021 conviction on possession of methamphetamine. The petition says that Gaines was party to an armed robbery that occurred in the 1000 block of East Morton Avenue on January 18^th involving others in ordered to take over $500 cash from an individual at gunpoint. The petition also says Gaines failed to report to probation twice. She was sentenced to 3 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, up to 1 year of mandatory supervised release, and had all original fines, fees, and court costs from the August 2021 case re-imposed. She was given credit for 17 days served in the Morgan County Jail, an aggravated robbery charge was dropped per the plea.

Gaines’ co-defendant, 39 year old Jonathan P. Parrish of the 700 block of Serenity Lane, pled guilty to felony theft in connection to the January 18^th armed robbery incident. Parrish was sentenced to 2 years in IDOC, up to 1 year of mandatory supervised release, a $500 fine, plus fees and court costs. Parrish was given credit for 271 days served in the Morgan County Jail. Parrish’s aggravated robbery charge was dropped per the plea.

One other co-defendant in the case, 40 year old Edith M. Schubert was sentenced to local jail time back in June.

A Central Illinois piano virtuoso returns to the Illinois College campus this evening for a solo performance for the Fine Arts Series.

Dr. Pei-I Wang, coordinator of keyboard studies at Millikin University, will perform at 7:30PM at Rammelkamp Chapel. Cost is $15 for adults, students and children admission is free.

Fire Arts Series Chair Garrett Allman says the recital has been entitled “Shall We Dance” and covers a broad range of dances and musical periods which will feature musical selections from Bach, Gershwin, Russian composer Alexander Scriabin, and Liszt.

Wang returns after performing in the the Music Wall Duo last year. She has performed with orchestras in the U.S. and Asia, and has received awards in several piano competitions in the U.S. and Europe. Most recently, her recording of Carl Czerny’s four-handed piano fantasies with Dr. Sam Gingher was released in September 2020 under the Naxos label.

Dialysis patients in Pike County are going to have to travel farther to get treatment starting next year.

The Pike Press reports that the DaVita Dialysis Center located within Illini Hospital in Pittsfield is closing at the end of the year. Patients have been advised of the closing by mail.

Illini Hospital CEO Kathy Hull told the Pike Press that the hospital had nothing to do with the dialysis center other than they leased the 5-station treatment space . She says she doesn’t know of the reason why DaVita is closing the location.

Hull told the Pike Press that she speculates the reason the center may be closing is more people are going to at-home dialysis treatment or they are traveling to nearby dialysis centers in Quincy, Hannibal, and Jacksonville. Hull says she hopes to meet with Blessing Hospital to find an alternative to continue providing the service in Pike County.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources officials announced Monday that a mountain lion or cougar was struck and killed by a vehicle on Interstate 88 in DeKalb County on Sunday.

The animal was transferred to an IDNR lab at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana for a full necropsy and DNA analysis. The UIUC analysis will provide valuable information to biologists about the animal, its place of origin, and exploratory movements across the Midwest.

IDNR experts believe it may be the same mountain lion that was captured on a trail camera on private property in Whiteside County in late September and confirmed by wildlife biologists from IDNR and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Mountain lion movements are nothing new to West Central Illinois over the last decade. In October 2012, a cougar was captured on a trail camera set up southeast of Literberry. Subsequent sightings popped up in Calhoun, Greene, and Pike Counties. IDNR says these sightings typically consist of the young population originating out of the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Mountain lions have been protected in Illinois since 2015, and it is unlawful to hunt, kill, or harass them unless they pose an imminent threat to a person or property. IDNR reminds the public that it is very rare for a mountain lion to pose a threat to people or property. However, if encountered and the animal does not immediately flee, people should stand tall, wave their arms, throw stones or other objects, and yell. Do not run, but slowly back away from the site, keeping an eye on the animal.

IDNR will continue to closely monitor reports in accordance with its large carnivore response plan and work to mitigate threats to public safety and property. If you believe you have footage or have spotted a cougar or mountain lion, visit wildlifeillinois.org and fill out a report.

Nestlé USA is initiating a voluntary recall of ready-to-bake refrigerated NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® STUFFED Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough with Fudge Filling products due to the potential presence of white plastic pieces.

The USDA says the recall is isolated to the product produced between June and September and were distributed throughout the U.S. And Puerto Rico.

No other NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® products are impacted by the recall. The USDA says no injuries or illnesses have been reported. The action was taken due to an abundance of caution after a small number of consumers contacted Nestlé USA about the issue, according to the recall notice.

Consumers are asked to return the product to the retailer where it was purchased for a replacement or refund. For any further support needed, please contact Nestlé USA at (800) 681-1676 Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Several groups are converging on Lincoln Land Community College in Jacksonville tonight to talk about the Navigator Heartland Greenway CO2 pipeline project.

Community Activitist Nick Dodson says residents of Morgan County who have questions about the pipeline should come to the free event. He says that lawyers, scientists, farmers and landowners in the area will be providing information on why they think the pipeline is a bad idea for the area.

Dodson says that Sangamon and McDonough counties have already placed moratoriums on CO2 pipelines coming through their counties after people have petitioned their local governments to do so. He says it’s ridiculous that liquid Carbon Dioxide pipelines are being regulated similar to crude oil pipelines, and that it’s dangerous.

Dodson says open invitations have been extended to elected officials for the meeting tonight at LLCC in Jacksonville. He hopes even supporters of the pipeline show up simply to help exchange information and concerns.

The event begins at 6:30 tonight at Community Room 115 at LLCC-Jacksonville, located at 32 North Central Park Plaza.

For further information, contact Nick Dodson nickdodson@gmail.com.